AEW star Swerve Strickland has opened up about his relationship with the late, great Bray Wyatt, sharing heartfelt personal memories from their time together in the WWE locker room and discussing the profound creative influence Wyatt has had on his own character. In a new interview, Strickland praised Wyatt as a true revolutionary, stating that he “changed wrestling television.”
Swerve Strickland on Bray Wyatt’s Lasting Impact
Speaking with Wrestling Figure News, Swerve Strickland discussed the unique and groundbreaking creative genius of Bray Wyatt, who tragically passed away in August 2023. Swerve believes that the full impact of Wyatt’s contributions to the business has yet to be fully realized.
“To me, Bray Wyatt changed wrestling television, and I don’t think it’s going to be realized for some more time just how impactful he was,” Swerve said. “Even for me, I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until I got put in the position to have to make interesting television. I took so much nuance from what he was doing and put my spin on it because he was meta-physical and very fourth-wall breaking and speaking to the people.”
Swerve pointed to Wyatt’s intricate use of symbolism, where puppets and other trinkets represented past traumas, depression, and anxiety, as a level of storytelling that was ahead of its time. “It was so cool and I wanted to take pieces of that, and even if I could get 10% of that creativity, I’m going to try and make it my own thing,” he said.
Personal Moments and a Big Impression
Swerve also shared several touching and humorous personal stories from his time sharing a locker room with Wyatt in WWE, particularly during the period when “The Fiend” character was taking off. He painted a picture of a kind and funny man who went out of his way to make people feel welcome.
“He was the guy giving me hugs, and he would bust my balls because I was wearing pinstripes on my boxers. ‘You’re not going out there and wearing that, are you? I’m just playing, you can do what you want,'” Swerve recalled. “He had a big impression on me in the short time I got to interact with him.”
He even shared a hilarious story about a surreal encounter at the arena: “I’d be at the urinal and he’d be in full Fiend gear right next to me with the mask on and look over, ‘Sup, man?'”
Paying It Forward
These personal interactions and Wyatt’s creative influence are what inspired Swerve to pay tribute to him at the recent All In Texas pay-per-view. For his entrance, Swerve had JoJo Offerman, Wyatt’s widow, perform a live rendition of the song “Ain’t Nobody.” The entrance also featured the “fireflies” visual that was synonymous with Wyatt.
“I wanted to pay that forward to him. Having JoJo come out this year at All In and do another tribute with the fireflies on the titantron and have her sing Ain’t Nobody. Just mix those little trinkets, nuggets, and pieces of storytelling for her and show more appreciation to the family.”
Swerve Strickland’s heartfelt comments and actions are a beautiful tribute to the legacy of his friend and a clear example of how Bray Wyatt’s spirit and creativity continue to influence a new generation of wrestling storytellers.
