2 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Feb 3)

Ups...

2. Serviceable Enough

Swerve Strickland Mogul Affiliates Brian Pillman Jr
AEW

Swerve Strickland vs. Brian Pillman Jr almost got a 'Down' for the opening few minutes. They were fairly rough; both guys went for a lot of chain sequences and Will Ospreay-style gymnastics, but they weren't smooth and definitely don't fit Swerve's heel character at all.

Thankfully, the pair pulled the nose up by having Strickland get a bit more brutal. Then, after he'd scored the win, Dustin Rhodes jogged out to make the save for Bri and stop Mogul Affiliates from kicking his head in some more. That followed on from the face-to-face promo Swerve and Dustin worked last week.

That's why the segment scores an 'Up'.

It might not have been a banner showing in-ring (especially for Pillman Jr), but the storytelling was appreciated. Strickland and cronies don't mind beating the sh*t out of anyone in their path, but they do have subtle respect for a legend like Rhodes.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.