I’m angry. I’m depressed. The medication is not working. But I’m still here…
One of the most fascinating parts about professional wrestling is the connection between the wrestlers, their characters, and the fans. What makes something click? Why are we rooting for this person? Why do we hate this person? Almost every single wrestlers encompasses a character. I say “almost” because there are a handful of stars so good, so real, that it is hard to believe they are just putting on a show.
Hangman Adam Page is not a character, at least, not in the traditional sense. He doesn’t put on a mask (literal or metaphorical) and become the “Anxious Millennial Cowboy. He just is the “Anxious Millennial Cowboy.” All the time. Maybe this isn’t one hundred percent true, but it is what- as wrestling fans-we believe. There’s a connection between the fans and Hangman Adam Page very few wrestlers can garner on their own. Is it the fancy outfits? The sparkly-tassel vests and the decked out jeans? Probably not. Is it his wresting abilities? Maybe, but you don't become the star he is on wresting talent alone. No, it's something much, much more than that.
The promo Hangman Page cut on the October 12th edition of AEW Dynamite is the pinnacle of
what draws the fans in drones toward the Cowboy. It was real, it was raw. It was something around ninety percent of fans could relate to in some way, shape, or form. His depression, his anxiety, his problems with his medication- it’s all real. That wasn’t just Hangman Adam Page speaking. It was the man underneath the cowboy boots. It was every fan in that Toronto arena that faced any sort of difficulty in their life. It was everyone, it was everything, all wrapped up into one. The people believe in Hangman Page. If he can do it why can’t we? If he can get out of bed and show up to work and make something of himself, what’s stopping us from doing the same?
Most wrestlers have characters. A persona that turns off and on in conjunction with the cameras. It makes for great wrestling and great television, yes, but what about the characters that don’t shut off? What about the wrestlers who are so real, so believable? Are they still characters? Hangman Adam Page doesn’t don the typical persona. Instead, he embodies everything and everybody. And yes, his championship match is against Jon Moxley in Cincinnati. Yes, there’s a very slim chance of him walking out victorious. But Adam Page is a champion in his own right. A champion of the people. A champion of all who suffer.
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