2 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Rampage (Oct 28)
1. “Spooky Season Has Arrived”
Being brutally honest, this writer isn't too sure what to say about this.
Did Swerve Strickland cut off one of Billy Gunn's fingers with a pair of pliers during that backstage segment? OK, not sure why this upcoming Tag Title rematch at Full Gear with The Acclaimed needed Swerve going full-on psycho sadist out of the blue. Was this skit really necessary?
Some might point to the fact it's Halloween as justification, but that's even worse. WWE get pelters for framing silly matches around various holidays, so AEW shouldn't get a pass for making Swerve a psychopath for the sake of it just because calendars say it's late-October.
All Elite wants to make it clear that Keith and Strickland don't have longevity as a unit because they're heading down different paths. That's fine, but maybe having Swerve kidnap Gunn, terrorise him then use pliers on his hands was a bit much. Maybe?!