AEW Double or Nothing is coming on Sunday, May 26 from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. There are several big matches to catch on the card. But one stands out above all. "Hangman" Adam Page will battle Will Ospreay in the finals of the Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament. This match has "big fight feels" and it is a shining example of something that AEW consistently does better than WWE.
Will Ospreay and "Hangman" Adam Page are two of the best AEW has to offer
There's been a lot of chatter online about what WWE does better than AEW, and vice versa. As with any competitors, there are differences between both. Areas of strength and weakness for AEW, and areas of strength and weakness for AEW. It would not be true to make a blanket statement that one organization does everything better than the other. Regardless of what fans will argue about online, that's just the basis of competition.
But Will Ospreay versus Adam Page feels like a major moment in combat sports that cannot be missed. Sure, professional wrestling is scripted, with the winner determined long before the first lock up. But an important part of the business is making things feel real. This is why individuals who do a great job presenting their characters as believable personas tend to be some of the most popular figures in the industry. This is something that both Page and Ospreay are doing exceptionally well.
Page is continuing to play into the role he's crafted for himself in his head. He's the protector of AEW. No one can "protect" the company like he can. Even if the company doesn't actually need protecting. He's lost a lot in attempting to be its protector but that hasn't stopped him from pushing forward. Even if that means going through a guy who he should actually be aligned with in Ospreay.
On the other hand, Ospreay is out a quest to prove that he's the best in wrestling today. Many would claim that he is, but he behaves as if the only way he will believe that for himself is if he wins the AEW World Championship. Winning the tournament would give him that title shot, and that has put Page directly in his path.
Will Ospreay versus "Hangman" Adam Page feels believable
Those are two stories that feel believable in every sense of the word for viewers who've followed them both the past few years. There aren't any lapses of character that would quickly take fans out of the build. Everything feels like it fits, making this match a big deal over Memorial Day weekend. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer had strong words that brings the point home.
"With Will Ospreay, every word he said, the way he said it, with the conviction he said it, I got the feeling that is was real," Meltzer said. "Hangman had to do his act of dpression and everything like that - and that was great, it was maybe Hangman's best promo ever - but these guys...it was absolutely spectacular."
AEW is the wrestling promotion for those who want a more sports presentation to their pro wrestling. Less "drama" and more in-ring that builds up the performers as talented competitors and athletes. AEW thrives in doing just that. Not only is it the place where "the best wrestle" but it's the best place where the push to be the best wrestler typically stands front and center as the story.
Does AEW attempt to tell its own version of dramatic stories? Yes. There are times when things go well, like the Timeless Toni Storm gimmick. And there are times when it doesn't go so well, like The Deathriders angle and some of the things MJF has done in recent years. But there are times when it is done well. The same could be said about WWE as well and it's potential to present wrestling as a purely athletic competition with two of the best performers in the business. Look back at Rhea Ripley versus Bianca Belair versus IYO Sky at WrestleMania 41 as an example of such.
There are flavors of profesional wrestling for all the fans out there. Some promotiosn do things better than others, and there can be fluctuations in those attributes. But as of this writing, AEW is leaps and bounds ahead of WWE when it comes to presenting wrestling as a sport with performers who want to be at the top of their game. Will Ospreay versus "Hangman" Adam Page is the latest and greatest example in that debate.