Swerve Strickland fires back at critics of his match against former AEW champion

Swerve Strickland battled a former AEW champion and one of the company's top stars this week on its new television special. In the wake of his match against Will Ospreay, The Realest has now responded to a viewer's criticism of the bout on social media.

The so-called 'Franchise' of All Elite Wrestling went to war with The Aerial Assassin this past Wednesday at Summer Blockbuster, after the former AEW International Champion called Strickland out to a match to ensure that he would not sabotage his arch-rival Adam Page's chances at winning back the AEW World Title from Jon Moxley. Despite their personal bond, the two stars battered each other until the bout ended in a time-limit draw.

Although Swerve vs. Ospreay II has garnered a sea of praise from fans, it also drew its share of criticism. One X/Twitter user recently shared a clip of a fast-paced series of counters and exchanges between the two from the early minutes of the match, calling out the choreographed nature of their eventual stalemate. Some time earlier, Strickland responded to the user by thanking them for the million-plus views that their match-clip had drawn.

"Thanks for the 1.2 mill views," wrote Swerve.

Check out Swerve Strickland's tweet HERE.

After the bout, Swerve would be surrounded by The Death Riders, whose arrival left him vulnerable to a sneak attack from The Young Bucks. The AEW EVPs tried to brutalize Strickland by superkicking him with his signature Reebok Answer 3's with thumbtacks attached at their bases. Fortunately for Swerve, Ospreay got in between and took the shot for his friend.

Swerve Strickland might soon join forces with a former AEW World Champion

After The Opps rescued a bounded and gagged Adam Page from The Death Riders this week at AEW Summer Blockbuster, The Cowboy grabbed a steel chair and headed backstage to hunt down the Jon Moxley-led group. He also had a tense confrontation with The Young Bucks, whom he ominously urged not to antagonize him, Will Ospreay, or even his nemesis, Swerve Strickland.

Afterwards, cameras caught Prince Nana having listened in on the conversation, and followed the latter inside a room where Ospreay was being treated. The 45-year-old manager asked Strickland, his client, if he had heard Page's remarks, and The New Flavor responded by claiming that he had listened to every word.

Will the former AEW International Champion's efforts at forging a truce between Swerve and The Hangman prove successful? It remains to be seen.