3 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage (Dec 25)

Downs...

3. An Exhibition For The Sake Of It

Nothing was especially wrong with the Kris Statlander vs. Leyla Hirsch match, but these women had no story going in and it showed. Their scuffle also won't have any bearing on the AEW Women's Title scene; granted, not every match needs to be about the title, but neither wrestler seems close to the level of others in the division right now.

Sadly, this was throwaway fare that belonged on Dark.

Rampage should not be this relaxed. It's an extension of Dynamite, and AEW must treat it as such - sticking Statlander vs. Hirsch out there in a babyface vs. babyface bout that begins with a friendly handshake won't cut it. This isn't the way to drive ratings towards the show, put it that way.

Fans responded politely to what they were seeing. Is that fine? Yes and no. On one hand, it's cool because fans aren't sh*tting on matches to look edgy. On the other, a small ripple of applause makes AEW look more indy than big time. They need to be careful here.