Swerve Strickland Hopes To Work With The New Day In AEW

Swerve Strickland says he hopes to one day work with The New Day in All Elite Wrestling following Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods’ departure from WWE. The duo officially left WWE on April 28 after declining a reduced contract offer, prompting reactions from MJF, Cash Wheeler, Strickland, and several others across the industry. Speaking on TMZ’s Inside the Ring, Strickland made it clear that he’d welcome the opportunity to share an AEW ring with The New Day if and when they decide to come back to in-ring competition.

Swerve Strickland Wants The New Day To Choose Their Path

Strickland’s response was rooted in respect rather than recruitment. He said the most important thing is that Kingston and Woods do what’s best for them, even if that means stepping away from wrestling entirely for an extended period. “If they want to take a five-year hiatus, they’ve earned it. They’ve more than earned it,” Strickland said. He emphasized that The New Day knows their value and understands what they bring to the industry — a point he framed as a lesson for both fans and other professionals navigating their own careers.

Swerve Strickland On The New Day’s Industry Legacy

Strickland’s full comments hit on a broader theme that has been echoed across the wrestling business since the news broke. The New Day’s departure from WWE is widely viewed as one of the most significant exits of the year given the duo’s near-decade run as one of the most beloved acts in the company’s modern history. Whether they wrestle again, take time off, or eventually surface in AEW remains to be seen, but Strickland’s openness to working with them publicly puts AEW in the conversation as a potential landing spot.