5 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Rampage (Dec 8 - Results & Review)
Ups...
5. Orange Cassidy Guts It Out
Orange Cassidy vs. Angelico would've headlined Rampage most other weeks, but this was no ordinary episode. The fact pro wrestling machine Bryan Danielson had the boots on ready to wrestle meant Orange wasn't the go to workhorse for the 'C' show this time. He still put in some performance though.
Score another successful International Title defence for Cassidy.
The opener was slower than expected, but that's not a complaint. It'd be silly of a fan this opposed to frantic spotfests without any selling at all to then whinge about slower-paced storytelling anyway. The pacing was on point from these two, and the match was even better for Angelico focusing almost exclusively on Orange's knee.
That forced the champ to gut it out and fight from underneath (which is Cassidy's main strength) before scoring a popular win. AEW could do without the crossover ROH influence on mainline programming, but this match was as solid as they come and showcased the best of Orange.