Tony Khan can't believe Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee were ever free agents.
On November 4, 2021, Keith Lee was released by WWE after a three-year run that saw him hold both the NXT North American Championship and NXT Championship. Just two weeks later, Swerve Strickland was also released after just having debuted on SmackDown along with the rest of Hit Row.
Lee and Swerve would both join AEW in the months following their releases, with Lee debuting in February and Swerve at Revolution the following month.
On the latest edition of Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker, AEW President Tony Khan questioned what any company could be thinking by releasing either man, saying that he loves them both.
"Also, speaking of established stars coming in, Swerve Strickland and right before that Keith Lee. I can’t believe these guys got fired by any wrestling company in the world. I don't know what the hell you’re thinking if you run a wrestling company and you don't have a spot for Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee. I get that there are only so many positions in a company but I think any company that has those guys and, you know, it wasn't like they’re unreasonable guys. They’re great! I love both guys. They’ve been a huge part of what we’re doing here now, too," Khan said.
Elsewhere during the interview, Khan shared Toni Storm's reaction following her debut match in AEW. Click here to read more.
Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland have formed an alliance on AEW programming as they deal with Team Taz's Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks. The four men are set to do battle this Wednesday on Dynamite in a Tag Team Match. Click here to view the updated card for the show.
If you use the quote above, please credit Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
