Summary

Swerve Strickland believes celebrities and influencers can have a place in pro wrestling, but only if the audience is invested in them.

Speaking during a recent interview, Strickland said crossover appearances should be judged by how well that person connects with wrestling fans. The topic has been under a brighter spotlight in 2026 after celebrity involvement became part of the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes feud on the road to WrestleMania 42.

The former AEW World Champion has been active on the interview circuit lately, including talking about wanting to see The New Day in AEW.

Swerve Strickland's view on celebrity crossover

Strickland's main point was that wrestling fans usually make the answer clear. In his view, promotions can bring in outside names, but the level of involvement has to match the response they get from the audience.

Quote from Swerve Strickland

"There's a time and a place for it for sure. There's a time and a place for it. Once again, it always comes back to the connection to the fan base. How much have you connected with the fan base to warrant your level of involvement said space in the wrestling. That's all I was going to tell you. You always got to listen to the fan base. They're going to tell you what they're receiving. Well, it's like, they're like children. They cry when they don't- they're getting something. Or they're going to cry when they want something and then you feed it to them. They're going to be like, 'Oh, that satisfied me.' It's the same way. They're going to tell you when something's like, they don't like it or it's not- they're not digesting it well."

What Swerve Strickland's comments mean for crossover booking

Strickland tied celebrity wrestling directly to crowd reaction, which puts the emphasis on execution instead of star power alone. For AEW and every other promotion leaning on outside attention, that is the real balancing point, getting a short-term mainstream boost without losing the audience that follows the weekly product.

His comments also land at a time when promotions keep looking for crossover names who can add visibility. Strickland did not reject that idea outright, but he made it clear that fan support has to come first if those appearances are going to work.

Sources

Swerve Strickland while speaking on The Cruz Show