Swerve Strickland recently extended his contract with AEW, and WWE views this as a negative development for the wrestling industry.
During the Zero Hour pre-show at AEW All In London 2024, it was revealed that Strickland had signed an extension with AEW. The announcement occurred during a segment where Strickland, alongside Prince Nana and AEW President Tony Khan, was seen finalizing the new deal.
Strickland’s new AEW contract was later reported to keep him with the company until at least 2028, although the exact duration is not publicly known. This agreement is considered one of the most significant in AEW’s history.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Strickland’s new AEW deal is one of the most substantial contracts in pro wrestling. This places him in the same pay range as top stars like Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné.
Additionally, a source told Meltzer that WWE believes Strickland’s lucrative AEW contract harms the industry, as it far exceeds what the company considers the market value for a wrestler of his caliber.
The report states, ”Swerve Strickland’s new AEW deal is believed to be among the biggest deals in pro wrestling, and said to be in the same pay range as Kazuchika Okada & Mercedes Moné. WWE feel that Swerve’s new high-paying AEW contract is bad for the business as it is “so far over what WWE would perceive the market value” to be.”
Strickland dropped the AEW World Championship to Bryan Danielson this past weekend at AEW All In London 2024.
