Pro-wrestler Grayson Waller reveals reconciliation after interaction with Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift

WWE’s Grayson Waller has never shied away from controversy, but even he didn’t expect the fierce backlash he received when he joked about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Now, Waller is doubling down unapologetically and taking a victory lap for riling up one of the internet’s most passionate fan bases.

His viral moment originated from a comment he made on WWE’s The Bump regarding Travis Kelce dating the global pop superstar. In a candid interview with Chris Van Vliet, Waller said:

“I just made a joke on The Bump that, like, if Travis Kelce is happy settling for a six, good for him. Which is — I find that's a great line. I was pretty happy with that.”

The reaction from Swift fans, especially those on TikTok, took him by surprise.

“I didn't even think about it until all of a sudden I have these cringe moms on TikTok who don't spend time with their kids doing videos on me about how ugly I am. And they were saying some wild stuff.”

Waller, a known provocateur in WWE and online, didn’t back down. If anything, he embraced the chaos.

“I doubled down on it, too, because I think people get stressed about when you've annoyed a fan base, especially like the Swifties. But I doubled down on it because it was so fun. They were so angry and so upset.”

At one point, he acknowledged the intensity of the fanbase. “Swifty fans are mean.”

Later, Waller reflected on his real-life encounter with Kelce and Swift, one that surprises fans who assume pure hostility.

“I've said multiple times I'll fight Travis Kelce,” Waller grinned. “I actually met her at Tight End University in Nashville. She did walk past me at some stage, and I had to move and go, ‘Oh, sorry.’ And she said, ‘Thank you.’ So I think that's the reconciliation.”

Far from bitterness, Waller even painted an unexpectedly wholesome picture of Swift from that meeting. “In my head, I thought Taylor Swift — she was just sinking beers with the boys, just hanging upstairs. And I was like, she's a good one. Good for her.”

But don’t mistake that for retreat. If anything, he sees provoking Swifties as a badge of honor. “It was so fun. They were so angry and so upset.”

And in typical Grayson Waller style, he insists the Swift-Kelce banter is far from the most controversial thing he’s said, or will say.

Waller Talks CM Punk, Legends, Lucha Critiques & His Sacrifice

While the Swiftie feud made headlines, Waller’s fire burns brightest when talking wrestling, and the enemies he wants to make inside WWE next.

“Right now, I want Punk. I want Punk so bad, dude. Because like, as I said, as an ROH guy, I've watched Punk for a long time. I love the stuff he did in Ring of Honor.”

But the version he met backstage wasn’t the Punk he expected.

“He was super helpful backstage. Nice. And I'm like, nah — I want the Punk who causes chaos.”

So Waller made a promise to him face-to-face. “I told him, ‘When I get that mic across from you, I'm going to stand across from you with a microphone and I'm going to tell you exactly what I think about you.’”

Waller also laid down his ambition regarding WWE’s biggest names.

“Cena's about to go. AJ's talking about it. There's open spots coming, and I'm going to be the one to take their spot from them because I think that's the best thing you can do for a legend.”

It’s not ego; to him, it’s respect.

On wrestling styles, Waller didn’t hold back laughing at lucha and mask culture.

“They wear these elaborate colorful costumes so they don't go to the gym. They wear these big costumes because you can't see that they don't have abs.”

Then came one of his sharpest jabs: “I think Penta is like a broken Woody doll.”

He also ranted about the overuse of the Canadian Destroyer.

“People have bastardized it and ruined it. Like it meant something… Adam Pearce should ban it, but he's too focused on other things. He doesn't worry about guys like me.”

And when Pearce didn’t react to Waller’s petition? “Adam Pearce did nothing about it. That's what Adam Pearce does, you know?”

Waller’s pride in his heel work shined most when recalling cutting off Cody Rhodes’ signature crowd moment. “When I had Cody… every kid in that crowd — here we go, here we go — and I just took it away. That was fun.”

But behind the villain persona lies real sacrifice and emotion. Waller paused at one point, voice tightening.

“I missed a wedding last year because I was in Australia. I miss people's kids being born. I'm seeing their kids on FaceTime and they're like three or four now and I haven't seen them.”

The price of chasing WWE glory weighs on him, and fuels him. “I didn't sacrifice all that to not make it properly.”

He also spoke about carrying Australian wrestling on his back.

“I see all these guys and girls that I train with in Australia... I got to make it. So now I think I have to make it further for them.”

Then came the line that sums up his mindset better than anything.

“It's never been easier to be nothing right now. It's so easy to just sit at home and do nothing. You have video games, you have Netflix, you have Uber Eats — you can put no effort into life and get through it. But like having that hunger and that passion to do things is rare now. And I love having it. I want more.”

Finally, he laughed, emotional but defiant, almost proud of being pushed to open up.

“I hate you for this. I came in saying you won't get me today. And you got me again.”

And make no mistake, in his eyes, the story is still being written.

“I'm going to watch this interview one day and say, ‘You did it.’ I mean that with everything I have. I want this more than anything.”