Jim Ross Says This AEW Full Gear Match Raised The Bar

Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page arguably stole the AEW Full Gear 2023 show. Their Texas Death Match was a brutal affair that involved blood drinking, staple guns, and a host of risky spots. As such, the bout has polarized the wrestling community, but AEW announcer Jim Ross is a fan of the match.

On a recent edition of "Grilling JR," Ross shared his thoughts on the pay-per-view and singled out the Texas Death Match. While he conceded that these types of matches aren't for everyone, he believes Page and Strickland deserve credit for their work.

"It was a lot of drama. A lot of physicality," Ross said. "They raised the bar, as I tweeted out as the match was going on. Those hardcore-type matches, it reminded me a lot of an old ECW. The matches and the move set and the violence, I guess. It was a hell of a performance by those guys. I'm proud of both of their efforts. Whether you like the hardcore style or you don't like the hardcore style, the one thing you cannot do is criticize the efforts and the work rate of the talents. That was covered."

Ross isn't the only AEW employee who's openly praised the match. MJF described it as the best match of its kind, revealing that it was difficult for him and "Switchblade" Jay White to follow it in the show's main event. Elsewhere, Bully Ray believes that AEW should focus on pushing Strickland, as the Full Gear bout skyrocketed his popularity.