4 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Rampage (Sept 2)
AEW's finish is all over the place; Rampage is promo heavy; All Out build varies in quality.
AEW Rampage hasn't been very good lately.
In fact, no, let's not mince words. If Chris Jericho is allowed to say that WWE's NXT "sucks", then the All Elite star needs to take some criticism back. The show he routinely commentates, Rampage, has been utterly awful recently. Did this week restore some sort of pride for a 'B' show that's rapidly becoming less and less of an appointment program? Sort of.
There was a lot to like on this week's Rampage, and most of it handed much-needed build to lesser matches peppered throughout the All Out undercard. Everything from Jade Cargill vs. Athena and The Acclaimed vs. Swerve In Our Glory, to one of the six-man tags and Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs, received a bit of love on Friday night.
It was about bloody time too.
Sadly, the show is still creaking under the weight of pesky booking inconsistencies that are more WWE under Vince McMahon circa 2021 than some AEW hardcores would like to admit. Also, what was up with Tony Khan wrecking one feud's build by cramming in another with like...30 seconds of air time left?!