Former AEW World Champion Hangman Page never fails to express his hatred towards the current champion, Swerve Strickland. ‘Hangman’ believes that his arch-rival should have never won the title and he feels that their beef could be settled if he could erase Swerve’s name from the history books.
Page recently spoke to Paste Magazine about a number of topics including their personal feud with Strickland. During the interview, Page emphasized that his persona is inseparable from his real-life identity. He described the trauma of Strickland breaking into his home, leading him and his family to leave the house they cherished. Page has now vowed to erase Strickland’s name from wrestling history, saying:
“He should never have won it. He shouldn’t have it today. He shouldn’t have it tomorrow. It should be mine. If it were mine, I would do everything that I could to erase his name from history of all wrestling from this planet. What would “settle it” would be that, for me to erase him from history altogether, to let his name disappear into the wind and let him be nothing, nothing to anyone else. To solve it would be for him to drop to his knees in front of me and beg for my mercy. On his knees, begging for my mercy. I would never give it, but he should beg for it.”
Hangman Page’s crowning achievement
Page expressed a deep personal connection to the AEW World Championship. It’s been a little over a couple of years since he dropped. He labeled it “one of the crowning achievements” of his life. He feels the title has strayed from its true meaning since he lost it.
Bryan Danielson will challenge Swerve Strickland for the title at this weekend’s AEW All In: London. ‘The American Dragon’ has put his career on the line for the title match. When asked if Danielson’s potential victory could restore the meaning, Hangman said:
“He is a fantastic wrestler. He’s one of the best to have ever lived, and admittedly, he doesn’t have long left, and he’s okay with the idea of this being it. I just want to draw a stark contrast to maybe how he feels about that championship and how I feel about it. I’m not okay never holding it again. I’m not okay with it in the hands of the person that it’s in. I would not be okay walking away from this in the state that things are in right now. And if that’s how [Danielson] feels about it, about the championship, about the World champion, I can’t say that I have any respect at all for that.”
Hangman Page acknowledged the connection he’s built with fans but he doesn’t want their support if they don’t actively oppose Strickland. He also harbors resentment toward the Elite and held them responsible for his suspension, which allowed Strickland to win the championship. He said:
“…maybe I created some kind of a connection, especially in the beginning of AEW, with certain fans, you know. I don’t know. And if they are with me on this ride that I am on now, then I do appreciate it. But unless they’re willing to attack [Swerve] in the parking lot, unless they’re willing to call out what he did for what it is, and not acknowledge him at all as a champion, then I don’t want their support.”
He added:
“Had it not been for them, I would have never been suspended. They could have fought that. I stuck up for them. So many times they stuck up for me too, but this last time they could have stuck up for me and I would have not been suspended. [Swerve] would have never won the World championship and right now, to me, that is unforgivable. I don’t know that it can be forgiven. But I’m not really worried about [the Elite] right now.”
On last night’s AEW Dynamite Page announced that he will enter the Casino gauntlet match at this Sunday’s All In. As he begins his quest to reclaim his title, winning the match will earn him a AEW World title shot in the future.
