AEW fans have spent weeks wondering what happened to Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland after both stars suddenly disappeared from television. Even more surprising, neither former world champion is scheduled to appear at AEW Redemption—but that doesn’t mean they’re sitting on the sidelines for long.
According to Fightful Select, AEW already has creative plans in place for both Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland heading into AEW All In, despite neither man being advertised for tonight’s pay-per-view.
“There is creative planned for both Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland heading in to AEW All In, despite not being advertised for Redemption.”
This comes after both stars quietly vanished from AEW programming without any real explanation. Page hasn’t been seen since the July 11 episode of Collision, where he returned to deliver one of the most emotional promos of his career following his loss to MJF at Revolution. With the stipulation preventing him from ever challenging for the AEW World Championship again, Hangman accepted his fate instead of looking for a way around it, admitting he no longer knew who he was without chasing the title before teasing a fresh start by setting his sights on AEW’s other championships.
Then… nothing. Despite ending that promo by making it clear he was ready to begin a new chapter, Hangman hasn’t wrestled, appeared, or even been mentioned on AEW television since.
Strickland’s disappearance has been just as noticeable. Swerve hasn’t appeared on AEW TV since losing to Will Ospreay in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Final at Forbidden Door back in June. Like Hangman, he simply dropped off television, leaving fans wondering whether AEW was intentionally keeping him off TV or saving him for something bigger.
Now it looks like they have their answer. The report doesn’t reveal exactly what AEW has planned, but confirming that creative is already mapped out for both men heading into All In is a strong indication that neither absence is accidental. With Wembley Stadium set to host AEW’s biggest show of the year on August 31, the company is playing the long game with two of its biggest stars.
That means Hangman and Swerve may miss Redemption—but don’t expect them to stay out of the spotlight for much longer.
How do you think AEW should bring Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland back before All In? Let us know in the comments below.
