The move to secure the name comes just days after Christian and Johnson began using it themselves. Following a victory over The Kingdom at the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view on August 29, the pair referred to themselves as “The Swirl” in a post-match interview.
That win over former ROH World Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett was a significant step for the team. Reports indicate that Jay Lethal, a former stablemate of The Kingdom, was seen observing the match from a backstage area.
The trademark filing seems to underscore the momentum the team has been building. In an Instagram post on August 7, Christian and Johnson declared their intention to challenge for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship titles. They further solidified their on-screen partnership with an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast on September 1, where Christian discussed their collaboration.
Even with their focus on the tag division, both men have remained active in other capacities. On the August 30 episode of AEW Collision, Blake Christian, with Lee Johnson at ringside, was defeated by Daniel Garcia in a singles match that also saw a brief appearance by Jon Moxley.
The trademark filing for “The Swirl” covers use for “performances by a tag team of wrestlers during professional wrestling events,” cementing the name as their official on-screen brand going forward.