AEW offers popular star "one of the biggest deals" in wrestling; on the same level as Mercedes Mone - Reports
A top AEW star has reportedly been offered a lucrative contract which is said to be in the same league as Mercedes Mone. The star in question is none other than Swerve Strickland.
The former WWE star has been flying high despite losing his AEW World Championship at All In against Bryan Danielson in one of the most memorable contests in the promotion's history. Swerve Strickland has been lavished with praise for his performance and carrying the company for the past couple of months as World Champion.
In the recent edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was revealed that Swerve Strickland's new contract with All Elite Wrestling is supposedly at the same level as that of Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone. The Rainmaker and The Boss were signed to expensive deals by Tony Khan earlier this year, potentially countering the offers made by WWE to both stars.
"Swerve Strickland's new AEW deal is believed to be among the biggest deals in pro wrestling and is said to be in the same pay range as Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné." - WON
WWE and AEW collaboration can happen according to Swerve Strickland
AEW has been working with top wrestling promotions across the globe like NJPW and CMLL ever since they came into the scene. WWE surprisingly opened its doors in 2024 and has developed a partnership with TNA for their NXT brand. The company has also been sending over talent to work with promotions like GCW and NOAH.
In a recent chat on the Bootleg Kev podcast, Swerve Strickland spoke about a potential partnership between AEW and WWE. The former World Champion confidently stated that the time for both companies to work together is now.
"If there's ever a time it could happen, now is more likely than it's ever been. I don't think either person [Tony Khan and Triple H] is opposed, but if there's ever a time, like as far as Tony Khan, I don't think there's ever been a time that's more likely than now. The percentage went from 0.04 to [...] and that's more than we've ever gotten," he said. [From 59:00 to 59:43]
Tony Khan has also stated multiple times that he would be open to a collaboration with WWE however, it is unclear if the Triple H-led promotion will ever move forward with the idea.