Grayson Waller might hold his own in the WWE ring, but even he admits there was one real-life showdown he wasn’t entirely sure he’d win: facing off against NFL star (and Taylor Swift’s fiancé) Travis Kelce.
The wrestling star landed in hot water last year after making a joke about Swift during an appearance on WWE’s now-defunct web series The Bump in October 2023.
“If Travis Kelce is happy settling for a 6, good for him,” Waller quipped at the time.
Swifties Were Not Amused
Unsurprisingly, the Swiftie army wasn’t thrilled — and Waller says the backlash came fast and hard.
Read More: Travis Kelce Denies That He + Taylor Swift Do This in Public
“I have these cringe moms on TikTok who don’t spend time with their kids doing videos on me about how ugly I am,” he joked on a recent episode of INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. “They were saying some wild stuff. Swiftie fans are mean.”
Then Things Got Awkward in Real Life
Fast forward to earlier this year — Waller and several WWE stars were invited to Tight End University, the annual football summit hosted by Kelce, George Kittle, and Greg Olsen.
“They had a party in Nashville, and me, Bayley, and Sheamus went,” Waller recalled. “Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were both there.”
That’s when it hit him — what if Kelce had seen the clip?
“I’m thinking, ‘Man, I’m going to have to fight Travis Kelce,’” he recalled. “I’ve said multiple times I’ll fight him. But then I saw how big tight ends are… I’m gonna win, but it’s gonna be a scrap.”
But It Was All Good Vibes
Fortunately, Kelce didn’t come swinging. In fact, Waller said he was nothing but cool when he came over to chat.
Read More: 13 Country Artists Who Should Totally Play at Taylor Swift’s Wedding
“He didn’t have to come over and talk to us,” he explained. “Super chill guy.”
A Very Minor Taylor Swift Interaction
Waller didn’t get a full face-to-face with Swift, but he did have a brief brush with the pop queen.
“She walked past me and I had to move. I said, ‘Oh, sorry,’ and she said, ‘Thank you.’ So I think that’s the reconciliation,” he laughed.
And after all that drama? “I thought she’d have all this security around her,” Waller added. “But she was just sinking beers with the boys upstairs. I was like, ‘She’s a good one.’”
“The Fightin’ Side of Me”: Top 25 Country Fightin’ Songs
Sure, country music is all about cracking a cold one and having a good time — but it’s also about fighting when you’ve gotta fight. Here are the best 25 songs in the genre about dust-ups, fist fights and full-on barroom brawls.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
