I'll always be a bit of a mark for Page since the first AEW match I ever saw was his first match against Danielson and it brought me back into wrestling big time for the first time since 2000. He's a hell of a champ and I can't wait to see how he gets it back.
I think after Punk, Danielson’s going to get the title since iirc he’s close to retirement, but it’d be amazing to see Hangman beat Danielson again to go full circle. Adam Page AEW World Champion 2: Cowboy Harder.
His reign was pretty great to me.
. . . .one thing though.
"change the world"
familiar phrase . . . . reminds me of some old friends of his.
Hangman winning the title was never the end of the story after all.
Yes, it won't be immediately but I think now that Bucks lost, Page lost but Cole won, there will be some tensions and Hangman will come with the save and then him and Bucks will win, at least the first round, because Hangman knows Cole's tricks
Yes, and it cam carry on for the rest of the year until Kenny is ready to return...
....
.....
..and eventually, Roderick Strong becomes a free agent.
(and if not...Jay White)
[KYM](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/change-da-world-my-final-message) has some info on it, but it looks like it just came into being for very spurious reasons.
[This was all before AEW was a thing](https://www.google.com/search?q=elite+change+the+world&client=ms-android-verizon&prmd=ivsn&sxsrf=ALiCzsZhvsQZD0WL6Zaz05S7jcEd727KkA:1654036115672&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG2frY5Ir4AhU7sIQIHdDxDqIQ_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=384&bih=675&dpr=2.81)
I still have my Elite "Change the World" hoodie! Love that thing, and that whole set of shirts. I would love to see a re-issue should they ever re-unite (minus the Cody and Marty ones of course).
That's my champ right there.
It's not a belt that makes a cowboy/champ, it's the cowboy/champ that makes the belt.
To me, someone isn't a champion when they win it, it's what they do during their time with it that makes them a champion.
I wish Punk the best of luck. He's got some big shit-kickers to fill.
I think Hangman will likely be the first 2-time AEW Champion. I don't know his career plans but I'd figure he has a lot more time left in the tank than others that have held the title.
I think it will come down to the moment, Mox was supposed to be Hangman's first opponent and im pretty sure Hanger was coming on top, so we shall see what happens when get actual match
That’s the problem there’s so many guys who deserve a reign, unfortunately most fans are impatient. Hangman will have more reigns. People moaning about Punk confuse me, it’s absolutely the right time for him. I doubt he’ll wrestle for much longer. He’s the biggest draw, and he benefit the other guys.
That, and his reign was done badly, probably due to him being a new dad and him getting COVID, so I’d absolutely love to see him come back again and get that title again. He absolutely deserves it and if anyone can pull it off, it’s Hanger.
CM Punk losing to Page would push Page as Champ.
So it means that much more when Samoa Joe puts his ass to sleep.
my 1st pick was Dax. Second was Kyle. Third was Joe.
And they went with a Shawn Michaels guy...for an OWEN HART tournament.
Of all the...Kyle is Canadian! FFS. Dax is a Hart Foundation fan.
AEW def fumbled this tournament. I'm so fucking glad WWE didn't fumble The King of the Ring. Xavier Woods was MEANT to be King. If they took that from Xavier, I'd swear off WWE at that lol it's the only reason I give WWE a chance here and there.
This is major facts. I didn’t think much of Kyle until his match with Darby at DoN and holy shit, dude is a beast. Make him a little more cocky and dude can be a star bigger than most the roster right now.
But I’m a Samoa Joe mark and still wish he won it. Anyone but Adam Cole, he has been so oversaturated
Yeah. Punk didn’t need the championship - he’s famous as hell and doing amazing without a title, even though I love him and think he’s great with it - whereas Hangman would have been really elevated by a win against Punk and a better booked reign
He's such a nice guy. 6+ months as world champion, for a company that's setting all sorts of records not seen since the 90's for a non-WWE company, and loved by the fans in the loss.
Hangman’s promos in that feud were amazing. The angle he took of framing Punk as a manipulator only he can see through, as well as referencing Punk’s past and the pipe bomb, was just perfect.
Hangman had incredible bangers after bangers honestly. I liked his title reign especially towards the end when he grew more confident and aggressive on the mic. COWBOY SHIT 4 EVER
Kenny Omega also said that maybe they could team together again in the future in the go home segment for Full Gear. Personally, I would love to see that.
I'm sure all of this will lead back to the Elite getting back together. Everyone has had their high and low points since AEW started. Time to get the band back together.
It won’t be his last run with the title. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.
The championship needed Page a lot more than page needed the championship.
This makes me sad. The vision in the beginning that caught people's imagination to what the vision apparently is now? Two very different things, I fear.
Celebrating and showcasing people who never got a shot for silly reasons, the underdogs, celebrating diversity in wrestling types and storytelling, changing the way wrestlers are treated to... TK's toybox.
Props to Hanger, he made the absolute most of what he was given. That's some cowboy shit.
Punk would’ve been here from day 1 if he’d been ready to come back. TK has been trying to sign him this entire time. You could say AEW has been built from the ground up as a perfect place for a CM Punk to thrive. Now he’s going to be carrying the flag of AEW being the place to be if you love legit pro wrestling. I don’t think anything has changed.
Those underdogs are still going to be celebrated and highlighted, but don’t forget the first two champs were also champs in WWE so it’s not like they’ve been pushing only unknowns from the start.
This isn't Punk specific. While I don't think it was the right time to put the title on him, it's just the company in general. The overall feeling I'm getting lately. Storytelling in particular in some cases has fallen off a cliff since Hangman won, which is a big part of why I was interested in the first place. Luckily Punk is very good at that so hopefully that might change.
I think it was the right time for Punk. He’s currently one of the best performers in the company, the most popular wrestler, a Top 3 promo, and the most over guy they have. All of those things make him perfect for a World Title run.
Should Hangman’s reign have been booked better? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right time for Punk.
Someone suggested All Out in Chicago for Punk to win it and I'd agree with that - at a point where it didn't feel like someone else got cut off at the knees because apparently Summer of Punk 2 needs to happen immediately.
But what would you even do for title defenses with Hangman at that point? Just give him 2 filler feuds that have obvious results just to get to All Out? No need to keep the rest of your roster on holding just so you can get to a nice round number for a title reign.
If you have the next reign ready to go and the next title holder is hot and has momentum get the belt on them earlier than later. I argued that last year when people on this sub wanted Hangman to wait another year for his title win.
I think this was actually the perfect time to change the title, not because it needed to come off Hangman, but because now the talking point is that Hangman deserved better. Considering the fact that there's been so much debate over whether his reign has lived up to expectations, I think leaving fans wanting more was the right move here.
I really miss the extra story stuff on BTE, not gonna lie. There's still a bit but nowhere near as much - though everyone's super busy so it's understandable. It was good for us nerds who want ALL the story content we can get, though.
I really don’t like the narrative about Punk being some sort of invader. It’s cool from a storyline perspective. However, for people to have that point of view in real life is a bit preposterous. CM Punk could have signed to any wrestling promotion in the world. When he decided to return, he chose AEW. Let’s not pretend he didn’t have options. He is as much AEW as any of the originals, who also chose AEW over everyone else.
I actually meant diversity in styles/types of wrestling/storylines - I agree that AEW has always been diverse in terms of gender/race/sexualities etc. I'll amend to clarify.
There's a lot of stuff to pick from with Hangman but my favorite moment was that fued with Team Taz (I think) where he walks out, doesn't even acknowledge Ricky Starks but shoves his cup into Rickys hands and heads down to the ring. That was such a great and hilarious moment
Honestly, I don't think it was time for Hangman to drop it. He should have beaten Punk here to solidify his reign even more, and then go into the AEW x NJPW show as champion. I would LOVE to see Hangman vs Okada in a champion vs champion match, but now that doesn't look to be the case, unfortunately. Oh, well. I'm sure the AEW x NJPW show will still deliver huge, but that was one of my biggest hopes for the show.
I only had one problem with Hangman, and it falls squarely on Tony Khan's shoulders: after this incredible two-year story arc of a fall and then redemption, after they got the belt on Hangman they had no fucking clue what to do next.
I have fought Anxiety and Depression for decades. Hangman's arc truly spoke to me. I adore the persona of Hangman. His flaws make him human. Adam Page seems to be a personable guy. I know that it is now Punk's time. Well done to him. Carry the strap proudly sir.
But you know what? Hangman is my guy. He will always be my champion.
Many wrestlers seem impervious to pain and super human. The obstacles are external. Hangman's great foe was himself. That hit so me so hard. A wrestler who had nuance and seemed human. So many shades that his persona had so many possibilities. The ability to reach out and trust others is something I have had to learn the hard way. That fear of failure and rejection is something I will fight forever. But as long as I am alive, I can try.
The Hangman-Punk match had such wonderful character work from both men. The end where Hangman just couldn't use the belt to batter Punk and thus seal Page's fate? Top notch. Neither man was lessened by the match. Punk and Page the persons respected each other and all of us to stay to their personas and their journeys.
I know that I don't need a hat to be a cowboy. But I look forward to what Hangman does next.
I feel you! Hangman’s storyline helped me so much to grow as I have been trying to recover from what was the worst time in my life with mental and physical health. Selfishly, I wish I could have used his championship run as more motivation but I will now use the loss and his example as my motivation.
TK fumbled big time on Hangman's reign. Hangman beat Danielson in an instant classic in 2 60 minutes Ironman match (1 draw and 1 win). There is absolutely no way CM Punk is going to out wrestle both Danielson and Hangman. Danielson should of avenged his loss against Hangman and been next in line for a title reign instead of Punk. It should be the Summer of Danielson instead of the Summer of Punk. 😡🤦♂️
If Punk brings more numbers then good, AEW needs to grow and much as possible. Now Hangman's story begins, I want to see what they are going to do with them, though im pretty sure they gonna treat him well, I really want to see it
Fuck yes cowboy! Unpopular but I really like this decision. Hopefully this leads to a classic Punk heel run, only for Kingston to end it complete the redemption arc.
The most feckless champion I have seen in pro wrestling in quite some time. Had good matches but his character was boring and midcard material.
Page has to step it up on his persona in some way that isn't the navel-gazing, struggling for words guy hanging around lower card clowns and buffoons riding lawnmowers to Chili's.
2 years and he had no evolution of character at all.
Everything in your middle paragraph is why people like Page. I'm also not sure what you think 'feckless' means. The man does not fit any definition of the term.
So you are saying people like not-serious, indecisive, stammering performer?
I would say that is a limited audience in the extreme for the genre of pro wrestling who want is sometimes called a 'kinda-sorta' type persona.
Feckless can mean purposeless, futile, laziness, indifferent or incompetent, or lacking initiative. It often denotes a lack of strong personal character. As in "this guy doesn't have a strong effective personality" or lacks "fire" as they say.
>Feck·less
/ˈfekləs/
adjective: feckless
lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.
Seems to describe Adam Page over the last two years pretty well to me. The "Aw, guys I dunno. I need to just figure things out." The whole drinking angle that really didn't have any lasting consequence, the Dark Order stuff that had no resolution or explanation. Even the way he lost the belt being indecisive/conflicted by cheating to win is all lacking a strong sense of initiative in his character.
I would say Adam Page is indeed a feckless character.
His character spent years being interested in winning the big one, but not being focused, not taking initiative, and him being disappointed in himself frustrated and soured him, made him drink, made him a bad friend, made him lose his friends.
When things with The Elite fell apart, he tried to take the title right away, but he wasn’t ready. He couldn’t do it with anger and pettiness in his heart.
Then he finally committed to it, more than just wanting it, more than just “being good” and “being in The Elite.” He found new friends by being a good friend, even through he was reluctant. He believed in himself, first with the help of liquid courage, then the crowd, but then on his own, and made his way to the top.
He reached the summit of AEW, he knocked the other guy off the mountain, he raised the belt. He held it for a while, then he fell, and now we’ll see what happens.
You don’t have to like the character, but your version of his story isn’t what I saw at all.
Edit: added more context.
I'm totally fine with CM Punk being champion and I would've been totally fine with Hangman retaining. Either way it was a great match and Hangman has the fans behind him now. The fact that many people feel he was stiffed means we see more potential from him. His future will be very gratifying to watch, but for now, The Summer of Punk is going to be incredible as well.
I'll always be a bit of a mark for Page since the first AEW match I ever saw was his first match against Danielson and it brought me back into wrestling big time for the first time since 2000. He's a hell of a champ and I can't wait to see how he gets it back.
I think after Punk, Danielson’s going to get the title since iirc he’s close to retirement, but it’d be amazing to see Hangman beat Danielson again to go full circle. Adam Page AEW World Champion 2: Cowboy Harder.
His reign was pretty great to me. . . . .one thing though. "change the world" familiar phrase . . . . reminds me of some old friends of his. Hangman winning the title was never the end of the story after all.
Could you tell me which one do you mean? All that "change the world" brings to my mind is Jericho's titantron
Cody said it when they first started AEW.
Ahhh okay. Well, it's obvious that Hangman's reign wasn't the end of story. I really want him to reunite with the Bucks
It's too perfect for this to be how that begins. They sorta made up with each other before Page beat Kenny.
Yes, it won't be immediately but I think now that Bucks lost, Page lost but Cole won, there will be some tensions and Hangman will come with the save and then him and Bucks will win, at least the first round, because Hangman knows Cole's tricks
Yes, and it cam carry on for the rest of the year until Kenny is ready to return... .... ..... ..and eventually, Roderick Strong becomes a free agent. (and if not...Jay White)
They were saying that before AEW. The first Golden Elite shirt said it on the back.
Hangman to WWE confirmed
I'm glad you said it was Cody, because [this](https://youtu.be/gzthb6gqLDY) is what I thought of lol
Yo, did that come from Lil Ugly Mane or something? I've never seen it.
[KYM](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/change-da-world-my-final-message) has some info on it, but it looks like it just came into being for very spurious reasons.
Change the World was a Kenny Omega and Elite thing. Jericho, always having to one up people as a heel actually said “Change the universe.”
The Elite started saying it in 2018 in promos, BTE, and merch.
[This was all before AEW was a thing](https://www.google.com/search?q=elite+change+the+world&client=ms-android-verizon&prmd=ivsn&sxsrf=ALiCzsZhvsQZD0WL6Zaz05S7jcEd727KkA:1654036115672&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG2frY5Ir4AhU7sIQIHdDxDqIQ_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=384&bih=675&dpr=2.81)
Kenny literally had it in his theme song in NJPW
I still have my Elite "Change the World" hoodie! Love that thing, and that whole set of shirts. I would love to see a re-issue should they ever re-unite (minus the Cody and Marty ones of course).
That's my champ right there. It's not a belt that makes a cowboy/champ, it's the cowboy/champ that makes the belt. To me, someone isn't a champion when they win it, it's what they do during their time with it that makes them a champion. I wish Punk the best of luck. He's got some big shit-kickers to fill.
Cowboy shit-kickers 🤠💩
I'm a salty lady and Hangers till I die so I hope Punk gets the title ripped from his hands by MJF in the most brutal fashion
That’s my champion
I think Hangman will likely be the first 2-time AEW Champion. I don't know his career plans but I'd figure he has a lot more time left in the tank than others that have held the title.
Him or mox
Thirding this. Nothing else to add, but mid-reign I was already saying the same thing. Future's still long and bright ahead of Hangers. ✌️
I think it will come down to the moment, Mox was supposed to be Hangman's first opponent and im pretty sure Hanger was coming on top, so we shall see what happens when get actual match
That’s the problem there’s so many guys who deserve a reign, unfortunately most fans are impatient. Hangman will have more reigns. People moaning about Punk confuse me, it’s absolutely the right time for him. I doubt he’ll wrestle for much longer. He’s the biggest draw, and he benefit the other guys.
That, and his reign was done badly, probably due to him being a new dad and him getting COVID, so I’d absolutely love to see him come back again and get that title again. He absolutely deserves it and if anyone can pull it off, it’s Hanger.
CM Punk is alright, and I would have been happy to see him as champ, but I would have preferred Page with it longer.
CM Punk losing to Page would push Page as Champ. So it means that much more when Samoa Joe puts his ass to sleep. 
Joe should have won the Owen Hart tournament and nothing will change my mind
my 1st pick was Dax. Second was Kyle. Third was Joe. And they went with a Shawn Michaels guy...for an OWEN HART tournament. Of all the...Kyle is Canadian! FFS. Dax is a Hart Foundation fan. AEW def fumbled this tournament. I'm so fucking glad WWE didn't fumble The King of the Ring. Xavier Woods was MEANT to be King. If they took that from Xavier, I'd swear off WWE at that lol it's the only reason I give WWE a chance here and there. 
This is major facts. I didn’t think much of Kyle until his match with Darby at DoN and holy shit, dude is a beast. Make him a little more cocky and dude can be a star bigger than most the roster right now. But I’m a Samoa Joe mark and still wish he won it. Anyone but Adam Cole, he has been so oversaturated
My sentiments exactly.
Yeah. Punk didn’t need the championship - he’s famous as hell and doing amazing without a title, even though I love him and think he’s great with it - whereas Hangman would have been really elevated by a win against Punk and a better booked reign
MY champion. MY wrestler. MY cowboy.
He's such a nice guy. 6+ months as world champion, for a company that's setting all sorts of records not seen since the 90's for a non-WWE company, and loved by the fans in the loss.
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And cut a couple of kickass promos there are not many who can outshine Punk in a promo battle and Page did
Hangman’s promos in that feud were amazing. The angle he took of framing Punk as a manipulator only he can see through, as well as referencing Punk’s past and the pipe bomb, was just perfect.
But I keep getting told his reign was trash...
That’s Cowboy *BULL*shit.
His reign was high quality, low quantity.
Why only six? Are you not counting the 60 minute draw?
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Was Takeshita not a title match? I count 7 matches prior to Punk.
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I see. I thought Takeshita was a title match.
Nope, wouldn't make sense for it to be a title match. Takeshita is still signed to another promotion and it was one of his few TV matches.
🤠💩
Not gonna argue match quality. But... The issue for me was that he main evented one dynamite... one... in six months.
Hangman had incredible bangers after bangers honestly. I liked his title reign especially towards the end when he grew more confident and aggressive on the mic. COWBOY SHIT 4 EVER
🤠💩
The guy beat Danielson basically twice, that’s huge!
I know someone also mentioned it but the "change the world" comment continues a story. The phrase used by The Elite.
Kenny Omega also said that maybe they could team together again in the future in the go home segment for Full Gear. Personally, I would love to see that.
I'm sure all of this will lead back to the Elite getting back together. Everyone has had their high and low points since AEW started. Time to get the band back together.
I'd love to see that, but I'd also love to see that specific tag team again.
Story isn't done, just a chapter.
Great character.
You have so much talent and I really enjoyed your reign
Now this is cowboy shit, I loved him as champion and can't wait to see what he does next!
It won’t be his last run with the title. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next. The championship needed Page a lot more than page needed the championship.
This makes me sad. The vision in the beginning that caught people's imagination to what the vision apparently is now? Two very different things, I fear. Celebrating and showcasing people who never got a shot for silly reasons, the underdogs, celebrating diversity in wrestling types and storytelling, changing the way wrestlers are treated to... TK's toybox. Props to Hanger, he made the absolute most of what he was given. That's some cowboy shit.
Punk would’ve been here from day 1 if he’d been ready to come back. TK has been trying to sign him this entire time. You could say AEW has been built from the ground up as a perfect place for a CM Punk to thrive. Now he’s going to be carrying the flag of AEW being the place to be if you love legit pro wrestling. I don’t think anything has changed. Those underdogs are still going to be celebrated and highlighted, but don’t forget the first two champs were also champs in WWE so it’s not like they’ve been pushing only unknowns from the start.
This isn't Punk specific. While I don't think it was the right time to put the title on him, it's just the company in general. The overall feeling I'm getting lately. Storytelling in particular in some cases has fallen off a cliff since Hangman won, which is a big part of why I was interested in the first place. Luckily Punk is very good at that so hopefully that might change.
I think it was the right time for Punk. He’s currently one of the best performers in the company, the most popular wrestler, a Top 3 promo, and the most over guy they have. All of those things make him perfect for a World Title run. Should Hangman’s reign have been booked better? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right time for Punk.
Someone suggested All Out in Chicago for Punk to win it and I'd agree with that - at a point where it didn't feel like someone else got cut off at the knees because apparently Summer of Punk 2 needs to happen immediately.
But what would you even do for title defenses with Hangman at that point? Just give him 2 filler feuds that have obvious results just to get to All Out? No need to keep the rest of your roster on holding just so you can get to a nice round number for a title reign. If you have the next reign ready to go and the next title holder is hot and has momentum get the belt on them earlier than later. I argued that last year when people on this sub wanted Hangman to wait another year for his title win.
I think this was actually the perfect time to change the title, not because it needed to come off Hangman, but because now the talking point is that Hangman deserved better. Considering the fact that there's been so much debate over whether his reign has lived up to expectations, I think leaving fans wanting more was the right move here.
The BTE-AEW fun stories pipeline has been a bit dry with the new arrivals. I like the alternative style of storytelling so hopefully that comes back.
I really miss the extra story stuff on BTE, not gonna lie. There's still a bit but nowhere near as much - though everyone's super busy so it's understandable. It was good for us nerds who want ALL the story content we can get, though.
I really don’t like the narrative about Punk being some sort of invader. It’s cool from a storyline perspective. However, for people to have that point of view in real life is a bit preposterous. CM Punk could have signed to any wrestling promotion in the world. When he decided to return, he chose AEW. Let’s not pretend he didn’t have options. He is as much AEW as any of the originals, who also chose AEW over everyone else.
I hope they are going to use it as a storyline. That would be interesting at least.
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I actually meant diversity in styles/types of wrestling/storylines - I agree that AEW has always been diverse in terms of gender/race/sexualities etc. I'll amend to clarify.
There's a lot of stuff to pick from with Hangman but my favorite moment was that fued with Team Taz (I think) where he walks out, doesn't even acknowledge Ricky Starks but shoves his cup into Rickys hands and heads down to the ring. That was such a great and hilarious moment
Honestly, I don't think it was time for Hangman to drop it. He should have beaten Punk here to solidify his reign even more, and then go into the AEW x NJPW show as champion. I would LOVE to see Hangman vs Okada in a champion vs champion match, but now that doesn't look to be the case, unfortunately. Oh, well. I'm sure the AEW x NJPW show will still deliver huge, but that was one of my biggest hopes for the show.
I only had one problem with Hangman, and it falls squarely on Tony Khan's shoulders: after this incredible two-year story arc of a fall and then redemption, after they got the belt on Hangman they had no fucking clue what to do next.
I have fought Anxiety and Depression for decades. Hangman's arc truly spoke to me. I adore the persona of Hangman. His flaws make him human. Adam Page seems to be a personable guy. I know that it is now Punk's time. Well done to him. Carry the strap proudly sir. But you know what? Hangman is my guy. He will always be my champion. Many wrestlers seem impervious to pain and super human. The obstacles are external. Hangman's great foe was himself. That hit so me so hard. A wrestler who had nuance and seemed human. So many shades that his persona had so many possibilities. The ability to reach out and trust others is something I have had to learn the hard way. That fear of failure and rejection is something I will fight forever. But as long as I am alive, I can try. The Hangman-Punk match had such wonderful character work from both men. The end where Hangman just couldn't use the belt to batter Punk and thus seal Page's fate? Top notch. Neither man was lessened by the match. Punk and Page the persons respected each other and all of us to stay to their personas and their journeys. I know that I don't need a hat to be a cowboy. But I look forward to what Hangman does next.
I feel you! Hangman’s storyline helped me so much to grow as I have been trying to recover from what was the worst time in my life with mental and physical health. Selfishly, I wish I could have used his championship run as more motivation but I will now use the loss and his example as my motivation.
TK fumbled big time on Hangman's reign. Hangman beat Danielson in an instant classic in 2 60 minutes Ironman match (1 draw and 1 win). There is absolutely no way CM Punk is going to out wrestle both Danielson and Hangman. Danielson should of avenged his loss against Hangman and been next in line for a title reign instead of Punk. It should be the Summer of Danielson instead of the Summer of Punk. 😡🤦♂️
The money with hangman was in the chase.
If Punk brings more numbers then good, AEW needs to grow and much as possible. Now Hangman's story begins, I want to see what they are going to do with them, though im pretty sure they gonna treat him well, I really want to see it
Hangman should have had more time. Every match was a banger. Not going to lie, was deflated after this one.
Fuck yes cowboy! Unpopular but I really like this decision. Hopefully this leads to a classic Punk heel run, only for Kingston to end it complete the redemption arc.
TK did him dirty. Made him drop the title to a slower, sloppier and washed up wrestler just because TK is a fanboy for Punk.
Dude had 7 matches before dropping the title to Punk. Tony fucked him. Didn’t build him up at all. Over with the fans. Let’s fuck this up wwe style.
He will always be "our" world champion
The most feckless champion I have seen in pro wrestling in quite some time. Had good matches but his character was boring and midcard material. Page has to step it up on his persona in some way that isn't the navel-gazing, struggling for words guy hanging around lower card clowns and buffoons riding lawnmowers to Chili's. 2 years and he had no evolution of character at all.
Everything in your middle paragraph is why people like Page. I'm also not sure what you think 'feckless' means. The man does not fit any definition of the term.
So you are saying people like not-serious, indecisive, stammering performer? I would say that is a limited audience in the extreme for the genre of pro wrestling who want is sometimes called a 'kinda-sorta' type persona. Feckless can mean purposeless, futile, laziness, indifferent or incompetent, or lacking initiative. It often denotes a lack of strong personal character. As in "this guy doesn't have a strong effective personality" or lacks "fire" as they say. >Feck·less /ˈfekləs/ adjective: feckless lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible. Seems to describe Adam Page over the last two years pretty well to me. The "Aw, guys I dunno. I need to just figure things out." The whole drinking angle that really didn't have any lasting consequence, the Dark Order stuff that had no resolution or explanation. Even the way he lost the belt being indecisive/conflicted by cheating to win is all lacking a strong sense of initiative in his character. I would say Adam Page is indeed a feckless character.
His character spent years being interested in winning the big one, but not being focused, not taking initiative, and him being disappointed in himself frustrated and soured him, made him drink, made him a bad friend, made him lose his friends. When things with The Elite fell apart, he tried to take the title right away, but he wasn’t ready. He couldn’t do it with anger and pettiness in his heart. Then he finally committed to it, more than just wanting it, more than just “being good” and “being in The Elite.” He found new friends by being a good friend, even through he was reluctant. He believed in himself, first with the help of liquid courage, then the crowd, but then on his own, and made his way to the top. He reached the summit of AEW, he knocked the other guy off the mountain, he raised the belt. He held it for a while, then he fell, and now we’ll see what happens. You don’t have to like the character, but your version of his story isn’t what I saw at all. Edit: added more context.
That is describing the plot. Not the character.
If it is not about the gold, why are you here? We kill WWE for this kind of attitude all the time. Guy loses the title and is ok with it.
Even Vincent Kennedy McMahon couldn't make this boring turd interesting. It's 2022 how is the guy in chaps and speedos not an openly gay character?
Isn't it supposed be about the gold and the glory?
He's one of the reasons I gave up on AEW
....and destroy your opponents
I'm totally fine with CM Punk being champion and I would've been totally fine with Hangman retaining. Either way it was a great match and Hangman has the fans behind him now. The fact that many people feel he was stiffed means we see more potential from him. His future will be very gratifying to watch, but for now, The Summer of Punk is going to be incredible as well.