Swerve Strickland remains unrepentant following his vicious show-closing assault on Kenny Omega during a recent episode of AEW Dynamite. The violent conclusion to their first-ever singles encounter has resulted in significant disciplinary action from the company, though Strickland appears entirely indifferent to the consequences.
AEW Issues $100,000 Fine Following Announcer Table Vertebreaker
The hostility between the two former AEW World Champions dates back to a tournament to determine the next challenger for MJF’s World Championship. During that tournament, Strickland suffered a loss to Andrade El Idolo. He subsequently interfered in Omega’s match against Andrade, snatching a screwdriver away to cause a distraction. This allowed Andrade to deliver a low blow and secure the victory over Omega.
The tension reached a boiling point two weeks ago during a tense face-to-face confrontation that ultimately devolved into a massive brawl. On Sunday, Strickland took to social media to reflect on that specific moment, posting an image of himself with his back turned to Omega and captioning it, “This was the moment I knew what I had to do.”
That realization culminated last Wednesday on Dynamite. After successfully defeating Omega in the main event, Strickland refused to end the hostilities. He continued to attack Omega long after the final bell had rung, escalating the violence to a dangerous level. The assault peaked when Strickland executed a devastating vertebreaker, driving Omega through the announcer’s table while shouting, “I needed this,” as the broadcast abruptly went off the air.
During the subsequent episode of AEW Collision, it was officially announced that AEW management had fined Strickland $100,000 for his post-match conduct. Strickland quickly addressed the penalty on social media, brushing off the hefty fine and showing no remorse for the damage inflicted on Omega as he continues his ruthless pursuit of the top spot in the promotion.
