.png)
In this article we look at the title reign of Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page. The much praise title reign consists of 9 matches when you add the title win all the way back on January, 21st to the 8 defences thus far. Many people have gone into story-telling detail when reviewing this run, however what do the in-ring numbers say?
The graphs in this article are built from this dataset:
This data is compiled by using a shorthand to collate in-ring statistics for the in-ring performances of wrestlers. This is an example of how this is done:
In this article we will be using the 'Per Hour' rates to examine trends. We cannot compare 'Per Match' rates because the differing match times skews this number. By multiplying up the per match numbers to find out the rate of each statistical category if the match had reached exactly 60 minutes we can compare the performances across matches.
This is the same method used to compare association football players statistics when minutes played is skewed due to differing injury times added to matches and the possibility of substitution. The only difference is 90 minutes is used instead of 60 as is the standard length of a football game. For example, check out the best strikers in European football history based on their goals per game ratio.
Strike Rate
The first metric we are looking at here is the rate of striking achieved by Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page in each of their AEW Tag Team Championship matches. For example, against SCU they achieved 36 strikes in the 13 minute 15 second match. With this rate of offence, they would have a achieved 163 strikes when maintaining that rate of striking for an hour of wrestling.
We also have strikedowns in this graph, this is when a wrestler strikes their opponent and they fall to the ground. Also presented using the Per Hour rate of offence.
In the above chart we see that Page and Omega's rate of striking in their matches as AEW Tag Team Champions has risen considerable from an average of 163 strikes per hour ([163+186+140]/3) in the first 3 matches (SCU, Lucha Bros and Young Bucks) to 236 strikes per hour in their latest 3 title matches (Private Party, Dark Order and Jurassic Express).
Additionally, we see that Omega and Page's rate of strikedown is falling at a fairly slow and steady rate. Such a rate that it's probably not too noteworthy. However these two things together points o the fact that Page and Omega are have grown into a team that controls tag team matches. Strikedowns often point to a tag team that is beaten down but achieves a hot tag where a well-rested member of the team is able to utilise explosive moves with saved up energy.
Grapple, Dive and Submission Rate
Some things to be aware of first with these metrics. Grapples are power moves such as suplexes, slams, bombs or drivers. Dives are moves that use gravity via extra elevation to add force to typically striking aerial attacks. The submission raw data is the accumulative seconds of submission achieved by the team during the match, this is them multiplied up to find how much of an hour of wrestling would be spent applying submission holds with the rate achieved in the match.
Grapple moves have essentially stayed the same with an average of 11 grapples per match and 45 per hour. They are using less dives as time goes on with the rate per hour decreasing slowly over the course of the 9 matches. Their Dive rate was 17 dives per hour in their first 3 title matches and fell to 11 dives per hour in their most recent 3 title matches.
The statistics in this graph again points to a team becoming more dominant. With hail-Mary dives dropping and submission holds which are more easily applied when you are on top of the opponent rising in use dramatically as the reign rolls on.
Teamwork Rates
Tag rate is the amount of tags that team would achieve over an hour of wrestling based on the rate of tags in that match. The same manner is used to calculate double team rates. Interestingly, Page and Omega are improving as a team as time goes on despite the numerous issues throughout their reign.
The champions rate of tagging increases notably throughout their rate with the tag rate in the first 3 matches being 21 tags per hour of wrestling and rising to 24 tags per hour in their latest 3 matches. Similarly, their rate of double teams per hour of wrestling increased from 16 in their first 3 matches to 25 in their latest 3 matches.
Percentage of Total Match Offence
This metric is an important one. What percentage of the total match offence was utilised by Page and Omega? The 50% mark is highlighted as this shows whether they got more or less offence in comparison to their opponents in that match.
As you can see, Natural Nightmare are the current midpoint in the title run of Omega and Page and is the closest match offence out of the 9 matches. Page and Omega achieved 49% of the total offence in this match. On either side of this match is a huge contrast. In the four matches before Natural Nightmares, Page and Omega achieved on average 44% of the total offence. In the four matches after Natural Nightmares, they achieved 60%
Conclusion
After examining the data and trends that it highlights it is very clear that Page and Omega are improving as a tag team, vastly. FTR may be one of the absolute best tag teams in the world and have a significant experience edge over their opponents but their opponents are two of the very best wrestlers in AEW and are meshing their skills together to form one of the most formidable tag teams we have seen in recent years.
That being said Page and Omega haven't really competed against a team of FTR's skill-set as they are a bit of anomaly in the AEW tag ranks. You could also point to the 39% and 41% match offences they struggled to achieve against the Young Bucks and Lucha Bros respectively. The two most lauded tag teams in AEW, the teams the division was built off the back of. Arguably, Omega and Page's biggest challenges.
Page and Omega have a question mark against their name when facing the highest of quality in tag teams. They have little experience against the style brought to the table by FTR. Yet they are a formidable and evolving prospect. The potential winners are hard to determine but that's the brilliance of this coming encounter.
Evolution of In-ring Metrics Comparison
Comments