Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland texted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes after the PWI 500 rankings were released. In September 2024, Pro Wrestling Illustrated unveiled its annual top 500 male wrestlers list. The list saw Rhodes as the No. 1 wrestler. The top five rankings featured Cody Rhodes, Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay, Seth Rollins, and Tetsuya Naito.
Rhodes and Strickland dominated their respective promotions in 2024, both capturing world championships. At WrestleMania 40, Rhodes ended Roman Reigns’ record-breaking 1,316-day reign. Since then, he has defended the title in major feuds against AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, and Kevin Owens. Now, Rhodes is preparing for a blockbuster match against 16-time world champion John Cena at WrestleMania 41.
Strickland’s rise in AEW accelerated after his heated rivalry with Hangman Page in 2023. He continued building momentum, eventually winning the AEW World Championship at AEW Dynasty by defeating Samoa Joe.
However, his reign ended at AEW All In when Bryan Danielson claimed the title. Strickland has since re-entered the world title picture and is set to challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at AEW Dynasty.
Both wrestlers had an outstanding year in 2024, elevating their respective promotions, but Rhodes ultimately claimed the No. 1 spot in the PWI 500 rankings. After the list was released, Strickland reached out to Rhodes, expressing his competitive drive to surpass him.
Cody Rhodes told Swerve Strickland he deserved the No. 1 spot in PWI 500 rankings
In an interview with Vlad TV, Swerve Strickland shared a text conversation with Cody Rhodes following the release of the PWI 500 list. He stated, “I’m still friends with him. When [the list] came out, I texted him, I was like, ‘I missed you by one, you son of a b—-.’ [Laughs] He texts me back, he’s like, ‘Honestly, dude, you should have been one.’ That’s the competition we have, it’s a good one. I was like, ‘Ah, I wanted to beat you so bad.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah.’” [H/T: Fightful]
With Swerve Strickland back in the main event scene, it will be interesting to see if he can overcome Jon Moxley and capture the AEW World Championship at AEW Dynasty.
