AEW Must Push Hangman Page as a Top Star Alongside Kenny Omega

For "Hangman" Adam Page, All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on May 25 is another opportunity to showcase why he is one of the brightest young stars on the company's impressive roster.

On that night in Las Vegas, the former Ring of Honor standout will battle Pac in what has the potential to be the best match of the entire show. More importantly, it should serve as the breakout performance Page needs to catapult himself to the upper echelon of talent in AEW right out of the gate.

The 27-year-old has had the tools to be a top star in any promotion for the last year. A charismatic personality with an in-ring game that is continuously evolving, he can be that building block for AEW's bright future and the first home-grown competitor of the upstart company.

And AEW should push him as such, right alongside the likes of Kenny Omega, Cody and The Young Bucks.

Here's why.

In-Ring Ability

Early in his career with Ring of Honor, Page was a nondescript indy guy. He looked and wrestled indy, never really standing out or showing off the skills that made anyone think he could one day be the centerpiece of a young promotion seeking to compete with WWE and Vince McMahon.

Over time, though, he developed a physical, smashmouth style that accompanied his new, no-nonsense "Hangman" persona. He could hang with the veterans such as Matt Hardy and Jay Lethal in more traditional matches or excel in hardcore settings, as we witnessed earlier in his ROH run with ACH (now Albert Hardie Jr. in NXT).

As he gained more confidence between the ropes, matches with the likes of Jeff Cobb and Kota Ibushi became show-stealers for ROH. His work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling gave fans an insight into the increasing confidence between the ropes.

Then came All In last September, when Page battled "Bad Boy" Joey Janela in a Chicago Street Fight.

That match, arguably the best of the entire card, put Page front and center. He was the established star, his profile heightened significantly from his appearances on the Bucks' Being the Elite YouTube show. He excelled in a high-pressure situation and showed he no longer needed to share the ring with a more established competitor to ensure a quality match.

As the remainder of 2018 progressed, Page became better and better, to the point that Cody actually asked a raucous crowd at the initial AEW press conference in Jacksonville, Florida, if they wanted Hangman to be the first world champion.

That never would have been the case two years ago. That the executive vice president, and one of AEW's co-creators, showed that much trust in Page to even ask that question is a testament to his growth and evolution as a performer between the ropes.

As significant as his abilities inside the squared circle have been, it is his development as a personality that will carry him to the proverbial promised land.

Charisma

Page was a timid verbal performer early in his career. He never really looked comfortable when cutting a promo. He spoke too softly or what came out of his mouth was cliched or tired. He was a guy trying to cut the promo he thought he should deliver rather than finding himself and expressing it to the masses.

That all changed with his arrival on Being the Elite.

It was on that YouTube show, alongside the Bucks, Cody, Omega and Marty Scurll that Hangman Page was born. Hanging out with his friends and taking part in ridiculous storylines centered around the size of his...um...little Hangman, helped Page break out of his shell.

Suddenly, fans had a look at a charismatic young star who could play the straight badass but was also infused with a sense of humor that would endear him to a much larger audience.

Unbeknown to fans who only knew his work in ROH, where he was rather one-dimensional from a character standpoint, he was a complete package just begging for an opportunity to break out.

At All In, he unleashed an ass-whooping on Janela but immediately demonstrated that comedic timing, selling like nobody's business as Joey Ryan as he re-emerged from the afterlife (long story; go catch up on Being the Elite).

It is his development as a character, not as a worker, that makes him such an attractive piece of the AEW puzzle.

Yes, Omega, Cody, the Bucks and Chris Jericho will be the nucleus that carries the promotion in its infancy. They are world renowned and are as responsible for the creation of the company as financial backer Tony Khan.

To avoid the same mistakes WCW made in its attempt to provide competition to Vinnie Mac, though, AEW will have to look at the young talent it has assembled and elevate them to the point fans buy into them as legitimate stars around whom the future of the company can revolve.

Page is already one big win away from being that guy.

He is one significant push to the stratosphere of Omega and Co. from being a superstar who fans can point to and be excited about. 

Hangman may not beat Pac on May 25 in Las Vegas, but his showing—coupled with that large personality he was able to showcase over the last year—should help him become the breakout star of AEW sooner than later, and the young company will be better off because of it.