Welcome to the AEW All Out 2024 PPVPreview presented by GrapPro.com
We will be previewing all matches from the pay per view this week as they are announced.
To find all AEW All Out PPVPreview’s click here.
To find the AEW All In 2024 PPVPreview’s click here.
Lights Out Unsanctioned
Steel Cage Match
Swerve Strickland versus Hangman Page
It was the Zero Hour for All Out 2023. AEW held an Over Budget Battle Charity Royale with the winner getting $50,000 to give to charity. The final three men of the match were Toa Liona, Brian Cage, and Hangman Adam Page. Hangman would hit a Buckshot on Toa then eliminate him, only to be in the ring with former rival Brian Cage. Hangman would hit a Deadeye on Cage on the apron to eliminate him.
At the time it felt like All Elite Wrestling had absolutely no clue what to do with Hangman Page he now had to win Battle Royales for charity money in the pre-show. A far cry from being AEW Men’s World Champion like the year prior.
What we didn’t know is this would be the beginning of arguably the greatest feud in AEW history, as Hangman Page didn’t just eliminate Toa Liona and Brian Cage. He beat two members of the Mogul Embassy. The Mogul Embassy led by Swerve Strickland.
WrestleDream
Strickland called Hangman Page as being a mascot and said he was ashamed for him. Strickland pointed out he was a cornerstone of the company back in 2019 anointed to be a franchise player and accomplished much of it, winning the Men’s World Championship. Swerve questioned if Hangman even wanted the spotlight anymore. He accused Hangman of getting comfortable, sitting in the backseat with the Elite in the driver seat.
“If I had the opportunities you’d be handed I would be the first black AEW World Champion by now.”
Swerve warned Hangman Page that if he decided to fight him that Swerve had zero empathy and he’d walk Hangman like a dog. Hangman Page didn’t respond with a passionate promo. He ended up walking away from Swerve after saying he’d take a match. Swerve got Hangman back to the ring by mentioning his wife and kids, all just to get Brian Cage to sneak attack Hangman. The first time Swerve made it personal.
Hangman would wrestle Brian Cage leading to WrestleDream in Seattle, Washington. Swerve’s playground. Swerve’s House.
The two would have a contract signing (funny later) and in it Swerve Strickland said he would never become the wrestler Hangman Page is. “What’s a Farmer to a Mogul? What’s a Cowboy to an Outlaw? What’s a Buckshot to a Killshot?”
Page ended up thanking Swerve Strickland for speaking truths about his career and mentioned a black cloud over his head he couldn’t get rid of. Swerve would later say it wasn’t a personal thing, he just saw a spot he wanted. Page would end up saying Swerve Strickland couldn’t fill his boots, the one comment that led to Swerve slapping Page.
I go over this because this is just the beginning of the program and it ends up defining it up to this point. Swerve Strickland said he’d never become the wrestler Hangman Page is, but he would later become AEW Men’s World Champion and have a title reign similar to Page’s, fighting some of the same wrestlers (Bryan Danielson) and often taking on fan favourites and dealing with boos for it (Adam Cole in Florida and CM Punk for Hangman Page, Will Ospreay for Swerve Strickland) and have a title reign constantly questioned on if bigger stars are taking the spotlight of the champion.
Swerve also said it wasn’t a personal thing. Funny that.
Full Gear
Swerve Strickland would end up defeating Hangman Adam Page at WrestleDream, but it came with Prince Nana putting Swerve’s foot on the ropes after a Buckshot Lariat. Swerve Strickland didn’t beat Hangman Page clean, but he still beat him. Seattle was firmly behind Swerve Strickland, and it opened up the eyes of other AEW fans to also be into Swerve Strickland.
Page and Strickland wouldn’t put the feud behind them. After interferences in each other’s matches, costing opportunities (Mogul Embassy beat Hangman and the Young Bucks for the ROH Six Man Championship at some point), and generally not letting things go, it led to them being announced for a rematch at Full Gear. This would be Texas Death.
Despite being a Virginia boy, Hangman Page had essentially turned Texas Death into his signature match, no different to Darby Allin turning the Coffin match into his. Hangman defended the AEW Men’s World Championship against Lance Archer and Adam Cole in Texas Death matches, as well as beating Jon Moxley at Revolution in 2023.
What made it more than personal? Swerve Strickland entering Hangman Page’s home while his wife and child were there and he wasn’t. It was in this that Swerve said Hangman had to pay him a debt for costing him championship opportunities, and if he doesn’t pay up, it’ll be on Hangman’s child to do so instead.
Hangman would attack Swerve in a rage after that moment, leading to the two having a confrontation in the ring with Tony Schiavone having to be in the middle.
Because Swerve got personal, Hangman got personal back. He talked about Swerve’s fiancé leaving him and kids not wanting to talk to him. Hangman Page would make it clear he had no interest having charges filed against Strickland because Texas Death he’d be Swerve’s judge, jury, and executioner in the match.
There were two interesting things that happened in this confrontation. The first was Hangman essentially playing the antagonist to Swerve. While it could be believed he was doing it out of anger, his comments sounded less like a babyface in anger and more a heel telling an underdog they wouldn’t overcome. The second was Page attacking Prince Nana, who the fans absolutely adored. Even if Nana was a heel manager and was part of the break in, the fans loved him. Beating up the dancing man who bought weed from fans? It isn’t a way to get the fans onto your side.
No matter how heinous and awful Swerve Strickland got to Hangman Page, the fans had suddenly taken a liking to him. The golden rule in pro wrestling, no matter how many don’t listen, is that it doesn’t matter how awful of a person you are. If the fans take your side? You are not the villain. You can save orphanages from closing. If the fans boo? You’re the heel. You can be the one to close the orphanage. If they cheer? You’re the babyface.
At Full Gear, Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page did the unthinkable. At the time, the Texas Death between Page and Jon Moxley felt like the best match of the year, or certainly the best Texas Death. At Full Gear, they matched it, and in some ways surpassed it. Brian Cage did make a run-in ensuring Swerve Strickland didn’t do this clean. Prince Nana would interfere again, only to be put through a table with a Deadeye. But that distraction was enough for Swerve to hit Page with a cinderblock then become THE HANGMAN to The Hangman. Hangman would get choked out by the chain on a 10 count and a star was born.
That star was Swerve Strickland.
Dynasty
It was clear after Full Gear that the fans were doing to Swerve Strickland what WWF fans did almost three decades ago with Stone Cold Steve Austin. They didn’t care how awful of a human being he was. He was cool. He was fresh. He was their guy.
Swerve Strickland faced “The Protagonist” of AEW in Hangman Page and took the crowd from him. And with much of the crowd firmly behind Swerve, Swerve would enter the Continental Classic. In the Classic, would make it to the semi final only to lose in the three way against Jon Moxley and Jay White. He was supposed to face Keith Lee at World’s End but would instead face his tag partner Dustin Rhodes. It was clear that in 2024, Swerve Strickland would be one of the biggest stars in AEW. He just needed that title opportunity.
Page and Strickland would meet again in Phoenix for a shot at the number one contendership and the match would end in a time limit draw. At this point Hangman Page had changed. A full mustache and a clear obsession with the way Strickland had beat him twice and now had the crowd. Hangman thought he did everything right, no different to Bret Hart back in 1997. It didn’t matter.
Page thought he kept Swerve from the AEW Men’s World Championship, a title he promised he’d never let Swerve touch. Both men would get entered in a match with Samoa Joe at Revolution, and just to ensure Swerve couldn’t be come champion? Page would tap out to Samoa Joe to give him the win. It was better to lose than give Swerve the opportunity to win.
Hangman would disappear for a few months after this, and we wouldn’t find out until later his wife was pregnant again. With Hangman out of the way, there was nobody to stop him to become AEW Men’s World Champion. And at Dynasty, Swerve Strickland fulfilled his destiny and became AEW Men’s World Champion.
All In
At the time, Swerve seemed determined to show he did a lot of bad things to get to where he was, but he didn’t want that to define who he was. He quickly tried to establish himself as a fighting champion, taking on Kyle Fletcher in an eliminator on the first Dynamite as champion. He faced Claudio on Collision soon after, and after the Mogul Embassy turned on him (Prince Nana stayed loyal), he would take on Brian Cage and later Nick Wayne, a man who he brutalized a year ago. Strickland would defend the AEW Men’s World Championship against Christian Cage at Double or Nothing.
Strickland would also defend against Roderick Strong, before having to take on Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door. Ospreay, an old friend of Strickland’s, had won a Casino Gauntlet to face him despite Ospreay being the AEW International Champion. A lot of people thought it was destiny for Ospreay to win the AEW World Championship at All In, so facing Swerve already was a surprise.
Strickland played it nice with Will, only to make it clear he had to show Will Ospreay he wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready to sacrifice the way Strickland had to sacrifice. Swerve lost everything except Prince Nana to become AEW Men’s World Champion. What was Ospreay willing to give up? Ospreay proved he couldn’t to everything it took to win, and Strickland defended the championship.
It was after Forbidden Door that Hangman Page would return to enter the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. This year the winner got a shot at the AEW Men’s World Champion at All In and Hangman Page hadn’t forgot how Swerve ruined his career. Page would defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay White en route to the final. Page cut a hell of a promo which people felt like was a promo you’d make if you were definitely going to the main event of Wembley Stadium.
Page unfortunately would lose to Bryan Danielson in the final, thanks to Jeff Jarrett sticking his head in the situation. Kept away from the loss, Hangman Page would take up The Elite’s offer to join Blood and Guts against Team AEW, led by Swerve Strickland.
In the match, Page went psycho on Swerve Strickland, and had to be threatened by the Young Bucks with a firing to finally bring Swerve into the ring. Team AEW would win by threatening to set Jack Perry on fire, meaning Hangman Page was once again denied his chance at proper revenge against Swerve.
Swerve Strickland now had to focus on Bryan Danielson, who Swerve decided to try and antagonize the way he antagonized Hangman Page. Swerve no longer cared trying to prove he wasn’t the man who did everything he could to get to his spot. He now wanted to keep it. Having to remind Will Ospreay what it takes to keep the championship reminded Swerve of the man he needs to be.
In the Casino Gauntlet at All In, Hangman Page seemed a favourite but his issues with Jeff Jarrett led to him eating a guitar shot and having to watch Christian Cage win the match. Once again, over and over, Hangman Page can’t finish his opportunities.
Strickland would face Danielson who had now put his career on the line in the challenge against Swerve Strickland. Strickland tried to make it personal by bringing up Danielson’s family, who were ringside at the match. Prince Nana even danced in their faces. Doing this got Danielson’s spirit up, turning the tide of the match and hitting a Busaiku Knee on Swerve.
Swerve brushed it off.
At this point it felt like Swerve Strickland was going to do what he did to everyone up to this point. He was right. He wasn’t like Hangman Page. He wasn’t like anyone. He was one of a kind and staying Men’s World Champion. And then Hangman Page interfered.
Just Hangman’s presence was enough for Swerve to be knocked off his game, and he barely got any offence on Danielson afterwards. Danielson would beat Swerve Strickland and become AEW Men’s World Champion. Hangman couldn’t prevent Swerve from winning the title, but he could be the reason for his downfall.
All Out
Swerve and Hangman came face to face after All In. It was here Swerve revealed that he knew Hangman’s wife was pregnant with his second child and that’s why he disappeared. Seeing this allowed Swerve to focus on the AEW Men’s World Championship.
Swerve pointed out that Hangman on the other hand can’t focus on anything, and that’s why he can’t win. It’s full circle to before WrestleDream, when Swerve was mocking Hangman for no longer being a franchise player, a cornerstone of the company. Back then he complained about a little dark cloud and now he is complaining about Swerve Strickland.
“I challenged you to show the world what Cowboy Shit was all about. And instead of trying to burn my world to the ground it’s your career going up in flames boy.”
Hangman would walk away from Swerve, much like tried to walk away the first time they came eye to eye in a challenge. Only this time? Hangman wasn’t walking away from the fight. He was preparing to make Swerve eat his words.
“Instead of trying to burn my world to the ground…”
This week, Swerve Strickland revealed his world. He purchased his childhood home. Watching Hangman Page once again walk away from him likely gave him too much confidence going into the cage match. He had nothing to lose he must have thought.
Hangman Page saw this and decided that yes, now is the time to burn Swerve Strickland’s world to the ground.
AEW set up a contract signing similar to WrestleDream almost a year prior. There would be no contract signing. There was no need. Hangman wasn’t at the ring. He was at Swerve’s House.
Hangman Page had said he wanted to burn Swerve Strickland’s world to the ground. He couldn’t beat him in four attempts (counting Blood and Guts) but now he has the momentum at All Out for their fifth encounter in a steel cage.
“Whose House? Swerve’s House” is now going to sound less like an endorsement of Swerve and instead a trigger of the memory of Hangman Page setting that childhood home on fire.
Swerve wanted to light a fire inside Page.
It’s the culmination of everything from the feud, from Swerve entering Hangman’s home and going right to his child’s crib to spying on Hangman as he took his wife to the hospital to give birth. Swerve said he didn’t need to make it personal but he did. He made it so personal he took a good man like Hangman Page and essentially broke him mentally.
As Excalibur said, Hangman Page can no longer believe he walks the righteous path, but that path was destroyed by Swerve Strickland. Swerve took everything from him and was rewarded for it. Hangman Page was once again suffering a cruel summer, maybe the worst of them all.
Until he defeats Swerve Strickland there is no hope and there is no peace for Hangman Page. He cannot move on. This cage match could potentially be the biggest match of his career, even bigger than the AEW Men’s World Championship match at Full Gear 2021 against Kenny Omega. If he can’t beat Swerve? If he can’t get beyond everything Swerve did, if he can’t exact revenge and ensure that the wrongs are righted? Hangman Page will never be the same. It will take a long time, probably much of the rest of the decade, to climb out of that hole.
As for Swerve Strickland? He’s a made man. Everything he said he wanted to do he did. Everything he said he could do he did. He got those opportunities and became the first black AEW Men’s World Champion. He defended the championship and demanded respect. He didn’t do it as a good guy. He didn’t do it as a hero. He did it as Swerve Strickland.
But for as high as he’s climbed, his past has often come to haunt him. Whether it be Nick Wayne in The Patriarchy or Brian Cage in the former Mogul Embassy, Swerve has had to answer for his crimes of the past. He hasn’t yet had to answer for Hangman Adam Page. He knows what he did. He knows how far he went and what that did to a man, and up to this week much like at All In he was able to just dust it off of his shoulder.
But the childhood home purchase was a symbol of Swerve’s success up to this point, more than even the AEW Men’s World Championship. It was his proof that his career wasn’t for nothing. He did make it to the top, and he was able to preserve his history forever due to it. And Hangman Page burned it to the ground.
Swerve wanted to light a fire inside Page.
That fire burned his childhood home down.
I don’t know what this match is going to be other than violent. I wanted Lights Out and I got it along with a steel cage match. It won’t matter to either man’s record, but it will matter to their legacy. Going forward both of these men are intertwined forever. Hangman drank his blood. I would not be surprised if Swerve drinks Hangman’s in Chicago. This may end up so vicious and brutal neither man wins even if one man walks out.
This is a blood feud. The only way to end it is to get that blood out. It makes sense to close the show, and ultimately, as much as it would have been great? It makes sense this didn’t headline Wembley Stadium. This needs an arena. Both of these men should be AEW Men’s World Champion in the near future, and this likely dictates who gets to it first.
Before they can? They have to enter a steel cage. Four walls and a door. With enough blood, sweat, and tears? Two people could certainly make it a home.
“Something inside of me
It screams the loudest sound
Sometimes I think I could
I’m gonna burn this whole world down”
