10 AEW Full Gear 2020 Impulse Reactions

9. Hangman Adam Page Vs. Kenny Omega

Jon Moxley Eddie Kingson
AEW

Opening Full Gear proper with the final to the AEW World Heavyweight Title tournament was one of several early-show shocks that gave the start of the event an immediate spark.

Kenny Omega NJPW cheerleader, fellow Winnipeg resident and Impact Wrestling EVP Don Callis took a seat at the commentary desk, drawing immediate buzz before 'The Cleaner's elaborate entrance summoned a little more.

For a programme that's been crafted so magnificently with melodrama, this had rock bottom levels of am-dram from the off. It'd have been jarringly low on frills had Hangman Page not been wearing them on the long tights that first appeared at All Out. Such explosiveness from the opening bell had been a surprise, but also meant that they had to heighten the violence in the final third. Page willingly obliged with a powerbomb on the ramp.

An absolutely scintillating New Japan-style shared flurry exhausted the pair of them before Omega ducked a Buckshot Lariat and V-Triggered his former partner's face into oblivion. After a desperate clutch for Page's hair, he smashed him with the One Winged Angle for a win that was so clean it was box-fresh.

Two former tag team Champions fighting earnestly for a shot at singles glory. Simplicity unexpected from the complex story that set it up, this kicked f*cking *ss.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett