The fourth singles match of the “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland saga took place at AEW All Out and it is objectively the biggest match of their feud thus far. It was one year ago following All Out that two of AEW’s hottest acts — Hangman and Swerve — would meet in the ring for the very first time. Hangman was in a tough spot after coming back from an injury in September of 2023 and struggled to really find his footing in a singles roster full of incredible talent. That’s not to say fans weren’t cheering him in every town — Hangman, no matter the crime he commits, can simply do no wrong — but it felt like his character was in desperate need of something fresh.
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Swerve was the answer to that. He fed into all the naysayers comments about Hangman letting himself go and him just not being that guy anymore. Swerve wanted to be that guy and he was going to be no matter what, but he needed Hangman out of his way. He gave him two options: step aside and let him be World Champion or find the “fire” inside himself.
While Swerve won their first outing thanks to interference from Prince Nana, the feud quickly heated up when Swerve broke into his adversary’s home and threatened his family. One thing you should never do is mess with a man’s family and Hangman reminded him of that during their Texas Deathmatch at AEW Full Gear last November. Once again, he lost that match due to Swerve using his old Ring of Honor tactics against him, hanging him with a chain from the ring.
They have continued to step into each other’s spaces ever since then, but once Hangman lost a third straight match to him (he would’ve won but it came to a time limit draw), it set him onto an unhinged warpath as he continued to descend into absolute insanity. He took his frustrations out on the referees at AEW Revolution, thereby “suspended.” While he was away, he tended to his growing family which Swerve made sure to bring up in a promo in the lead up to All Out. Their feud has become about so much more than a title, and their match at AEW All Out will set a precedent going forward. Now that Hangman won … is it really over? Or has the madness consumed him so much he has no choice but to give in?
The Unsanctioned Lights Out Steel Cage match had staple guns, family photos, burned pieces of wood from Swerve’s “childhood home,” a cinderblock, steel chairs, tables and — oh yeah — a giant steel cage. Hangman has finally found that “fire” that Swerve talked about last year (figuratively and metaphorically speaking because he lit a man’s house on fire for God’s sake!) He went to a place he hasn’t really gone before, ripping out Swerve’s grill and grabbing a syringe.
Pulling the cover off with his teeth, he shoves the syringe into Swerve’s mouth and into his cheek before grabbing a chair and blasting him over the head with it. When he finally picks up the victory, a sense of relief washes over his face as he’s finally done exactly what he promised he’d do. But, as the cameras cut out, his eyes appear crazed and he lets out of hellish scream.
The dark places that Hangman has had to go in order to come out victorious over his mortal enemy; the split second of grief washing over his face. Whether he’s mourning the loss of himself or who he has become, he will continue down this path into complete and utter madness believing that he’s the hero of the story but the truth is he’s lost almost all sense of morality.
I say almost because following the match he started to walk back toward Swerve to check on him like the old Hangman would have. But he realized in that moment when the fans gasped as he took those steps that he’s now exactly what he would’ve tried to protect AEW from just a year or so ago. A threat. In the words of Taylor Swift, “the old Hangman can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, because he’s dead.”
Now begins the story of a man who eventually has to grapple with vengeance and all that it’s cost him: the anti-hero.
