Swerve Strickland Addresses AJ Styles Potentially Jumping Ship to AEW

AJ Styles possibly jumping to AEW has already led to a lot of strong opinions — and now Swerve Strickland is weighing in.

Earlier this month, Ricochet took direct shots at Styles during an appearance on The Adrian Hernandez Show, questioning whether “The Phenomenal One” could even keep up in AEW and flat-out saying he didn’t think Styles had “the guts” to make the jump.

But in a February 23, 2026 interview with Monopoly Events, Swerve Strickland offered a far more confident response when asked about the possibility of Styles joining AEW. When the interviewer brought up dream matches and asked whether Swerve would want to face Styles in AEW, Swerve flipped the narrative immediately.

“At this point, I think I’m becoming someone that AJ Styles wants to compete against instead. I’m pushing myself to be at the top of this game.”

Instead of chasing a marquee matchup, Swerve made it clear he sees himself as the destination now. Still, there was no disrespect in his tone. In fact, Swerve went out of his way to give Styles his flowers.

“So I’m not chasing anybody’s matches. I want those matches to chase after me no. I’m happy for AJ. I’m proud of AJ. He’s someone I studied endlessly — him alongside Bryan Danielson and guys from that era, like Nigel.”

He continued, crediting Styles as one of the architects of the modern in-ring style that so many AEW stars now embody. Swerve even pointed to the ripple effect Styles has had across multiple eras and companies.

“AJ has earned more than enough in his career to either walk away or continue on and do something different and unique with this generation of talent that he’s influenced. Ospreay has always said AJ influenced him. You can see it in guys like Seth Rollins, in myself, in Mike Bailey — so many of us studied AJ.”

Then came the part fans were waiting for — would he welcome Styles to AEW? Unlike Ricochet’s hard no, Swerve left the door wide open.

“If he wants to take that chance and come over to AEW — which he’s more than capable of doing, and he looks healthy and in great shape mentally and physically from what I can see — then we’re all here, open and waiting if he decides to make that jump.”

As of now, there’s been no confirmed AEW offer, though Fightful Select previously reported that many within AEW expect the company would pursue Styles if he became available. Meanwhile, Styles is set to receive a tribute on the February 23, 2026 edition of Monday Night Raw, and beyond that, his future remains unclear.

One thing is certain: while Ricochet questioned whether AJ Styles belongs in AEW, Swerve Strickland just made it clear that if Styles shows up, he won’t be chasing him — he’ll be waiting for him.

If AJ Styles shows up in AEW, should Swerve Strickland be first in line — or is there a bigger dream match waiting? Let us know in the comments.

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