4 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage (May 6)

3. A Solid Women’s Showcase

Riho Yuka Sakazaki
AEW

Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki was well-worked and competitive, which is all you can really ask for from a tournament qualifier that didn't have much story heading in. Anyone who reads this writer's work often will know he's no big fan of Riho, but this was a good, solid and fun match that clicked around five minutes in.

The ending stretch was hot and had fans on their feet.

Opponents like Sakazaki bring out the best in Riho, so it'd be churlish to have any complaints about this kind of match. Both women made the most of their 10 minutes, and they got to the required result (Riho in the Owen Hart tourney) without making Yuka look like some drafted-in jobber extraordinaire.

AEW gave these gals something to strive for, stood back and watched them fly. That was literal in the case of Sakazaki - she soared through the air several times, and everyone behind the commentary desk seemed impressed by how she connected with the audience.

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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.