10 Times AEW Put Amazing Details Into Storylines

2. The Young Bucks Vs. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page

FTR Young Bucks
AEW

This, the greatest wrestling storyline booked in years, all stemmed from the All Out post-show on which a withdrawn Hangman Page couldn't bring himself to look in the eyes of the Young Bucks because he didn't feel Elite. He had lost the biggest match of his career, and even back then, he heavily intimated that he wanted to rehab it on his own.

And he didn't. Not really. He was defeated by PAC in their trilogy, a peer, and then lost the Dynamite Diamond Ring to MJF, his junior. He had been outclassed and passed by.

Kenny Omega wanted to pick him up, and took him on a reluctant journey to the pinnacle of the tag team division in a great, tension-fuelled run that incorporated several outstanding professional wrestling matches. The second they won the World Tag Team Championships, the Bucks were quick to congratulate him. Page received this as a sly way into the picture and back onto form - they hadn't fared too well, either - but they'd supported him the whole time.

The Revolution match was a masterpiece, the greatest tag team match ever, that even in its quieter moments told a stunning story loaded with parallels and subplots. Omega and Nick Jackson started the match with a competitive mat exchange capped off with a fist bump. Page and Matt Jackson straight up beat the piss out of one another when they got tagged in. Nick aligned further with Matt, reverting to the enfant terrible of old to win. Omega finally snapped out of his sporting facade in fury, but only when the Bucks disrespected Kota Ibushi - not when they teamed up excessively on Page.

What AEW did with this storyline is gave you a reason to understand the position of your favourite babyface wrestlers while at the same time booking those wrestlers to doubt one another's motivation in a totally convincing portrayal of frayed friendship.

What AEW did - and the territory throwbacks are great, they are, but this is more important and reassuring for the future of professional wrestling - is create a new, elite mode of storytelling.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!