2 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Rampage (April 7)
4. WCW-esque Production
There was more sh*tty production to come.
Swerve Strickland strolled out to stop Darby Allin's post-win celebrations and offer a handshake. The problem? Brian Cage could be spotted in the background of the shot - he was waiting for his moment to strike, and the cameras barely attempted to hide him before his surprise attack.
This made Excalibur, JR and Schiavone look silly. Cage showed up on their monitors, so they must've clocked him. Ignoring that, and pretending that maybe Strickland was there with good intentions was a daft moment, one that could've been avoided had AEW not temporarily turned into WCW circa 1999.
Also, this merger between Mogul Affiliates and The Embassy appeared to be little more than an excuse to prod WWE for merging with UFC. Sure, that's why one company should book a union between two factions, isn't it?