S Poddar
Swerve Strickland has just lived out a dream that he has been carrying in his heart for quite some time now. This is according to a video announcement by AEW this Wednesday, where Strickland reveals that he has purchased his childhood home some time ago. Native to Tacoma, Washington, he experienced a rather nomadic childhood with his family moving from place to place due to military duties.
He remembered in the video how important the house was to him; that when he was a child, his family struggled to make ends meet, which ultimately led to his family losing their property due to foreclosure. It stuck with him ever since then, and he one day wished to recover the house for his family.
“This place meant a lot to me. I remember the parties my mom used to throw, me and my mom and my dad. Family reunions, cookouts, family fights, family celebrations, all of it. All that happened right here. This is where I learned to take my first couple steps,” Strickland says in reflection in the video.
Strickland also shares a heartfelt memory of the day they had to leave the house. “My little sister was born, and things got a little tough. Property got foreclosed on, and we couldn’t get it back. Had to move out altogether. I’ll never forget the look on my mom’s face that day when we had to move.”
That moment became a turning point in Strickland’s life. “That day forward, I made a promise to myself that no matter what I was going to do, what I was going to pursue in life, I was going to work my hardest. Whatever passion I was going to fall into, I was going to be the best at that. I was going to work my ass off. One day, become successful enough to buy back this property. As of last week, at All In in Wembley Stadium in London, I signed my All Elite Wrestling contract extension. With that bonus money, I gave it to one man trustworthy enough to make the magic happen and here we are with the deed to the house.”
His contract in AEW was recently spoken about by Dave Meltzer with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, stating it was quite the deal in the land of professional wrestling. Per Meltzer, Strickland’s deal will run out in 2029, making him one of the highest-paid wrestlers in the world but way beneath guys like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton.
“It was well documented that WWE made an attempt to make an offer for the Strickland & Prince Nana act. The deal was agreed upon several weeks ago but they saved the announcement for here. People were talking about how Strickland has become a rich man with the new deal, and it’s believed to be among the biggest deals in pro wrestling,” Meltzer noted.
Meltzer also compared Strickland’s deal to those of other top wrestlers. “It’s probably in the range of the Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone range based on what were hinted about regarding those deals-which are lower numbers than have been reported elsewhere-this deal is not at the numbers of what was reported for either of those two deals.
The journey of Strickland from childhood dreams to goal attainment underlines the resilience and dedication that have characterized his career. Buying back his childhood home is not only a personal triumph but a testament to his hard work and perseverance in the world of professional wrestling.
