AEW star Swerve Strickland has reflected on his epic, year-long feud with the current AEW World Champion, \"Hangman\" Adam Page. In a new interview, Strickland boldly stated that he would put their story \"against any story in wrestling history.\"
Speaking on That Hashtag Show, Strickland explained why he feels his rivalry with Page stands out. He believes the story was deeply personal and based on the \"vulnerability\" of \"two flawed men.\"
“I put our story against any story in wrestling history, honestly, because it’s just two men,\" Swerve said. \"When Hangman’s in the ring, you hear, ‘Who’s house? Swerve’s house’ chants. When Swerve’s in the ring, you hear ‘Cowboy s**t’ chants... Our whole story was based on vulnerability.”
The feud between the two was one of the most intense and violent in AEW history, spanning from late 2023 to its culmination at the All Out pay-per-view in September 2024. The rivalry saw both men reach incredible highs and lows, including a memorable and shocking angle where Page burned down Swerve\'s house.
Strickland explained the depth of the story, which started with Page at a low point in his career. \"It was about Hangman winning a Battle Royal at All Out in 2023. It was like, ‘Dude, what are you doing celebrating winning a charity Battle Royal in the pre-show? This whole company was built off of you,\'\" Strickland recalled. \"Him coming from a low... and then falling so low, and then coming right back up and then, negativity is kind of what inspired him and brought him back.\"
The rivalry came full circle at the All In: Texas pay-per-view on July 12. During the main event, Swerve Strickland interfered on Page\'s behalf, helping his former nemesis defeat Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Championship.
