Swerve Strickland Calls AEW DON Match With Christian Cage A 'Learning Experience'

AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland hasn't had it easy since dethroning Samoa Joe at Dynasty on April 21. Since becoming champion, Strickland has defended the title against Claudio Castagnoli, had the Mogul Embassy turn their backs on him, and fought off all members of The Patriarchy, with Christian Cage being the one to try and wrestle the title away from him at AEW Double or Nothing. During a recent appearance on "Drinks with Johnny" just a few days removed from Double or Nothing, Strickland reflected on the recent feud and match with the former AEW TNT Champion, admitting that he learned a lot from Cage, despite not working with him for too long.

"That was a learning experience, I feel like all of this has been a learning experience for me," Strickland said. "If you get in the ring with someone like Christian who's done pretty much everything there is to do in this business, and if you don't take something from that, you don't learn something from that, it's you [that's the problem]. Not even the fact of just the matches itself, but the lead up to it. Going back and forth with someone, being in the ring and being across from someone with that aura, that experience, and that knowledge, you can't help but feel like 'you know what? I've got to get something from that.'"

Strickland compared being in the ring with Cage to that of a good boxer becoming a great boxer because they are fighting an opponent with far more experience and knowledge, meaning that they are learning every time they throw a punch. By being able to not only hang with, but beat someone like Cage, Strickland also admitted that he felt like he could truly be considered great now that he has toppled the leader of The Patriarchy.

Please credit "Drinks with Johnny" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.