Adam Page has been one of most consistently interesting and entertaining characters in AEW since the company began. And with such an emotional connection come some of the best matches, and Adam Page in AEW is no exception.
The “Sad Yeehaw Man”, also known as “Hangman” has been, some could argue, the protagonist of AEW since the companies inception in 2019. His story of anxiety, betrayal, insecurity and fear of failure has woven itself into the very fabric of All Elite Wrestling and the AEW World Championship.
Hangman Adam Page’s has come to an end. His self belief has finally come to him, and he has accepted the hand of friendship from the Dark Order. They accepted him for who he was, faults and all. Something the Elite could never figure out.
Throughout all of this tale of woe and heartache, Adam Page has put on some absolute incredible matches in his pursuit of the AEW Championship. Here are just 10 of his best matches in AEW, although there are sure to be many more to come.
Best Adam Page Matches
11. vs Brian Cage – AEW Double or Nothing 2021
It wasn’t the rage in a cage refereed by Diamond Dallas Page we all wanted, but Adam Page vs Brian Cage at Double or Nothing 2021 turned out to be a great match for both men.
The match was a rematch of an earlier bout between the pair. Hangman Page wrestled Brian Cage weeks earlier on Dynamite. Page was top of the AEW Rankings, and a win would have earned him a shot against Kenny Omega at AEW Double or Nothing.
However, Brian Cage won the match. He beat Page due to interference from his Team Taz colleague Ricky Starks. However, the pair argued after the match, with Cage not wanting help from Starks to win the match.
So far, it was Cage’s biggest victory of his AEW career, sans his Casino Ladder match victory on his debut at the previous years Double or Nothing. He did not want it tainted by interference.
Page challenged him to a match at Double or Nothing because of just that. He wanted a match with no interference, where the better man would come out victorious between him and “The Machine”. This, the match was set.
Hangman Adam Page came out as the victor in this particular bout. The match featured some brilliant in ring action between the two, although felt a little like a filler feud before Hangman faced Kenny Omega.
Brian Cage has been misused so far in AEW, I believe. He has a unique look and brilliant in ring ability, and could be pushed as a TNT Champion in the future.
10. vs The Elite (with The Dark Order) – Fight for the Fallen
Everybody thought that this was Adam Page’s time. He finally had the courage to stand up to the Elite. He was the top ranked contender, and he had the Dark Order on his side.
Everything was set up perfectly for him to win this match then beat Kenny Omega at AEW All Out 2021. It was textbook booking which everybody agreed was perfect.
Page had earned himself a match for the AEW Championship, by virtue of being the top ranked contender. However, he finally accepted the Dark Order into his life as his friends, and wanted to help them.
So, he agreed a match with the Elite. It was a five-on-five elimination match, “Survivor Series” style in WWE. The Dark Order vs the Elite. If The Dark Order won, they would get a tag team title shot, and Adam Page would battle Kenny Omega at All Out for the AEW Championship.
The match was set, and was one of the most entertaining AEW have ever seen.
The Match
Page entered with the Dark Order, for the first time accepting himself as one of them. The entrance was one of the best, and surprisingly emotional for it being a cowboy finally joining a cult. Especially with the added spotlight left empty for the Dark Order’s leader Brodie Lee.
The Elite made their entrance next, and it was a rare movie-tie in in AEW.
Yes, really.
They came out dressed in the same basketball kits as in the new Space Jam movie. It sounds ridiculous and frankly yes, it was. If it was WWE, they’d have caught a lot more shit for it than they did.
But the match was just so good, you forget they are dressed like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
The match a fun multi-man match which really helped showcase the Dark Order more than The Elite. John Silver and Adam Page in particular were the stars of this match.
The match built and built. It started out as a fun little match, but by the end it was agony watching Hangman come so close. It was a story of tragedy, with Page being defeated by Omega after major interference by the Young Bucks.
You could here a pin drop when the bell rang. Fans were certain Page would win, and his loss was one of the biggest shocks in AEW history.
9. vs SCU (with Kenny Omega) – AEW Dynamite: The Jericho Cruise
The night that Page and Omega won the AEW Tag Team Championships was also one of Adam Page’s best matches to date.
The venue for the pair’s historic title win came in one of the most unique venues in wrestling history – on a boat, in the sea, in the Bahamas.
The Jericho Cruise was the host of the January 22nd episode of Dynamite. AEW had had a solid new year in 2020 so far, and hoped to carry it on with a live show aboard Jericho’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at sea would help carry on that momentu.
It was the second year of the Jericho cruise. Inspired by the likes of Kiss, who had their own cruise at the height of their fame, Jericho envisioned a cruise around the Bahamas for wrestling fans and wrestlers alike. Constant matches taking place for excited fans, and once the matches were done, partying for all.
The year prior, before signing for AEW, Jericho had propositioned Vince McMahon to partner with NXT with the cruise. Jericho wanted the top talents in NXT, like Johnny Gargano and Alastair Black, to be on the cruise and perform for the paying fans.
Vince McMahon rejected the proposal. So, Chris Jericho would go on to partner with Ring of Honor, and more importantly, The Elite. Without Vince’s rejection, who knows if Jericho would even in AEW at this point?
The match that opened the Dynamite that took place on the cruise was the AEW Tag Team Championship match. Kenny Omega and Adam Page had risen to the top of the tag team rankings, and faced off against the first ever tag team champions in AEW, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky, AKA SCU.
Page and Omega would defeat SCU in a great match and become the AEW tag team champions. They held the title for nine months, eventually losing to FTR at All Out 2020.
8. AEW Championship #1 Contender Casino Ladder Match – AEW Dynamite 6/10/21
Adam Page became the number one contender to Kenny Omega’s AEW Champion in the the seventh best of his matches in AEW.
The Casino Ladder Match on the 6th October 2021 came at a perfect time for Hangman. He had been off TV for months, missing AEW All Out to be home for the birth of his first child.
He made a surprise return as the joker card in the ladder match, entering last and rushing the field in his pursuit to finally get his revenge over Kenny Omega and become the AEW Champion.
In a brilliant, hard fought match, he came out on top and became the number one contender. His highlight of the match was performing a Deadeye on PAC off the top of a ladder through a table.
7. vs Kenny Omega – AEW Full Gear 2020
The first singles match between the former tag team champions took place at AEW Full Gear 2020.
After Hangman cost the Young Bucks a shot at their AEW Tag Team Championships, tensions in the Elite were high. Page attacked the Bucks, preventing them from beating FTR for a match against the champions.
FTR beat Page and Omega at All Out 2020, which signalled the end for Page’s association with the Elite. Omega left him out cold in the ring, walking to the back and cementing his disassociation with “Hanger”.
In the aftermath, both men would compete in the AEW Championship eliminator tournament. In the eight man tournament, the winner would face Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship at AEW Winter is coming.
Both men made it to the final of the tournament, and faced off in singles matches for the first time in AEW.
It was a great match, but one that was clear that had room to grow in the future. Omega pinned Page clean, and went on to become the AEW Champion at Winter is Coming.
The pair faced of at the following Full Gear for the AEW Championship, which will be mentioned later on.
6. vs Penta el Zero M & Rey Fenix (with Kenny Omega) – AEW Dynamite 19/2/20
The AEW Tag Team title defence before the classic against the Young Bucks also makes its way onto the list of the best Adam Page matches.
The Lucha Bros had risen up the ranks in the tag team division, earning the right to challenge the champs for the titles on Dynamite just a week and a half before AEW Revolution.
The match was a fast paced, high octane affair, which you’d expect from a Lucha Bros match. Both teams pulled off an exciting match which needs to be seen to be really appreciated.
It coincided with Omega taking on fellow Death Triangle member PAC in a iron man match.
5. vs MJF, Santana and Ortiz (with John Silver & Alex Reynolds) – Brodie Lee Celebration of Life
The match where Adam Page finally teamed with the Dark Order was an emotional one, but not reasons anybody would have expected, nor wanted.
The match came about due to the shock passing of former TNT Champion, Mr Brodie Lee. Brodie Lee had spent months in intensive care, as doctors tried to find out what was wrong and how to treat him.
Sadly, he did not pull through, and passed away on December 26th, 2020.
The next episode of AEW Dynamite, on the 30th December 2020, was dedicated to the life of Brodie Lee (real name John Huber). Matches were booked for his son, Brodie Jr, with his favourite wrestlers teaming together against his most hated ones.
This included Cody Rhodes teaming with Orange Cassidy in the main event, but the match in the list of Adam Page’s best matches was a six-man tag match in the middle of the card.
The Match
The Dark Order had tried to recruit Page previously, but now were just trying to be his friend. At first they wanted him to help further their cause, but now they just wanted to hang out and get to know him better.
They wanted Hangman for what he was, not what he did for them. But after his ordeal with The Elite, he was not ready to accept the friendship.
But thanks to Brodie Lee Jr, Hangman Adam Page finally shared a ring with Jon Silver and Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order.
They took on MJF, and the Inner Circle’s Santana and Ortiz in a six-man tag match.
The wrestlers in the match, sans that awful human being MJF, were visibily upset prior to the match. Page and the Dark Order were crying as they made their entrance, but continued the show honouring their friend Mr Brodie Lee.
The match featured many tributes to Brodie Lee. John Silver wore the ring gear that Brodie had given him on “Being the Elite”, mimicking Lee’s own gear. He then hit Brodie Lee’s signature discus lariat to pin Ortiz for the victory. It even featured interference from Lee’s former tag team partner, Erick Redbeard (formerly Erick Rowan in the WWE).
The match would be a good one even without the circumstances surrounding it. However, with the emotions the six men must have felt and the atmosphere surround it, it turned from good to great.
4. vs The Inner Circle (with The Elite & Matt Hardy) – Stadium Stampede
Despite Jon Moxley vs Brodie Lee for the AEW Championship taking place on the show, the huge Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing 2020 was the main event of the show.
Going after such a brilliant match like that, the ten men in the match had a huge monkey on their back. They HAD to make this match work.
Luckily, it more than exceeded expectations, and was one of AEW’s best matches.
The match was a five on five match, with one fall for the victory. The Elite (Page, Omega and the Young Bucks) along with the pioneer of pre-taped, cinematic matches, Matt Hardy took on the Chris Jericho-led Inner Circle (Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager and Santana & Ortiz).
It was an extremely fun match, filled with a number of fun spots. Matt Hardy being reincarnated as former gimmicks whilst being dunked in the pool in the stadium was hilarious. Chris Jericho hit the Jacksonville Jaguars’ mascot with Judas, while Hangman Page even rode in on a horse to enter the match.
It was one of Adam Page’s best matches in AEW just because of how fun it was. It even ended with a crazy bump from the Inner Circle AEW member Sammy Guevara.
Kenny Omega hit a one-winged angel on Sammy Guevara, sending him crashing 30 feet from the stands into the a pile of boxes down below.
It’s number four on the list of the best Hangman Adam Page matches of the sheer ridiculousness and re-watchability in the match.
3. vs Kenny Omega – AEW Full Gear 2021
The second of the best Adam Page matches is the best moment of his career, by far.
It was a culmination of three years of storytelling, from being the weak link in the Elite to beating Kenny Omega for the AEW Championship.
He struggled through dealing with his rejection by the Elite, and his failure to accept new friendships in the Dark Order.
He lost twice to Omega before. Once at Full Gear 2020, in a match to decide the number one contender to Jon Moxley’s AEW Championship. The other, a Five on five elimination match, where he failed to earn himself a AEW Championship match and lost the Dark Order a shot at the Young Bucks AEW Tag Team Championships.
He returned to AEW, as mentioned, on Dynamite to win the Casino Ladder Match to face Omega for the AEW Championship at Full Gear.
A year after losing to Omega at the event, Adam Page triumphed and became the fourth ever AEW Champion. The match was given a 5.5 star rating from Dave Meltzer, and has received rave reviews from fans across the globe. Page also become one of the few wrestlers who pinned Kenny Omega in AEW.
You can read a full write up of the match here.
2. vs Bryan Danielson – AEW Winter is Coming
Coming in just short at the number two spot in Adam Page’s first defence of his AEW Championship. Hangman hadn’t wrestled since winning his championship, but that did not stop his opponent, former WWE Champion and wrestling legend Bryan Danielson.
Danielson had a penchant for kicking heads in, and he put that skill to great use in the build up to his bout with Page. He systematically decimated the Dark Order en route to Winter is Coming, facing each member in their home town and, in his own words, kicking their heads in.
Danielson turned himself into the ultimate heel on the run up to the bout, luckily up against the ultimate babyface Adam Page. Page had recently defeated Kenny Omega for the AEW Championship at Full Gear, completed a near three year arch to become the top face in AEW. Unfortunately, Danielson was determined to end that reign and slot himself on the top of AEW.
Their match was highly anticipated, but blew expectations out of the water. They opened the show on AEW Dynamite, and to the surprise of everybody could not decide a winner. The pair fought tooth and nail for 60 minutes, ending in a time limit draw after Adam Page almost knocked Bryan Danielson’s head off with a Buckshot Lariat. However, he could not capitalise and the bell would ring before he managed to cover the challenger and win the match.
The match was the longest in AEW history, timing in at exactly 60 minutes. It beats matches like the Stadium Stamped and Blood and Guts to become the longest AEW match of all time.
1. vs The Young Bucks (with Kenny Omega)– AEW Revolution 2020
The best match in Adam Page’s repertoire in AEW is one of the greatest tag team matches in wrestling history.
His partnership with Kenny Omega has dominated this list, for good reason.
Both Omega and Hangman are two of the best wrestlers in the world. They can tell incredible stories in the ring, only matched by their incredible athleticism, power and innate sense of timing.
Couple this with one of the best tag teams in the world, the Young Bucks, and you have the recipe for one of the greatest tag team matches ever seen in wrestling.
The match mixed emotion with incredible in ring action, in a way few matches do. It played on the struggling relationship being Adam Page and his Elite teammates, and allowed all four men to take out their frustrations on each other inside the ring.
All four men lost their cool, crossing the line in order to try and beat the other team. From Page and Matt Jackson spitting on each other, to Kenny Omega’s angry kickout after being hit by the Golden Trigger, it had a number of moments which made you believe in the two teams’ rivalry.
The match kept building and building, and despite being over thirty minutes, felt like it could go another ten minutes. It left a lot open for a potential future clash between the two.
However, if these two teams never faced off with each other again, it would be okay. They wont get as close to a perfect match as they ever will with this bout.
It’s not just the best of the Adam Page matches, but also one of the best AEW matches full stop.
For my money, the only bout that tops it is Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson, but that is purely a personal opinion.
