Swerve Strickland Claims He’s Too Dangerous For AEW Dynamite

Craig Ballantyne

13th May, 2026

Swerve Strickland says AEW management banned him from Dynamite because of what he might do to Bandido.

Swerve Strickland has been absent from AEW TV since the March 25th edition of Dynamite, where Kenny Omega defeated him to become the Number 1 Contender for the AEW World Championship.

It was later reported that Strickland was away from AEW due to filming promotional material for Warner Bros. Discovery. However, in a now-deleted social media post, the star said it was “Time to start asking questions why Swerve ain’t on TV,” sparking speculation that something else was going on behind the scenes.

Now, Strickland has posted an in-character video claiming that management wants to keep him away from Dynamite.

“What’s going on, everybody? This is Swerve Strickland here, former AEW World Champion, and I’m just gonna get some things off my chest and address what I said on Twitter earlier this week about asking questions about me being on television.
“So actually, you know what? As you can see, everybody, I’m not at AEW right now. I’m not at AEW Dynamite tonight in Asheville, North Carolina. I’m here at home because of AEW management. They want to keep me away from TV.”

Strickland confirmed he had been doing ambassador work for the company, but said it was keeping away from his job of “hurting people” in the ring.

“I’ve been shooting the last couple promos that you see off site. I haven’t been at AEW TV. AEW management is responsible for that. Shout out Tony Khan, thank you for having me doing some ambassador work for WBD. Thank you for sending me to the NFL draft to do the Jacksonville Jaguars fourth round pick with Roger Goodell and everybody. I appreciate that, but you’re keeping me away from doing my freaking job, and that’s getting in the ring and hurting people.
“The longer I’m away from the ring, the longer I’m away from championship gold, and you are keeping me away from doing what I do best, and that’s hurting people, and that’s why they’re banning me from AEW Dynamite, because they’re afraid of what I’m going to do to Bandido.”

AEW Dynamite Is Gonna Be Keeping Me Away Until Further Notice” – Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland went further, saying there was fear of what he would do to others in the locker room before adding that his goal is to get power in AEW.

“They’re afraid of what I’m gonna do to the rest of the people on the staff in the locker room of All Elite Wrestling, going all the way back to what I did to Kenny Omega earlier this year, I’m a danger to AEW Dynamite, and now AEW Dynamite is gonna be keeping me away until further notice. They’re gonna play games with my career. Like I said, I want power and I want it all.”