Tony Khan wanted to make Hangman Page’s return feel like a big deal. Instead, a lot of fans think he killed the surprise before Collision even went on the air.
AEW announced that Hangman will open the July 11 edition of Collision live from Roanoke, Virginia, marking his first appearance since Revolution in March. On paper, that should have been an easy win: one of the company’s biggest stars returning in his home state after months away. Then Khan posted the news himself, and the reaction got ugly fast.
Some fans questioned why AEW waited until the day before the show to announce something this big instead of promoting it all week—or just keeping quiet and letting Hangman walk out as a surprise.
“Why not announcing this earlier in the week?? Or if not…a surprise return?”
Another fan was a lot less polite: “F***MAN WHY WOULD YOU SPOIL IT?” That became the main complaint. Fans were not upset that Hangman was coming back. They were annoyed that Khan took a return that could have blown the roof off the building and turned it into another social media announcement.
“Seriously not a surprise and a random announcement is why I hate tony so much sometimes.”
Others went after the decision to use the return on Collision at all, especially with the show often struggling to feel as important as Dynamite: “wow what a waste in a return. did MJF request this too?” One fan summed up the frustration with Khan’s habit of announcing major moments before they happen.
“Tk really has to learn how to keep his mouth shut🤦♂️”
The timing made the backlash worse. Hangman has been gone since March, so AEW had months to build anticipation around his comeback. A surprise appearance in Virginia could have instantly become the biggest moment of the night. Instead, fans now know exactly when he is showing up and exactly where he will appear.
Hangman Page coming back should still get a huge reaction in Roanoke, especially in his home state. But AEW had a chance to create a genuine shock moment, and plenty of fans believe Khan gave it away for no reason before the cameras even started rolling.
Do you think Tony Khan should have kept Hangman Page’s return a secret, or was announcing it ahead of Collision the right move? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
