Keith Lee Reflects on "Unpredictable" and "Confusing" First Year in AEW (Exclusive)
The Limitless One is All Elite. Keith Lee burst onto the AEW scene this time last year, debuting as a surprise opponent for Isiah Kassidy in a Face of the Revolution ladder match qualifying contest. The AEW audience was no stranger to his work but still gasped and cheered at the heavyweight's unconventional athleticism. Lee's impressive showing there began an AEW run that has taken him to televised main events and tag team gold.
That said, Lee's AEW peaks have not come without some valleys. Speaking to ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley, Lee noted that his first year in the company has been "unpredictable."
It's hard to say. I feel like I would call it unpredictable and, at times, confusing," Lee said. "There's a lot in this industry you can't really put your finger on, if you will, and a lot of shifts. Tectonic shifts. A lot of things happen in a short amount of time and that's just the way professional wrestling works."
Even with things constantly moving, Lee praised his and former tag partner Swerve Strickland's ability to maximize their opportunities.
"I think that myself and even Swerve, to his credit, among all the nonsense, I think that we made a pretty big splash," Lee continued. "In terms of myself only being [in AEW] maybe six months, five months for him maybe, before we collected some gold. I think that sets the bar for what we intend to do here."
Lee and Strickland's tag days may be in the rear view, but the two remain on a collision course. This past December, Strickland formed the Mogul Affiliates, a faction that helped him attack Lee and put him out of action for months.
"The only problem with that is now he's in my way, so it's going to become something different," Lee said. "When that time comes and I will make it come, that will actually be our first time fighting each other. I'm actually looking forward to that as a competitor, because regardless of the problems that we have, the issues that we've had and the damage that he's done to me, I admire who and what he is in the ring and what he's capable of.
"There's a reason that our dichotomy, our dynamic works so well and it's because he and I are a natural mesh. Now, that also makes us natural opposites in the ring. So when that battle happens, I think it'll be something that's unexpected and will be thoroughly enjoyable by any and all that have taste for what we do anyway."
Recent weeks have indicated that Lee will either face Strickland in singles capacity at AEW Revolution or he will join forces with Dustin Rhodes to battle Strickland and Parker Boudreaux of the Mogul Affiliates. Neither match has been confirmed for Sunday's pay-per-view as of this writing.
AEW Revolution goes down on Sunday, March 5th.