Note On Alleged WWE Reaction to Swerve Strickland’s New AEW Deal

As previously reported, former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland signed a new deal with the company ahead of last Sunday’s All In. It was later noted that the multi-year deal would keep him in AEW through at least 2028, although exact details weren’t known at the time. It’s said to be one of the biggest deals in AEW history.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Strickland is staying in AEW through September 2029. The deal was agreed to several weeks ago but the announcement was saved for Sunday.

WWE attempted to acquire both Strickland and Prince Nana at one point. There were some discussing that Swerve is now a ‘rich man’ with the deal, which is said to be one of the biggest in wrestling. However, it would still put him below what some WWE stars like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are making. It’s believed to be in line with what Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone are earning in AEW, although those are lower numbers than has been rumored.

WWE sources indicated that the reaction was the deal for Strickland (and another offered to Daniel Garcia) are bad for pro wrestling because they go over what WWE would consider the market value for them to be. The belief is that Tony Khan is spending more than he has to and raising salaries.