7 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage: New Year's Smash (Dec 30)
6. Best Friends Deliver In-Ring
Was anyone else a wee bit worried about Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta going in? Both men are babyfaces and stablemates, and there's no doubt Orange works better when he's up against a strong heel who can toss him around the place before one of those hands-in-pockets comebacks.
Good news: They exceeded expectations.
It says everything for this match that the competitive spirit on offer made the All-Atlantic Title feel like a belt that's coveted on the AEW undercard. The company handed Cassidy another good win too, and that should be celebrated. As aforementioned, screw using Tombstones for barely-even-2.9 near falls, but that didn't kill the buzz completely.
Paul Wight brought up a good point (one of several) when he said that Orange was fiercely protective of his title. That even extended to palming off friendly hugs or high fives from his friends around ringside, which was a nice touch.