Swerve Strickland’s ascent to the AEW World Championship in 2024 was the product of years spent building experience across wrestling’s changing landscape. His climb involved developing a distinct in-ring style, refining his presentation, and learning how to carry himself as a top-level attraction. While Strickland has forged a persona that is unmistakably his own, he has also been open about the major names who helped influence that development.
In a recent interview with Hot 97, Strickland named Rey Mysterio, Adam Copeland and Shawn Michaels as the three figures he considers most important to his growth. Each relationship has offered something different: Mysterio represents a foundational inspiration and an opponent he was able to share the ring with, Michaels provided a uniquely focused learning experience during Strickland’s time in NXT, and Copeland remains an accessible mentor and trusted sounding board in AEW.
“Rey Mysterio is my number one, always,” Strickland said. “Yeah, Uncle Rey is like my guy. I would say Copeland or Edge, and then Shawn Michaels are my top three.”
It is a revealing list for a wrestler whose work has consistently combined athletic creativity, character work, intensity and a clear understanding of the importance of making moments feel significant. Mysterio, Michaels and Copeland each excelled in different eras and through different approaches, yet all three have established reputations as performers capable of connecting their ring work to the larger emotional stakes of a match or story.
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Rey Mysterio’s place at the top
For Strickland, Mysterio holds the number-one spot. That standing speaks to both Mysterio’s historic influence and the personal connection Strickland has developed with the legendary luchador. Mysterio has long served as a model for wrestlers who want to prove that charisma, innovation and emotional connection can transcend assumptions about what a major-event star is supposed to look like.
Across decades in the industry, Mysterio has helped set a standard for speed, creativity and resilience while also remaining one of wrestling’s most recognizable figures. His work has inspired generations of performers, particularly those who saw in him a path toward becoming a headline-level star without abandoning the parts of their identity that made them different.
Strickland was not only influenced by Mysterio from afar; he also had the opportunity to wrestle him. That distinction matters. Studying a performer on tape can teach a wrestler about timing, structure and technique, but standing across the ring from that person offers a direct look at the instincts that made the veteran successful. It allows the younger wrestler to feel the pace, reactions and adjustments in real time.
The respect Strickland expressed by calling Mysterio “Uncle Rey” also reflects a relationship that extends beyond simple admiration. Mysterio’s impact on Strickland’s journey is both professional and personal, with the AEW star identifying him as the central figure among the veterans who have helped shape him.
Shawn Michaels changed Strickland’s mindset
While Strickland was able to wrestle Mysterio, he did not get that same opportunity with Michaels. By the time Strickland reached WWE, Michaels had already retired from active competition. Still, Strickland’s time in NXT gave him access to an especially valuable form of instruction: direct, private sessions with one of the most accomplished performers in wrestling history.
“I was able to learn from all three of them,” Strickland explained. “I wrestled Rey. Couldn’t wrestle Shawn, [but] I learned from Shawn in NXT. Tape studies with him, like one-on-ones. Like, close the door. Boom. It’s me and him locked in. Nobody else. That changed my mindset for wrestling and performing.”
That description underlines the importance of detailed film study in modern professional wrestling. A match can be evaluated in countless ways, from execution and pacing to character consistency, crowd interaction and the placement of major turning points. For a performer such as Strickland, whose rise has been powered as much by his ability to project confidence and menace as by his athletic ability, learning from Michaels offered an opportunity to examine the broader craft of performance.
Michaels’ legacy has long been tied to his ability to make the audience invest in every layer of a match. Whether working as an undersized underdog, a brash antagonist or a hardened veteran, he understood how to build drama and use body language to convey the stakes. Strickland’s comments suggest that the one-on-one sessions did more than provide mechanical advice. They helped change the way he thinks about wrestling as a performance art.
That influence is evident in the way Strickland has approached major moments in AEW. He has been able to move between calculated villainy, defiance, vulnerability and championship-level confidence without losing the edge at the center of his character. A wrestler’s moves can draw attention, but the ability to make an audience understand why a moment matters is what turns a strong performer into a central figure. Michaels’ private guidance clearly made a lasting impression in that regard.
Adam Copeland remains a weekly resource in AEW
Strickland’s connection with Copeland is different because it remains active. Copeland is part of the AEW roster, putting him in regular proximity to Strickland and creating opportunities for immediate conversations about ideas, matches and presentation. Strickland said their relationship began during Copeland’s WWE run, when Copeland offered advice that became valuable over time.
Now, with both men in AEW, Strickland has the benefit of being able to approach Copeland while preparing for a match and receive an honest response. He described Copeland as someone who can cut through uncertainty and help a performer settle on the strongest available choice.
“And Copeland, I get to see him every week,” Strickland said. “And I’ll be coming up with something for the match that night, and I’m like, I’m on the fence with this. And I go to him, and he’ll be like, ‘Nope, this is the one you should take.’ And he always has the best interests of the performer, too, which always feels good to me.”
That kind of counsel can be particularly important in a company where wrestlers are frequently given room to develop their own creative ideas. Having a veteran voice available does not mean a performer must abandon instinct; it can instead provide a useful final perspective when choosing between several possibilities. Copeland’s value, as Strickland described it, lies in the fact that he is invested in helping the performer make the choice that serves them best.
Copeland has spent much of his career demonstrating an understanding of character evolution, long-term storytelling and physical drama. He has performed in major singles programs, tag team stories, stipulation matches and championship settings, giving him a broad base of experience to draw from when younger peers seek advice. For Strickland, that guidance is not abstract or historical. It is available in the moment, on the same night he is weighing what to do in front of an AEW audience.
A possible AEW meeting remains on the table
Despite their close relationship and shared place on the AEW roster, Strickland and Copeland have not yet wrestled each other in AEW. Their friendship and weekly access make a future match a natural possibility, though no bout between the two was confirmed. If it happens, it would place Strickland opposite one of the mentors he has credited for helping him make better decisions as a performer.
There would be an added layer to that matchup beyond simple competition. Strickland has made clear that Copeland’s advice comes from a place of support, while Copeland would be facing a wrestler who has used that guidance to become a former AEW World Champion. Such a contest would present a compelling meeting of generations, but it would also be a match between two performers who understand the value of building a story around every decision in the ring.
For now, Strickland’s comments provide a clear picture of the support system behind his success. Mysterio gave him a defining inspiration and an opponent to learn from firsthand. Michaels helped reshape his understanding of wrestling and performance through concentrated tape study. Copeland offers present-day mentorship, practical feedback and a veteran perspective that Strickland can call upon whenever he is deciding how to approach a match.
Strickland’s AEW World Championship victory in 2024 established him as one of the promotion’s top stars. His reflections show that reaching that level did not come from relying on talent alone. It also came through listening, studying and accepting guidance from three wrestlers whose careers set standards across multiple generations. Strickland has built his own path, but he has done so while carrying lessons from Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels and Adam Copeland into every new chapter.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.