Swerve Strickland sends an interesting five-word message ahead of AEW Summer Blockbuster

With All Elite Wrestling's television special, AEW Summer Blockbuster, on the horizon, all eyes are on the marquee bouts announced for this Wednesday. However, one match that has drawn the most attention is the rematch between Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay, two of the company’s top faces. Ahead of their clash, The Realest sent an interesting message on social media.

Strickland defeated Ospreay in their previous outing at Forbidden Door 2024, but tensions between them recently intensified when The Aerial Assassin seemingly aligned with Strickland's bitter rival, Hangman Adam Page, after Double or Nothing 2025. What followed was a heated backstage altercation that eventually led to Ospreay challenging Strickland to a rematch at Summer Blockbuster.

Strickland, who has since been promoting the match in his own style on social media, posted a five-word message on his Instagram account earlier today. He billed the rematch as a battle between ''the feeling'' and ''the franchise,'' seemingly referring to himself as the latter.

“The feeling vs. the franchise,” he wrote.

Check out his post below:

Swerve Strickland reacts after AEW star Hangman Page declares that he doesn't need The Realest's help

Tensions between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page continued to boil over last week when The Cowboy made it clear he doesn’t want or need any assistance from The Realest. The former AEW World Champion has since responded to Page's message, signaling that there's no love lost between the two superstars.

This exchange followed comments made by Page during AEW Fyter Fest, where he boldly claimed that he would dethrone Jon Moxley at All In: Texas “all by himself.” The declaration came after he ran out to save Will Ospreay from a CRU ambush. When Moxley and The Death Riders encircled the ring, Ospreay returned to even the odds, following which Hangman made it clear that ''I am my own man.''

Meanwhile, The Mogul reacted to Page's comments in typical Strickland fashion:

"Good, b**ch."

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While the rivalry between Strickland and Hangman Page goes way back, Will Ospreay recently proposed a temporary alliance between the two stars to fight Jon Moxley and The Death Riders. However, the two stars rejected the idea.

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 Yash Mittal