To further illustrate the difficulty of forging a unique path in wrestling, Strickland referenced some of the risks he took in his personal career, such as being featured in the “Freshman” issue of XXL Magazine, which provided fans with a glimpse into his passion for his work in the music industry. Strickland also noted that venturing out of tag team competition and into the singles scene was another bold move for him to make. 

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Of course, as Strickland later attested, not all risks will produce successful outcomes. Despite the mixed results, though, Strickland believes all of those trials have helped lay the path to his current position as the number one contender to the AEW World Championship.

Along with the numerous risks, Strickland chronicled some of the many sacrifices he’s made in an effort to keep his career on an upward trajectory. “Having to take time away from my children to make sure I can move forward, to make sure [my wrestling career] takes off later on. It’s a lot of birthdays missed, a lot of weddings, missed a lot of funerals. I lost my grandmother early this year and I wasn’t able to be there for the funeral. So that was something that sticks in my mind all the time. So pushing forward, it makes me want to pay that back. Like I didn’t miss that for nothing.”

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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “AEW Unrestricted” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.