The rivalry between WWE and AEW has heated up following CM Punk’s appearance on “The MMA Hour” a few weeks ago.
AEW responded to Punk’s remarks with Adam Copeland delivering a pro-AEW promo shortly after, along with airing footage from Punk’s altercation with Jack Perry at All In last year.
In a parallel move, WWE’s Chief Content Officer Triple H seemingly took jabs at Will Ospreay during WrestleMania weekend, prompting a response from Ospreay.
The latest exchange occurred when WWE’s Grayson Waller appeared on News4Jax’s “Going Ringside” segment and declared his intention to bring “good wrestling” back to Jacksonville, Florida, which happens to be AEW’s home city.
These comments reached AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, who discussed the matter during his appearance on “Going Ringside” this week, promoting AEW’s upcoming return to Jacksonville for tapings of “Dynamite,” “Rampage,” and “Collision.”
“Obviously [that was a dig],” remarked Strickland. “And I love the subtleties. Congratulations to the person who made those comments on their championship gold. Amazing.
You were awesome when you were watching me in the seats while I was being a champion over there as well. So, happy to see where you’ve progressed to.
But let’s be real, we [AEW] are the best wrestling. Not just in Jacksonville, but anywhere on the globe. In the world, and I stand by that.”
Tonight, Strickland will have the opportunity to validate his claim as he makes his first appearance since winning the AEW World Championship, facing off against Ring of Honor Television Champion Kyle Fletcher.
Although the AEW World Title will not be at stake, Fletcher and Strickland will engage in an Eliminator Match, with Fletcher earning an AEW Championship match should he emerge victorious.
