Bully Ray Says This AEW Full Gear Match 'Stole The Show'
Last Saturday, AEW presented their fifth annual Full Gear pay-per-view, headlined by an AEW World Championship match between Jay White and the reigning titleholder MJF. While the card also featured several other title matches, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray believes a non-title bout stole the show. During a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio," Ray explained why the Texas Death Match between "Hangman" Adam Page and Swerve Strickland was the true captivator of AEW Full Gear.
"Those guys went out there and they absolutely busted their ass and put on a match, a piece of art that they thought would entertain the fans," Ray said. "Do you feel like those guys were working for themselves, or do you feel like that they were working for the match? Do you feel like that they were working for the pop, the star rating, or working for the match? There were times that I saw things that I just didn't think were necessary, [but] overall, it was extremely entertaining. As I said last week on 'Busted Open After Dark,' I thought that match had this chance to steal the show. And I think it did steal the show, because if you go by the fans, the fans being on their feet, the fans anticipating the next bloody spot, or the next staple, or the next cinder block, or the next table bump, or the next tacks or glass — they had the people in the palm of their hand."
Page and Strickland's Texas Death Match saw a wide variety of weapons in usage, including barbed wire, glass, staples, and a cinder block. It was a steel chain, though, that proved to be the game changer, as Strickland choked out Page with the chain when they two approached the 30-minute mark, rendering Page unable to respond to the referee's count. As a result, Strickland was named as the victor.
If you use quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.