Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page no longer planned for AEW All Out

[Big Red Machine]

https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/kenn ... out-348561

By Josh Nason | @joshnason | Jul 30, 2021 9:20 am


The much-anticipated duel between AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Hangman Page will not be happening at All Out, according to Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

"At one point, it was the plan, but plans change," he wrote.

Last Wednesday's ten-man elimination tag team match for both a World and Tag Team Title shot for Page and the Dark Order if they could defeat The Elite was expected to set the match into motion. However, Omega and the Young Bucks defeated Page in a finish that Meltzer said "was designed to shock people."

Meltzer pointed out how the commentary team was pushing for Christian Cage to possibly get a shot after Page lost and with the Chicago-based pay-per-view just over a month away, the direction for that match will need to play out soon if that's to be the headliner.

"They’ve done angles to where they should do Cage and Eddie Kingston both against Omega, but Christian feels to me like a match for a major Dynamite and Kingston could headline a PPV but with the additions maybe it’s a TV match as well," he wrote.

Omega last defended the title on the final Saturday AEW Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida, defeating Jungle Boy on June 26th.

[Big Red Machine]

Hmm...

Todd Martin has speculated that this could backfire on them if fans feel like Page's story and moment are derailed for a bring-in. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[cero2k]

That's what everyone said when Okada lost to Tanahashi a second time, and when Naito didn't win at WK against Okada. Page's story is learning to cope with failure, extending it won't hurt the promotion, they just need to properly follow through and I have no reason to believe they'll just ignore it

[Big Red Machine]

That's what everyone said when Okada lost to Tanahashi a second time, and when Naito didn't win at WK against Okada. Page's story is learning to cope with failure, extending it won't hurt the promotion, they just need to properly follow through and I have no reason to believe they'll just ignore it

Dude... they ignored Page's alcoholism/depression for months on end. If they tell a story about Page in the interim, that will be one thing, but I think what's more likely to happen is that this will be ignored until the next time they want him to interact with Omega.

[cero2k]

That's what everyone said when Okada lost to Tanahashi a second time, and when Naito didn't win at WK against Okada. Page's story is learning to cope with failure, extending it won't hurt the promotion, they just need to properly follow through and I have no reason to believe they'll just ignore it

Dude... they ignored Page's alcoholism/depression for months on end. If they tell a story about Page in the interim, that will be one thing, but I think what's more likely to happen is that this will be ignored until the next time they want him to interact with Omega.

his depression is literally what this story has been about, not being able to overcome his failures and eventually finding friends that are helping him with it.

[Big Red Machine]

That's what everyone said when Okada lost to Tanahashi a second time, and when Naito didn't win at WK against Okada. Page's story is learning to cope with failure, extending it won't hurt the promotion, they just need to properly follow through and I have no reason to believe they'll just ignore it

Dude... they ignored Page's alcoholism/depression for months on end. If they tell a story about Page in the interim, that will be one thing, but I think what's more likely to happen is that this will be ignored until the next time they want him to interact with Omega.

his depression is literally what this story has been about, not being able to overcome his failures and eventually finding friends that are helping him with it.

Except for the six months where he wasn't showing any signs of depression. Any time he wasn't actively in a story with Kenny Omega, he had no issue.

[cero2k]

Except for the six months where he wasn't showing any signs of depression. Any time he wasn't actively in a story with Kenny Omega, he had no issue.

He found friends who liked him and accepted him, he never stopped drinking and he's been dodging and avoiding confronting the Bucks and Omega. How exactly do you think depression looks like?

[Big Red Machine]

Except for the six months where he wasn't showing any signs of depression. Any time he wasn't actively in a story with Kenny Omega, he had no issue.

He found friends who liked him and accepted him, he never stopped drinking and he's been dodging and avoiding confronting the Bucks and Omega. How exactly do you think depression looks like?

He hasn't been "avoiding" confronting Omega and the Bucks. There was no reason for him to be confronting them in the first place until he was the #1 contender (and even then, Tony Khan should just book the match. Page shouldn't have to go out there and say "I want a title shot." Him being afraid of Omega lasted one week.

[cero2k]

He hasn't been "avoiding" confronting Omega and the Bucks. There was no reason for him to be confronting them in the first place until he was the #1 contender (and even then, Tony Khan should just book the match. Page shouldn't have to go out there and say "I want a title shot." Him being afraid of Omega lasted one week.

Sometimes I wonder what shows you're watching.

Page DIDN'T go out there and say he wanted a shot, it was EVIL UNO because Page was avoiding confronting his fears and confronting Omega! He's not afraid of Omega, he's afraid at failing against him and his friends pushed him across the line. I know you say he wasn't 'avoiding' because they didn't literally tell you on every show in those six months, but the story is there whether you like it or not. If a character from a sitcom disappears for a season and returns the next and they give an explanation why he wasn't there, THAT is the story.

[Big Red Machine]

He hasn't been "avoiding" confronting Omega and the Bucks. There was no reason for him to be confronting them in the first place until he was the #1 contender (and even then, Tony Khan should just book the match. Page shouldn't have to go out there and say "I want a title shot." Him being afraid of Omega lasted one week.

Sometimes I wonder what shows you're watching.

Page DIDN'T go out there and say he wanted a shot, it was EVIL UNO because Page was avoiding confronting his fears and confronting Omega! He's not afraid of Omega, he's afraid at failing against him and his friends pushed him across the line. I know you say he wasn't 'avoiding' because they didn't literally tell you on every show in those six months, but the story is there whether you like it or not. If a character from a sitcom disappears for a season and returns the next and they give an explanation why he wasn't there, THAT is the story.

That's an explanation, not a story. A story happens in front of the audience.

Let me try to explain it this way. Let's transpose this onto another angle about fear. A guy goes to the top rope and misses a move and gets injured (either real or worked), and the promotion wants to tell a story about him being hesitant to go to the top rope and having to overcome that fear. The right way to tell that story is to have him go to the top rope every few matches and then climb down before the big match for all the marbles comes and he finally goes to the top rope and tries for his big move again.
The story AEW told would be like the guy wrestling for six months and not only never going to the top rope, but never even trying to go to the top rope (and the announcers not mentioning it at all) and then during a big match he finally decides to go to the top rope but then hesitates and climbs down, and only then does everyone go "he's been afraid to go to the top rope for sixth months!" It doesn't not make sense, but it's an extremely poor way to tell that story and thus it feels like an ass-pull.

They don't have to tell you anything in every show, but they do need to create situations that drop hints to make you wonder if something is amiss. That never happened with Page.