The main event of Revolution undoubtedly carries high stakes, but All Elite Wrestling could make a grave mistake with “Hangman” Adam Page.
As Page pointed out, the AEW World Championship is just as important to him as it is to Maxwell Jacob Friedman. After all, everyone’s favorite millennial cowboy was the first man to stake his claim to the company’s top prize.
His drive to win the title, failure to become the inaugural champion, and crowning moment at Full Gear in 2021 are integral to his character. Just as the eventual heel turn, his redemption arc, and triumph at All In: Texas are a significant part of his growth.
Hangman’s journey isn’t just instrumental to his connection with the audience; it’s fundamental to AEW’s ongoing storytelling. The moniker “The Main Character” fits him so well because his ups and downs are so essential to the company’s weekly programming.
That’s why it’s concerning that a loss at the upcoming pay-per-view could permanently take him out of contention for the world title. Yes, it’s an effective way to add intrigue to his latest encounter with MJF, but it’s such an unnecessary risk that could hinder Page for years to come.
AEW Attempts To Go Double Or Nothing
Hangman and MJF’s rivalry is the perfect depiction of a flawed hero versus a misguided villain. They’re two sides of the same coin, but Page tries to be the best man he can be while Friedman uses his need to be great to justify his worst impulses.
It’s among the most succinct, modern approaches to good vs. evil in pro wrestling, and it works because both men are so believable. Their motives to represent AEW as its greatest champion are convincing, which makes the world title even more meaningful.
So, offering MJF the ultimate bragging rights to coerce him into facing him in his signature match is either a stroke of genius or an act of desperation. It’s easy to even write it off as a hasty decision from a character who has been impetuous.
To that end, this isn’t out of character for Hangman at all. However, it’s difficult to see this as a smart move when most fans still commiserate about the last wrestler who used this stipulation.
The company was still in its infancy when Cody Rhodes vowed never to challenge for the AEW World Championship again if he couldn’t defeat Chris Jericho in 2019. Of course, The American Nightmare notoriously lost at Full Gear, which affected the rest of his post-WWE career.
Who knows what could’ve been if the second-generation star had become the face of the company? If his last three years with WWE have proved anything, the provision may have been the worst unforced error in AEW history, though.
It’s hard to understand why the company would make a similar mistake with its best homegrown star. It’s a gamble that could force Page to evolve into a more compelling character, but it could also stifle him like Rhodes.
Hangman’s success story is so vital to All Elite Wrestling. His road back to the top made the closing moments of Double or Nothing and All In: Texas feel so rewarding.
The ending of his second world title reign was underwhelming, which makes us wonder if the chase will always be more interesting. Still, it doesn’t make much sense to saddle him with the same stipulation that had such a negative impact on one of its founding wrestlers.
Even his biggest detractors can’t deny that AEW didn’t use Rhodes to his full potential, and it would be a shame to see the company repeat that misstep. It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but how can you blame any fans heading into Revolution with reservations?
Sure, anything is possible. Hangman could win, and we’re worrying for nothing. Maybe he will lose and come out the other side of this as an even bigger underdog. If anyone can persevere and grow from the loss, it’s Page, but why take such a risk eight months after the biggest win of his career?
