A new report provides insight into the Texas Death Match between Swerve Strickland and Adam Page at AEW Full Gear.
On November 18th, Swerve Strickland and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page went to war in a brutal Texas Death Match. The two have been at odds for months, and their brutal feud even saw Strickland invade Page’s home to menace his young child.
The bout was one of the bloodiest in All Elite Wrestling history and featured the use of multiple weapons, including a staple gun that Page used to staple his child’s artwork to Swerve’s face.
Fans were especially divided over one spot in the match that saw Swerve lean over Page with blood gushing from his head. Page opened his mouth and drank Swerve’s blood before spitting it out, making a good portion of the audience queasy.
Many fans may wonder if such a gruesome spot was approved by AEW management in advance, particularly since the July report that AEW was taking steps to improve safety for its audience and performers.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, the blood-drinking spot was indeed planned in advance and pitched by Swerve and Page to AEW management. The match’s producer approved the spot, and people within the company were reportedly very happy with the match and its reception.
Jim Cornette Blasted The Texas Death Match At AEW Full Gear
One man who wasn’t a fan of the Texas Death Match was legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette, who criticized the bout on the most recent edition of The Jim Cornette Experience.
After taking the men to task for their use of the staple gun, Cornette turned his attention to the blood-drinking spot, saying:
“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.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.