Swerve Strickland says his issues with Booker T apparently still are not resolved — because despite repeatedly running into each other recently, the two still are not speaking at all.
While speaking to Bootleg Kev, Swerve was asked whether he and Booker had squashed their issue after the VladTV situation. Instead of saying things were settled, Swerve revealed that they have actually been on the same flight multiple times since then: “We’ve been on like three flights since.”
When Kev asked whether they ever spoke during those run-ins, Swerve said no. He explained that Booker sees him, gets on the flight, and even ends up sitting near him, but no conversation actually happens.
“No. He looks at me every time. He goes and gets on the flight—I’m like… and then we sit right next—like I was in the aisle, he’s over there. I’m like [waving hand gesture]—nothing. No.”
That update makes it clear that whatever tension exists between Swerve and Booker T has not been fully addressed in private. Booker has spoken about Swerve publicly more than once, but according to Swerve, the two still have not had a real conversation despite being in the same place repeatedly.
The issue between them goes back to AEW Dynasty 2025, when Swerve grabbed a microphone in Philadelphia and said “F** Booker T.” Booker later reacted on his Hall of Fame podcast and said Swerve made a bad move by dragging his name into the closing moments of a pay-per-view.
“I’m going to give Swerve Strickland a little bit of advice, just a little bit. That advice would be: don’t be talking about something other than the pay-per-view at the end of the night. That’s the main event and the last thing people are going to remember. The last thing people are going to remember is me—my name being said. I’m sure Tony Khan don’t appreciate the news, the headline not being what happened at Dynasty with all the matches. They’re talking about Booker T. That was a bad move.”
Booker also made it clear at the time that he prefers problems to be handled directly. He said the situation changed how he would talk about Swerve moving forward.
“I’m from that school, if you got something to say to somebody, say it to their face. I’m gonna leave it at that. Would I ever say anything positive about him, ever again? Probably not. Would I ever put him over as far as being a good worker and perhaps transform this business? I probably won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Booker brought Swerve up again during the February 17, 2026 episode of the Hall of Fame podcast while talking about Je’Von Evans and influence in wrestling. While discussing younger wrestlers learning from today’s stars, Booker used Swerve’s name and took a jab at what he called “bad habits.”
“I heard Swerve Strickland talk about Je’Von Evans, and Evans probably grew up watching guys like him—and that’s true. So you’ve got to figure out how to get rid of those bad habits.”
Brad Gilmore immediately picked up on the shot and said Swerve had earned that one: “You know what? Swerve deserved that one. He deserved it.” Booker then reacted to Brad setting him up for the comment, leaning into the moment instead of walking it back: “You just set that up, didn’t you?”
Swerve’s latest comments now give the situation a new twist. Booker has continued to address him publicly, but Swerve says they have been near each other on flights and still haven’t spoken. That makes the whole thing feel far from settled.
For now, Swerve Strickland says there has been no real conversation with Booker T, even after several chances to clear the air. Whether that changes down the line remains to be seen, but it sounds like this issue is still sitting unresolved.
What do you think about Swerve Strickland saying Booker T still hasn’t spoken to him despite sharing multiple flights? Should they finally settle things face-to-face? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
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