Warning: This post contains spoilers for AEW Revolution 2023
It began with a gentle strum of a guitar. Hangman Adam Page, a cowboy dressed in black and with demons in his eyes entered the arena. He was soon followed by the feral, savage Moxley, a man whose bride is violence. They had already shared concussions between them, but the rivalry had boiled over until there was only one way to bring it to an end, in a sea of bloody carnage. Jon Moxley has made violence and pain his trademark, but Hangman was there to meet him every step of the way. What followed was a display of artistry that cannot be rivalled. The ring was littered with instruments that would inspire a melody of anguished screams and wide-eyed gasps. Chairs were wrapped in barbed wire. Rings of it spiralled on tables, spiked circles that waited to tear through flesh. Soon enough bricks were brought in to cave in skulls, a chain as deadly as a venomous snake slithered along the mat, and in Mox’s hands a fork became a deadly weapon.
I cringed as the prongs were dragged across Hangman’s forehead. Rivers of blood poured out, and there were moments when it seemed as though Mox was crazy for trying to eat soup with a fork. Instead he was just crazy enough to want to carve a man’s face off. He stabbed with fury and I winced with every jab. Hangman was flung head first into barbed wire, his thick locks of hair torn from the scalp. Blood started to pour from Mox’s head as if by will, the bright lights of the arena making it shine cherry red. Tables crunched. Barbed wire became garments as the men wrapped it around their fists and their bodies, making it a part of themselves. Flesh was torn asunder as both of them descended into violence, surrendering to the glorious will of this chaotic god. The crowd chanted for more, then gasped when it was given to them. Heads bounced off the mat. Bodies were snapped in half from heavy lariats. The impact of every strike reverberated around the world, echoing in the hearts of all those in attendance and those watching at home.
And in the middle of it all these two men danced with death.
I have never sought out death matches, and although I winced at points in this one I could not turn away. Hangman and Mox turned it into an artform. There were moments when it was as graceful as any ballet, the heights as soaring as any opera. It spoke to a primal part of my brain and they showed how this gory and brutal thing could be elevated beyond the shock and awe and taboo gruesomeness. Hangman and Mox played their roles to perfection, losing themselves in their characters. Mox has always lusted after violence and more often than not leaves the ring a bloody mess after he has done his shift. Hangman has been pushing himself to newer heights, and newer depths, never shirking from a challenge. They clashed, each promising that neither of them would back down, and throughout the match I believed it.
The small details made the match special; the way Hangman staggered to his feet through nothing but instinct, a dazed look in his eyes, of Mox, who after being thrown onto a barbed wire table waited a moment for the shock to pass before he bellowed in pain, the sensation etched all over his face. There was disbelief as both men kept getting up when they should have stayed down. Maybe it would have been more sensible if they had, but their tenacity could not be doubted and as the match reached its conclusion I was utterly absorbed. And, as Hangman wrapped the chain around Mox’s throat and dangled him from the ropes I was so invested in what was happening that I actually believed I was about to watch a man die.
They both put in committed performances and the story that unfolded through the match was compelling. I’m sure that a lot of people would have been put off by the waves of blood that poured down both men, but beyond the violence lay an elegant tapestry. This was a display of two men who are experts at their craft and they put on a masterclass for all of us to enjoy.
For Mox I am intrigued to see where this is going to lead. It was a situation of tap or die, but I can’t imagine he will be happy with having lost, so who else is he going to make bleed? He seems to be walking a darker path, and I would not be surprised if his BCC buddies join him.
For Hangman he has shown how far he is willing to go, how deep he can reach into the depths of his soul, and I pity the man who gets in his way. If he can survive a death match with Jon Moxley, then he can survive anything.
I enjoyed AEW Revolution 2023 a lot, but in my opinion this death match was my match of the night. The little touches really added some nice nuance to the overt violence, and neither man held anything back. It was a relentless, absorbing contest that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from, even though there were some moments that I wanted to. I know it might be difficult for some to watch, but this match wasn’t just about violence for the sake of violence. It was about two men pushing each other to the limit and seeing who broke first, with the outcome leaving me interested in what happens next for both of them.
