10 Wrestlers We're Most Thankful For In 2020
9. Hangman Page
An immaculate character arc and a long list of excellent matches (including his participation in one of this era's greatest tag bouts at Revolution) make Hangman Page a surefire contender for many a Wrestler of the Year list. The 29-year-old has rebounded spectacularly after failing to connect as a top babyface opposite Chris Jericho, forging an unbreakable audience bond upon reinventing himself as a hard-drinking man of the people, then again by burning his entire world down and emerging from the ashes as the perfect, relatable hero for AEW's young audience.
Page is the Anxious Millennial Cowboy. Having seen friendships, an acclaimed title reign, and his position in the hierarchy fall apart in his own hands, he has tapped into insecurities felt by a huge chunk of his audience. Anxious, uncertain times create anxious, uncertain people, and while the argument that Hangman's slump has made him feel like less of an eye-popping star, that's exactly the point.
AEW's viewership skews younger than WWE's, and by reconfiguring Page's character to fit its millennial audience's apprehension and unease, the promotion is creating a lifelong bond. The 'Focused Yeehaw Man' will return: when he does, he'll be the hottest babyface in Jacksonville.