14 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Oct 29)
8. Hangman Page Is Back
That the wonderful Hangman Page vs. Sammy Guevara match is only Up number eight speaks to Dynamite's quality. This was an excellent pro-wrestling show, and the night's opener would've been a surefire top three contender on any other evening.
Fast-paced, exciting, packed with character, and over in less than 10 minutes, this was perfect. Not a second was wasted. They filled every slither of time with the escalating offence and sublime character flurries, with Guevara coming off as the biggest bell-end alive (the man was filming selfie blog footage as Page made his entrance, FFS) and Hangman full of p*ss and vinegar, hell-bent on proving his doubts wrong.
Page was super hossy. He's not much bigger than Sammy but still pushed and barged him around the ring like a larger man, including one particularly impressive moment where he caught Guevara's top rope leap and nailed a seamless Fallaway Slam. Later, Guevara did squats with Page on his shoulders! Turns out he's no weakling either.
A Sidewalk Slam on The Hardest Part Of The Ring™ effectively set Guevara up for defeat. His head was taken off by the Buckshot Lariat and now, months removed from his aura-destroying bout with Kip Sabian at Fight For The Fallen, Page is starting to feel like a big deal again. Such is the power of supreme presentation and booking.