5 AEW stars who could challenge Hangman Page for the World Championship next

After Hangman Adam Page scored a definitive win over Bryan Danielson, the high-profile feud reached its conclusion. The fights between the two drew a lot of sweat and blood, making the rivalry one of the best in AEW's young history. Fans will remember the two epic bouts between the stars for a long time.

AEW has no shortage of ambitious stars who would love to a shot at gold, so Hangman's title will not remain unchallenged for long. The reigning AEW World Champion will soon have to defend his belt from others, and the fight will surely be difficult considering the bar that has been set.

Tony Khan's roster has quite a line of challengers who are high enough on the totem pole to go up against Adam Page. Here are 5 of the possible contenders for the AEW World Championship who might be able to end Hangman's championship run in 2022.

#5 Adam Cole is a red hot heel contender for Hangman

Since his debut, Adam Cole has been presented in a highly impactful manner on AEW. His charisma is the primary reason for him getting cheered like a babyface despite being a heel. A banging entrance song also doesn't hurt.

Along with all the charm, Adam Cole has had a spectacular run at AEW to date. The Panama City Playboy has an undefeated singles streak that shows no signs of coming to an end anytime soon. Considering the current AEW world champion Hangman Page is a babyface, it would make sense for his opponent to be a heel.

Adam Cole could start a feud against Hangman, leading to a full blown rivalry in pursuit of Page's title. Pitting these two superstars is sure to get big reactions from the AEW fanbases of both the wrestlers. Furthermore, both of them are highly talented inside the ring which will make every fight between them a treat to watch.

#4 Darby Allin will benefit from a high profile feud against Hangman

Much like Hangman Adam Page, Darby Allin is also a homegrown AEW star. Tony Khan is seemingly investing in young stars who are meant to become All Elite's future icons. Darby certainly fits the bill with a devil-may-care fighting style. Sting's protege hardly seems to care how much damage he does to himself when he is inside the ring, and the audience always responds to his high risk moves with shocked gasps and loud cheers.

Darby Allin is one of the hottest babyfaces right now. A feud with Hangman might not require a heel, if handled properly. A friendly rivalry can also work effectively for a change. On the other hand, Hangman could also take the conventional road and turn heel after he becomes arrogant in his reign. The possibilities are endless, but it is certain that a battle between these two would be a major event in AEW history.

#3 Hangman Page might be challenged by Jon Moxley when he returns

With Jon Moxley's return to AEW looking more and more certain by the minute, AEW is getting ready for a roaring welcome. Moxley was replaced by Miro in the championship eliminator tournament, due to him leaving temporarily from the active scene. He has since had a prolonged absence due to his decision to enter into an inpatient alcohol treatment program.

Now that Jon Moxley is returning, the possibility of him going after the AEW World Championship belt again is not out of the question. Moxley can claim he deserves a shot at taking back his belt. This could also have the former AEW Champion turning heel to challenge Hangman.

The feud between wrestlers with so much clout will be great for AEW ratings, which is something Tony Khan is aware of. Moxley is especially gifted with top notch talent in cutting compelling promos. Everything indicates that if this rivalry comes to fruition, it will be spectacular to watch for the fans.

#2 CM Punk recently expressed interest in getting Hangman's title

While Hangman has been busy with his epic feud with Bryan Danielson, Daily's Place recently got to host a major AEW veteran star. In his first ever promo at Daily's Place, CM Punk received loud cheers when he entered the ring with the mic in his hand. After a few appreciative words directed towards Jim Ross, he proceeded to resume his feud with MJF. However, Punk also indicated that JR's words about how you one shouldn't be on AEW if he didn't want the championship belt is also something he believes in.

CM Punk is up for a match with Wardlow next in his feud against MJF. Once that is resolved, all signs point to Punk going after the gold at one point. 2022 might just be the year when the Best in the World gets to taste the glory of being AEW champion, if he is able to win it from Hangman Adam Page.

#1 MJF has also proclaimed that he deserves Hangman's Title belt

MJF has already plainly shown his ambition and interest in winning the AEW world championship title. However, he hit a snag in the form of his first loss in 2022 by disqualification, due to an interference from CM Punk. The Best in the World also stated that he is going to make MJF's pursuit of Hangman's belt very difficult.

While the MJF-Punk feud is still ongoing, Tony Khan might just cash in on the speedily rising heel's ability to pit him against Hangman later in 2022. Any feud that involves MJF is guaranteed to be a success, and Hangman's talent makes it even more awesome. The Salt of the Earth may go on to win the belt and become a heel champion, depending on how the show progresses.