Swerve Strickland on Blood & Guts: ‘I’m Hungry to Get Started’

The reigning AEW world champion is part of his first-ever Blood & Guts match

Swerve Strickland is ready first Blood & Guts.

Leading the team of The Acclaimed’s Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, Mark Briscoe, and Darby Allin, Strickland will battle against The Elite’s Kazuchika Okada, The Young Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson, Jack Perry, and–though he claims to no longer be aligned with the faction–Hangman Page.

“Expect blood,” said Strickland. “Expect guys to step up and become something more than they already are.

“This our Marvel civil war. On one side you’ve got Iron Man leading the pack, and on the other side is Captain America leading the pack. And both have their own beliefs, and both believe they’re right and the other side is wrong.”

Swerve Strickland leads Team AEW in the Blood & Guts match / AEW

AEW’s reigning world champ, Strickland is establishing himself as one of the top wrestlers in the world–and a prominent face of the AEW product. His presence in this match, and overall position, makes sense–especially considering he has history with all of his opponents.

But an integral element in tonight’s match isn’t the past–it is the future.

Strickland is bringing a new crew with him to the main event. Allin is familiar to that scene, but it is new terrain in AEW for Briscoe, Bowens, and Caster.

“Making this the most unique and different Blood and Guts, that’s the goal,” said Strickland. “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.”

Tonight we go to war..

It’s time to NUT UP OR SHUT UP

It’s time for BLOOD AND GUTS ✂️🩸#AEWBLOODandGUTS pic.twitter.com/cWVrt3UTbQ

— Anthony Bowens (@Bowens_Official) July 24, 2024

Another critical factor in this match is the death-defying presence of Darby Allin. He has already accumulated a long and distinguished list of extremely dangerous spots, and this match–for better or worse–seems to speak directly to him.

“Darby, who knows what he’s going to do,” said Strickland. “No one is stopping him from whatever he wants to do.

“It’s almost time. I’m hungry to get started.”