Isiah "Swerve" Scott Evokes Past Character In New Video Clip
Shane Strickland, formerly known as Isiah "Swerve" Scott in WWE, is embracing his free agency as his contract's non-compete clause approaches an end. In a new video clip he posted to Twitter earlier this week, Strickland is seen hanging out of a car window. At first, he wears a mask and fires some shots off with an automatic rifle before revealing his face and laughing maniacally at the camera.
This tease evokes characteristics of his Lucha Underground character "Killshot" that he originally debuted back in the promotion. His backstory was that of a former military sniper, who fought to forget the horrors of war through in-ring combat and other avenues. Strickland was featured in all 4 seasons of Lucha Underground and brought his name to prominence there, setting him up for future success.
He was also a big part of Major League Wrestling when the company first rebranded itself, as Shane was the first MLW World Champion upon the return. He left the company to sign with WWE NXT in 2019 and would accomplish feats such as becoming North American Champion and creating the popular "Hit Row" stable before being released in November.
A hint at the end of an MLW Azteca episode earlier this month hinted in the direction that Shane Strickland was on his way to a return. During the final scene of the episode, a shot of two doors in the Azteca Underground locker room were shown. One door read Salina, referencing former MLW manager Salina de la Renta, while the other read Killshot, the name of the long-time Lucha Underground star.
On his own SwerveCity Podcast this past November, Scott discussed the frustration associated with his abrupt release. However, it didn't take long for him to realize the numerous possibilities that are available in other companies such as MLW, Impact Wrestling, AEW, and others.
"At first, when the releases happened, I was upset. It was more of an embarrassment to my family because I felt like, I was like, 'I let them down,' because I talked up so much about how everything was going to be okay. Everything is going to be — I'm going to exceed the expectations, we're doing something that's never been done." Swerve said. "It felt like it was like, no, it's thrown back in my face. But I looked around, it took me a couple of days, two days. I looked around and got on the phone with my man (Teasy Scott), talked to my people, and we talked about all the possibilities that are out there right now."
Stay tuned for updates on Strickland as his WWE 90-day non-compete clause is set to expire this February.
You can see the full video clip below: