AEW star and commentator Bryan Danielson recently shared his thoughts on the brutally violent feud between Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page, offering a perspective that praised the performers while also critiquing the extreme nature of their matches. The rivalry between Page and Strickland, which dominated AEW programming in late 2023 and early 2024, is remembered for its intense and levels of violence in their encounters, most notably their Texas Death Match at the Full Gear pay-per-view.
The feud elevated both men to the main event scene, but for a technical purist like Danielson, it was at times difficult to watch.Speaking in a new interview with Wrestle Radio Australia, “The American Dragon” discussed how AEW presents a “variety show” of wrestling styles, and used the Page vs. Strickland feud as a prime example of a style that, while effective, is not one he personally enjoys.
“Tony Khan really believes in having great in-ring pro wrestling, but there are different great styles of pro wrestling. You get that in AEW. You get the variety show, it’s just a different form of a variety show. You get the in-ring performance that can be more comedic, now you’re getting Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson. Now you’re getting a Jon Moxley match or a Darby (Allin) match. Now you’re getting Hangman Page and Swerve, which I never want to see again.
Not that it wasn’t good, but I don’t want…those guys are incredible, two of the best guys I’ve ever been in the ring with, but please, I don’t want to see you staple somebody’s tongue, but some people do. Those matches, for our audience, have been incredible. You see Swerve and Hangman getting to the next level because they are willing to do these things that I never would have been willing to do. There is something to wrestling being a variety show, but you also have to know what your variety is and not stray from your identity. It’s a hard balance to find.”