There's an infectious quality to newly crowned WWE cruiserweight champion Rich Swann's entrance song, "Around the World," which perfectly mirrors his high-energy style and positive aura.
The song's constant refrain of "Can you handle this?" has become something of a mantra for Swann -- and it's a fair question to ask of fans at live events who may be unprepared for the wave of electricity that follows when Swann appears, transforming any arena into a dance party.
From the #RAW #Cruiserweight division to #WWENXT, @GottaGetSwann is all over the place! Can you handle it?! @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/mSH6TVs71K
- WWE (@WWE) October 7, 2016
But regarding the pressure that comes with being the face of WWE's newest division, the question becomes moot when applied to Swann himself. In fact, if there's anyone perfectly equipped to handle it all -- the fame, demand and responsibility that come with the title -- it's him.
"You know I can handle the pressure," Swann told ESPN.com. "There ain't no sleep, there ain't no breaks and that's what I love about this business. That's what I love -- I'm always on the go, baby!"
Swann, who captured the title from Brian Kendrick during the premier episode of "205 Live" on Nov. 29, has the kind of feel-good comeback story that resonates with WWE fans. His journey through tragedy and the obstacles he's had to overcome are only made more relatable by Swann's refreshing willingness to share his stories so openly over the years.
The 25-year-old grew up in a rough section of Baltimore. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother battled lupus. Domestic violence was a constant theme. When Swann was 14, his father was murdered. Two years later, his mother died due to complications from the disease that dominated the latter stages of her life.
At just 16, Swann found himself living alone, and he fell into a bad crowd. He began using drugs to cope with the emotional toll of his trauma, and the darkness he experienced is something he'd like to help others avoid at any cost.
"The reason why I feel like I should share something like that is because it's going to inspire people who have gone through things like that," Swann said. "I feel like people should know that side [of my experience] -- it brings out the vulnerable side in the person."
Pro wrestling -- the wild spectacle that first caught his eye at age five, when a televised match between Psicosis and Rey Mysterio Jr. brought his love for the acrobatics of the "Power Rangers" to an entirely different level -- ultimately provided him salvation by allowing him to pull himself out of the darkness.
Already enrolled in the Combat Zone Wrestling school in nearby York, Pennsylvania, where his aunt lived, Swann decided to take his training more seriously and slowly pushed away the more negative elements in his life. After high school, he began to tour on the independent scene.
The support of his brotherhood in pro wrestling after he first turned pro raised his spirits and provided the feeling of a family that he'd sorely been lacking. But above all else, in his mind, it was Swann's first trip to Germany that he credits as the true turning point in terms of getting his life on the right track for good.
"That really opened my eyes, to see that there are other things in the world," he said. The experience helped Swann walk away with nothing but positive thoughts, inspiring him to "really take your shot at this, really try your best, really try and see. To take nothing for granted -- that's just how I felt."
Swann quickly became a darling of the indies, adopting Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" as his entrance music, which helped forge an almost instantaneous connection with fans. Years later, when he made his WWE debut in August at the Cruiserweight Classic, Swann entered the Full Sail University Arena in Orlando, Florida, to his new theme song and enjoyed a moment with the crowd that reminded him of how far he had come.
"To hear the crowd chant 'All Night Long' and to get [chants] of 'Can you handle this?' -- it became infectious, and I got with it, and the people got with it," he said. "It was just a connection from the people there, and it's never going to go away."
The reaction of the CWC fans to hearing his new theme song for the first time wasn't that different from Swann's initial response when the WWE first approached him.
"The first time I heard that I was like, 'Man, that's hot fire! That's something else. That's hot soup right there! I mean, yes!'" Swann said. "That's what I thought. Apparently everybody else thinks it's pretty hot fire too."
Thanks to WWE's decision to not just showcase the cruiserweights on Raw, but give the division its own weekly show on Tuesdays following SmackDown Live, Swann quickly became a fan favorite on the main roster. He takes that responsibility seriously, in terms of sharing his positive message and being open about his past.
"[My story] shows that anybody can make it in anything that you do and anything you want to succeed [in], no matter what is in your path," Swann said. "And I'm not ashamed of it. These are things that have happened. I would never change anything."
Swann says his parents would be equal parts proud and shocked if they could see him today. And he remains the rare superstar in WWE who competes under his given name, which makes sense, considering how close he says his character is to his true personality.
Being billed of late as "The Outlandish" Rich Swann is something he says suits him well.
"I feel like I have to go out there and keep on entertaining, keep on dancing and keep on being me," he said. "Keep on doing things that I do -- 'Beat It' dances, splits, excitement, keeping the smile going. That's what I got to do to keep up with that 'Outlandish' nickname, because I am outlandish, after all."
As he becomes a household name and continues to put out the most entertaining product he can possibly produce on a day-to-day basis, Swann realizes how far he's come and how rare an opportunity he's been given. It's what keeps him motivated to become that much better as he maximizes on the spotlight cast upon him as the WWE cruiserweight champion.
"This is an opportunity that so many people would do anything for, and I just don't want to take that for granted," he said.