Swerve Strickland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swerve Strickland
Strickland in February 2022
Birth name	Stephon Strickland
Born	(1990-09-30) September 30, 1990 (age 34) Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Children	3
Relatives	Fred Strickland (cousin)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Isaiah "Swerve" Scott Killshot Lt. Jermaine Strickland Shane Strickland Swerve Strickland SW3RVE SW3RVE the Realest
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Billed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Billed from	Tacoma, Washington
Trained by	Combat Zone Wrestling D. J. Hyde Ground Xero Wrestling
Debut	2011
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Reserve
Years of service	2008–2015

Stephon Strickland (born September 30, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is known by his ring name Swerve Strickland. He currently wrestles for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also appears on the independent circuit, which means he wrestles for different wrestling companies.

Strickland started his wrestling journey in 2008 as Shane Strickland. He worked for many independent wrestling groups until 2019. These included Major League Wrestling (MLW), Evolve Wrestling, and Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). He won the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, the Evolve Championship, and the CZW World Heavyweight Championship once each. From 2014 to 2018, he wrestled in Lucha Underground as a masked character called Killshot.

In 2019, he joined WWE and wrestled as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott in NXT. He was part of a group called Hit Row. He won the NXT North American Championship once. He then moved to WWE's main show, SmackDown, but left the company in November 2021.

As Swerve Strickland, he joined AEW in March 2022. He became a one-time AEW World Champion. He also won the AEW World Tag Team Championship once with Keith Lee. He was the leader of a wrestling group called Mogul Embassy until May 2024.

Early Life and Military Service

Stephon Strickland was born in Tacoma, Washington, on September 30, 1990. His cousin, Fred Strickland, was a professional football player. When Swerve was two months old, his family moved to Germany. His father was a cook in the United States Army. They lived on a U.S. military base in Frankfurt. Swerve spent his first seven years in Germany.

The family later moved back to the U.S. and settled in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. He went to Donegal High School. He was good at dancing in talent shows. He also played football, basketball, and did track and field.

After high school, Strickland joined the Army Reserve at age 17. He completed his basic training in South Carolina. Then he had more training in Augusta, Georgia. He served for eight years in York, Pennsylvania. He worked as a specialist who helped with communication systems. He left the Army Reserve in 2015.

Professional Wrestling Career

Starting His Wrestling Journey (2008–2012)

Strickland decided to become a professional wrestler when he was 18. He started training in August 2008. He trained while still serving in the Army Reserve. He soon began wrestling in Maryland and Pennsylvania. His Army Reserve duties meant he could only wrestle in that area at first. In September 2011, he wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance. In March 2012, he won his first match for East Coast Wrestling Association.

Combat Zone Wrestling (2012–2017, 2019)

Strickland first wrestled for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) in February 2012. He took part in a big tournament called Best Of The Best 11. In November 2012, he challenged for the CZW Wired TV Championship but lost. He entered the Best of the Best tournament again in 2013.

In September 2013, he competed for the CZW Wired TV Championship in a ladder match. He lost that match. In March 2014, Strickland defeated Devon Moore to win the CZW Wired TV Championship for the first time. He kept the title in a ladder match against Moore.

Strickland then had a rivalry with Joe Gacy. He lost the Wired TV title to Gacy. But he won it back two weeks later. In October 2014, he wrestled in a tournament in Germany. He lost the Wired TV title to Gacy again at Cage of Death XVI. After wrestling in Germany, he returned to CZW in 2015 for one match.

In 2016, Strickland had exciting matches with Dezmond Xavier. In the 2017 Best of the Best tournament, he reached the finals but lost. In July 2017, he won the CZW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. He held the title until November, losing it to Gacy. Strickland's last match in CZW was in 2019, where he won.

Wrestling Around the World (2012–2019)

On May 5, 2012, Strickland debuted for Evolve Wrestling. He teamed with Latin Dragon and won. In August 2018, Strickland defeated Matt Riddle to win the Evolve Championship. He held the title for three months before losing it to Fabian Aichner. He wrestled Kassius Ohno and Adam Cole in Evolve. He also faced JD Drake for the WWN Championship.

In 2016, Strickland wrestled in Germany for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw). He won the World Tag Team League with David Starr. They beat famous teams like Angélico and Jack Evans. Shane Strickland also wrestled Cody Rhodes at the first Defy event. In 2017, during the WrestleMania 33 weekend, he wrestled seven matches for five different companies in three days.

In August 2018, Strickland appeared at Triplemanía XXVI in Mexico. He represented Major League Wrestling and wrestled for the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship. He did not win the title. In March 2019, he wrestled for The Crash Lucha Libre in another championship match.

Strickland won the PCW Ultra Light Heavyweight Championship in March 2018. He defended it against many wrestlers, including Dragon Lee and Darby Allin. In December 2018, he defeated Pentagon Jr. to win the PCW Ultra Heavyweight Championship. This made him a double champion. He later gave up the Light Heavyweight Championship. He defended the Ultra Heavyweight Championship against Brian Cage.

In March 2019, Strickland gave a farewell speech at a DEFY Wrestling event. This meant he was signing with a bigger company. He wrestled his last independent circuit match in April 2019. He teamed with Joe Gacy and Eddie Kingston.

Lucha Underground (2014–2018)

Strickland was a main character on the TV show Lucha Underground. He appeared in every season. His friend Ricochet helped him get a tryout with the company. He played a character named Lt. Jermaine Strickland. He was a military veteran who wore dog tags to remember his friends. He wrestled under a mask as Killshot.

In the first season, he teamed with Big Ryck and Willie Mack. They competed for the LU Trios Championship but lost in the finals. After the first season, Strickland helped create more of his character's backstory. This added more military details to Killshot.

In Season 2, Killshot had a rivalry with Marty Martinez. Marty stole his dog tags. Their rivalry ended in a special match where Killshot won. After that, Killshot started a story with A. R. Fox. Fox was a former friend from the military who Killshot had left behind. They faced each other in a "Hell of War" match, which Killshot won. ESPN called it a very tough match. Later, Killshot, Fox, and The Mack won the Trios Championship.

In Season 4, Killshot had a rivalry with Son of Havoc. It ended in a mask vs. mask match. Killshot lost and took off his mask, showing his face as Lt. Jermaine Strickland. He apologized to Dante Fox and left the Lucha Underground temple.

Major League Wrestling (2017–2019, 2022)

On October 5, 2017, Strickland debuted in Major League Wrestling (MLW). He defeated Ricochet. In April 2018, Strickland won a tournament to become the MLW World Heavyweight Champion. He held the title for 91 days before losing it to Low Ki. After that, he had a rivalry with Sami Callihan.

In an episode of MLW Fusion, Strickland faced Low Ki again for the title. He lost after a distraction. After the match, Strickland grabbed a microphone and pretended to be angry at MLW management. He said he was ending his contract. He then threw trash and left the arena.

Two weeks later, MLW showed Strickland arguing with the owner, Court Bauer. It was said he had to appear at a December 2018 event. He lost to Rush at that event. This was Strickland's last regular appearance in MLW. In January 2019, he announced he was a free agent.

Strickland returned to MLW in March 2022. He wrestled Myron Reed for the MLW World Middleweight Championship but lost. He then joined a group called Azteca Underground.

WWE (2019–2021)

On April 17, 2019, Strickland signed with WWE. His ring name became Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. He started training at the WWE Performance Center. He wrestled his first match against Cameron Grimes. In June, he joined the NXT Breakout Tournament. He debuted on NXT in July but lost to Cameron Grimes. He also wrestled on 205 Live.

In January 2020, Scott challenged for the Cruiserweight Championship but did not win. In April, he joined a tournament for the interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He won one match but did not reach the finals. Scott then started a rivalry with Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar. Scott claimed he was the only one who had pinned Escobar. In August, Scott challenged Escobar for the title but lost. In September, Scott and his partners defeated Escobar's group. This earned Scott another title shot. At NXT TakeOver: 31, he lost to Escobar again.

Scott then joined the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament with Jake Atlas. They were eliminated by MSK. After the match, Scott and Atlas argued. In February 2021, Scott attacked Leon Ruff after losing a match. This made him a "heel," meaning he became a bad guy in wrestling. At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Scott was the last person eliminated in a six-way match.

In May 2021, Scott defeated Ruff with help from A. J. Francis. The next week, Scott formed a group called Hit Row with Francis (now Top Dolla), Tehuti Miles (now Ashante "Thee" Adonis), and Briana Brandy (now B-FAB). In June 2021, Scott defeated Bronson Reed to win the NXT North American Championship. This was his first title in WWE.

In the 2021 Draft, Scott and Hit Row moved to SmackDown. In October, he defended his NXT North American Championship against Santos Escobar. He then lost the title to Carmelo Hayes, ending his 105-day reign. In November, B-Fab was released from WWE. Two weeks later, Scott, Adonis, and Dolla were also released.

Return to Independent Wrestling (2022–Present)

On February 13, 2022, Strickland returned to DEFY Wrestling. He faced Darby Allin and Nick Wayne. In October, Strickland defeated Christopher Daniels to become the interim DEFY World Champion. In November, he won a ladder match to become the undisputed DEFY World Champion for the third time. In April 2023, Strickland lost the title to Nick Wayne. In July 2024, Strickland wrestled at a House of Glory event, defeating Amazing Red.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2022)

Strickland, using the name "SW3RVE," debuted for New Japan Pro-Wrestling in March 2022. He accepted Jay White's challenge but was defeated.

All Elite Wrestling (2022–Present)

Swerve In Our Glory and Mogul Affiliates (2022–2023)

On March 6, 2022, Swerve Strickland joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He debuted at the Revolution event. His first match in AEW was on Rampage in March, where he defeated Tony Nese. The next week, Strickland teamed with Keith Lee. They formed a team called "Swerve In Our Glory." In April 2022, Strickland also wrestled for AEW's sister company, Ring of Honor (ROH).

In July 2022, Swerve In Our Glory defeated The Young Bucks and Team Taz to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship. They successfully defended their titles against teams like The Lucha Brothers. They then had a series of matches with The Acclaimed. Swerve In Our Glory won at All Out. But they lost the titles to The Acclaimed in a rematch in September. They lost again in November. During that match, Strickland slapped Lee, causing Lee to leave the match. The next month, at an ROH event, Strickland also walked out on Lee during a match.

On December 21, 2022, Strickland turned against Lee. He formed a new group called "Mogul Affiliates." This group included Parker Boudreaux, Granden Goetzman (later named Trench), and rapper Rick Ross. Strickland had a rivalry with Lee until March 2023.

Mogul Embassy and AEW World Champion (2023–2024)

In April 2023, Mogul Affiliates joined with Prince Nana's group, The Embassy. They formed a new group called Mogul Embassy.

Strickland started a rivalry with Sting and Darby Allin. Allin defeated Strickland in April 2023. In May, Strickland competed in a big battle royal for the AEW International Championship. He was the last person eliminated by the champion, Orange Cassidy. Strickland got another title match in June but lost to Cassidy. After the match, Mogul Embassy attacked Cassidy. Allin and Sting chased them away.

The next month, Strickland had to team with Keith Lee again in a tournament. They were quickly eliminated. The next week, Strickland defeated Nick Wayne, who was Allin's friend. In July, Strickland defeated Allin. The rivalry grew when Allin's friend, AR Fox, joined Mogul Embassy. In August, Strickland and Fox lost to Allin and Wayne. Strickland then kicked Fox out of Mogul Embassy. Christian Cage replaced Fox as Strickland's partner. At All In in August 2023, Strickland and Cage lost to Allin and Sting in a coffin match. Strickland was shut inside the coffin.

Strickland returned in September 2023. He faced "Hangman" Adam Page. Strickland said that if he had the same chances as Page, he would be the "first black AEW World Champion". Mogul Embassy member Brian Cage attacked Page. Strickland challenged Page to a match at WrestleDream. The rivalry continued with more attacks and a contract signing. At WrestleDream in October, Strickland defeated Page in his home state of Washington. In November, Strickland defeated Page again in a "Texas Deathmatch." This match was praised but also caused some discussion because of a moment where Page cut Strickland's forehead. Strickland said that telling people not to watch the match would make them want to see it more.

Strickland joined the first Continental Classic tournament. He finished at the top of his group. In the semifinal, Strickland lost to Jon Moxley. In December, Strickland was supposed to face Keith Lee. But Lee was hurt, so Dustin Rhodes replaced him. Strickland defeated Rhodes.

Strickland in April 2024

In February 2024, Strickland wrestled Adam Page again. The winner would face Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship. Their match ended in a 30-minute tie. So, both men got a title shot. Joe defended the AEW World Championship against both in a three-way match, which Joe won.

At Dynasty, Strickland defeated Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Championship. He became the first recognized African-American AEW World Champion. In April, Strickland defended his title against Claudio Castagnoli. In May, Christian Cage was announced as his opponent for Double or Nothing. In May, Strickland was attacked by Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona. This led to Mogul Embassy breaking up, and Strickland became a "face" (a good guy). At Double or Nothing, Strickland successfully defended his title against Christian Cage. In June, he defended his title against Will Ospreay. In August, at All In, he lost his title to Danielson. This ended his reign after 126 days. Before the event, it was announced that Strickland had signed a new, big contract with AEW.

Recent Rivalries (2024–Present)

Strickland in March 2025

During Strickland's match at All In, Adam Page appeared and distracted Strickland. This helped Danielson win. In August, Strickland challenged Page to a steel cage match at All Out. The match was made official. In September, Page went to Strickland's childhood house, which Strickland had just bought. Page burned down the house while Strickland watched. Because of this, AEW changed their steel cage match to a "lights out" steel cage match. At All Out in September, Strickland lost to Page, ending their year-long rivalry.

After a short break, Strickland returned in October. He started a rivalry with a new group called The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin). In October, Strickland defeated Benjamin but was attacked by Lashley afterward. In November, Strickland lost to Lashley. After this loss, Strickland began a rivalry with Ricochet. In February 2025, Strickland lost to Ricochet, who then stole a special robe Strickland wore. In March, at Revolution, Strickland defeated Ricochet. He got his robe back and earned a shot at the AEW World Championship. Later that night, Strickland attacked the champion, Jon Moxley. In April, at Dynasty, Strickland failed to defeat Moxley due to interference. In May, at Double or Nothing, Strickland teamed with Kenny Omega, Willow Nightingale, and The Opps to defeat The Death Riders and The Young Bucks in a big "Anarchy in the Arena" match.

After Double or Nothing, Strickland started a story with Will Ospreay. Strickland refused to help Ospreay against The Death Riders because of his past rivalry with Adam Page. This led to a match between them in June, which ended in a tie. After the match, Strickland and Ospreay were both attacked by The Young Bucks. This led to a tag team match at All In in July. Strickland and Ospreay defeated The Young Bucks. As a result, The Young Bucks lost their executive positions in AEW (in the story). In the main event, Strickland appeared and helped Adam Page win the world title by stopping The Young Bucks from interfering.

Personal Life

Strickland has two daughters and a son.

Other Activities

Strickland is part of a hip hop music group called Swerve City. He also performs alone as Swerve the Realest.

As Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, he was in the video game WWE 2K22. As Swerve Strickland, he was added to AEW Fight Forever as extra content.

Championships and Accomplishments

Strickland (left) as one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions alongside Keith Lee

Strickland as AEW World Champion

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW World Championship (1 time)
  • AEW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Keith Lee
• Combat Zone Wrestling
  • CZW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • CZW Wired TV Championship (2 times)
• DEFY Wrestling
  • DEFY World Championship (3 times)
  • Defy Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christopher Daniels
• ESPN
  • Breakout Wrestler of the Year (2024)
• Evolve
  • Evolve Championship (1 time)
• Ground Xero Wrestling
  • GXW Respect Championship (1 time)
• Lucha Underground
  • Lucha Underground Trios Championship (2 times) – with A. R. Fox and Willie Mack (1) and The Mack and Son of Havoc (1)
• Major League Wrestling
  • MLW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament (2018)
• Next Generation Wrestling
  • NGW Championship (1 time)
• PCW Ultra
  • PCW Ultra Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • PCW Ultralight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2024
• Sports Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 8 of the top 10 wrestlers of 2023
• Vicious Outcast Wrestling
  • VOW Hyper Sonic Championship (1 time)
• Westside Xtreme Wrestling
  • wXw World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with David Starr
  • World Tag League (2016) – with David Starr
• WrestleCircus
  • WrestleCircus Ringmaster Championship (1 time)
• WWE
  • NXT North American Championship (1 time)

Luchas de Apuestas Record

See also

In Spanish: Swerve Strickland para niños