3 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Jan 12 - Results & Review)

2. Swerve’s Showcase

Swerve Strickland Matt Sydal
AEW

Nobody should have any problems with this kind of bout. It wasn't an out and out squash despite future World Champ and all-round thoroughbred Swerve Strickland being involved. Everyone knew Swerve was winning this one, but he gave Matt Sydal just enough to maintain interest and make the match worth seeing.

Sydal bounces around nicely for workers like Strickland too. Matching the tempo his smaller opponent sets, Swerve is also capable of upping the pace when it suits as well. That made for a nice blend as Strickland realised he should just overpower the smaller man and hammer home his strength advantage.

Lovely stuff here.

There's no stopping Swerve in 2024, man. He will become AEW World Champ, and deservedly so. Cutting some of the hangers on in the Mogul Embassy (but maybe keeping Prince Nana by his side) will be key to a successful, lengthy reign. Strickland is his own man.

Time for him to fly.

Advertisement
In this post: 
AEW Rampage
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

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.