Summary

Swerve Strickland said he did not initially view wrestling as a career path when he started at age 18.

He explained that he pursued wrestling as an art form and personal passion, and said that process eventually turned into a full career.

Strickland described passion as something that is not always rewarding but still worth pursuing through setbacks and obstacles.

Swerve Strickland mindset shows how long-term passion shaped his wrestling path

Swerve Strickland framing wrestling as an art form first helps explain his long-term development arc, because his focus was on getting better rather than chasing immediate career outcomes.

His comments also underline why his approach has stayed consistent through different stages of his run, with persistence through barriers as a central part of how he built momentum.

For related context on his recent evolution process, see our report on Strickland’s physical changes before his AEW return.

Quotes

Quote from Swerve Strickland

“I didn’t expect it to be a career choice. It was an art form to take on pretty much. It’s just like taking on music. Never really think of it as this is going to be…. [For] some people, it’s like, ‘This is my way out, this is my way to get out of this bad situation.’ A lot of times it’s like that, but for me, it was just something I had a passion for. I always describe to people, especially fans that are coming up to me asking me about pro wrestling, ‘A passion is something that you do that doesn’t always love you back.’ So you chase it, you love it, but it’s not always treating you the best. But you still pursue it because even with all the downfalls, the hits you take, the barriers they put in front of you, something still keeps making you keep chasing and going on that path. That’s what wrestling was for me. It was just an art form that I wanted to get good at, and then it turned into a career in a sense.”

Sources

As reported by Fightful.