In October of last year, a WWE star named Grayson Waller sparked a considerable amount of online outrage with this quote: “I’m not the kind of guy that would settle for a six, but to each their own. Me personally, I like a nine or a ten,” said Waller. That statement caused considerable backlash. But Waller, in classic pro wrestling fashion laid into the controversy and went on X to insult Swift’s fans and challenge Kelce to a fight. The Going Ringside podcast covered this in depth last year.
I’m Sorry pic.twitter.com/xg3GzEKZ9b
— Grayson Waller (@GraysonWWE) October 22, 2023
Recommended Videos
“I’ve heard Travis Kelce is a wrestling fan, right? So hey, we’re in Philly. Maybe next year, lad, Why don’t you come and get in the ring and defend her honor? He seems like a good guy. Why don’t you come and say something to me about it, lad?” was Waller’s challenge, implying WWE’s marquis event WrestleMania which is in Philadelphia this year.
Since that story in October, neither Kelce nor Swift has responded. Either the story was below their radar or Kelce couldn’t respond because he was still in the middle of his NFL season. That ends after the Super Bowl tonight.
NFL stars and A-list celebrities are not without precedent at WrestleManias and other major wrestling events:
1986 - William “Refrigerator” Perry and other NFL stars wrestled at WrestleMania 2
1995 - NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor competed in the main event at WrestleMania 11
1998 - NBA star Dennis Rodman allegedly skipped a practice during the NBA Finals to appear on WCW Nitro
2020 - NFL Star Rob Gronkowski got in the ring at WrestleMania 36
And also famously, former President Donald Trump got involved in the ring in 2007 at WrestleMania 23
Now wrestling fans will watch whether Kelce, who’s reportedly a fan of wrestling will take Waller up on the challenge.
But Kelce has said as recently as this week he’s a huge pro wrestling fan. “I go powerbombed through my living room floor as a kid and we broke the living room floor then we just slid the couch over it so that our parents wouldn’t know,” Kelce said at the Super Bowl media availability. Kelce was also recently spotted sporting a replica WWE belt.
@goingringside Does the #taylorswift #traviskelce @WWE saga start tomorrow with #graysonwaller in the lead up to #wrestlemania ??? #superbowl #kansascitychiefs #wwe #wrestletok #sportsontiktok #goingringside #jeffjarrett #smackdown #therock #codyrhodes
♬ original sound - Going Ringside
In fact, “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson who will also be on the card at WrestleMania also spoke about Kelce in an interview this past week.
And Swift also reportedly has a link to the world of pro wrestling. Before her ascent to music superstardom, she used to babysit for wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett in Tennessee.