Jim Cornette did not hold back on his thoughts and feelings around a graphic match that took place at AEW Full Gear.
When it was announced that Adam Page and Swerve Strickland would settle their differences in a Texas Death Match, fans knew that the match would be violent but perhaps didn’t expect it on this level. Barbed wire, a cider block and even a staple gun were utilised within the match to the delight of some fans and the disgust of others.
With the utilisation of ultra-violence and the fact that Strickland and Page got to their feet after a spot that should have ended the match and would have killed someone outside of wrestling, many within the Cult of Cornette eagerly anticipated the view of the man himself. Infuriated by what he saw the the pay-per-view, Cornette gave his take on the Texas Death Match during The Jim Cornette Experience.
Discussing the use of the staple gun in the early part of the match, Cornette took issue with the fact that no one would use a staple gun in this manner during a real fight, highlighting the lack of believability within the match:
Okay, so then Hangnail gets a staple gun and staples Swerve’s chest, he’s stapling him in the titties. Not the nipples, that’s against the Geneva Convention. And then he gets a format or a piece of paper or whatever, and he staples it to Swerve’s arm. Now, meanwhile, Brian, you know what a staple gun looks like? You worked in an office? Do you think most of the people know what a staple gun looks like? It’s a big metal thing and you squeeze it and it’s got to thing goes across your fingers and you squeeze it and it staples, right?
If you’re in a fight with a motherf*cker, especially if you look like Adam Page and the other motherf*cker looks like Swerve Strickland. And you’ve got a staple gun in your hand. Are you going to staple him in the titty? Or are you going to draw back and punch him in the bridge of the f*cking nose with it? That’s the idea. He’s got brass knuckles on his hand and he’s stapling this motherf*cker’s arm. And then he stapled his face and Swerve is letting him do it.
And because we know that this is all fake, because of the general overall presentation of AEW, people are sitting there going well this stupid motherf*cker is letting this other stupid motherf*cker staple his f*cking cheek, and his titties!
The spot that got everyone talking was of course Page’s decision to drink Strickland’s blood, which was designed to make Page more of a tough-guy babyface. Cornette believes that allowing this to make it to air, even on pay-per-view, may come back to haunt AEW in the future when it comes to ratings or future media rights deals:
And at that point, somehow he’s busted Swerve open also and Swerve hit a gusher and starts pouring blood. And this is where Page lays down on his back as Swerve is bending over bleeding from his head, lays down on his back and opens his mouth so that he can drink Swerve’s blood to show how badass he is.
And I believe at that point, you know again I go back to when Lyndon Johnson said after Cronkite came back from Vietnam if we’ve lost Cronkite, we’ve lost America. I think they’ve lost the female audience that they might not have had to begin with on that one. And again, they might have lost the network that they potentially might or might not have had off of that one. You f*cking idiot, he’s no better than the plumber or the f*cking bank-addicted drug robber. He got more hair, Page. Otherwise, he is as stupid, and demented and f*cking distasteful.
Cornette would further criticise the match by referencing the use of broken glass later in the night and how no one came to Page’s aid when he was attacked by an interfering Brian Cage.
Jim Cornette Advocates For Change In AEW Booking
Cornette has been one of the biggest critics of All Elite Wrestling but does give credit when it is due, as has been seen in the past with matches involving the likes of FTR, MJF and CM Punk. Blaming the majority of the promotion’s weak points on Tony Khan, Jim Cornette has previously suggested that big changes should be made in AEW management.
In an episode of the Drive-Thru, Jim Cornette named his wrestler of the year.
If you use any quotes from this article please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.