When Keith Lee made his debut for All Elite Wrestling in 2022, many viewed it as a potential game changing signing for the rising company. With a chip on his shoulder following a failed main roster run in WWE after ruling their NXT brand, Lee had a lot to prove. However instead of going for singles glory, Lee would form a tag team with Swerve Strickland, and shocked everyone by becoming the AEW World Tag Team Champions. Their reign was strong, but they proved they were unable to work together for long – splitting off in a violent manner.
Keith Lee Calls First Year In AEW An Experiment, Promises To Bash Swerve Strickland
While speaking on Fightful’s Grapsody podcast – Keith Lee would be asked about his odd first year in AEW, and his thoughts on former tag team partner Swerve Strickland.
“I would classify it as a bit of an experiment. It’s been very interesting and intriguing and somewhat educational for me to experience something that is very different from where I came from, obviously. Allow me to backtrack just a moment—your cousin is evil, brother. God. Listen, I like you. But I’m going to beat him up. Swerve and I are very similar in terms of willing to do the work to earn.
Most places he’s been, and every place that I’ve ever been, I’ve never been that chosen guy and I think Swerve reciprocates that in a way where he’s had to work to earn acknowledgments and accomplishments for himself. I think he’s very protective of that, just as I am of my own accomplishments.
But us winning tag team gold within five and six months—him, five months of being there; me, six months of being there—is a telltale sign of what we have to offer, what we’re capable of and hopefully what the future looks like for both of us whenever we move on from bashing the crap out of each other. ‘Cause I’m gonna bash the crap out of him.”
Respect For A Man Who Was Able To Scar Him
We see the first stage of Lee vs. Swerve tonight on a live edition of AEW Rampage, with Lee teaming with the legendary Dustin Rhodes and Swerve teaming with new ally Parker Boudreaux. A tag team match will not end their feud, especially after Swerve tried to end the career of Lee by hitting the Swerve Stomp through a cinderblock on the chest of Lee – a move which left Lee with a scar. Lee respects Swerve for this, as it was the first time someone else scarred him – saying the following.
“But I still love the guy and that’s the odd thing, right? People do things to wrong you and I have a literal diagonal scar on my chest from the cinder block that he stomped through my chest. He is the first person to ever scar me by his own actions. No human has ever done that. My scars have always come from my own accidents or football. Still, my own activities typically. Not another person. This left a mark, not just visually for me to see every day, but seeing what he’s actually capable of is something that made me get a little more real. Which is part of why I decided, ‘I’m going to be more of myself this time.’”
Will Keith Lee win the feud against Swerve Strickland? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
