Shane Strickland (Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott) On His WWE Release: I’m Proud I Was Able To Leave My Mark

Swerve talks his time in WWE.

Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott was part of WWE NXT and Hit Row, which formed in May 2021. By October, the group, which also consisted of Ashante Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-Fab were all drafted to SmackDown, by November, all four members of the group were cut by WWE.

Now, in his first Swerve City podcast since his WWE departure, Shane Strickland is talking about the time in WWE, what disappointed him about his release, and why he feels proud of what he was able to accomplish in just 5 months with Hit Row.

“When the release happened I was upset. It was more of an embarrassment to my family because I felt like I was like, I let them down because I talked up so much about how everything was going to be okay, everything is going to be I’m going to exceed the expectations. We’re doing something that’s never been done, yadda yadda yadda. It felt like it was like now it was thrown back in my face. But I looked around. It took me a couple of days, two days, I looked around and got on the phone with my mans, talk to my peoples. We talked about all the possibilities that are out there right now. We had a good, long [talk] I spoke with the lady, I spoke with — I’m still trying to tiptoe back into the family. I’m getting better at it. But once again, I look around and I’m appreciative of all that I’ve accomplished. Everything that I’ve done in the WWE, I’m proud of. I was able to — I learned to rap three years ago and I was able to do it on the USA Network, live, with my friends in the audience watching. I was able to do it live. One take like, no cuts, live on the USA Network, in front of hundreds of thousands of people watching at home, in front of my friends and family that were there and live in attendance. 

“I was able to pull myself out of obscurity into becoming something that was just like it was needed. It was like wanted, an act, a group that just had to be on the next level, we did that, and we did it in five months of being together and knowing each other. That’s something I can always be proud of and I can leave my mark with it and be proud and move on. Now, my artistic vision is so vast. I’m still trying to find ways to funnel it, but now that I have more opportunities, more time, more opportunities to have the hands off me to let it go, it’s about to get spooky. Spooky season has arrived.”

Other members of the group have all shared their thoughts on their release by way of raps. First, B-Fab and Top Dolla released a track on social media after B-Fab, Briana Brandy, was let go just weeks before the rest of the group. 

Then, Top Dolla turned the focus onto his own future, releasing his own tracks saying that he wanted to be signed by the end of his non-compete clause. Learn more here.

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