"It should be like signing with the Lakers" - Former World Champion shares honest opinion on talents joining AEW

A former AEW World Champion recently followed up on comments made by a fellow All Elite Wrestling star about new talents looking to join the Jacksonville-based promotion.

Last month, Will Ospreay had weighed in on rival company WWE's latest batch of releases. He stressed that the talents should first prove themselves on the indie scene instead of automatically assuming that they were ready to join the Tony Khan-led promotion.

Now, former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland has backed up The Aerial Assassin's opinion. Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, The Realest said:

“You can’t just be here in All Elite Wrestling just to be here. We’ve [Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay] always had that same respect. We both push the bar and raise it, to certain lengths that, like, people second-guess can they come to All Elite Wrestling, people second-guess, can they just sign a contract and make an impact in All Elite Wrestling? It shouldn’t be like that. It should be like signing with the Lakers. [You can’t just get to] The Lakers and just expect to be starting five and run the floor and get playing time. No, you have to work, you have to be one of the best out there." [ H/T: Fightful]

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You can check out his comments on the video below:

AEW star Hangman Page makes massive claim about Swerve Strickland

The fact that Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland do not see eye to eye is household news. However, in a recent interview, Page seemingly took things to the next level with the Realest.

In a conversation with Raj Prashad on Yahoo! Uncrowned, Hangman stated that Swerve Strickland was one of the worst people he had ever met.

"While I can say that [Strickland is] one of the worst humans that I've ever met or encountered in any way, I won't take away his wrestling ability, his passion, his desire for not just pro wrestling, but for AEW," Page said. [H/T : Yahoo! Sports]

While there seems to be no love lost between them, Page also mentioned in the same conversation that his long-standing rivalry with Strickland had helped him level up his own game.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi