Swerve Strickland Makes Impressive AEW World Championship Debut in Front of Warming Jacksonville Audience

The first night of Collision saw Swerve Strickland make his debut as the new AEW world champion. He was met with warm applause from the live audience at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, with a chant of “Thank you, Swerve!” During his interview, Swerve discussed AEW’s recent events, including Jack Perry’s surprise return and The Elite’s attack on Tony Khan, which he called a “bitch move.”

Following his interview, Swerve issued an open challenge for a world title match. Claudio Castagnoli accepted the challenge and the two superstars put on an incredible match. The ending was thrilling as Swerve ultimately retained his title after hitting the House Call.

The commentators announced that on the upcoming episode of Dynamite on May 1st, we would find out who Swerve would be defending his title against at May’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. It remains to be seen whether Swerve’s comments about The Elite will have immediate consequences or if they are setting the stage for future storylines.

What do you think about Swerve’s first night as AEW world champion? Share your opinions with us, Cagesiders.