Swerve Strickland Says AEW Helped Elevate CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, & Ricky Starks In WWE

Swerve Strickland has experienced success in both AEW and WWE, giving him a unique perspective on how exposure in each promotion can impact a wrestler’s career.

During an appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast, the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion discussed how stars like CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Ricky Starks have benefited from their AEW runs when transitioning to WWE. On the other hand, he believes AEW has also elevated talents like Mercedes Moné, making her an even bigger star than she was as Sasha Banks in WWE.

Strickland stated, “Sasha Banks had value, Mercedes has more value now because of All Elite Wrestling. Cody had more value because of what AEW was able to do, same with Punk, same with Moxley coming to AEW. Ricky Starks to Saints. Mercedes was the one that did big for the women… now it makes Becky Lynch look like a little hmm maybe. It makes New Day go, hmm maybe. Charlotte Flair, I wonder, maybe.”