Coming for Taylor Swift and her legion of followers — known as Swifties — might not seem like the smartest idea given the superstar’s cult following, but as pro-wrestler Grayson Waller is proving, it’s actually a genius marketing tactic.
In case you missed the news, Waller spent the weekend of Oct. 20th haphazardly throwing shade at Swift and her fanbase, and in return invoking the ire of millions of bracelet-swapping fans who were quick to tell Waller he needed to calm down… and vice versa.
Waller has insulted Swift’s music, her appearance, her fanbase, and her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, essentially making himself public enemy number one in the time span of less than 48 hours. We’re going to get into the meat and potatoes of it all in just a bit, but first…
Who is Grayson Waller?
Grayson Waller is the professional ring name for Australian wrestler Matthew Farrelly. Waller is currently signed with WWE, but prior to 2021, he performed within the independent circuit under the ring name Matty Wahlberg. Before wrestling, however, Waller was best known as a contestant on 2019’s Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders where his cocky, egotistical persona first took form.
One thing to know about Waller is that he portrays a “heel” in the professional wrestling world. A heel, for those who may not know the ins and outs of wrestling, is the term for a wrestler who plays a villain in (and sometimes out of) the ring. A heel’s main job is to rile up an audience, garner some hatred, and essentially behave as arrogantly as possible. A heel is not above cheating, or behaving in a way that can be perceived as — get this — socially unacceptable.
Knowing this, it makes sense why Waller would feel so comfortable launching an all-out war against Swift and her fanbase. So, what has he said that’s incited the fury of millions of Swifties? Well, if you’re a Swifty, be prepared to see red.
What has Grayson Waller said about Taylor Swift?
It was the post seen ‘round the world. On Oct. 21, Waller called Swifties “the ugliest losers on social media” on X (formally known as Twitter) — ouch. The comment saw over a million views and henceforth cemented Waller as the one to hate.
Of course, Waller being Waller, the fun didn’t stop there. That same weekend, he showed up to the ring wearing an Eras Tour T-shirt inscribed with “I’m a Swiftie” on the back. He and his tag team partner Austin Theory even reenacted Swift’s viral handshake with Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany Mahomes at the Chiefs game on Oct. 22. Except when asked if he had anything to say to Swift, Waller responded “I couldn’t care less about Taylor Swift.”
Saying you don’t care about Taylor Swift is akin to telling a devout Christian you don’t believe in God. It’s a bold move, and Waller knew the effect it would have on Swift’s fanbase. Shortly thereafter a resurfaced quote of Waller’s on WWE’s The Bump podcast hit the web, and it was perhaps his worst comment yet.
When asked how he felt about Swift’s relationship with Kelce, Waller responded, “Good for Trav. I’m not the kind of guy who’d settle for a 6, but each to their own.” He took it one step further, adding, “To me personally, I like a little bit of spice — I like a 9 or a 10. I know Austin does, too. Good for him [Kelce] for settling and trying his best.”
Yikes.
Naturally, these back-to-back insults meant there was only one thing left for Waller to do: address the controversy head-on, which he did in a social media post on Oct. 22. Overnight, the post — captioned “I’m Sorry” — acquired nearly three million views, but instead of apologizing for anything, Waller kept the momentum going.
“I’m sorry that you define yourself by another woman and her accomplishments. It’s kind of sad, to be honest,” he said. “Now, I’ve got all these swamp donkeys in my DMs saying mean things, saying I’m a 0/10. Hey, leave the wrestling to the professionals. Stick to trading friendship bracelets like a bunch of four-year-olds.”
Waller, not content with letting Swifties get the last word, also addressed the insult that Taylor’s cats were more famous than him and had more money than he did. “First of all, only two types of people have cats. Witches and crazy old cat ladies.”
Well now you’ve just taken it too far, Waller!
Is Waller’s conflict with Swift real or just manufactured?
Of course it’s not real. Waller is playing into his heel character and capitalizing on Swift’s star power.
Waller doesn’t actually hate Swift. You can hear it in the subtitles of his comments, from acknowledging Swift’s “accomplishments” to wearing an Eras Tour T-shirt, to quoting “Shake It Off” as a form addressing the haters — the man is a Swiftie, can’t you see? And he’s a smart one at that.
As TikTok user @goingringside says, if Waller’s antics can get either Swift or Travis Kelce to make an official statement, then it’ll be all over Smackdown and Swift will not only have infiltrated the NFL but also the WWE.
If anything, Swift is the real star here, not Waller. She is proving once again that she has the Midas touch. She is, in conclusion, the very definition of pop culture.