It’s no secret that AEW star Swerve Strickland is a huge fan of pop culture and he often ties those elements into his ring gear and promos, especially with DC and Marvel. However, as of late he’s taken on a much darker tone to his on-screen work, specifically in his storyline with “Hangman” Adam Page. In their steel cage match, for instance, the match is highly regarded as one of AEW’s best for the right amount of gore given their intense blood feud.
That match had all the fixings that would make for the perfect horror film and as it turns out, Strickland is heavily inspired by the genre for this character. In an interview with the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, Strickland explains how films like Candyman and Sweeney Todd inspire the thriller elements played out on screen.
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“For me, it’s like — I’m not a horror character, but I have horror elements about my character that I bring into play, like Candyman,” Strickland said. “There are horror elements that bring it into play that still stick with reality, right? Like, you know, going around Cabrini-Green and the stories of Candyman. That’s a horror undertone to a real thing, a real situation, a live setting.”
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In his feud with Hangman, there were many tools that seasoned slasher fans would love. From the vampire-esque blood drinking to the needles, burning down Swerve’s house, breaking into Hangman’s home, cinder blocks, unprotected steel chair shots and more, Strickland says they’re all instruments that aid his character.
“Once again, those small little items, the trinkets, are like a barber blade. It’s an instrument not used for pain, but it is, right? The purpose isn’t to hurt, but it can,” he explained. “That’s where those other elements came through—the eyes started getting darker, because revenge is on my mind. The task is on my mind. I won’t rest until I get it, and I want you to feel and see that with me. You know something’s not right about him, but you can’t put your finger on it. And we’re not going to tell you.”
Swerve recently signed a new AEW deal that will keep him around for the next several years. That deal is described as one of the largest contracts in AEW’s five year history. While he recently took some time off after his rubber match with Page, he’s returned and is in a feud with The Hurt Syndicate‘s Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin.