Last October, Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page wrestled for the first time for the AEW Championship. It was the first time in three years- the entirety of AEW history- that the two former champions had faced off. Back then, it was a must-win match for both sides. Three months and two matches later, tonight’s fight on Dynamite is still a must-win situation for both Moxley and Hangman.
I want to do the impossible. I want to beat Jon Moxley in Ohio. - Hangman Adam Page AEW Dynamite 1/25/23
Hangman Page has everything to lose tonight. During their match in October, Hangman suffered a concussion and was out of action for several weeks. It seems the only thing on his mind was revenge, and when he was medically cleared, his first move was clear: beat Jon Moxley. Make him pay for the suffering and damage he caused. Well, the Cowboy did just that. At the January 11th Dynamite, Hangman Page defeated Jon Moxley. Not only did he gain a victory over Moxley, he sent him home for the rest of the month with a throat injury after delivering a clothesline so brutal it knocked Mox out, similarly to the way Moxley took him out a few months prior. This was a huge win for Hangman Page, and a big loss for Jon Moxley. The weeks that followed for Hangman featured backstage interviews with Renee Paquette, interviews that had the internet buzzing at Page’s sudden interest in “making amends” and that led him to the need to beat Jon Moxley again. Tonight, however, AEW is in Dayton, Ohio- Mox country. When Hangman said he wants to “do the impossible” and beat Moxley in Ohio, he really meant he wants to “do the impossible.” Sure, Mox has been out of action for a month, that’s has to give Hangman the edge, right? Not so fast. Tonight’s battle is shaping up to be one of the toughest fights either of the competitors have had. And it’s once again a must-win situation for Hangman. To get a clear cut edge on Moxley could be a huge turning point for everyone’s favorite cowboy. Very rarely does Jon Moxley ever lose. For Hangman to beat him clean, twice in a row would be an extraordinary feat. One Hangman thinks he can accomplish. Taking a loss tonight would send Adam Page directionless, wandering aimlessly. But on the other hand…
For the first time in three years I feel like I got beat. - Jon Moxley, AEW Road to Ohio
Jon Moxley has everything to lose tonight. For his entire run in AEW, you could count on one hand the number of times Moxley has lost a singles match. One of those loses came at the hands of Hangman Adam Page in early January. Mox hasn’t wrestled since, and as the two prepare for war tonight in Moxley’s home state, it doesn’t seem like Mox has any sort of edge heading into the match, except for that fact that Moxley said there hasn’t been anyone in three years in AEW that has put him out like Hangman Page has. With that small statement comes a huge promise of violence, of war, and of an exceptionally dangerous version of Jon Moxley. If Moxley were to walk into Dayton, Ohio tonight and lose, once again, to Hangman Page, giving him two clean losses in a row, it would make Mox beatable for everyone else in the locker room. For three years, Moxley has dominated AEW. Several championship wins, countless main event and high profile matches, and very, very few singles losses have made him a force to be reckon with, someone to be feared. Yes, Moxley is an outstanding wrestler, but it’s the fact that he rarely losses and often beats his opponents to a pulp that makes him an unclimbable mountain in the way of every wrestler on the roster. The more Moxley loses, the easier it is for everyone else to toughen up and beat him. So not only does he have to win to protect his character and his reputation, he has to win for revenge. Hangman Page took Moxley out of action for almost the entirety of January. Adam Page beat Jon Moxley both literally and figuratively. If Jon Moxley were to lose tonight, what would happen next?
So what happens now?
Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page’s match in October last year was a must-win match for both of them, tonight is clearly no different. So what’s going to happen when you have two wrestlers who want nothing more than to gain the edge, the win over the other. Their tied even as of writing. 1-1. It seems most fans are watching Hangman Page very closely, Moxley winning still seems the most likely outcome even after weighing both sides. Can Hangman Page get it done again? And where does that leave Moxley? Does the match even start or are the two so desperate to beat each other the bell never rings? Although it doesn’t involve a championship and Pay-Per-View main events, the Jon Moxley and Hangman Page feud has been an exceptional story from the time it started all those months ago. They could easily “fight forever” and the feud could carry on for months without letting up or becoming stale. Even in the most highly anticipated match ups, there’s usually some sort of idea about who’s walking away victorious. But tonight? There is none. Both men need the win just as bad. Neither can afford to lose, each for their own reasons. Only one thing is clear: tonight’s fight will be one for the ages.
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