Welcome to the AEW Full Gear 2024 PPVPreview presented by GrapPro.com
We will be previewing all matches from the pay per view this week.
To find all AEW Full 2024 PPVPreview’s click here.
To find AEW Full Gear 2023 Predictions and Preview click here.
Hangman Adam Page versus Switchblade Jay White
At WrestleDream 2024, Jay White and Adam Page had an absolutely fantastic match. It was one of my favourite matches of the year. It was pure wrestling bliss. Offensive strategy, defensive strategy, limb work, taking advantage of mistakes, it was everything I look forward to in a pro wrestling match. Two of my favourite pro wrestlers going today went toe to toe and it did not disappoint.
Wish I could say the same about the build to their rematch.
Why is this rematch happening? AEW hasn’t really done a great job establishing that. Jay White feels like he has Page’s number and Page has responded by… getting the upper hand when he gets attacked by members of the Bang Bang Gang?
I’m completely understanding that when a major heel is an asshole that the crowd is good with them getting doubled on because it feels less like an unfair fight and more like just desserts. But Page… lost at WrestleDream. He didn’t beat Jay White. Jay won the match. He has the upper hand. Why is this feud now just about them being irritated enough with each other to do a rematch?
It’s frustrating because I’ve been looking forward to these two feuding in AEW for years. I’ve talked at great length at what the program could have meant from their days in NJPW and now to AEW both as former World Champions (Jay in NJPW, Adam in AEW) essentially having this program to say, “We’re just as good as the main event” and it’s true in ring. It isn’t really true based on the time they’ve received to build this program up. Which is too bad because the November Rain video made the feud feel gigantic.
The Jay White vs Hangman part of the video.
— Phoenix: BABYFACE JAY WHITE !! 😭😭😭 🏳️🌈 (@PhoenixJustice) November 17, 2024
I had to clip it. <3 pic.twitter.com/aEWVId71ds
Jay and Adam are both good talkers. Honestly, Adam Page is one of the best promos in all of professional wrestling. He isn’t getting that time to talk people into this program. They got a few shows left and we absolutely need a killer promo by Adam Page to remind everyone he is the protagonist of All Elite Wrestling, even when he’s hated. Jay White needs a chance to remind everyone that turning him babyface was the right move and he’s got to have other things to look forward to.
This program absolutely screams holding pattern for both men and it just peels the fingernails off for me because it could be so much more. This could be similar to Swerve and Page. It could be that quality. You just can’t get there if you don’t have time, and you don’t get there if things don’t make sense.
Hangman Page shouldn’t be limping around and being annoying to Jay White. He should be absolutely wrecking the Bang Bang Gang. He should be choking Jay out within an inch of his life and setting up a submission match at Full Gear. I didn’t want to talk about this match too early in case they did add a stipulation. It looks like they are just going with a rematch which definitely tells you how much they care about this program.
1 year ago today in the infamous main event of Full Gear, MJF defeated Jay White to retain the AEW World Championship.
— Drainmaker 🌧️ 💵 (@DrainBamager) November 18, 2024
This cutter spot in a vaccum was pretty INSANE. pic.twitter.com/cnFazMnNyO
You would think Jay White would be motivated right now to erase the bad taste some people still have in their mouths about Full Gear 2023. That match with Maxwell Jacob Friedman should have been a big moment for his career in AEW and instead it was so over gimmicked some people have even said it was the match that took them out of AEW. Those gimmicks took away from how hard both men tried to work in the match. Jay had a good Continental Classic to reverse his fortunes after that, but it was only a year ago. Some want to see more out of Jay White.
I sincerely hope that Dynamite tomorrow night provides us with something to care more about this match, because otherwise? Just blow it off at Full Gear. No sense going all the way to World’s End if they don’t care about it. Get both men in new programs. Jay White can win and go fight Jon Moxley later or have him chase a championship. Adam Page can win and set his sights on getting revenge on Darby Allin or entering the Continental Classic.
(I have a fantasy booking in my head of Adam Page winning the Continental Classic and then treating the Continental Championship similar to Tetsuya Naito with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Just have him throw around and abuse the belt while proving every week he should be the top guy in the company. Make it his protest championship. Let him be feared.)
There’s a common discourse about All Elite Wrestling which I try hard not to get stuck into. That’s ignoring the good you got for the great you wish you got. The missed expectations and hope for better ending up dominating your feelings on the promotion when what you have in front of you is still pretty good. This program is fine for the mid to upper midcard. It’s going to result in another really great pay per view match which I’m sure I’ll absolutely adore.
But it should be so much more. It should be! Sorry. It should be. It isn’t. But it should be.
