Major ex-WWE star has worked out frustrations with Tony Khan, locked in with AEW till 2029

AEW has been a major alternative to World Wrestling Entertainment in many ways since it was founded in 2019. Among its most important aspects is the creative freedom it offers to wrestling stars who thrive in such an environment. Chief among these former WWE Superstars who have found success in All Elite Wrestling is Swerve Strickland.

Swerve Strickland joined the Jacksonville-based promotion in March 2022 and has since become an AEW World Tag Team and World Champion. He recently re-signed with Tony Khan's company, and his new deal reportedly locks him in until 2029.

In a recent appearance on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, Strickland was asked about his new contract, which he called "very lucrative." He also revealed that, despite the occasional frustrations, he and Tony Khan have worked through all their issues, and there's nowhere he'd rather be.

"I work through those frustrations better here [in AEW] than I did in other places anywhere else in the world, whether it be Lucha Underground, MLW, WWE, NXT. Tony Khan and me always work through frustrations, and I've voiced them," Swerve said.

Kev then suggested that Tony Khan has allowed Swerve to become successful his own way, and the former World Champion agreed, but he noted that there were missteps along the way:

"Yeah, but there's been times I'm like, ah, we didn't cook as best as we could've been able to cook, and I'm someone, I'm not gonna half-a** that." [From 27:27 to 27:50]

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Swerve Strickland compares WWE and AEW to different film genres

Many comparisons have been made between WWE and All Elite Wrestling, and while their styles are certainly different, the two companies are similar enough that many fans can watch and enjoy both. Swerve Strickland recently compared the styles of wrestling's two biggest promotions to Hollywood films.

In the same interview on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, the former AEW World Champion compared WWE to blockbuster movies and All Elite Wreslting to more niche A24 films:

"It's almost like you get the big box offices movies and all that stuff over there, but over there you don't get green screen, you don't get wires. Can you friggin act? That's what AEW is. You have to act in order to perform in our films. We're A24. The performances and acting have to be pristine. You can enjoy both and both are successful. That's the beauty of it," he said.

Strickland has, of course, experienced the highs and lows of both companies. It seems he's now found his home in All Elite Wrestling, but whether he can climb back to the top of the company remains to be seen.