AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland has high hopes for his first-ever appearance in the promotion’s annual Blood & Guts match.
Strickland will be representing “Team AEW” in a five-versus-five double-ring cage match, an event that has become an annual tradition for the promotion since 2021.
The incumbent champ will fight alongside Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens. Across from them is Team Elite, which includes Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and “Hangman” Adam Page.
Out of the 10 wrestlers involved, seven will be in their first-ever Blood & Guts match. As the fresh cast takes to what is expected to be a near-hour-long match, Strickland hopes that they can show a fresh take on the stipulation.
“Making this the most unique and different Blood and Guts, that’s the goal,” Strickland said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “There’s a lot of stories being told … A lot of us are in it for the first time and stepping up. We get to see Mark Briscoe and The Acclaimed in this match, and we’ll see them jump up to the next level. I’m proud of these guys and I’m proud to be in there with them.”
When SI asked Strickland about what to expect, he mentioned two things: The levelling-up of some wrestlers, and of course violence.
“Expect blood,” said Strickland. “Expect guys to step up and become something more than they already are.
