3 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Mar 25)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. The Solid Opening Grudge Match

Lance Archer Dustin Rhodes
AEW

As usual, Excalibur did a neat job on commentary when explaining the history between Lance Archer and Dustin Rhodes. Yes, it's slightly odd that AEW waited approx two years to pull the trigger on this grudge match, but it is what it is. Besides, both men went for it here and clearly love working with one another.

Dustin knows how to take fans on a journey too. He's an old-school storyteller, and has retained enough popularity that crowds heap sympathy on him when big monsters like Archer are dismantling him. The pair worked a fun story that peaked when Lance crashed into the same turnbuckle he'd exposed earlier.

Post-match, he got his heat back.

Archer hammered Rhodes, then hit him with a chokeslam through the ringside table. This was a simple post-bout beatdown, but it worked to sell Lance's frustrations and heap compassion on Dustin. The 10-minute duration was also ideal for these guys.

What did you think of this week's AEW Rampage? For more like this, check out 4 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage (Mar 18) and WWE 2K22: 11 AEW CAWs You Must Download!

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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.