Swerve Strickland recently shared insights about how the Hit Row WWE NXT faction was formed while he was part of WWE. On the Kings of the Ring podcast, he described how the group emerged amid WWE’s efforts to develop fresh creative directions for the NXT brand. The concept overlapped with plans involving the revival of EVOLVE Wrestling, which was anticipated to become integrated into WWE’s developmental system.
Impact of EVOLVE Wrestling’s Delay on the Group’s Formation
Strickland detailed how the delay of WWE’s EVOLVE revival affected the timing and development of Hit Row.
The birth of it was really interesting because they had their own thing going on when they were supposed to have WWE Evolve then,
Strickland said.
That got delayed for years. I didn’t expect it to take so long for Evolve to become a thing that was on Tubi.
During this period, Strickland actively contributed ideas while navigating communication challenges with WWE executive Triple H.
Me and him were just going back and forth. He was dodging me when I was coming up with creative questions and stuff,
Strickland recalled.
Support from Stephanie McMahon and Building the Faction
The encouragement Strickland received from Stephanie McMahon proved crucial in raising his profile within the WWE NXT environment.
I think it was Stephanie McMahon that really told me, ‘He’s my favorite heel on the show.’ And then that’s where it was like, okay, now we really got to start putting some fire behind Swerve.
Following this, WWE creative offered to back Strickland with a faction.
They were like, ‘Hey, I think we’re going to put this group behind you. How do you feel?’
Leading a group was new for Strickland, as his career had mainly involved independent appearances across various territories and countries.
I didn’t do groups at the time. I was independent, indie jumping from city to city, country to country. So running a group was just not my thing.
Evolution of Hit Row as a Unified Collective
Despite initial unfamiliarity with faction leadership, Strickland explained that the group grew beyond simply supporting him, forming a cohesive unit of equals.
But the group became more like them backing me. We became like a jelled group, like all four corners.
Reflecting on the faction’s run, he expressed a wish that it had stayed together longer.
The time was good. It was fine. I wish we had more time together with it, but you know, things happen.
Hit Row’s Distinct Identity Within WWE NXT
Hit Row, including members Top Dolla, Ashante Adonis, and B-Fab alongside Strickland, became one of the most unique and memorable acts during the Black-and-Gold era of WWE NXT. Their blend of style and presence helped define a fresh creative chapter for the brand.
