“Hangman” Adam Page is currently sitting on top of the professional wrestling world as the reigning AEW Men’s World Champion. Fresh off a grueling and successful title defense against his bitter rival Maxwell Jacob Friedman this past Sunday at Forbidden Door in London, the champion has proven his mettle time and time again inside the squared circle. His reign has been defined by grit, determination, and spectacular matches that have kept AEW fans on the edge of their seats.

While his in-ring work speaks for itself, Page is also proving to be a thoughtful champion outside of the ropes. In a recent statement, he explained his specific choice of words when referring to his title, revealing a deliberate effort to help create and maintain a sense of equality between the men’s and women’s divisions in All Elite Wrestling.

An Important Distinction

For Page, the decision to add the word “Men’s” to the AEW World Championship is a conscious effort to place it on the same level as the AEW Women’s World Championship. He believes that not specifying the gender for the men’s title while doing so for the women’s title inadvertently implies a hierarchy.

“It’s an important distinction because it does put them on the same level,” Page told Bleacher Report. “Our women’s roster in AEW is incredible. They are just as, and in many cases, more talented than many on the men’s roster.”

Putting Divisions on Equal Footing

The champion elaborated on his perspective, noting the strong connection the female competitors have with AEW fans. He feels the way the championships are named should reflect how the talent is presented on television.

“I think our fans connect with them in a way just as equally as they do with us,” he explained. “To have two divisions, a men’s and a women’s division, but to have to call one by the Women’s World Championship and the other as if it’s the more important one, you don’t make the distinction. I feel like that’s not how we present our rosters on television, so why should we refer to the championships in that way either?”

Page added, “I’d like to think at least that we don’t present the men and women as being on different playing fields in AEW.”

Hoping For A Change

This isn’t just a personal quirk for Page; he hopes the terminology catches on throughout the company and beyond. He sees it as a small but meaningful step toward reinforcing the equal stature of all competitors.

“It’s just a personal choice that I hope other people take up, and I’ve noticed it happening a little bit and I hope that continues,” he said.

With another major title defense now behind him, the question turns to who will step up next to challenge the champion. We will likely find out who the next challenger is for “Hangman” Adam Page this Wednesday on Dynamite.

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