3 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Sept 8)

Ups...

3. That Popular Opening Result

This has been said before, but AEW's ultra-talented roster does a lot of the heavy lifting to compensate for shoddy formatting and/or decision-making. Case in point: Penta vs. Jay Lethal. Neither man actually belongs in a World Title shot tournament, but their match on Rampage was nonetheless a good watch.

Both found a way to get Lethal's entourage out of there so focus was on the actual match, which was a sound idea. On a personal note, this fan kinda wishes All Elite would move away from whipping off Penta's mask every now and then, but that spot didn't outright skill this clash or anything.

It sparkled near the end.

Fans around ringside really appreciated Penta getting the nod too. He's always been presented as more of a tag guy in AEW circles, but does carry that element of danger when running solo. Penta vs. Samoa Joe will be another banger worth seeing.