AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: What direction are “Hangman” Adam Page, Ospreay, Cage & Copeland, Toni Storm, Takeshita going in?

Welcome everyone!!!

AEW Revolution is in the books and what a show it was. Including the pre-show this event clocked in at just under six hours. Way too long, but you can’t say that you don’t get your money’s worth as this show had close to four hours of in-ring action.

Let’s see how I feel AEW shakes out after the show, settle in this one might be a long one.

RISING STAR OF THE WEEK

“THE RETURNS”

WILL OSPREAY, CAGE & COPE, and KENNY OMEGA

Honestly, the crowd should be at the top of the list. Six hours of wrestling and they were still up for the main event. That said, they are not atop my list, so let’s get to it.

First, let’s start with Kenny Omega. The crowd really love getting to see Omega just do a run-in, which shows that he doesn’t have to be on television each week wrestling to be what AEW needs him to be. Going forward, Omega should be treated as an attraction that wrestles maybe eight times on PPV in a calendar year and a few matches on Dynamite. Basically, I am saying AEW should give Omega the early years MJF schedule. Treat him as the big deal the AEW audience finds him to be.

Next let’s look at Cage & Cope(land). This one needs to be treated as a special attraction as well. We are about to get the final run of one of the most popular, and decorated, tag teams of the last 30 years. There are many ways to make this great and many ways to make this terrible. With how AEW treated Sting at the end, I think it will be the former.

The story writes itself with FTR betraying their friend Copeland. So now Copeland has his frenemy on his side, Christian, and they will be trying to enact revenge on FTR. Then, on the side you have the two brothers that look a little like their old foes the Hardy Boys just waiting. This should be a fun feud as we head into Canada in April for Dynasty.

That brings me to Will Ospreay. The fact this man was back doing Will Ospreay things just six months after herniated disc surgery is the definition of insanity to me. I was expecting him to be out a lot longer and maybe not even be back for All In London in July. I was shocked to see his music hit this past Sunday at the Revolution. Then for him to come into the ring and look like he didn’t lose a step was even more mind boggling. That’s what makes Ospreay who he is, though.

Ospreay will put even more energy into AEW that is already hitting on most cylinders.

1st Runner Up – Toni Storm

Just like that it feels like the biggest star in the AEW Women’s Division is back on the right track. If you have read my columns, you know I have been down on Toni being in the tag division as well as the Women’s Division as a whole.

That match with Marina Shafir was easily Shafir’s best match of her career. Toni is the reason for that because of her in-ring ability and connection to the crowd. Shafir stalking around yelling at the crowd doesn’t get over the way it did without Toni. Both, but especially Shafir, really landed some stiff shots back and forth. I wouldn’t want to take one of those chops from Shafir. She seems to hit as hard as Brody King out there at half the size. In the end, that match really felt like Toni trying to get Shafir over as a killer and it worked.

And then you had the post-match angle with “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Regardless of Rousey’s off-putting social media posts, this woman is a star. You may not want her in AEW – and that is valid, as it does feel like a weird fit.

That said, the way they set up the angle was perfect, including Rousey coming in the ring from the crowd and not to some music no one would have known. Instead, she came out like her fellow Horsewoman Shafir. Again, this does not work without Toni being across from Rousey. Can you imagine Rousey coming out and confronting, let’s say, Kris Statlander? No, you can’t? Well, the reason is that it would come off as ridiculous.

Toni Storm standing across from Rousey immediately peaked my interest and l, again, if you have been reading my column you know I have been down on the overall direction of the AEW Women’s Division. This could change that instantly.

FADING STAR OF THE WEEK

“HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE

Looking at this one from a complete kayfabe angle, Hangman lost the most of anyone on this PPV. Not only did he lose his AEW World Title match to MJF, but he also can not challenge for the title the rest of his career. In some people’s career, this is a death wish to your relevancy. Hangman has even said he doesn’t know who he is without the AEW World Title and he “needs it,” meaning it could be that for him.

In a huge risk, Hangman put this up, like his old buddy Cody Rhodes, and both didn’t even need to put their future chances at the AEW World Title to get the title shots they each wanted. So Hangman looks really foolish even suggesting the stipulation he suggested. He has no one to blame but Hangman for the situation he is in now.

One thing that I do like about what happened is the unknown of it. What is Hangman going to do? How is he going to react? Will he be a man of his word and not challenge for the AEW World Title? We all know there are plenty of other belts to try for within AEW, but none are what Hangman has coveted since the dawn of this company. He won the AEW World Tag titles because he personally wanted to take them from the Young Bucks. He won the AEW Trios Titles because he wanted to personally take them from Samoa Joe and The Opps. All the other singles titles have not had a personal reason for Hangman to want them.

Okay, stepping out of kayfabe and going more meta, my question is: Is this Tony Khan’s ultimate tip of the hat to his “main character”? Is this him saying Hangman does not need a title to be in the main event because he is THE home-grown main event talent on the roster? I really don’t know, but I think MJF would argue against that last fact.

I am intrigued with the follow up, but that’s also what I’m worried about. Hangman not being able to challenge for the AEW World Title has to be a huge part of Dynamite going forward. Much like Darby Allin bringing up climbing Mt. Everest, because he should, the company has to bring up Hangman not being able to challenge for the title all the time going forward. Otherwise, what was the point?

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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1st Runner Up – KONOSUKE TAKESHITA

This one hurts to write, but what are they doing with Takeshita? For a guy who looks like a main event guy and connects with the crowd like a main event guy, it feels like AEW doesn’t know what to do with him.

Takeshita is embroiled in a story that feels like it’s never ending. Okada and Takeshita teamed up to try to win the AEW World Tag Titles back in October at WrestleDream. In the end, Okada attacked Takeshita, causing their team to lose. The following month at Full Gear they were in a six-man tag team match, teaming together and lost because they couldn’t get along. Then at Worlds End, Okada used a screwdriver to beat Takeshita in the Continental Classic semi-final match. Since then, there has been almost no storyline progression.

This has left Takeshita in a weird spot of acting and wrestling like a babyface, but being attached to one of the most despised heels in the company, Don Callis. Also during this same time, Takeshita has won and lost the New Japan IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He also won and is currently the NJPW World Television Champion. This means Takeshita is being utilized better in his secondary company than in the company he, supposedly, was signed to first.

I really hope we get some progression on the Okada and Takeshita feud starting on Dynamite. It’s time for Takeshita to be in the main event scene permanently in AEW. Otherwise you risk alienating him to the crowd.