AEW Rampage: Spoiled Much?
As I watch the opening match of Rampage I can think of only one thing: I’m spoiled as a regular AEW viewer. I’m sitting here watching what at one time in my life would have been one of the best matches I’d ever seen, and now all I can think of is: nice opener for Rampage.
This match is excellent. It is layered with call backs to the PWG match from ages ago where The Young Bucks, in an effort to get cheered by the fans, went into a match with Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong with the intention of taking a lot of stiff, rough kicks and strikes. What ended up happening is that Danielson and Strong got carried away and absolutely brutalized the Jackson brothers. They were so stiff to the point that both Matt and Nick felt the need to defend themselves legitimately and in kind. That only led to more almost shoot level stiff striking from their opponents. In their book, Matt said he felt more or less violated and in shock.
All the while, the crowd showed no sympathy. They only booed. The Young Bucks were hated. They were all sizzle and no steak, and against two hard workers like Strong and Danielson, they looked weak, not sympathetic. It didn’t help that they weren’t even close to their final form as a tag team yet and hadn’t fully gotten over as themselves.
This was unfortunately repeated during Danielson’s AEW debut at All Out, where he went too far yet again with Nick Jackson. The shots were too stiff and Bryan had to apologize after for getting carried away.
Cut to Rampage, where they are going at it, stiff as hell, but this time Nick isn’t some young kid, he is the athlete we know and some of us love. He’s able to lay in strikes, but that isn’t what makes him shine. He is all the sizzle in the world, and no, he isn’t the stiffest striker, but he isn’t the lump of clay still molding from all those years ago. Nick’s able to hang with Bryan in the ring and elevate his game to try to match him, but Bryan Danielson is one of the top five workers of all time.
There is an exchange in the middle of the match where Nick just start laying in kick after kick after kick and it only seems to invigorate Danielson. He gets more and more angry as Nick keeps laying in the kicks. Bryan doesn’t so much no sell it, he begs for more. Jackson obliges, but as hard as he tries, Bryan just gets stronger.
There is a lot going on here, but no matter what quickness Nick employs, he can’t match Danielson’s raw grit. Nick tries and fails to use the ring post, the apron and anything else to his advantage. Danielson either evades or endures, ultimately getting Nick into the Cattle Mutilation suplex forcing Jackson to tap.
This match was great. Both guys brought their game and it felt like Nick was doing his best to keep up, but Danielson was just better. In all the ways that Kenny could hang with Bryan in New York and match his intensity, Nick didn’t have the same extra set of gears. It is telling that one half of one of the best tag teams ever wasn’t in the same league as Bryan Danielson.
To be fair, there are maybe five guys ALL TIME that are in the same league as The American Dragon Bryan Danielson. What’s wild is that they told that story on Rampage. They showed just how he had more than Nick Jackson, that perhaps Nick needs his brother to be great in the ring. Their interaction, cooperation and overall swagger carries them deep into matches ensuring that they are the better team than a very select few. AEW has three teams on their roster in the same league as the Bucks, but not at the same level of accomplishment: Santana and Ortiz, FTR and The Lucha Brothers. They can all put on A+ matches like you or I can get out of bed.
But Danielson is better as a singles wrestler. It is good storytelling. It furthers the idea that The Elite work so well because of their unity. Individually, they are no doubt great, but as a unit? They are untouchable for the most part. The only way to defeat them is either isolate them somehow or to find a crew strong enough to hang.
This is good stuff. So much work has been done to subtly make sure you understand the level of skill of everyone and why this match went the way it went. You needed to feel like Nick had the chance to win and that he had the sizzle to beat Bryan. He couldn’t on Rampage, but in a tag match? Nick and Matt probably would beat anyone that Danielson could find. They are too in sync.
Back to the thesis of the article… We are spoiled by AEW because this level of depth is there, just sitting there on the screen. They have done so much excellent world building of everyone on screen that you know without knowing what you are seeing. When the Jurassic Express and Christian come to make the save from the Elite beat down after the match, you trust that they can do it because you’ve already seen Jungle Boy push Adam Cole. The size and athleticism of Luchasaurus is not to be trifled with and Christian Cage is one of the few men to have beaten Kenny Omega.
We are spoiled because all eight of these guys are so good at what they do that we can just sit back and eat popcorn and enjoy what we are seeing. Talking to my wife about this, I’ve expressed how insane it is, and she simply nods and smiles and reminds me that she likes Jungle Boy more than all of them with a wry smile and giggles when I tell her that I probably over think this stuff.
There was more to this show. An excellent promo video from Ricky Starks, showing him off as a megastar, yet again calling out the all too absent Bryan Cage. He’s tired of people thinking Cage is the better of the two of them just because Cage is bigger. This feels like a high end car commercial. I really dig it. I also think Absolute Ricky Starks is still feeling the injury to his neck. I think they are using him sparingly in the ring to ensure his health, and having seen far too many guys retire far too young, this is the right thing to do. Sadly it means that Cage is stuck in a sort of feud limbo where he can’t move on, but he can’t finish the job either.
A back stage pre-tape where CM Punk reminds us the simple truth that if you step into it with him, “Nap time’s always on the menu.” I like that Punk has made sure to keep the grey in his beard. He could shave it, sure, but it reminds you that he’s a veteran. That he’s wise in the arts of combat and will outlast or outsmart you. Again, subtle but effective world building.
The second match on the card is the three way between Jade Cargill, Nyla Rose and Thunder Rosa. My entire opinion of Jade Cargill changed after watching Rhoads to the Top. She came off like an absolute professional versus an inexperienced child in Red Velvet. Her character isn’t my favorite, but it is perfect given her physical build. She looks like an absolute boss. She carriers herself like one. I might, maybe perhaps, maybe be coming around.
Nyla Rose, who should have been the first champ of the division two years ago looks like a monster, is presented like a monster with an entrance that does nothing to dissuade you from that image.
Third to enter is Thunder Rosa to a pop from the crowd. Rosa is beloved because we’ve seen her go in the ring with the best and look like a million bucks doing it. She minted Britt Baker in the Light’s Out match, and when she takes the title off everyone’s favorite dentist, it will be to an incredible pop from the crowd. She is the women’s division Hangman Page, always chasing but thwarted either by perception, contract or a new star entering the fray in Ruby Soho. She sits, cooking, simmering, waiting for the opportunity to take her turn at Baker in what will likely be an clinic between the two.
The match is a simple story: can Rosa evade, out quick and out wrestle these two monstrous heels. Will they work together to defeat her or spend too much time against each other that Rosa can find an opportunity and steal a victory from the two women who, on paper, should be the victor here.
Ricky Starks joined commentary after his promo video and is adding excellent insight to the show. Whatever you may think of Taz, he offers incredible detail in his commentary. Ricky has an excellent tutor and it shows.
In the ring, after the commercial, the reality that there is no disqualification in a three-way match is taken advantage of as a table is setup outside the ring and Jade has a chair handy. Eventually Rosa Power Bomb’s Rose through the table but on returning to the ring, eats chair shot after chair shot to the back and stomach from Jade, ultimately giving Jade the win.
This is not what I expected at all and I’m pleasantly surprised. All three women worked hard here to show off how much they can do in the ring and how they are just as brutal as the men. Enjoyable match here.
Next is Malakai Black being absolutely awesome in a pre-taped segment. He gives voice to what a lot of people thought was true, that the black mist he sprayed Cody with at Grand Slam was designed to infest Cody, to change him. He says he’s grown weary of the Nightmare Family and that there are more in the company who need to hear their truth and pay their toll.
Simple, clear messaging that still evokes imagery and moves the story forward. Malakai Black has created exactly the character he wanted and is another master of world building. His northern European accent is barely noticeable, but when it flares, it adds to his aura of otherness. He carries himself as a man who relishes in his role of delivering the truth to those who refuse to see it. I am enjoying everything he’s done in AEW and it feels, just like Miro, that this is the character he always wanted to play, always wanted to flesh out.
Next there is a simple and straight forward promo for those that didn’t watch Rhoads to the top or read the Internet. Sammy Guevara was challenged by Bobby Fish (and if his interview on Busted Open is accurate, Bobby’s tweet after the match congratulating Sammy instigated the match within the time Dynamite ended and the interview segment happened). Sammy intends to answer and send Bobby back through the Forbidden Door. I can’t wait to see that match, as Bobby is one of his generations more excellent technicians against a talent like Sammy Guevara who has all the potential in the world.
Also, I can’t wait for the Vlog tomorrow to see the celebration of the title win.
We are going to have a Casino Ladder Match on Dynamite next week loaded to the brim with star power. PAC, Andrade el Idolo, Jon Moxley and Lance Archer are already announced for this and two more are coming as Rampage continues. There will be a Joker, just like all Casino matches in AEW.
My inner Hangman Adam Page mark is like a dog who just saw its owner get up, but isn’t sure yet if it is time to go outside and is trying to manage its excitement but is having a REALLY hard time. I have been a mark for the Hangman since his time in New Japan. In a lifetime of being a wrestling fan, his shirt is the only one I’ve bought. I’ve been absolutely glued to his story, even during my time away in 2020. I am giddy at him coming back and putting a foot in Kenny’s backside and taking the title away from that covetous, overstuffed jerk. A more focused article on why I love Hangman Page and his story is coming soon.
Next is our main event, and as ever, we have Mark Henry interviewing the combatants. It is hair vs hair. Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy vs Jack Evans. We expected that Matt Hardy would be risking his own hair tonight, but should have known better. Matt’s too self absorbed to put himself in danger. I still think this feud ends with Matt getting his head shaved and possibly the HFO being dissolved as a result. I think Matt will throw any and all of his underlings in the way to ensure he never actually faces comeuppance, until, of course, he does.
Cassidy completely no selling his understanding of what is actually going on as Mark Henry informs him what’s up makes this feel like something out of Saturday Night Live. This is just the absolute height of satire and as usual, OC is at the center. Orange Cassidy is the height of comedic wrestling while still being 100% credible as an in ring performer.
As the match gets underway, Jack Evans can do all the flippy stuff, but just looks slower and far less crisp vs his younger days. I hate seeing wrestlers get old. The great ones figure out how to work a different style to still look good, but Jack seems to be holding on. He was such an incredible in ring guy even 3–4 years ago, but now he just looks kind of sloppy and full of useless motion, especially against someone like Cassidy who moves only as much as he absolutely has to.
Eventually Matt Hardy isn’t feeling it and calls for the Hardy Family Office to come out in support. To counter, Orange Cassidy’s friends from, well, The Best Friends come out and show support. As Matt calls for more back up, out of the crowd comes The Dark Order to form a barrier to the ring, preventing unwanted shenanigans.
In the ring, not to be out done, OC drops a Superman Punch on Evans and picks up the wins as a result. There is some debate about offering support to their downed stable mate, but Matt calls off the run in “for the greater good.” It is just a hair cut right?
In ring, Evans gets the top of his head shaved and clipped, all while Cassidy wanders around the ring with a broom, sweeping up what drops. Just… man this stuff hits me in the funny and I love it.
Eventually, we get a Got To Give The People What They Want with the entire Dark Order and Best Friends surrounding and then hugging Brodie Lee’s son, Negative One in the middle of the ring. He’s presented with a fake mustache to wear, reminiscent of his late father. AEW knows how to give just enough tribute to remind you of the love they had for Lee without over doing it.
This is a great, everyone goes home happy feel good moment in the ring, and I have a big smile on my face. Rampage was a lot of fun, with the hour feeling like it flew by as usual. We are truly spoiled by AEW and all its talent and story telling. It is something to behold these days, and I think we should all just sit back and soak it in.
