Swerve Strickland may have stirred up concern among AEW fans this week, but a new report suggests the entire situation could have been part of the plan all along.

The former AEW World Champion sparked online speculation after posting, then quickly deleting, a cryptic message questioning why he had not been featured on television. The deleted post read:

“If it’s time to start asking questions why Swerve ain’t on TV.”

The message immediately caught attention online, especially since Strickland has not appeared live on AEW programming since his second showdown with Kenny Omega around six weeks ago. Although he briefly resurfaced in a pre taped segment with Bandido on the April 29 edition of Dynamite, fans still questioned his absence from live television.

During a recent Self Made Session, Self Made Pro addressed the situation and revealed that at least one AEW source claimed the tweet was never meant to be taken seriously.

“A lot of questions were being asked. There were some people in AEW straight up that were just like, ‘Hey, what’s up with that?’ This is what I can tell you guys based on the information that I’ve learned and been told on record, is what I should say. So, a source claimed to me, they claimed that Swerve’s tweet was a work. They claimed that his tweet was just for storyline and storytelling purposes. So, that’s what they’re claiming.”

Before that report surfaced, many fans believed Strickland could have been legitimately frustrated over his television time. Swerve had recently explained that previous time away from AEW came from outside commitments, including work with DC Comics and Warner Bros., music projects, and appearances connected to the NFL Draft.

If the latest report is accurate, the deleted tweet may have done exactly what it was intended to do by creating buzz online and getting fans talking about Swerve’s eventual return to AEW television.