Life is a constantly spinning revolving door. People may enter it, they may stay in it (for whatever reason), and then they exit. In that revolving door, you will have experiences with these people and the relationships with them will fade.
Okay, that may be a weird metaphor for this article. Imagine going home to your partner or spouse and having them ask what took you so long, only for you to explain that you made friends with someone through a revolving door on the way out of work/shopping and that you grew distant from them. You’d confuse the hell out of your partner/spouse. But regardless, I’ve typed this far, and I’m just going to keep going. Plus, this still factors into my message, so stay with me.
“Hangman” Adam Page has had quite the career-making run during his time with All Elite Wrestling. He’s faced crippling disappointment that careened him into addiction, depression, and self-doubt, and he’s seen friends come and go (and come back again).
As of recently, he’s regained his friendship with The Elite after years apart due to personal demons on every side whilst falling slowly away from The Dark Order, who’ve had his back since late 2020. Only upon the death of Mr. Brodie Lee did they fully connect, albeit without Hangman officially joining the black-and-purple crew.
What a time it was, seeing them accompany him in jubilant pride at his highs and wholesome support at his lows. Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Negative One, Anna Jay, John Silver, Alex Reynolds, Pres10 Vance, Colt Cabana, and Alan Angels were behind the Anxious Millenial Cowboy every step of the way. He was there for them at the AEW Trios Championship Tournament at All Out 2022 against The Elite, and through it all, as the Dark Order broke apart, he and the team were inseparable.
Then life happened. After a freak concussion in his rivalry with Jon Moxley, the Dark Order started to take a backseat in Page’s war with the Blackpool Combat Club. Though they briefly gained back Stu Grayson during this period, Page was not responding to them as much. All was quiet on that front.
Of course to viewers, that is understandable. A lot of chaos was going on. Page had his renewed friendship, a war, in addition to the scheming Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita that he wasn’t able to put as much focus on Dark Order activities.
Naturally, it would seem silly for the Dark Order to be upset, as Page had been at odds with The Elite earlier on in AEW lore, and to see him forsake his new friends in favor of his old, had to sting. They helped build him back up, they were there for all these conversations, jokes, and support. Now, he’s having them with the group that had hurt him, and them by proxy.
Losing friends, and having them drift away, that’s a hard feeling to process. There’s far worse, but it stings nonetheless. Seeing people have what you had and always treasured, never wanting to give it up but watching it slip. It’s rough. When you’re a man, it’s doubly tough because sometimes we just have this wall that for some is hard to overcome. It’s not as though we want to watch it slip, but we don’t have the best time expressing our emotions. Even the most emotionally intelligent and available men have this experience. Which is frustrating for everyone involved. Shoot, more than just cis-gendered men experience this. The problem? Nobody’s a psychic. Charles Xavier isn’t going to ride his wheelchair, find out these things and discuss them with you in a nuanced manner.
You have to overcome this obstacle and speak your ills and grief to better find an understanding. It’s not easy. It involves work and getting the fuck over yourself because there are people who care about you and are willing to listen. Even the act of communication as it happens is tough, but it has to be done – the bandage must be ripped. No pussyfooting around.
Hangman Page and The Dark Order haven’t done that. Instead, they are at odds. They accepted The Elite’s open challenge to further stick in Blackpool Combat Club’s face that they are not going softly, but when the past comes back to you, that resolution, that closure takes priority.
As Hangman and The Young Bucks stood across the ring from Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver, unease sat for the cowboy and for fans of the relationships with the involved parties on the June 26 episode of AEW Dynamite.
While the Bucks and the Order had no qualms about hurting one another, Page is hesitant. He doesn’t want to do this. The simple act of a Buckshot Lariat feels like several layers of pain stuck right in his amygdala. The weight of the emotions and the flow of movement crushes him like the boulder on Sisyphus. Every second is torture. He even tags in one of the Bucks to avoid hurting his friends.
They test him and they test him, and with tearful rage, Uno strikes the anger and ferocity into Page that gives him reason to fight back, removing all doubt and uncertainty. With a Deadeye to the beloved John Silver, the light and glue, and gets the win.
It’s over. A friendship that could have easily been saved several times over has shattered.
No time was given to process this, as The Blackpool Combat Club attacked The Hung Bucks from behind, ripping apart the scraps. As they tortured Page, the Dark Order watches, and leaves. Through trickles of blood, the last thing Page sees at the end of the episode is his former friends walking away.
Such is the way of drifting apart. All those memories and feelings cast a heavy burden. And we must all carry that weight.
Hangman is a hero, a villain, a morally conflicted guy. He’s flawed. Mistakes will have to be made with the resignation that he must only do one thing:
Carry on.
