10 Bad Habits AEW Must Kick RIGHT NOW
3. Hacking Rampage To Death
There are many reasons why Rampage has faded.
It isn't failing, exactly, but Warner execs deem it "acceptable" where many AEW fans deem it inessential. It simply isn't the show that was first advertised.
The vast majority of meaningful story advancement happens on Dynamite, and while the last edition was a much-needed return to form, Rampage isn't even the destination for one great match per week anymore. It is skippable 7/10 fare; Elevation, with only slightly better and less predictable matches. Even then, shocks barely happen.
One small part of its decline is in how rushed it all feels. It's as if Tony Khan is desperate to get content out as opposed to allowing the fans to really immerse themselves in it. Almost every week, there's a hard open straight to in-ring action. It's a hard one to articulate, but it feels self-conscious, like the audience is being tricked into watching something. It doesn't feel sure of itself; if it was, you'd get the full, grandiose presentation, entrances and all. An entrance is integral to both the story and the feeling that characters and matches are important.
This device and the damning crowd sweetening effects make it seem as though Khan is hiding something almost.