Hangman Adam Page Vs. Swerve Strickland Announced For AEW WrestleDream PPV

In what will arguably be the biggest pay-per-view match of his career, Swerve Strickland will come face-to-face with former AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page at WrestleDream on October 1. The match was made official on last night's "AEW Dynamite" after Strickland issued the challenge to Page, who had just defeated Strickland's Mogul Embassy affiliate Brian Cage in a singles bout.

Just as Page prepared to answer Strickland's challenge, he was ambushed by Cage, until The Young Bucks saved their Elite stablemate from the beatdown and then ran off Cage and Prince Nana from the ring. An irate Strickland looked on from the top of the ramp as the announcers confirmed Strickland versus Page for WrestleDream. 

The rivalry between Page and Strickland began two weeks ago when the two men had a heated exchange in the ring that ended with Page getting laid out by Mogul Embassay. During their exchange, Strickland brought up the fact that Page was positioned as AEW's "franchise player" when the promotion started in 2019, and has since been handed countless opportunities that someone like him hasn't been afforded. 

Strickland proclaimed that he'd have already been AEW's first Black World Champion if given the same opportunities as The Elite member and that he was tired of waiting around for his turn. The segment was widely praised by fans and wrestling pundits alike, with many calling it Strickland's best piece of work under the AEW banner. 

As of this writing, the only other confirmed match for WrestleDream is Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. In the meantime, several titles, including MJF's AEW World Championship and Saraya's AEW Women's World Championship, will be defended on next week's "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam" television special which will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.