All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will crown its first-ever champion on August 31st in Chicago as Chris Jericho and “Hangman” Adam Page square off for the AEW title at All Out.
Adam Page made his debut in AEW by winning the Casino Battle Royale, dubbed The Buy In, as part of the preshow for AEW’s first PPV, Double or Nothing. Page was the last contestant to enter the ring as the wild card entrant after receiving the Joker card. Page was originally scheduled to face PAC, formerly Neville in WWE, in singles competition, however AEW changed plans when “creative differences” between the company and PAC could not be resolved.
It has been speculated that PAC was unwilling to lose any match while he was still the world champion of Dragon Gate promotion. It was Page’s victory at Double or Nothing that has afforded him the title shot that some professional wrestlers wait their entire lives for. Had it not been for the “creative differences” between AEW and PAC, Page might not be in a position to potentially win the title August 31st at All Out.
Hangman followed up his dominant showing at Double or Nothing with an impressive effort against Jungle Boy, MJF, and Jimmy Havoc in an everyman for himself 4-way match at FyterFest. This match resulted in yet another victory for Page.
This victory gave Page an unblemished 2-0 record in his brief stint with AEW and put the rest of the promotion on notice. Page kept his unbeaten streak intact with a victory over Kip Sabian at Fight for the Fallen on July 13th from Jacksonville Florida. At the conclusion of the match with Sabian, a masked marauder presumed, at the time, to be from the Dark Order brutally attacked Page. After a vicious codebreaker was administered to Page the assailant removed his mask to reveal his true identity was, in fact, Chris Jericho. This turn of events has certainly upped the ante for the title match between these two at All Out. The stage is now set for two of the biggest stars of AEW to face off for the crown jewel of the company, the championship title.
Now that you are caught up to date on Adam Page’s recent activities, let’s take a look at who he is and what makes him tick.
Adam Page was born Stevie Woltz in Virginia of 1991. The 28-year-old entered the world of professional wrestling in 2008. Page was able to carve out a name for himself by claiming the Carolina Wrestling Federation (CFW) Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship, Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship as well as the Premiere Wrestling Xperience (PWX) Tag Team Championship during his time in various regional promotions. His ascent through the ranks began in earnest in 2011 in Ring of Honor (ROH) at the ROH Champions vs All Stars.
Adam Page and Cedric Alexander were defeated by Bobby Shields and Orion Bishop during a non televised match that helped propel Page into the ROH spotlight. 2017 was the year in which Adam Page would realize his professional dream of winning his first ROH championship when he and Matt and Nick Jackson defeated Dalton Castle and The Boys to claim the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Page had the fortune to be part of some of the most influential stables in professional wrestling including: The Decade, Bullet Club, and The Elite during his formative years in professional wrestling.
Prior to wrestling full time, Page had a very different occupation. Page was a high school teacher in his home state of Virginia. Describing the balance between being a full time educator and an aspiring wrestler Page notes “I taught graphic design and journalism classes for five years in Halifax County, Virginia. Teaching was a great experience, but it was pretty brutal to wrestle Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, get together lesson plans, and then teach the next week. I’m glad I was fortunate enough to pursue wrestling full-time, but I like the idea of going back one day.” Page was a communication major with an emphasis on film, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech at just 19 years of age. Through hard work and perseverance, Page was able to not only subsist but flourish in the wrestling business which ultimately meant the end of his teaching career, at least for the time being.
Chris Jericho began his in ring career with AEW by not only headlining the company’s first event, but by claiming a convincing victory over Kenny Omega in the process. The winner of the Omega vs. Jericho match earned the right to face the winner of the Casino Battle Royale, Adam Page, at All Out for the AEW Heavyweight Championship.This victory set in motion a chain of events which will come to a nasty conclusion on August 31st.
Adam Page and Chris Jericho began the collision course they are on by winning their respective AEW debut matches at Double or Nothing. Since that time each competitor has upped their game in anticipation of claiming AEW’s brass ring. On August 31st, Hangman Page will put his 3-0 AEW streak on the line against Chris Jericho to decide the inaugural AEW Championship at All Out from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago Illinois. The bad blood has been brewing between these two for the past few months with each man looking for a signature win in the main event at All Out.
Adam Page looks to cement his legacy by being the first ever AEW champion, a task he knows will not be simple yet he states that, physically, he is up to the task.
Who will be victorious is anyone’s guess but the bad blood between these two competitors is surely a recipe for a fantastic championship match.Page spoke of the whirlwind of events from his signing with AEW to the upcoming title shot at All Out.
Will Page’s “Buckshot Lariat” prevail or will the “Judas Effect” finally break the unbeaten streak Page will carry into the Sears Centre? Win or lose I expect this feud to last well beyond All Out.
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