Swerve Strickland recently reacted to a massive, heartfelt moment in professional wrestling. He shared his appreciation for a 49-year-old star who recently retired from the world of sports entertainment.
Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi competed in his retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20. He faced Kazuchika Okada in an amazing showdown to wind up his illustrious career. Many names in the industry made their appearance on the show to express their admiration for the Japanese star. Names like Jay White, Kenny Omega, and Konosuke Takeshita were in attendance for the show.
While Strickland could not attend the event, he shared his regards for Tanahashi on X. He said that it was a true honor for him to be able to share the ring with The Ace of the Universe. Additionally, the former AEW World Champion faced Tanahashi on the 24 June 2023 episode of Collision at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
“A true honor #ThankYouTanahashi,” wrote Swerve.
Check out the X post below:
A true honor #ThankYouTanahashi pic.twitter.com/ePHhdaC3Fo
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) January 4, 2026
Swerve Strickland reacts to Trick Williams’ SmackDown appearance
Trick Williams made an appearance on WWE SmackDown last week. It was an epic main roster appearance that sent shockwaves all across the wrestling world. It even led to Swerve Strickland expressing his reaction to Trick’s appearance.
Taking to X, The New Flavor posted the catch phrase of the former NXT Champion. It was a bold nod to Williams’ appearance on the blue brand.
“#whoopthattrick”
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) January 3, 2026
Besides, Trick’s persona sparked comparisons with Swerve Strickland among the fans. Many believed that WWE tried to recreate The Mogul’s gimmick with Williams in the company. Therefore, fans are considering Swerve’s remarks as a potential call-out to the NXT star. Well, with that said, it will be interesting to see if Trick Williams will react to this comment by Swerve or not.
