4 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Rampage (July 8)

2. A Showcase For Takeshita

Eddie Kingston Konosuke Takeshita
AEW

Simply put, this is the best Konosuke Takeshita has looked in AEW.

The 10-year pro looked like an absolute boss in there vs. Eddie, and Kingston did everything in his power to put Takeshita over with All Elite's faithful. At one point, Eddie even had to drape his foot over the bottom rope to escape a pin attempt, and he generally structured the match in Konosuke's favour.

Excalibur noted on commentary that the bout probs would've been a double knock out decision had Kingston not collapsed on top of Takeshita following his spinning back fist. That's such a subtle nuance, but it really did do a lot to make the ex-DDT man look impressive.

The best workers out there know how to make opponents look good even when they're beating them cleanly. Kingston and Takeshita deserve a little bonus for turning what should've been a forgettable exhibition into one of the best wrestling matches you'll see all week.

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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.