Swerve Strickland Weighs In On New Day’s Legacy In WWE, Hopes To Work With Them

Swerve Strickland says the New Day have set their WWE legacy in stone and hopes that he can work with them now that they’ve left the company. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of course exited WWE last weekend. The speculation has already risen about the two potentially joining AEW, something Strickland was asked about on TMZ Inside the Ring.

Strickland has been friends with the two for quite some time and he had plenty of good things to say about them. He noted that Kingston created his own archetype in WWE and that the two (as well as Big E.) shined by way of their authenticity, something he was inspired by. You can see highlights below:

On If He’s Spoken To Kingston Since His Exit:

“Yeah, [I] had very small words like just through text and stuff. It’s hard to find anybody that has anything negative to say about him. And he’s had such like a polished record for 20 years. Never a bad thing to say about him, never in the news about anything. Never said the wrong things, never been in the wrong places, never — you know.

“So he’s like the epitome of professionalism when it comes to that, especially in our culture? You look at Kofi as one of the top five greatest to ever do it, you know. And he’s truly a model — a role model, but he’s the model type of role model. He’s the perfect type of role model.”

On the Group’s Authenticity:

“Just the fact of like, he was so expressive and he was just himself. I think that’s the biggest thing about these two guys, and Big E. adjacent to them. They were themselves. They made guys feel and show that you don’t have to put on this mask and this shade, and just have to pretend or portray what the perception of you think they should be. They were themselves.

“And that’s where it got me comfortable to just, ‘Oh, I’m just going to be myself, and show little pieces of it,’ like my entrances and things like that. All my little things that I like, I’m going to show those things. And I’m going to express it and I’m going to like put him like little trinkets here and there. It comes from guys that being able to take those risks, you know?”

On The Group’s Legendary Status:

“No matter where [Kingston] goes, he’s a legend. No matter what he’s like — even though now is like, we’re having the discussion about the moment now, that doesn’t take away all they all that they’ve all accomplished. You know, it doesn’t take any of that away. you know, that’s like it’s going to last forever.”

On Potentially Working With Woods & Kingston:

“Oh, of course, absolutely. You I also just want them to do what this what’s best for them. If they want to take a like five-year hiatus, they’ve earned it. They’ve more than earned it… They know their value as well, and that’s the most important thing. I hope that’s the lesson that everybody learns in this, not just like as a fan but as a professional, as yourself in this industry. They know their value and they understand who they are, and they understand what they bring and what they brought and what legacy they leave behind.”

On Kingston’s Legacy In WWE:

“There’s an archetype for him. ‘Oh, you’re the next Kofi,’ you know? He created an archetype for like the WWE. Like, ‘Oh that’s the Kofi Kingston spot. Oh you get the Kofi Kingston moment in the latter matches. You get the Kofi Kingston spot in the Rumble.’ He has an archetype after himself. He was a Hall of Famer five years ago, in my opinion.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.