The Hangman Returns
Never count out the Hangman.
It was this pay-per-view three years ago that Hangman Adam Page was on the outs with The Elite. Still teaming with Kenny Omega, it was a fascinating circumstance for the cowboy. He knew Omega’s allegiances ultimately lay with the Young Bucks — after all, they are best friends that have teamed worldwide — they share an incredible bond. Page was, by all accounts, an outlier.
Fast forward three years and Page has proved his best-friends-turned-foes-turned-(?) in The Elite wrong. He beat one of the best active wrestlers today for the AEW World Championship and went on to have defenses against Bryan Danielson, Dante Martin, as well as both Adam Cole and Lance Archer in AEW’s version of a Texas Death Match (Last Man Standing).
After being defeated by CM Punk at AEW Double or Nothing 2022, he’d go on to participate in a four-way match at Forbidden Door for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. Jay White would obviously retain, but it opened up the opportunity for Page to write his wrongs with the Young Bucks and give the world The Hung Bucks (which of course isn’t what happened but I’ll never give up hope.) Page had no reason to chase gold. He’d proven he is great with or without a shiny metal plate around his waist. But the one thing Page has waivered on in the past? His own allegiances. If he was going to eventually make it up to the Young Bucks, he couldn’t get there without first sticking by the friends that had stuck by him when he was ousted and alone. Re-joining The Dark Order for the trios tournament, they faced off against The Elite at All Out 2022. It was the first time we’d publicly seen Page and Omega on screen since Page had defeated Omega for the World Title in 2021.
Page started floating back down the card at this point, until the Dynamite at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio in October. Two faces of the company, it’s hard to dislike Page but when the hometown hero Jon Moxley is wrestling in a title match … the odds are pretty well stacked against you. But that hasn’t stopped him before. Page suffered a concussion in the match from a lariat sent his way by Moxley, forcing Moxley to retain. Due to this, he’d be off television for just shy of three months, and the first guy he sets his sights on? The man that took his opportunity away by shelving him — Jon Moxley.
The pair’s next match was nothing short of a hard-hitting grudge match but this time, Page came out on top. After plowing through Wheeler Yuta he set his sights back on Moxley at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. Moxley clutched the win, bringing the score up 2-1.
That brings us to Revolution 2023. Three years after Hangman had felt like an outlier by his friends. A year after his match with Adam Cole for the World Title and back in Texas Death territory. Now going up against Moxley, one of the cornerstones of deathmatch wrestling, when you’re the exact opposite is going to be a tough hill to climb. But it’s not entirely new territory for Page — he’s been in two prior Texas Death Matches, as referenced above. Each match resulting in a more hardened Page. For a guy that doesn’t typically use weapons in a match (in AEW, anyway) he embraces the challenge and certainly did so with Moxley. Going into the match, Page was 2-0 in the Texas Death stipulation and brought his all in this deeply personal feud.
But this — this is a side of Hangman we’ve never seen. Page walked to the ring to “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” playing decked head to toe in black (with a little sparkly cowboy flare, of course.) And he took everything Moxley threw at him. Bricks to the hand, barbed wire fists, chair shots, a fork to the forehead (à la Abdullah the Butcher). Hell — Page wrapped himself in barbed wire just to prove how much more this means than just winning a match. Moxley is sadistic and unhinged, meshing well with Page’s heart and will. These two men set out with only one thing on their minds: to brutalize one another. Hangman said it himself, “there’s only two ways out. Either you live, or you die. And I ain’t done livin’.”
After 26 grueling minutes of blood, sweat, and anguish, Hangman pulled something from the depths of himself we haven’t seen in a long time — he grabbed the chain and choked Moxley with it (effectively “hanging” him.) His entrance to the Bullet Club, Page hasn’t used the move since his time in Ring of Honor, proving that he would dig as deep as he had to and go as dark as he needed to get Moxley to submit.
Defeating one of the most beloved and respected wrestlers in the industry today in a battle at what he does best will surely give Hangman the momentum he needs going forward. Moxley may have come into the match confident as could be knowing Hangman is walking into his house, but one thing is for sure: never count out the Hangman.
For even when he’s doubted with all odds stacked against him, he rises to the occasion.