Last September, Cody Rhodes claimed the top spot on the PWI 500 list, with ex-AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland coming in a close second.
In a recent episode of “Vlad TV,” Strickland shared that Rhodes contacted him via text after the list’s publication, insisting that Strickland should have been number one.
Strickland recalled, “We’re still buddies. When [the list] was published, I texted him, saying, ‘I missed the top spot by one because of you’. [Laughs] He responded, saying, ‘Honestly, dude, you should have been number one.’ That’s the friendly rivalry we share, it’s a good one. I responded, ‘Oh, I wanted so badly to surpass you.'”
In a recent interview on the “Insight” podcast, wrestler Cedric Alexander discussed his future in the wrestling world and expressed his interest in becoming a part of AEW’s Hurt Syndicate.
Alexander was once a member of this group when it was named the Hurt Business in WWE.
Talking about his departure from WWE: Alexander said: “It wasn’t a big deal. I felt relieved rather than upset when I received the news. It made me feel free to explore new opportunities. Quite surprisingly, I wasn’t mad or panicking. In the middle of my leg workout on a Friday night, I received a call from the infamous 203 number. I was told that I’d be released from my contract. I responded, ‘Cool.'”
His response and expectations: “I didn’t see it coming, but I wasn’t shocked either. I had an inkling about it for quite some time. After getting the call, I thought, ‘Okay, I don’t have a job, but I still have a career in wrestling.’ My friend [Mustafa] Ali contacted me within an hour of the news and he was very positive, comforting me and saying that it would all work out.”
What the future holds: “I felt like I was completely starting from scratch, because my career was so tied to WWE for about eight and a half years. I’m not sure who the key players in the indie scene are any more.”
His plans for joining the Hurt Syndicate: “Definitely. That’s a vital part of my career that I think wasn’t fully explored and it’d be great to continue that journey.”