Swerve Strickland Announces Himself As Nick Wayne's Inaugural AEW Opponent

The first match is set for the July 12 episode of "AEW Dynamite" as Swerve Strickland will take on Nick Wayne.

At DEFY Wrestling's event on April 8, 17-year-old Wayne defeated Strickland to win the DEFY World Championship. Following the bout, Strickland grabbed a microphone and announced that he will be Wayne's first AEW opponent on July 12 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, just one day after Wayne turns 18.

In February 2022, Wayne signed an "apprenticeship" deal with AEW when he was 16. Tony Khan previously stated that Darby Allin helped put Wayne on his radar and agreed to let him compete in AEW once he reaches the legal adult age. Since then, the rising star has remained active on the indie scene in promotions such as DEFY and Game Changer Wrestling. Most recently, he scored a singles win over "The King of the Indies" Matt Cardona and has regularly teamed with Jordan Oliver.

Strickland's third DEFY World Championship reign kicked off by winning a multi-man ladder match in November. He was able to successfully defend it against Titus Alexander in February before Wayne dethroned him over the weekend.

Considering Wayne's friendship with Allin, it will be interesting to see what plays out over the next several months as Strickland aligned with The Embassy on Friday's "AEW Rampage" to attack the former TNT Champion. As a result, Strickland and Allin are slated to face each other on Wednesday's "Dynamite" in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Wayne and Strickland now each have a win over each with their rubber match being booked out months in advance.