Why Swerve Strickland Sees AEW All In Match As Significant For Various Subcultures

Wrestling in front of 80,000+ people would be the biggest show in the career of many wrestlers, and will certainly be the case for one Swerve Strickland this Sunday. The AEW star has a prominent role on the All In card, with he and Mogul Embassy partner, and rival in another life, AR Fox battling Darby Allin and Sting in a Coffin Match, the culmination of long-running issues between Swerve and Allin, that has also included Allin's protege, Nick Wayne. The weight of the moment isn't lost on Strickland, who spoke about the match with "UPROXX." But the match isn't just big because of the stage it will take place on, it's big because it represents a significant moment for the culture Strickland feels he represents every time he steps into the ring.

"I always felt like whether I intend to or don't intend to, the culture is always watching," Strickland said. "African American culture, the Black pro wrestling fan base, the hip hop culture, all that has influenced me so heavily. It's helped create the Swerve character. People really have caught onto that, and they're influenced, and some are even inspired by that."

"So just the fact that I am the representation on the Wembley card right now at this moment, because there's still more matches to be announced, that's big. And to be going against an icon like Sting and, somebody that I've gone to wars with for years on the independents with Darby Allin. And somebody that I've had one of the greatest matches with A.R. Fox, that's a really wild crew of people to be around that I never would've thought of six, seven years ago."