AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: “Hangman” Adam Page, Mercedes Mone, FTR, Adam Cole, and Christian Cage

Welcome everyone!

Another week of AEW wrestling is in the books and I’m glad you are here to read my thoughts. Let’s get right to it this week.

Rising Star of the Week

“Hangman” Adam Page

Here he is again atop my list. How could he not be this week? He started it out with a great promo on Dynamite and ended with a HUGE win at Double or Nothing over Will Ospreay. Hangman is now set to face Jon Moxley for the AEW World Title at All In: Texas in July and I am hyped for it already.

AEW’s ensemble approach made a match like this a toss up. Hangman has been on a rocky two year journey and he “needed” to win this. Ospreay is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world right now and “wanted” to win this. Hangman’s need won out.

I am very curious to see the story from now until All in: Texas between Hangman and Mox. Will the Death Riders terrorize Hangman? Will Ospreay actually have Hangman’s back like he said he would? Could Ospreay turn his back on Hangman leaving Hangman to battle Mox and the Death Riders on his own? I am not sure, but I can’t wait to see it play out.

1st Runner Up: Mercedes Mone

This was a close one between Mercedes and Hangman. I almost went with co-Rising Stars of the Week. The reason I didn’t do that was I enjoyed Hangman’s promo much more than Mone’s this week while I enjoyed both of their matches equally.

Mone is now set up for her biggest match yet as a member of the AEW roster. This might actually be the biggest women’s match in the history of the company. Mone and Toni Storm are two of the biggest stars on the entire roster.

Like the Men’s World Title match at All In: Texas, we have a good bit of time to build up Mone vs. Storm. I am curious to see what kind of twists and turns the will have between now and then. Storm’s innuendo-laced promos will be fun and I think Storm will bring out the best in Mone.

2nd Runner Up: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)

I am enjoying this heel run from FTR. They just really come off as a couple of jackasses. Much like the Ricochet turn gave him new life this turn has done the same for FTR.

FTR dominated their match with Nigel McGuiness and Daniel Garcia. I thought we were going to get much more of a beating to Nigel, but what they did still worked. The way they treat and pick on Garcia is so reminiscent of most bully’s I’ve come across in life. So when someone finally knocks FTR down a peg, it should be glorious.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Stars of the Week

Adam Cole

I just don’t know where to start with Adam Cole. A guy who had so much potential early on in his career and it feels like it’s all just gone away. Cole is the one who put out the challenge to the Don Callis Family just to lose.

Cole as the TNT Champion just isn’t working because the title has not been defended much since he won. How many times has he defended the title since beating Daniel Garcia on Apr. 6 earlier this year? One time. Cole defeated Claudio Castagnoli on Apr. 17. How can you have defended what is basically a TV Title one time in almost two months? On top of all that, do you know how many singles matches Cole has wrestled since 2023? Just 13 total and he is 7-3-3. That’s your champion.

It’s time to move on from Cole as any kind of main act on this ensemble cast. Kyle Fletcher should be the one to dethrone Cole as champion and rebuild the TNT Title through Fletcher.

1st Runner Up: Christian Cage

Remember when Christian won the contract to challenge for the World Title? Did you remember that was back in August of 2024? Then he didn’t use the contract until March of 2025, only to lose. Him trying to “cash in” the contract at AEW Revolution 2025 back in March is the last time Christian was in a match of any kind on AEW television.

Look, I get it; Nick Wayne is in Japan wrestling in the New Japan Super Juniors and a lot of the Patriarchy story revolves around Christian and Wayne, but still. Christian is one of best talkers in the game without any qualifications. Why is he not on television every single week?

This is where the ensemble cast of AEW can be an issue. There isn’t a steady linear story for the majority of the people on the roster. Has it gotten better in the last few months? I think so but a talker like Christian should not fall through the cracks. Christian should be one of about ten people that are on television, let’s say, eight out of every ten weeks.