AEW must revisit Swerve Strickland vs Keith Lee

Fans never got the battle between Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee, so it is time for AEW to make that feud happen.

All eyes are on All Elite Wrestling after what has been a crazy week in professional wrestling. Fans wonder what stars AEW will lean on to regain the momentum that was once firmly in the company’s possession. If there is one big angle that would immediately capture the attention of viewers, it would be pitting Swerve Strickland against Keith Lee.

Strickland and Lee are tied together in AEW lore and it’s surprising that the company hasn’t taken the time to revisit that history. Their run as tag team champions ended abruptly and it looked like they were heading into a singles feud, but that did not materialize. They were suddenly paired together again in the random tag team tournament, but again, nothing long-term. Now is the right time to return to that angle, but there are a few issues along the way.

Including Swerve in the AEW Continental Classic is a risk of sorts. On one hand, fans expect Swerve to be in the finals and pick up the victory. He’s coming off two big wins over “Hangman” Adam Page and picked up an initial win in the AEW C2. 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for him, as he seems to be a top candidate to capture the AEW World Championship. But picking up needless losses in this tournament has the potential to cut into that momentum, raising questions about why he was involved at all. No one is going to run the table, so there’s a booking challenge in keeping Swerve strong when he is defeated.

As for Lee, AEW must heat him back up. Involving him in that match with Samoa Joe back in November raised some eyebrows and hopes that AEW was planning to get a push behind him. He’s since defeated Lee Moriarty and made it clear that he’s targeting someone. That person must be Swerve since they’ve never had the opportunity to settle their differences.

Keith Lee versus Swerve Strickland has the potential to keep both men hot and is the perfect feud to start their 2024. This could be the last big hurdle for Swerve before stepping into the AEW Championship picture, and it could help slot Lee into an important position just above the midcard. Either way, AEW must take some steps to feature the stars that fans consistently say they want to see and put them in a position to succeed when it is needed the most.