How AEW Built The Perfect Tag Team Division

Boat Hangman Page
AEW

It was the month in which the Dark Order repelled Dave Meltzer into drawing comparisons between AEW and Vince Russo's WCW. It was also the month in which the incredible Kenny Omega and Hangman Page storyline began.

They first teamed against Kip Sabian and Shawn Spears, showing flashes of the awesome chemistry and very subtle tension that has defined the dynamic. A loss to the Lucha Bros. seemed to foreshadow a break-up, not a championship win, but that's the constant, dramatic fascination of the story and a credit to the brilliance of the balance of the work. They could erupt and throw down at any moment, or reign with those belts forever: thrillingly, either scenario is convincing. Is Page the ace of the team, for clinching all those wins? Or is Omega? Is the assist worth as much as the goal? And what does his commitment to absorbing those beatings say about the morality underpinning this tale?

All of this will one day boil over, but as incredible and unbearable as that proposition is, nobody wants it to happen yet. The journey is more compelling than the guaranteed ***** destination. That's the power the booking this division yields.

Page and Omega subsequently went on a tear, defeating SCU, the Lucha Bros. and the Young Bucks to become and become worthy of Champions. Match ranged from the lowly "superb" to the "greatest tag team wrestling match ever". Omega requested a gentleman's contest against SCU on the Jericho cruise. Kazarian dropped a surly Page on his head. Omega, infuriated, changed the complexion of the match - but Page secured the titles. Every second is carefully considered.

CONT'D...(3 of 6)

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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!