Professional wrestling is all about characters. They are the reasons fans turn in week after week. Looking throughout the industry, it is hard to find a character with more momentum than “Hangman” Adam Page. He’s one of the most important parts of All Elite Wrestling, clearly the main character of the men’s division. What AEW has done developing his character over the years remains some of the best built work in pro wrestling. So much so, it is time to talk about WWE’s need to develop its own “Hangman” Adam Page.
What does that statement mean exactly? To answer that question, let’s first look at what Page means and represents to the AEW fanbase.
In many ways, he’s the heart and soul of All Elite Wrestling. His character arc since AEW’s inception has shown so much growth and different facets of a man who’s failed and succeeded time and time again. With every failure or success his character changes in a way that sucks fans in even more. AEW has built him into a character with layers that presents him as a relatable human being with faults and strengths. He’s believable to everyone watching.
Fans want to see Page defeat Jon Moxley at All In, not just to become AEW World Champion again, but because he represents AEW overcoming yet another threat. That is the hallmark of strong character development, the same one would see in popular movies, video games, comic books, and other forms of entertainment.
How can WWE develop its own “Hangman” Adam Page
With any comparison between AEW and WWE, there will be those who refuse to start the conversation in good faith. The same will probably happen here. But when looking at WWE’s roster, there are some beloved and popular names across it, but there are some key differences between them and what is being referenced here with Adam Page.
The biggest difference is authenticity. Page is a homegrown talent who has been pushed up and down the pecking order. Which is what makes this run so important. His popularity and consistency almost forced the hand of AEW creative to put him back in this position. A position that was seemingly meant to be kept warm for the likes of Will Ospreay or Darby Allin.
WWE does have some performers who are authentically over with fans. Names like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and The New Day are on the list. But those performers are not the “type” that WWE consistently pushes to the top. They may find themselves in a main event program from time to time, but they are never the ones to hold the championship or get slotted into major feuds for an extended period of time.
In many ways, Sami Zayn is the type of performer and fan favorite who could be a parallel to what Page has done in AEW. But it is hard to imagine WWE giving Zayn an opportunity to be its top champion. In fact, it is probably a safe bet that he’d never become a world champion at any point during his tenure in WWE.
Another aspect that WWE struggles with as it pertains to authenticity is WWE’s penchant for developing performers in the same fashion. While everyone isn’t exactly the same, there are clear examples of main event performers not being much more than a catch phrase, four to five moves, and built around scripted promos. Fans may chant “YEET” with Jey Uso, but depth beyond, and that played a part in how many responded to his championship run. WWE struggles to create any characters who show real depth to the viewers, and this isn’t a new problem.
WWE has all the tools and resources to create powerful characters that draw fans in. There are times when a performer or two may buck the trend, but all too often WWE props up superficial performers based on their abilities to move merchandise and get engagement in other ways that don’t always translate to them being interesting characters. AEW is showing the wrestling world how to create the types of characters fans want to see, and “Hangman” Adam Page is a shining example of that success.