2022 Ongoing MOTY List: Archer vs. Hangman

2. Lance Archer vs. Hangman Page AEW Dynamite 2/9

ER: I love when two guys who I'm a low voter on combine forces into something big. I expect good matches from my favorite guys, and that's typically why they're my favorite guys. But a great match from guys I don't look forward to watching? That hits a different, less used part of my brain and I love it. Page especially has really won me over as a big bleeding babyface, because how can anyone not get into a guy who bleeds for the people, who bleeds for his belt? Before I thought Page was a phony cowboy with bad offense, but leaking blood all over your face and body does a lot to cover up questionable offense, and the man has won me over in mere months. Archer is another guy who always seemed risible in different ways, a guy who washed out of the WWE well over a decade ago and is somehow putting in the best work of his career in his mid-40s. I saw the praise for their match and was skeptical, but thought this won me over. The Texas Death stipulation worked really well for what they did, and the prop usage was excellent. Texas Death stip means you won't get guys milking 2.9 kickouts before they get up and do it again, and also gives someone plenty of time to set up props while their opponent is being counted. Because of those two things, I don't think this match would have worked nearly as well had it been a standard pinfall or submission match. 

I bought into the possibility of Archer actually getting beaten early in the match with the Buckshot Lariat, and the ref's count made that possible. In a pinfalls match we would have known in just a couple seconds whether or not Archer was kicking out, but the long 10 count turned that possibility into an actual moment, and I love when a heel survives a babyface's best shot and gets to his feet grinning. I was always drawn to Heavies on 70s or 80s TV shows, and the best TV babyfaces (Jim Rockford, Matt Houston, Rick Simon, etc.) always had great reaction facials whenever they'd punch a heavy and then watch that heavy take the punch and smile right back. Dan Lambert removing the top rope to eliminate the Buckshot was some great pro wrestling bullshit, and I appreciate how damn quickly Lambert was working his hands to undo that rope. The idea of a top rope being removed lowering Page's odds of victory is silly but perfectly in line with what we've seen in his matches. This same strategy would not work on Adam Cole, as it would just make it easier for him to get into the ring. But freeing that ring hook was the real turning point in the match, as Archer gouged into Hangman's eyebrow during the Picture in Picture and when we came back Page was well on his way to having some incredible color. 

The blood in the match was fantastic, with Hangman's color being among the best juice jobs in the history of TV title matches. But I loved how Archer didn't make the match about exclusively weapons and props, as he filled in the time between the big moments by beating on Page with big clubbing arms, and doing annoying little things like walking up and just booting him in the eye. At one point Archer even produced a fork, and I got a huge smile when Tony yelled out "Where did he get that fork!?" Jake Roberts has been a fun presence in Archer's corner, but he doesn't really get physically involved in things, so I lost it when he rocked Page with the short arm clothesline and called for the DDT, wearing flowery button-up that made him look like the most dangerous version of Cam from Modern Family. That Archer didn't want Roberts to use his DDT only made Archer look like an even more violent heel, and it made Hangman's DDT mean even more. Archer has been billed as a big man monster for the past decade, and this match is one of the few times I've actually seen that in front of me. 

When Archer hit the Blackout on the upended ring steps I thought Hangman broke his arm, or worse. It was a brutal landing, and yet it could have gone worse in so many different ways. It's an insane spot that would have likely won the match, maybe should have won the match, but the stipulations and Archer picking up Page to inflict more damage saved him. The Buckshot Lariat off ref Paul Turner's back (while he was down picking up the barbed wire that got brought into the match) was tremendous, a great use of Ref As Prop, believably set up, paying off those tables that had been set up 10 minutes earlier. Archer had some strong moments earlier, good at almost going through the tables but not, and I love when a match like this is good enough to make us forget about tables and then bringing them back in an impactful way. This match made me sincerely excited for future Archer and Page singles matches, two things that I have never been excited for now. I love when that happens. 

Phil also wrote about this match over at The Ringer, so be sure to check that out. 

2022 MOTY MASTER LIST