{"id":153541,"date":"2026-02-20T07:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=153541"},"modified":"2026-02-20T01:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T06:10:57","slug":"why-kenny-omega-and-swerve-strickland-arent-done-yet-in-aew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/02\/20\/why-kenny-omega-and-swerve-strickland-arent-done-yet-in-aew\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland Aren’t Done Yet in AEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, it finally happened. Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland had a one-on-one match. The February 18, 2026, episode of AEW Dynamite saw the two main events in Sacramento, California, in a heated contest that had been building for weeks. Strickland won outright and seemingly turned heel in the post-match, when he assaulted Omega after his victory. He \u201cneeded this,\u201d a line repeated from the show\u2019s cold open.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, they went to war with one another. Omega threw all that he had, all of the reliable tools that seen him to greatness many times over. Strickland was to be just another name. Not tonight. No. Strickland\u2019s years in AEW thus far have seen him achieve stardom in pro wrestling. He\u2019s sunk to levels that most would not dare, and coupled with his athleticism, he embodied something Omega wasn\u2019t quite prepared for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, they teamed up at 2025\u2019s Double or Nothing in an Anarchy in the Arena Match, opposing the Death Riders. But things changed. Omega took time after time off to heal and work on extracurricular activities. Strickland? He\u2019s been in AEW consistently, taking time only for other commitments and injuries, far more sporadically. To topple one of wrestling\u2019s biggest active names? He needed this.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my opinion, there\u2019s more left to be done between Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland.<\/span><\/p>\n

The (First) Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland Match<\/span><\/h2>\n

Starting hot and heavy, these opponents exploited any weakness they could find in each other. Omega\u2019s diverticulitis saw Strickland focusing on the midsection. Strickland was susceptible to Omega\u2019s freakish agility, falling victim to multiple Snapdragon Suplexes and V-Triggers. Eventually, he caught up with Omega, dodging them as they came. Using Referee Aubrey Edwards as a shield, he evaded a V-Trigger. <\/span><\/p>\n

Strickland wasn\u2019t above using the environment to his advantage; he propelled Omega into the exposed turnbuckle and spammed finishers like the Swerve Stomp, House Call, and Big Pressure. This earned him the pinfall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unsatisfied with this, unquenched by victory, Strickland dismantled the already-defeated Omega. While the fallen competitor lay in the debris of a destroyed announce desk before three concerned commentators, Strickland turned his gaze to the camera. \u201cI needed this, I needed this,\u201d he said behind somber, regretful eyes. Whatever pain and anguish he felt, however vindictive, is his alone to bear and comprehend.<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re not done, however. While Omega will be working on prior commitments<\/a> following the bout, there\u2019s a lot left to be explored between these two.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for Their Feud?<\/span><\/h2>\n

As I followed the match, I came to a silent understanding. These two aren\u2019t done, not by a long shot. Of course, that\u2019s evident with many great matches with follow-ups not too far behind. But here\u2019s a hot take: I feel they were holding back. I can\u2019t help but watch and rewatch without sensing that there\u2019s more they want to explore with one another. They\u2019re incredible storytellers through and through with approaches unique unto them.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Kenny Omega has a match with mountains of hype behind it with an equally gifted dance partner, he goes for the story. In ways, he\u2019s an artistic genius. The 2017-18 matches with Kazuchika Okada in NJPW are proof of that, as is the duology he had in NJPW and AEW against Will Ospreay. Every match in each series was different from the others. Strickland\u2019s versatility and willingness to push boundaries will undoubtedly mesh with Omega\u2019s methods. <\/span><\/p>\n

His matches are smart, cold, and calculated. The feud he had with Hangman Page from 2023 to 2024 exhibited as much. He pushes the envelope with what\u2019s acceptable and what\u2019s not, putting his body through turmoil to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best part about this is that their matches will undoubtedly be spaced out. Given the work rate, passion, charisma, and spirit these two share, that\u2019s what\u2019s needed. Their bodies and the fans won\u2019t get as burned out, allowing for the space to engage in mind-blowing bombast and spectacle. Moreover, combining their imagination, Omega and Strickland are capable of surpassing boundaries and paving the way for future wrestlers to achieve.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Far Will They Go?<\/span><\/h2>\n

I foresee an epic saga between Kenny and Swerve. The latter has already crossed a line with no love or respect existing in their relationship. It\u2019s going to get nasty and gritty. Art is often meant to cause discomfort, and these two won\u2019t shy away from it. Where could they take this? A Lights Out Death Match? Dog Collar Match? \u201cI Quit\u201d Match?<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering Omega\u2019s complicated health, it\u2019s for the best that this rivalry remains at the safest pace possible. Fans will salivate for more, and the build to each revisit will increase that until the final beat. Furthermore, the Elite and even the AEW Men’s World Championship picture could well be in the crosshairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
Photo Credit: By West Smith<\/a> – https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/west_smith\/52069070404\/, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=150597688<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On social media, Swerve posted what seemed to be either a hit list or a list of all members he’s defeated, as though to taunt Kenny.\u00a0 That can only intensify the quarrel, with Swerve the heel and Kenny the babyface. They may be ready, but will we be?<\/span><\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/amp-ad><\/amp-ad><\/p>\n

Header photo \u2013 AEW –<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0 You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content is available on their\u00a0YouTube channel.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So, it finally happened. Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland had a one-on-one match. The February 18, 2026, episode of AEW Dynamite saw the two main events in Sacramento, California, in a heated contest that had been building for weeks. Strickland won outright and seemingly turned heel in the post-match, when he assaulted Omega after his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5361,"featured_media":153127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,6,2192],"tags":[386,8520],"class_list":["post-153541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-north-america","category-wrestling","tag-kenny-omega","tag-swerve-strickland"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153541"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":153562,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153541\/revisions\/153562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}