The rise of Strickland, the fall of Page: AEW's greatest rivalry

In an AEW landscape often criticized for its lack of coherent storytelling and focus on "dream matches" over proper feuds, one rivalry stands out as undeniable: Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page.

Their ongoing saga, which began on the September 6, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite, has been a focal point of AEW programming, helping elevate Strickland to main-event stardom and setting up a highly anticipated match at All Out this Saturday, their fourth in the series.

However, it was an incident during the September 3, 2024, episode of Dynamite, almost a year to the day of their first encounter, that took the feud to unprecedented levels. Earlier that day, Strickland revealed he'd purchased his childhood home in Washington state, a dream come true for the Tacoma native. This news immediately sparked speculation among fans, who recalled Strickland's intrusion into Page’s home in October 2023, where he harassed Page’s children and left one of his shirts in his baby’s crib.

As many expected, Page responded in kind. During what was supposed to be a contract signing for their match at All Out, Page instead took a detour to Strickland's newly purchased childhood home—with matches and lighter fluid in hand. Page then burned the house down while Strickland, 2,000 miles away in Milwaukee, watched from the arena.

While Page is recognized as the heel in the feud, it is hard not to justify his actions at least a little bit. After all, Swerve harassed his family on numerous occasions and even broke into his house, so this could very well be seen as a good measure of payback from the Virginia native for all the torture that was bestowed upon him for the past year or so.

Page’s descent into madness has been particularly compelling. What began as Strickland’s demand for the spotlight quickly became Page’s undoing, as his sanity unwound more and more after every jab thrown his way, physically and mentally. Their clash at "AEW Revolution" 2024, a triple threat match that also featured AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, saw Page seemingly throw the match, allowing Joe to choke him out rather than giving Strickland a victory.

Since then, Page's desire to turn the tables on Swerve and ruin his life, just like he ruined his, has turned into a borderline obsession. After multiple failed attempts to even get a title match with Strickland after he finally won the AEW World Championship, Page ended up assisting Bryan Danielson in winning the title at All In, thus reigniting his feud with Strickland.

Now, ahead of their Lights Out Steel Cage Match which is slated to main event "All Out" on Saturday, it is pretty safe to call Swerve and Hangman's rivalry the greatest rivalry in AEW history. While it faces some steep competition, namely with CM Punk and MJF's rivalry from late 2021 and early 2022, no feud in AEW history has reached this level of personal attacks, match quality and intricate storytelling from both sides as this one while lasting as long as it has without feeling stale.

Whether their story ends at "All Out" or continues beyond, the feud has elevated both competitors. Page, once seen as a reluctant hero, has evolved into a sympathetic yet vengeful heel. Strickland, meanwhile, has solidified his place in AEW’s main-event scene, with this rivalry catalyzing his rise to becoming a household name, even helping earn him a lucrative contract extension.

As AEW heads into its second pay-per-view in only two weeks, the conclusion of this feud promises to leave a lasting impact on both men's careers and the promotion’s legacy.