The wrestling world is still talking about the New Day reportedly asking for and receiving their releases from WWE. Bobby Lashley weighed in and called WWE losing them “a fumble.” They’re rumored to be AEW bound and a recent report stated that many top stars in the AEW locker room want them there.

One of those top stars is Swerve Strickland. During an interview with TMZ, Strickland revealed that he texted Kofi Kingston after the due left. Strickland says it’s hard to find anyone who would say anything negative about Kingston.

“He’s had a polished record for 20 years,” Strickland said. “He’s the epitome of professionalism. Especially in our culture, he’s one of the Top 5 to ever do it. He’s the model type of role model.”

Strickland said that wherever Kingston goes, he’s a legend and he hopes to work with him again one day. Strickland also pointed out that when he first won the AEW Men’s World Championship, he mentioned Kingston as someone he wanted to be like to make his title reign and legacy his own.

“He’s the only Black wrestler to win the world championship at WrestleMania,” Strickland said. “He’s so good and impactful that there’s an archetype after him. ‘That’s the Kofi Kingston spot.’ ‘Oh, you got the Kofi Kingston moment in the ladder matches,’ ‘You got the Kofi Kingston spot in the ‘Royal Rumble.'”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “TMZ’s Inside the Ring” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.