On September 7th, 2024, Jon Moxley brought an uncomfortable level of violence to AEW. It wasn’t a flaming table, a barbed wire bat, or any other of wrestling’s usual extremities, but one of the most squirm-inducing moments saw one Blackpool Combat Club member betray another with nothing more than a plastic bag in hand.
Ambushed after his successful AEW World Championship defence, Bryan Danielson’s celebrations were cut brutally short when Claudio Castagnoli struck him with an uppercut. However, the Swiss’ signature blow was the only traditional wrestling move that ‘The American Dragon’ would receive before Moxley wrapped the bag around the head and neck of his (now) former friend. Attempting to choke the life from Danielson’s lungs, Moxley committed an act few thought they’d ever see from one of America’s biggest companies.
We all know that on-screen betrayal is commonplace in the industry, but the manner of it challenged everyone’s expectations of All Elite Wrestling and what it could produce. The sport usually lends itself to the more dramatic explosions between two egos or an angle that culminates months of foreshadowing, but this was far different to what we’d seen before.
It was quiet.
All viewers could do was watch on as one of wrestling’s greatest heroes was slowly put out to pasture by the people closest to him, and, while initial reasoning suggested that this was simply about championship gold, it was made clear that Moxley had his eyes on so much more. Despite a fiery performance from Danielson at WrestleDream, it wasn’t long before Jon Moxley had the AEW World Championship under control for a record fourth time. His momentum was only just beginning and everything was about to change.
Backed by Claudio Castagnoli and PAC, the Cincinnati-native took control of the support system that was already afforded to him in the Blackpool Combat Club, and distanced Wheeler Yuta from his mentor to the point at which he saw no other alternative than to buy into Moxley’s vision. With Marina Shafir also by his side, the direction was clear – to create a more violent, hostile AEW. An AEW that didn’t carry passive passengers, but championed those who were hungry and determined enough to forge their own path.
It’s one thing to want to create change, it’s another to succeed in doing so. At the root of it, wanting to cultivate a more competitive, cutthroat environment wasn’t the most out-there idea. After all, the industry is built on aggression, but why did Moxley think he was the man to do it? What made him believe he had the right to appoint himself as the man fit to change course? Simply put, the perception that fans, and even the company, had of the four-time world champion made him feel untouchable.
The term ‘ace’ gets thrown around a lot in the modern day, but, in the eyes of many AEW viewers, there was an inarguable case that Jon Moxley should be seen as the figurehead. While there are other names that fans may point to as candidates to be an ace, few were as reliable as the former WWE Champion. Aside from his over two-decades of in-ring experience, an achievement in its own right, whenever All Elite Wrestling needed him to dig them out of a hole and restore some stability to their product, Moxley stepped up every single time.
He was the ultimate ‘break glass in case of emergency’ contingency, and was loved for it, but did we take it for granted? Did we expect him to carry the weight forever? Are we really surprised that Moxley’s self-image grew to a point of no return? He selflessly helped the company through the pandemic, through injuries that plagued the main-event scene, and tried to make stars in the process. Is it any wonder he felt AEW should reflect his effort by veering towards the future he wanted? He’d already put enough of himself into what they were trying to build, we just didn’t know the extent of what his vision looked like until it was too late.
As much as Bryan was an equal in the BCC and someone who had also previously spoken about wanting to better the younger talent, he was a veteran figure and hero to many of the up-and-coming wrestlers in the locker room. He was the perfect target to provoke an emotional reaction from those Moxley viewed as in need of a spark, and he put it to them in the form of a challenge. Who would be the first to step up and try to use that newfound rage for themselves?
Enter Orange Cassidy.
As first challengers go, Cassidy was an inspired choice. His awe-inspiring run as International Champion reflected the workhorse mentality previously represented by the man who now ruled over the changing landscape, and, given that Cassidy’s reign with the title came to an end at the hands of the now world champion, everything lined up for a solid start to The Death Riders’ story at Full Gear. However, not every defence fell as perfectly for combatting this new threat as AEW would have liked.
Mox’s mission targeted those who had all the potential without any of the big breaks. It asked for the future stars who fans thought could headline pay-per-views someday to make their day come sooner than anyone anticipated. Yet, these would-be heroes weren’t presenting themselves to take on the challenge. The problem was that those who fit the bill were occupied with other stories, and those who were touted as ‘ones for tomorrow’ couldn’t be risked in main event spots overnight just because the story required fresh blood. Those who did oppose The Death Riders included the likes Daniel Garcia, whose peak as part of the story was a TNT Championship win over Jack Perry at Full Gear 2024, and Darby Allin.
As someone who is both an established name among the fanbase and someone who hadn’t yet found main event success, it looked like Allin was the ideal fit to benefit from ending Moxley’s dictatorship. It even seemed certain at the start of the story that the whole thing was designed to end with Darby reaching the proverbial mountaintop. In the end, Allin ultimately ended up fulfilling that goal in a very different way, pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime goal by successfully climbing Mount Everest when the chance arose one year after he was medically unable to attempt it in 2024. Regardless, there was no getting away from the fact that the search from AEW’s main protagonist had to go on.
Instead, filling the void and circling the AEW World Championship as we headed into the start of the year were the likes of Adam Copeland and Jay White, who, without any disrespect to two extremely accomplished performers, didn’t fit the criteria Moxley, the company and the fans were looking for. Tuning in to any AEW discourse at the time, it was clear that the options being presented to viewers left a bad taste in their mouths, and it looked like the story just wouldn’t materialise the way we’d anticipated. However, as we entered spring, three babyfaces looked to light the fuse. Finishing up his storyline with Ricochet, it was Swerve Strickland’s time to enter the fold.
Once again eyeing the AEW World Championship, Strickland earned a title shot with his win at Revolution, and the stage was set for Dynasty. Things immediately felt different. Fans were reminded of Swerve’s reign in 2024 that came at a time in which fan perception of the company had an upturn. His crowning moment was a huge triumph for All Elite Wrestling that the fanbase were hungry to experience again.
Unfortunately for those attending the Liacouras Center expecting Strickland to become a two-time champion, hopes were crushed when The Young Bucks’ involvement left the challenger empty-handed. For some, it felt as if Swerve’s challenge was an organic opportunity for the company to course correct and, now that had passed them by, many were worried the company wouldn’t move on from something that wasn’t working the way it was intended. The sense of frustration only drew stronger, but, fortunately for AEW and its viewers, it was soon time for the annual Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
With names like Konosuke Takeshita, Brody King and Kyle Fletcher throwing their hat into the ring, the 2025 Owen already felt like an opportunity for those outside the main event to ascend to the next level. In particular, though, two names stood out above the rest: Hangman Page and Will Ospreay. They were babyfaces that fans genuinely wanted to see succeed and they were ready to rise to the occasion, whether it be for the first time under the AEW banner or an overdue return to the top of the card.
Those watching Double Or Nothing were genuinely unsure on which way the main event would go, and this was perhaps the truest indicator that the spark was returning. Wrestling is at its best when it unpredictable, leaving viewers on the edge of their seat as to what’s going to happen next. In this case, either option was both realistic and exciting for the future. Of course, fans each had their own preference for whether they leaned towards Hangman or Ospreay, but it provided another lifeline for those who were deflated after Dynasty; it felt like the entire main event scene had been elevated.
Adding to the hype that had naturally started to build, the match was a war that delivered on every level. An instant contender for match of the year to that point, Page and Ospreay left it all out there in an attempt to earn the next shot at Jon Moxley. The pair were treating this opportunity with a sense of urgency that had been lacking in months prior and it reminded everyone in the locker room just what they were all fighting for. Despite the split, it’s fair to say that most viewers would’ve predicted a win for Ospreay, and ‘The Aerial Assassin’ actually came into the match as the -600 favourite to win on the day of the show, which is what made Hangman’s eventual victory in Arizona all the more revitalising.
Page’s peers had often labelled him AEW’s main character in the years since its inception in 2019, but, while he can certainly look back on his fair share of success, his time in the company has been anything but linear. When he lost the world title, Hangman went down a path that saw him lose his sense of self and his willingness to fight for the people. Without dedicating pages to the well-documented history between himself and Swerve, Strickland’s connection with the fans, formed after the pair had traded some of the most invasive and personal attacks in recent memory, left Page a far different man to the one we saw when he first reached the mountaintop.
Following the Texas Death match that closed the book on Christopher Daniels’ storied career, Hangman was slowly coming to terms with who he was in the here and now. The former AEW World Champion still had a lot of healing to do, he still had to overcome the depths he and Strickland took themselves for over a year. With time, he gradually felt comfortable enough to let empathy shine through again. Grateful for the fans that backed him, Page rode the wave of support all the way to another shot at the AEW World Championship, and he still wasn’t sure if he deserved it.
Nonetheless, the date was set for All In: Texas, All Elite Wrestling’s biggest show of the year, and most were hoping that the tide would finally turn against The Death Riders, that the end of their reign was finally in sight. This felt different.
Page was focused. No matter what else was going on, he had a match for the title that once seemed so far away, and he made assurances that he’d give his all. He wasn’t solely relying on the crowd’s support for validation anymore, but he was feeding off their obvious desire to see him win to add even more fuel to his fire. Every experience, every high and low to this point was set to culminate on July 12, and this was represented when he requested the match, under the bright lights of Globe Life Field, to be Texas Death. The very same match type he’d defeated Moxley in at Revolution 2023, a stipulation that he had since made his own.
From there, the mission was unity. With a threat as high in numbers as The Death Riders, Will Ospreay had started early in trying to create a working relationship between Hangman and Swerve Strickland. But, given the explosive hatred that existed between the pair at the brunt of their rivalry, this was certainly no easy task.
Despite glimpses of togetherness, both men struggled with committing to the notion of helping the other. Ospreay, after his Owen Hart Tournament didn’t go as planned, found himself by the side of a vengeful Strickland looking to settle the score with The Young Bucks, but that didn’t mean the former AEW World Champion could ignore what was going on with Page and his quest for gold.
Efforts appeared fruitless and it seemed like Hangman had the backing of everyone except his rival, but things changed on the final Collision before All In, and it may have been the final push that swung psychological game in favour of the challenger. Moxley thrived on the chaos, and the perfect example of this was the hostility that Hangman and Swerve possessed for one another. Yet, days before his challenge for the title, Page had the emotional maturity to enter Strickland’s locker room with the motive of diffusing the tension to the point it wouldn’t become a distraction in the biggest moment of his career thus far.
Swerve reassured Hangman that he’d steer clear of his family on the night, acknowledging the trauma he’d caused and even expressing regret over the extreme actions he took to on way up the ladder in the company. Without another segment having chance to pass by, an irate Jon Moxley grabbed a microphone and loudly expressed his sheer disgust at what had just aired to the audience. Not only did the challenger’s fragility directly oppose the tough, violent nature of The Death Riders, but it seemed to make Hangman even stronger.
I’d be remiss to begin talking about the main event of All In without starting with the entrances. Hangman had had a complicated relationship with the fans from the end of 2023, and, despite the outpouring of support for him, Page often reflected his self-image by presenting himself as a heel. However, at Globe Life Field, when the camera lingered on the heel tunnel, there was a dramatic switch when the cowboy suddenly emerges from the hero’s corner. Page. The fans. Together as one. It was time for change.
While the bout may have started with the trading of fists, they wasted little time showing viewers of AEW’s biggest show of the year what Texas Death was all about. Without reciting 40 minutes of gruelling, bloody violence, the match was so gruesome that aspects of it will genuinely sit with watchers, including myself, for a very long time. This certainly isn’t limited to barbed wire, shards of broken glass, or Hangman stabbing a fork into the head of the champion just minutes into the match.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, Hangman was embodying the level of violence Moxley had spent the better part of a year advocating for, but, in order to overcome the darkness presented by the champion, Hangman had to reflect his own depravity. Not spurred on by the notion that AEW wasn’t enough as it was, Page was battling to restore the company as it used to be, wanting to provide salvation to the company’s world title that had been locked away.
Page used the Angels Wings as both an homage to his mentor ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels and a nod to his personal growth since ruthlessly retiring the veteran. But, he couldn’t bask in the moment for long, as The Death Riders began their routine involvement. First Yuta, then Shafir, then Claudio, it became abundantly clear that Hangman was going to need help to nullify Moxley’s faction, and it soon arrived. However, it didn’t immediately prove to be of use to the babyface.
While many online had theories over who’d come out to aid the challenger, onlookers were confused when Will Ospreay’s attempt was almost instantly dismissed, his head stomped between halves of a folding a chair before being stretchered out. The bout continued and there was a strange gap in which viewers were made to wonder whether help was actually coming after all. But, when the group looked to take things to the next level by bringing a plastic bag into play, it was the cue for those wronged by The Death Riders to turn to the tide.
Attention turned to the big screen, a mountain summit and heavy winds gave way to an individual clad in climbing gear. The arrival of Darby Allin, swearing to return from the top of the work to take everything from Moxley, and end The Death Riders for good, seemed imminent. Yet, it wasn’t Darby that we saw next. In a Blue Panther mask, Bryan Danielson delivered a trademark Busaiku Knee to Wheeler Yuta, his former mentee. Delivering his signature kicks and a dive to the outside, ‘The American Dragon’ was joined by Allin, descending from the rafters, immediately getting physical, delivering a Coffin Drop to Death Riders standing ringside.
The distraction was enough for Hangman to create an opening, delivering a second consecutive Buckshot Lariat. The chaos wasn’t close to done. The Young Bucks struck Page, as Moxley and Shafir brought a bed of nails into the ring, and it was the challenger who first felt its impact through a Paradigm Shift, going head-first onto the spikes.
The Death Riders’ involvement felt constant and overwhelming. It suffocated the match, and, just went you thought they’d been taken out, there were more. Nevertheless, the power struggle wasn’t going to last forever. Shafir had a plan stunted by Prince Nana, and then it came. Swerve Strickland arrived. He handed a chain, which had been left in his locker room after their meeting on Collision, back to Page and made the choice to support his former rival.
With urgency, Hangman tried to wrap it around the neck of the champion, and the struggle put Moxley in position for another Buckshot Lariat, landing flat on the bed of nails he had brought into play. Then, exactly as he had done at Revolution 2023, Page threw his opponent over the top rope and hanged him by the chain. Alone, isolated, and struggling to breathe, Moxley had nowhere to go. When faced with there being no one left to save him, he realised he’d been overpowered, he had to let go. He tapped. We had a new champion. After everything, Adam Page had done it.
What’s meant for you will find its way back. You may have times of uncertainty or darkness, you may lose your way, but the success you’re meant to find will present itself if you persevere through the tough times. Hangman is one of the first names most think of when they picture AEW’s main event scene, but three years passed in which he hardly had a consistent run at the top of the card, this story wasn’t even meant for him. Yet, in the end, it had to be.
Page, who’d been reluctant to accept his label as AEW’s true hero, being the one to restore light to the company after it’d been consumed an overwhelming darkness just felt right. It wasn’t like fans were just happy to see The Death Riders fall, there was real joy over seeing a beloved babyface finally return to the top. The reign was over, the belt was freed, and redemption had been won.
When Hangman retrieved the title from the briefcase that’d been keeping it hidden, his tears represented what true heroes looked like. They weren’t heartless like Moxley wanted them to be. They cried, they showed vulnerability, they were fragile. In a world that’s so full of hate, hostility and chaos, All Elite Wrestling delivered big by reminding us all that any evil can be conquered by empathy, compassion and determination.
