{"id":229787,"date":"2026-02-22T07:55:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T07:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/4-stars-swerve-strickland-could-recruit-to-form-new-aew-faction-after-shocking-heel-turn\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T07:55:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T07:55:18","slug":"4-stars-swerve-strickland-could-recruit-to-form-new-aew-faction-after-shocking-heel-turn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/4-stars-swerve-strickland-could-recruit-to-form-new-aew-faction-after-shocking-heel-turn\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Stars Swerve Strickland could recruit to form new AEW faction after shocking heel turn"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5127518\" data-slug-id=\"2739530\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Swerve Strickland has seemingly turned to the dark side again, judging by the events of this week&#8217;s AEW Dynamite. Not content with beating Kenny Omega one-on-one, the self-proclaimed &#8220;most dangerous man&#8221; of All Elite Wrestling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-fan-favorite-ex-wwe-star-shocks-world-turns-heel-closing-moments-aew-dynamite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">carried out a vicious post-match ambush on The Cleaner<\/a> this past Wednesday, choking him out with a steel chain and then putting him through the announce desk with a devastating vertebreaker.<\/p>\n<p>Fans are still reeling from Swerve&#8217;s shocking heel turn on Dynamite. Social media users have begun speculating on the prospects of Strickland relaunching his former stable, The Mogul Embassy, or perhaps even creating a new faction to secure their spots at the top of the Tony Khan-led promotion. If All Elite Wrestling pulls the trigger on a new group for The Realest, let us consider four names who could be well-suited additions to it.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#1. AEW World Trios Champion Kevin Knight<\/h2>\n<p>Last month on Dynamite: Maximum Carnage, Swerve Strickland crossed paths with JetSpeed backstage, and voiced his respect for Kevin Knight, noting that his time would soon be coming. The Moghul&#8217;s words motivated The Jet to step up against the former World Champion, although the latter demanded that the recently-signed star prove himself with some gold first.<\/p>\n<p>Knight did just that on Collision: Maximum Carnage, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-breaking-new-aew-champions-suddenly-crowned-collision\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">capturing the AEW World Trios Titles from The Opps<\/a> along with his tag partner, Mike Bailey, and their new trios partner, Hangman Page. On the January 21 edition of Dynamite, Strickland <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-swerve-strickland-responds-accusations-bullying-29-year-old-star-aew-show\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">faced and defeated the 29-year-old up-and-comer<\/a> in singles action. Post-match, Swerve shook hands with and acknowledged Knight in a rare display of respect.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><noscript><\/noscript><img class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"Swerve Strickland&amp;#039;s unusual gesture of sportsmanship towards Kevin Knight [Source: AEW on Facebook]\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/3e13f-17717351134746-1920.jpg?w=640\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201080%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Swerve Strickland&#8217;s unusual gesture of sportsmanship towards Kevin Knight [Source: AEW on Facebook]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If he decides to build a new faction in All Elite Wrestling, Strickland could offer one of its spots to Kevin Knight and take the latter in as his protege. This could take place some time after Jet Set Rodeo lose their World Trios Titles, and potentially could lead to JetSpeed breaking up. Swerve could deploy The Jet to go after singles belts like the National, International or TNT Titles, and establish the credibility of their new unit in the process.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#2. and #3. Former AEW World Tag Team Champions, Private Party<\/h2>\n<p>After a hiatus that lasted over a year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-wwe-bound-tag-team-shockingly-shows-aew-dynamite-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Private Party finally returned to All Elite Wrestling television<\/a> on the February 11 episode of Dynamite, unsuccessfully competing in a three-way contenders&#8217; match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Despite being unable to win their comeback bout, Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen seem intent on reviving their former momentum, and have claimed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-its-sad-story-former-aew-champions-break-silence-returning-company-nearly-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">they will be &#8220;moving a little bit different&#8221; and &#8220;with a purpose&#8221; heading forward<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>One way the former tag champs could make a huge impact on AEW programming soon, is by joining forces with Swerve Strickland. Zay and Quen have history with &#8220;The Franchise&#8221; of All Elite Wrestling, having shared the ring with him both in and outside of the company. With his help, Private Party could regain the World Tag Team Titles and enjoy an actually dominant run with the straps. In return, the duo could aid Swerve in accomplishing his own professional goals.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#4. Former AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page<\/h2>\n<p>Swerve Strickland seemed to have formed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-swerve-strickland-hangman-page-now-new-name-aew\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">an unexpected bond with Adam Page<\/a> ever since he returned at Full Gear 2025- after The Cowboy had been dethroned as AEW World Champion by Samoa Joe- and rescued his former arch-nemesis. Over the next few weeks, the duo laid waste to The Opps, and even bullied MJF to send him a message enroute to Worlds End 2025. However, neither Swerve nor Hangman were able to regain the World Title at the pay-per-view, with Friedman ending up being the one to unseat Joe.<\/p>\n<p>As things stand now, Page is set to challenge The Wolf of Wrestling for his &#8220;Triple B&#8221; at Revolution 2026. However, in a bid to get Friedman to agree to facing him in a Texas Death Match, the so-called &#8220;Main Character&#8221; of AEW gave his word that if he loses to MJF at the upcoming pay-per-view, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-hangman-page-pulls-cody-rhodes-makes-career-altering-announcement-aew-dynamite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">he will never challenge for the World Championship again<\/a>. While locking a top name like The Hangman out of the World Title picture may seem ill-advised, such an angle could give birth to many compelling storyline opportunities for the fan-favorite.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page [Source: @swerveconfident on X]\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page [Source: @swerveconfident on X]\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/02\/ce716-17717384522439-1920.jpg?w=640\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201080%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page [Source: @swerveconfident on X]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One such angle could see Page lose his way out of his despair over being defeated by MJF at Revolution. This could prompt him to help Swerve Strickland take the belt away from Friedman in a double-turn that causes MJF to turn face and Page to go heel once again. Swerve could furthermore manipulate Hangman and draw on their history to convince the latter to join his faction as his enforcer. Such a story could also lead to Strickland and Page rekindling their feud at some point down the line.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p>Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=sportskeeda.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Neda Ali<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/4-stars-swerve-strickland-recruit-form-new-aew-faction-shocking-heel-turn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Swerve Strickland has seemingly turned to the dark side again, judging by the events of this week&#8217;s AEW Dynamite. Not content with beating Kenny Omega one-on-one, the self-proclaimed &#8220;most dangerous man&#8221; of All Elite Wrestling carried out a vicious post-match ambush on The Cleaner this past Wednesday, choking him out with a steel chain and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":229788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-229787","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}