Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland shares insights into his relationship with WWE CCO, Paul Levesque, famously known as Triple H, in a recent interview with “Vlad TV.” Strickland reminisces on their working relationship, articulating that he still has a positive rapport with Triple H.
In this podcast interview, Strickland reveals that he respected Triple H’s renowned wrestling prowess. He felt that Triple H acknowledged his potential but also felt sidelined, never fully given the chance to overshadow other, more celebrated, wrestlers. Triple H, he suggests, seemed to keep him on hold, to which, Strickland often directly confronted him. He used to ask Triple H, why he wasn’t one of his main guys, only to receive vague responses.
Strickland also talked about his experiences of confronting Triple H about his apparent stagnation, pointing out that Triple H often had a way of looping the conversation without arriving at a clear resolution. This, he says, made him directly ask Triple H about his hesitation, which resulted in him coordinating with [Johnny] Russo during a hiatus caused by his meniscal injury. Upon his return with fresh, unvetted creative ideas, Strickland received positive feedback from [William] Regal.
The initiation of Hit Row, Strickland disclosed, was due to Shawn’s understanding of Strickland’s type of performance. This shift was evident after a strenuous match with Bronson Reed, post which Strickland boldly asked Triple H if he’s one of his guys. A nod from Triple H and a hearty pat from Shawn confirmed his perceived shift. Strickland believes that both Shawn and Triple H have their preferred talents evident in their shows, and he felt that he was becoming more of a ‘Shawn guy.’
The complete podcast interview with Swerve Strickland can be accessed via this link.