10 Most Improved Wrestlers On The Planet Today
2. Hangman Page
Carrying a noose to the ring always felt like the gimmick it was. Hangman Page, Bullet Club rank-and-file, projected himself as something of a try-hard as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor eased him up the card.
This has changed within a matter of months.
Page has arrived near the forefront of critical acclaim by tapping into the insane wrestling undercurrent that threatens to end in disaster and, in the case of Hiromu Takahashi, has. With competition to steal the conversation never more fierce, Page has done just that by literally going the distance; at ROH Manhattan Mayhem 2018, channelling fellow mentalist Kota Ibushi, he performed a preposterous balcony moonsault from a gigantic height. Divisive though the spot was, Page belatedly convinced his detractors that he is in fact unhinged enough to actually do the unthinkable with his prop of choice. It doesn't feel quite like a prop any more.
That was a grimly ironic shortcut, but at this year's G1 Climax, he proved himself more than capable of sustaining audience interest in long-form, more pure pro wrestling matches, particularly his handsome battle against - who else? - Hiroshi Tanahashi. This was crammed full of subtle, cocky character moments. There is now substance where there was once mere shock value.
Though the means are dubious, the ends are indisputable: Page is now a star.