Swerve Strickland has noticed and responded to the discourse going around his unsanctioned cage match with Hangman Page at AEW All Out.
The horrifying new chapter in the feud between the two arch-rivals featured unprecedented violence that made a lot of people uncomfortable. More than 24 hours after the bout, the discussion around it is still going strong. The former AEW Champion has noticed the debate, especially the questions around whether or not such extreme brutality was necessary for the bout.
Swerve responded to it with a tweet mentioning that this is what fans should have expected from a bout that was unsanctioned.
AEW’s Unsanctioned Matches
Labeling a match as unsanctioned is AEW’s way of telling fans to get ready for a true fight instead of a pro wrestling contest.
The first of its kind match took place at Full Gear 2019 between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley, though at the time it was dubbed as a ‘Lights out’ match. The ending of that bout saw Mox exposing the wooden panel under the ring mat and delivering a Paradigm Shift on it for the win.
The first official unsanctioned match took place between Adam Cole and Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing 2023. The bout ended via referee stoppage when Cole wrapped a chain around his knee to deliver his finisher and continued beating Jericho afterward.
The match between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page topped both these bouts with weapons such as a cinderblock and a syringe being used during the memorable encounter.
This fight ended after Hangman delivered a brutal chair shot to Strickland on the head. You can check out a report about what’s next for Swerve after the PPV here.
