The Problem With CM Punk That No One Wants To Talk About

Hangman Page's long, winding road to AEW stardom could culminate at All Out 2021, where many feel he will defeat Kenny Omega to finally become AEW World Champion, two years after falling to Chris Jericho in the promotion's inaugural title fight.

This two-year character arc has been meticulously plotted and executed. When it is paid off, it deserves to become a touchstone in the never-ending "long-term storytelling" debate because beat for beat, it has been perfect. Every new development has sought to pull Page further away from the lukewarm crowd response he received at Fight For The Fallen 2019 (when chants of "thank you Jericho!" rang out as the supposed heel beat Page down) and closer to where he is today, from his relatable mental health struggles as an Anxious Millennial Cowboy and crippling fear of failure to the acclaimed World Tag Team Title run ascendance to the top of the singles rankings.

AEW's audience is gagging for Page to beat Omega. They're more than ready for it, and the time is fast approaching. When it happens, Tony Khan will likely have succeeded where Vince McMahon has been failing for over a decade. He will have created a new star.

But what if, as is often the case in Stamford, that new star has his shine taken by an older one?

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