AEW’s much anticipated Full Gear PPV has been and gone, with fans rejoicing over the pay off for one of wrestling’s longest-term modern-day stories. Despite doubts about whether the company would successfully commit to pulling the trigger, all these worries were put to bed after the main event of the show.
Hangman’s Story Played Out For Over Two Years
The AEW World Championship was contested between the reigning champion, Kenny Omega, and his former friend, group member, and tag team partner, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. The history between the two had been built since way before AEW even began, but ramped up when they joined the company, both a part of The Elite. Hangman’s losses and failures caused a rift, but they persevered as Tag Team Champions, despite Hangman’s increased use of alcohol, unpredictability, and destructive personality.
Once they split, Omega turned to singles action, leaving Hangman behind. Omega would defeat Hangman at Full Gear 2020, climbing the ranks and eventually becoming AEW World Champion, beginning a year as the top heel in the company. Hangman would suffer setbacks, successes, battles with his own confidence, but eventually win the title at the same PPV one year later against Omega. This is all shortened massively, and certainly doesn’t serve the story well for what it is, but as a vague outline, those were the major points. Either way, this story was one that was played out for well over two years, something unseen in wrestling today, yet it worked wonderfully.
AEW Shows That Modern Wrestling Fans Will Invest In Long-Term Stories
Before AEW, the American wrestling audience had few high-profile alternatives to WWE. For many years fans had become accustomed to a particular way of storytelling, accepting it for what it was, with WWE themselves likely believing their way of putting on a wrestling show as the best way to do it. When it became clear that AEW were in the midst of telling a story that spanned for months and then years, some concerns were raised by both fans and haters.
A supposed belief that comes from the WWE system, including some dedicated fans, is that the modern audience isn’t suitable to observe and consume a long-term story and that at times the fans don't even know what they want. There is a belief that due to reduced attention span, the accessibility of quick content on phones, and busier lives, people don’t have the time or capacity to sit through a slow burn. When thinking about this logically, however, this is a poor take.
The wrestling audience, especially those in the key demo, are likely a fanbase who also watches shows on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, with some also being those to play games in which stories are key. They will watch TV shows that last season after season, containing the same characters who go on different journeys, paths, and development. (Spoiler Alert Ahead) This will be an audience in the same generation who sat through year upon year of watching Game of Thrones in their millions. It’s important to remember the outpouring of negativity when there was no long-term pay off by the final season, and how much of a dud the ending was. To say that fans can’t invest or even care in long-term stories is either an excuse to not put together an extended tale, or a complete misreading of a modern audience.
Hangman’s Faults Made Fans Root For Him Even More
The Hangman story was given the time it needed to explore the entire depth of a human being, with a development surrounding his flaws, remaining someone fans can sympathize with, cheer for when he overcomes his issues, with him having the resolve to not submit to an even darker path. His story is one of the importance of friendship and self-belief. It’s a story so simple at its core, yet so complex in its execution when produced effectively. Avoiding a convoluted story, but adding so many layers into it, allowed AEW to take all the time they needed to let the story breathe, and pay it off at the right moment.
This storyline showed that not every character in wrestling needs to be larger than life, like The Rock, John Cena, or Hulk Hogan, and that a focus on mental health, misgivings, and the flaws that everyday people go through is such an important way to tell a story that people can get behind. It's not all about relating to the audience, but when it is a character who people can share even the most minor of experiences with, it will create the ultimate babyface.
Wrestling is a world in which so much can change quickly, but if there is a particular goal in mind, everything will fall into place eventually. Having an idea of an ending is important to every and any story ever told, and AEW clearly had this mapped out for a long time. The fan response, fan involvement, and absolute joy when Hangman won the title proved that the wait was worth it, and so much sweeter after a long-term epic. The great thing about the future is that there are plenty of other avenues the next chapter will take.