Swerve Strickland and The New Level never even made it to the ring before The Demand jumped them. During the September 16, 2026 episode of AEW Dynamite, Ricochet, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona launched a vicious surprise attack on Swerve, Awesome Austin Creed and Kofi Kingston as Tony Schiavone introduced the trio alongside Prince Nana.
The beatdown started before Swerve and company could even settle in. Kaun threw Creed around the ringside area, Ricochet sent Swerve crashing into the steel steps and Liona chopped Creed down inside the ring as The Demand immediately took control. Kofi tried to save his partner by jumping onto Liona’s back, but that didn’t last long. Toa shrugged him off and sent him straight into a Pedigree from Kaun, leaving New Level getting dismantled while Swerve tried to drag himself back into the fight.
Swerve finally crawled into the ring and attempted one last stand, but The Demand shut that down fast. Liona blasted him with a headbutt before Ricochet followed with the Spirit Gun, and the Gates of Agony capped it off with a double powerbomb.
Then came the disrespect. With “You’re still bald!” chants coming from the crowd, Ricochet grabbed the tag team titles and brought them into the ring. The Demand dropped the belts on top of the fallen champions before standing tall over Swerve and The New Level.
There wasn’t any subtlety here. The Demand didn’t just want to make a statement — they wanted Swerve and the champions laid out at their feet, and that is exactly how the segment ended.
What did you think about The Demand’s attack on Swerve Strickland and The New Level? Let us know what you think in the comments.
