Wednesday, WWE announced Shane “Swerve” Strickland was one of the new NXT signees.
Rumors have swirled for months that Shane Strickland would sign with WWE after he finished his deal with Lucha Underground. Speaking of, many fans probably know Strickland as the leather-clad luchador, Killshot, because of his time with the promotion. However, 2018 was possibly the best year of his career so far.
Swerve was one of the most in-demand indie wrestlers in the world last year. He held numerous titles and he wrestled notable stars like Austin Aires, Rich Swann, Matt Riddle, Dragon Lee, Flip Gordon, Pentagon Jr, and Kassius Ohno. He even earned a career profile on ESPN.com last summer before he returned to EVOLVE for a short stint.
With his popularity at an all-time high, it seems like as good of a time as any to sign with a big promotion like WWE. Strickland has charisma, creativity, and a unique in-ring style. He should do well with the company and excel in front of a larger audience.
He has already proven he can put on some great match with current members of the roster, but it will be fun to see him lock up with a new set of opponents.
Shane Strickland vs. Adam Cole
Strickland faced Adam Cole earlier this year at EVOLVE 121. It was their first televised match together, but Cole was actually an integral reason Swerve got his break in wrestling. Notably, Adam Cole helped him get into the Combat Wrestling Zone school.
Cole was finishing up with the promotion at the time, but Strickland went on to become CZW World Heavyweight Champion. The two met in the ring 7 years later, but they also worked two matches together for Xcite vs the World in 2013. Their match in February was a part of the talent sharing agreement with WWE, which allows them to scout Evolve talent.
If this match was anything to go on, they could have an even better match at an NXT TakeOver. Cole managed to pull out the win, but it was close. Strickland more than held his own against the leader of the Undisputed Era, who was forced to delve deep into his arsenal of moves to put Swerve away.
Even more, they played off each other really well, trading strikes, feints, and taunts. Once Strickland gets accustomed to the WWE style this would definitely be a match worth revisiting, especially for fans who haven’t seen their more obscure appearances together.
Shane Strickland vs Roderick Strong
On the other hand, Strickland has never faced Adam Cole’s stablemate, Roderick Strong. Since he joined the Undisputed Era at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, Strong has been mostly working tag match with Kyle O’Reilly.
Now that Bobby Fish is cleared to wrestle again, the Messiah of the Backbreaker should be able to go back to singles competition. As we’ve seen over the last two years, he’s more than capable of putting on some great matches. He would make a formidable opponent for Shane Strickland.
It would be interesting to see how his high-flying style would fare against Strong’s more technical style. But as we saw in his matches against Matt Riddle, Strickland has a good mat game as well. He also has a wide array of strikes, so this could be a good test for both men.
Of course, Strong is known for targeting his opponents back, stiff jumping knees, and laying in submission holds. He can be pretty versatile as well, so this would be a good opportunity to see how they both adapt to each other. There’s so much potential here for even just a one-off encounter.
Depending on the direction they go with Strong in the next few months, there could be a good heel vs. face dynamic to play off as well.
Shane Strickland vs. Kushida
Kushida also made his way to the Performance Center this week. The former New Japan superstar could be one of the best NXT signees in recent memory.
He one of the greatest IWGP Junior Heavyweights of all time, and a legitimate all-arounder. He can pull off some stunning high-flying maneuvers. He has good strikes and a variety of submission holds under his belt. All in all he is poised to put on some great matches for the developmental brand this year.
Kushida and Strickland wrestled at OTT Wrestlerama 2, in the Japanese star’s debut with promotion back in August. Swerve narrowly lost, so a rematch between the two could be special. That’s certainly not a match most fans thought they would see in a WWE ring, but it would be a treat those familiar with their work elsewhere, as well as new fans.
As a matter of fact, one could argue that their match at Wrestlerama was lost on such a big and impressive card. It was featured on the same card, as Walter and Jordan Devlin’s now infamous first match for the title. Both men are excellent acquisitions and Kushida vs. Strickland is more than capable of headlining an event someday.
Shane Strickland vs. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano’s run with NXT has been tremendous. When all is said and done, he will go down as one of the best to wrestle for the brand. He has had so many great matches recently that it would be easier to ask: Is there anyone he can’t have a good match with?
With that said, Shane Strickland would make a great opponent. The two wrestled during Strickland’s first run with Evolve back in 2015. They’ve both grown a lot as performers since then and it would be exciting to see how they match up four years later.
The beauty of NXT is that it manages to capture the feel of indie wrestling under a corporate umbrella. That sounds like an oxymoron but somehow WWE has managed to pull it off. Strickland vs. Gargano seems like a decidedly independent wrestling match in the same way that Pete Dunne vs. Walter sounds like a match fans would’ve expected from a promotion like Progress a few years ago.
NXT is great at recreating those kinds of matches with higher production value for a new audience. There’s a fair argument to be had that the company is essentially doing high-quality covers but it would be dishonest to say they’re not entertaining.
Revisiting Shane Strickland vs Johnny Gargano now that both have reached the biggest stage in professional wrestling has to be appealing for even the most cynical smarks. There’s a lot for new fans to like about this matchup as well.
Shane Strickland vs. Velveteen Dream
Admittedly, this is the first match that immediately came to mind when Strickland signed with NXT. Velveteen Dream vs the King of Swerve has so much potential.
They were both a part of a six-man tag match last month at EVOLVE 124, but they haven’t competed in a one-on-one match yet.
On the surface, the premise of the match sounds a lot like the Dream’s program with Ricochet, pitting the young up-and-comers against a high-flying indie darling. However, Strickland wrestles a completely different style and there are more possibilities here for character work and ring psychology. They both have such distinct personalities and so much charisma, so it would be fun to see how they react to each other.
The mind games the Dream would try to play with Strickland alone would be worth the price of admission.
Moreover, this is the antithesis to what Gargano vs. Strickland might look like—a match that feels specific to WWE’s product. Velveteen Dream seems like their style of sports entertainer, while Strickland has had successes all over the world. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition, and they both have enough talent and pure athleticism to steal the show on any card they compete on.