Born in Tacoma, Washington, Stephon Strickland spent his early childhood on a US military base in Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was stationed as an Army sergeant. Back in the States, he balanced his early wrestling career with service in the US Army Reserve until 2015, before dedicating himself fully to professional wrestling — a detail that speaks volumes about the discipline and work ethic that has defined his career. He built his reputation across the American independent scene and Lucha Underground — where he performed as the masked character Killshot — before a stint in WWE as Isaiah “Swerve” Scott that saw him win the NXT North American Championship. Released in 2021, he signed with AEW in 2022 and never looked back, quickly establishing himself as one of the most charismatic and complete performers in the company. His feud with Hangman Adam Page became one of AEW’s greatest rivalry — violent, personal and brilliantly told — before the story culminated in Swerve defeating Samoa Joe at AEW Dynasty in April 2024 to win the AEW World Championship. By doing so, Strickland became the first recognised African-American AEW World Champion.