Prior to last Wednesday night’s episode of AEW Dynamite, AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page noted that he has tested positive to COVID-19 and will not be making an appearance on the show and with the AEW World Champion not being present on the promotion’s flagship show, there would be expectations of the show undergoing several changes.
Dave Meltzer reported on a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio Program that due to Hangman Page not being able to make an appearance on AEW Dynamite both this past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite and this coming Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage had to undergo a number of re-writes and changes. Meltzer also noted that this coming Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage had to be re-written more times than last Wednesday night’s episode of AEW Dynamite, but Dynamite had to undergo changes as well as was heavily re-written earlier in the day.
There reportedly was supposed to be a big angle between AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page and CM Punk this past Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite to set up their AEW World Title Match at AEW Double Or Nothing, but Hangman’s absence prevented that from happening and instead, the title match between the AEW World Champion Hangman Page and CM Punk was made official for next month’s PPV. Immediately after the AEW World Championship Match was made official, CM Punk, who was a guest commentator for the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifying Match between FTR’s Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, grabbed the microphone and cut a promo about how he is not a betting man, but he’ll always bet on himself and Hangman Page will know that he has been in a fight with CM Punk.
It is possible that the big angle they had planned for AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday night will be taking place during next week’s show as Page is reportedly expected to be back on AEW TV by then. AEW Dynamite next week is set to take place inside the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
