3 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Mar 25)
1. Swerve Steps Backwards
Loads of people are gushing over the FTW Title main event between Ricky Starks and Swerve Strickland. It had good parts (the final few minutes pre-finish, in particular, made Strickland look like a smooth operator), but several bouts of hesitation and some miscommunication hurt it badly.
Also, Swerve shouldn't be losing this early into his AEW run when they're trying to paint him as a major get and some top star in the making. Match quality (before the finish) is only half the battle; both Strickland and new buddy Keith Lee have started to blend in rather than stand out.
This loss to Starks was a backwards step for Swerve.
Other fans may have different opinions on things like this, and that's fine. This dude just didn't get a good vibe from watching Strickland gun for a title that AEW doesn't officially recognise, lose the match and then need bailed out by somebody else.