Add as a preferred source on Google Swerve Strickland has once again spoken about the major moment young Black talents are having in pro wrestling, citing names such as Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, and Kevin Knight.
Speaking with Bootleg Kev, the former AEW World Champion said none of them feels like a copy of the other, pointing to each name having his own distinct traits.
“What I love, nobody’s like the other. They’re all different. Everyone is their own entity, their own genre, nobody’s following the same stereotype as the other. That’s the ice cream flavors, you’re getting blends of different guys.”
The most interesting part, though, centered on Femi. Strickland revealed that he ran into the WWE star at a gym and said that, if he were in charge of creative, Femi’s main roster debut would have ended with him winning a world title right away.
“I met Oba at the gym, and I said if I had the pen, your debut would be winning that belt. I was close because his debut was against Cody for the belt. He’s like ‘how did you do this man?’ I was like, I just call it how I see it, it’s you bro.”
“Perception is everything, put him in main events. People will buy it, but they’ve gotta see it. Same as Bron Breakker, perception is everything. Put ’em in the main events, people will buy into it. The more you do it, they’ll perceive it and buy into it.”
Femi had already been treated by WWE as someone special backstage. That stood out, as Femi defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42.