Adam Page Opens Up About Fear That He'd Peaked After This AEW Milestone

Though he's since regained the world title, there were a couple of years where it seemed that AEW star "Hangman" Adam Page had lost some of his self-confidence. Speaking to Sports Illustrated ahead of his big win at AEW All In, Page went into detail regarding the anxieties he dealt with after losing the AEW World Championship to CM Punk at Double or Nothing 2022.

"I think for a long time, there was a large part of me, very genuinely, that was afraid deep down that I had achieved the most I would ever achieve in this career," Page said. "I'd maybe achieve some other things but that was the highest of highs and it was all downhill from here. And I was afraid that I would never become world champion again. That was a very genuine thing that I felt."

That feeling was reflected in Page's wrestling story arc as he began to take on more heelish character traits. Looking back, Page doesn't believe he's on a "redemption arc," as there's no taking back what he did, such as burning down the childhood home of Swerve Strickland or ending the career of Christopher Daniels.

"I did that out of hate and anger," Page said regarding Daniels. "I can't undo that, so for me, this is just deciding to choose a different path forward."

Following his victory at All In, Page appeared on Wednesday's "AEW Dynamite," speaking to the crowd to open the show before teaming with Mark Briscoe and Powerhouse Hobbs against Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta. The episode ended with Page pinning Castagnoli and hitting another Buckshot Lariat against Moxley.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Sports Illustrated with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.