4 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Rampage (April 5 - Results & Review)

1. Tony Khan’s Big Problem Continues

Daniel Garcia Bryan Keith
AEW

Again, AEW does have feuds that technically count as stories, but the narrative weight behind most of them is seriously lacking. Tony Khan runs a "dream match" factory. Truthfully, even that's up for debate depending on tastes. Ratings/interest won't grow until Tony stop just booking matches he personally wants to see and actually develops characters/stories properly.

Sorry.

A lot of All Elite's matches have value bell-to-bell, but that's where the party stops. Many feel like one-offs that won't matter 10 minutes after they've concluded, and that's a real problem. Case in point: Rampage's main event. Whilst it was a fun watch in the moment, it's something you'll forget in a hurry anyway.

Critics say Khan books for a niche hardcore wrestling audience. He does. It's fine to do that, but it isn't working as a growth tool for AEW. The bloom came off the rose ages ago, and no number of 'indy with great production' matches can change that.

Story and emotional investment in characters can.

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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.