Swerve Strickland Addresses Criticism Of AEW Texas Death Match With Hangman Page

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports conducted by former WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley, Swerve Strickland addressed criticism of his recent Texas Deathmatch versus 'Hangman' Adam Page. 

The match, which took place at AEW Full Gear, included many gruesome moments and copious amounts of blood. Although mostly met with substantial praise, the match has been criticised by some, including Dave Meltzer who simultaneously awarded it 5 stars while admitting he wasn't a fan of the bout's graphic style. 

On the brutal nature of the bout, Strickland responded:

"That's pretty much why we're here having this conversation in the first place. If you are going to go all out in a match like that, you have to release all the chains, all the handcuffs. Understand that there is going to be criticism because we are going to shake the foundation a little bit.

"I feel like that was one of those moments where it's like 'that was theater, that was cinematic' just like, 'Oh my god, you have to go out of your way to see this because I can't even believe it.'

"We push boundaries, that’s what AEW was built on. Pushing boundaries, doing things that other places just couldn’t do, or are not able to do, or you’re not able to see that anywhere else."

Strickland also said he feels the match has catapulted his standing into that of a top star, outlining his aim to become the first African-American AEW World Champion.

H/T to F4Weekly.