History Beckons... Adam Page & Chris Jericho Have A Date With Destiny

“Double or Nothing”...

“Hangman” Adam Page wins the Casino Battle Royale...

Chris Jericho defeats Kenny Omega...

The World Title Match is set for “All Out” on August 31st...

On May 25th it all seemed so far away, but as the end of July approaches, and zero hour draws ever closer, a match that two months ago stood, on paper, as a generational battle to be earn the title of the first AEW World Champion, has escalated into something uglier.

The viewers of “Being The Elite” and “The Road to...” YouTube series have seen Page subjected to good natured ribbing from his fellow Elite compatriots in attempts to push him to that next level, they have seen Page travel overseas to confront his originally scheduled opponent for “DoN”, only to have that result in a knee injury that very nearly took Page out of the Casino Battle Royale.

Yet he persevered...

He went to Las Vegas and earned the right to be in the World Title match opposite Chris Jericho. He went to “Fyter Fest” in Daytona Beach and defeated Jimmy Havoc, Jungle Boy, and MJF in a Four Way contest. Two weeks later, Page went onto “Fight For The Fallen” in Jacksonville, and was victorious over Kip Sabian in his first one-on-one contest in AEW.

And then, all that work, all that effort, it all nearly came crashing down around him, thanks to Jericho, as viewers can see (Watch Here) on “The Road To All Out: Episode 1”. In that video the deep purple surrounding Page's eye, and the stitches that he rips out with his own hands, are indicative of the physical damage Chris Jericho inflicted on Page days after the fact, while the actual highlights show what that damage looked like in the ring moments after it happened. What the viewer does not see though, is how that injury looked when Page came into the back, as the swelling set in, and the blood dripped down his face. The viewer may not truly grasp the proximity of the injury to Page's eye, of what could have happened had the blow landed just a half inch lower than it did.

It was a truly scary scene in the moments after Jericho attacked, and, for the sake of both men involved, for the World Title match at “All Out” itself, it is probably for the best the locker room emptied to restrain Page when he returned to the ring to get after Jericho.

Here's the thing: in Jericho's incessant, hamfisted attempts to get a “Thank You” from AEW for any successes, in his attempt to get a leg up on his upcoming opponent, the first ballot Hall of Famer has inadvertently lit a fire under Adam Page, the fire that some believed was the only thing missing if “Hangman” hopes to defeat Jericho for the World Championship. The hot blood going pider pader on the bathroom sink, the deep bruising encircling that left eye, the memory of Jericho's boots striking flesh, and the Judas Effect elbow shredding it, all of those things have served to awaken an Adam Page heretofore unseen in All Elite Wrestling.

No longer is Jericho a legend to be respected, a man that Adam will be honored to share the ring with inside the Sears Centre, and whose hand will be shook come victory or defeat. Rather, Jericho is now the enemy, Jericho is now the target and he painted the bull's eye on himself at “Fight For The Fallen”. The AEW World Title that was first presented to the masses by Bret Hart at “DoN” is still the ultimate prize, the primary goal, but in getting to that goal, Jericho has now provided Page with an opponent with whom he will find great satisfaction in defeating en route to claiming that championship.

In this interview (Watch Here), Jericho states that Page was the one person he did NOT want to win the Casino Battle Royale, and puts it out there that losing the AEW championship match may bring an end to his career. Now Jericho fancies himself the master manipulator, with years of proof to support that sobriquet, but did he over play this one? As the days on the calendar fall away towards August 31st and “All Out”, it will be very intriguing to watch how it continues to play out.

Also, the double-edged sword of pressure and prestige in being the one to walk into October 2nd as World Champion for the very first live television broadcast on TNT must be noted. It is a weight Jericho has carried before, but one Page has not...still, this will be a crucible for both men that takes place in front of the entire world on pay-per-view.

It's Adam Page vs. Chris Jericho, Omega vs. Moxley, Escalera de Muerte with The Young Bucks and Los Lucha Bros, The Dark Order vs. Best Friends, and more still to be set! “All Out” tickets are long sold out, but information on ticket exchange and travel packages can be found here, and the event can be watched live come 8/31 on PPV starting at 8pm EST!