Waller: I almost faced Kelce after 2023 remark, it ended peacefully

WWE wrestler Grayson Waller said he nearly prepared to confront Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after a 2023 on-air remark about Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift, but the encounter at a Nashville party ended without incident, Waller told the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast. Waller recounted the episode while also reflecting on career lessons from John Cena, his efforts to help Australian wrestlers break into WWE, and his goals for the year ahead.

Waller said the controversy began in October 2023 during an appearance on WWE’s web series The Bump, when he quipped, "If Travis Kelce is happy settling for a 6, good for him." The comment prompted social media backlash, and Waller said he feared the remark might follow him to Tight End University, an annual gathering hosted by Kelce and other NFL tight ends. He said he and several WWE colleagues attended a party in Nashville where Kelce and Swift were present and that he briefly braced for a confrontation.

"I was like, Here we go," Waller recalled, but he said Kelce approached the group and was "super nice" and chatted with them. Waller said he did not meet Swift formally; he described a brief, polite exchange when...