Swerve Strickland Breaks Down AEW vs. WWE With Movie and Music Comparisons

The AEW vs. WWE debate isn’t slowing down, and Swerve Strickland has his own way of explaining the difference between the two companies. While some compare WWE to Taylor Swift and AEW to Slayer, Swerve is taking a more cinematic approach.

Speaking with Bootleg Kev, Swerve explained what separates AEW from its biggest competitor. “It’s almost like you get the big box office movies and all that stuff over there, but over there you don’t get green screen, you don’t get wires. Can you friggin act? That’s what AEW is. You have to act in order to perform in our films. We’re A24. The performances and acting have to be pristine. You can enjoy both and both are successful. That’s the beauty of it.”

Kev took the comparison even further, saying AEW is like Kendrick Lamar while WWE is Drake, an analogy first brought up by Adrian Hernandez of Unlikely. Swerve co-signed the idea, saying that in that case, AEW would be TDE, referencing Top Dawg Entertainment, home to Kendrick, SZA, and ScHoolboy Q.

Kev also threw in another pop culture analogy, saying WWE is Chicago Fire while AEW is The Wire—a grittier, more character-driven product.

With so many ways to define the differences, it all comes down to taste. Do you agree with Swerve’s take? Is AEW really the A24 of pro wrestling? Drop your thoughts in the comments!