The sun is setting Samoa Joe’s time. Having held the world title so recently, one would think that he would be a solid contender for dethroning Hangman Page, and yet a resounding 94% of the staff think that Hangman will overcome the size and experience advantage that Joe brings and retain his AEW title.

It makes sense, after all, Page has become the franchise face that many expected him to become when AEW began in 2019. His two world title reigns have come from unseating Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley; you couldn’t ask for a star to be more “made” than Hangman Page, and the champion carries the responsibility admirably. He’s had some hiccups, especially in the build to the Kyle Fletcher match, but he always delivers in the ring, and fans seem to believe in him in a way that simply doesn’t happen much anymore. 

Yes, Hangman Page has burned down houses and drank his enemy’s blood, but at the end of the day, he’s as clean-cut a babyface as you get in the big 2025. This is a world of shades of gray, and antiheroes who are 10 years past their prime, and yet Page has found a way to feel like the right guy, at the right time, and while Joe might’ve swayed 6% of the staff, the rest seem to believe as hard as the AEW fans.

Written by Ross Berman