'Hangman' Adam Page Controversy: The Idea vs. The Man

Intertwined: the Character and the Man

Respecting and recognising that, even with this statement, some fans’ perception, respect, and/or love for Page will never be the same again feels like a rare acceptance of the situation. Something that statements made by others in wrestling and the wider public sphere have been accused of failing to express.

Yet, I mention this not to draw a comparison but to highlight the fatal flaw of whataboutism. Some can and will point fingers at other wrestlers’ alleged or proven actions to divert attention. It doesn’t change accountability. The false equivalency that promotes tribalism and polarisation changes nothing.

Some have/would argue that Page is not the one accused. Therefore, he has done nothing wrong on a human level. That mirroring of the character, who in fiction burned down his nemesis’s house, and live fans gasp and think the Hangman might maim Swerve Strickland, doing nothing wrong.

It adds complication because when discussing any wrestler, or public figure, for that matter, who transgresses against a group’s moral culture, we’re dealing with two intertwined layers. The idea of the person created by their character in the media and public space, and the human behind the character.

What Makes a Cowboy a Modern, Relatable Hero?

Where one ends and the other begins is hard for us as audiences to tell. Some, like with the legacy of Hulk Hogan, prove divisive because heroes are constructs. Some fans will choose the art over the artist, but this is more than cognitive dissonance. It’s about  recognising and trying to separate the art from the artist.

This is the Fallacy of Disconnection. Rarely can you separate the two. The public mask is welded and built into the wearer’s skin. They are interlinked and cannot be separated. To do so is to minimise or place out of sight, to forget it, which is used by some as a means of protecting their own sense of interlinked identity.

“Hangman” Adam Page means more to many AEW fans than just being the promotion’s main character. Page’s uniqueness as a character and the perceptions of the man behind the persona, based on comments in promos, interviews, and infrequent social media posts, represent a progressive view of wrestling some fans identify with. Me included.

A bias on the table, Page is my favourite wrestler in AEW and of the modern age. I’ve written countless analytical pieces inspired by Page from AEW’s showcasing of modern masculinity, Page’s mirroring arcs of imposter syndrome and relapse into anxiety and anger, and more.

The Idea vs. The Man

In a world of bravado, bombastic, over-the-top characters, played by wrestlers pretending to be superhuman or idealised archetypes, Page in AEW has felt real. Zagging rather than zigging to the traditional rhythms of getting over, the Hangman’s approach to becoming a fan-favourite involved patience and nuance. A willingness to appear weak and unguarded, to play an imposter.

There’s a phrase some old-school wrestling personalities like Bruce Prichard use about guys who play-act, pretending to be a wrestler. They try to walk the walk. They try to be the role, but they come across as fake and inauthentic. Acting. Page subverted that by committing to something few wrestlers do without either humour or irony: look weak. It flies in the face of wrestling’s tradition of being myths rather than men.

Alongside Page’s progressiveness, Page represents for many a light in the shady and still warped morality of wrestling. For some, reconciling that a feminist hero who openly supports women’s rights and equity remains friends with someone accused of irreparably harming a woman’s body and power, doesn’t/can’t mesh.

That clash between the public persona advocating and representing victims’ rights for some will feel undermined and hollow. Especially given Page’s private choice to support, in some capacity, an accused victimiser. Page cannot control his perception of himself or the ideals he represents to fans. We, as fans, have the power to decide and judge for ourselves the more important line: the one between the idea of who we think/want Page to be and the real-life man.

Not as Simple as Hero Worship is Flawed

We and our culture construct heroes based on our shared beliefs and morals. Collectively, we turn people into ideas. Those ideas become simplified. Heroes become monomyths, placed on pedestals and idealised. This isn’t about suggesting fault or blame. Rather, it’s an aspect of human nature and storytelling. Humans streamline and simplify complexity. The problem with this simplification is that complexity is reduced from grey to black & white. Binaries: good and bad guys.

Yet, reality isn’t so simple. It’s not as simple as saying: don’t meet your heroes. Don’t put them on pedestals. Don’t have high standards. We can choose how we judge those in the public eye. Human beings are flawed, but what you do with that information is a personal choice.

Otto English’s history book, Fake Heroes, explores how beloved figures for some, like John F. Kennedy or Mother Teresa, have been airbrushed and inflated legacies, pushing aside darker, uncomfortable moral or character failings. Figures like Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi have been reevaluated for their racist beliefs. Does this change their historical significance and roles? No.

Nuance doesn’t have to be excusatory in the pursuit of truth. You must first acknowledge that truth has more than two sides; balance isn’t inherent. Different forms of hurt and harm aren’t equal. Page isn’t comparable to Scrull due to their private friendship. Yet, for those deeply connected with Page’s ideas, the hurt can be real and deep.

In wrestling, I’ve argued elsewhere that retribution and restoration are possible, but require immense effort and hard work. Regardless, forgiveness is out of the wrongdoer’s power. Ultimately and individually, with Page or any other controversial figure, we judge based on our ethics and moral lines. Whether you consider their humanity or capacity for errors is complex. It’s not a one-size-fits-all model. It’s personal.