3 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Dec 9)
2. A Rampage Classic
That aforementioned opener was easily one of the best matches Tony Khan has ever pushed through a curtain on Rampage. Jon Moxley tends to do some of his most underrated work when he's on the show, and Konosuke Takeshita is clearly a star on the rise - and one who is connecting with AEW's core fanbase.
Good times are ahead.
This was a great brawl from start to finish. Arguably, it could've done without the blood, and not only because Mox's gusher started during a picture-in-picture ad break. It was fairly obvious that Jon just fancied blading, but it was blood for the sake of it rather than because it fit the match.
Regardless, every match should be judged on entertainment value, skill level, crowd response and strength of finish. Mox vs. Takeshita received a tick next to every one of those metrics, especially because it managed to make the loser (Konosuke) look just as good as the winner.