ALL ELITE WRESTLING became “Swerve’s House” on April 21, when Swerve Strickland defeated the mighty Samoa Joe for the AEW World title at the company’s Dynasty pay-per-view in St. Louis. Strickland became the first African-American wrestler to hold the championship—and the eighth champion overall—in the nearly five-year history of the belt.
Coming off Cody Rhodes’ momentous win over Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal title, the winds of change were definitely blowing in AEW, with the feel of a title shift in the air at the Chaifetz Arena.
Samoa Joe knew it, too, with color commentator Jim Ross stating that, for the first time, Joe had refused to speak with him before a match. Strickland and manager Prince Nana played into the vibe, with Swerve wearing Black Panther-inspired ring gear and Nana adorning him with the ring robe of his former charge, the late Jimmy Rave. Symbolism seemed important, particularly if a title change was imminent. If nothing else, this would help to psych out the defending champion.
Strickland surprised Joe with a dropkick early on. The champ quickly sought to ground his challenger by running him into the corner of the announcers’ desk, then peeling back the padding at ringside.
Strickland repeatedly utilized his speed-and-agility advantages over Joe, flipping over the top rope, with his knee
