4 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Rampage (June 16)
Aubrey Edwards wrestles; Takeshita shines; AEW preps Rampage for the 'C' slot.
AEW has shifted its television lineup around a little, at least in terms of importance. Rampage, which was previously the 'B' show behind Dynamite, will become the 'C' level broadcast once Collision gets going. That's unavoidable, but it's true that Rampage hasn't exactly been a priority to Tony Khan since early-2022 anyway.
The Friday night weekly can still delight though - this week's edition made that clear. All Elite booked a variety show of solid pro wrestling and "sports entertainment". Your tolerance for the latter will differ, and that's fine, but only a fool would fail to spot that Rampage's live crowd were heavily invested.
'AubreyMania' was running wild, though most will be hoping the tour stops at one date. 'Quit while you're ahead' springs to mind immediately here, but who could've thought they'd see Edwards booked on the same card as Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita in 2023?!
The show is worth seeing just out of morbid curiosity for the mixed tag. Do so, and you'll be rewarded with a fine trios bout, a solid showcase for Taya Valkyrie, and a main event so good it wouldn't look out of place on Dynamite or Collision.
Let's dig in!