5 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Rampage (Sep 17)

Ups...

5. An Acceptable Stopgap Challenge

If most AEW fans (including some hardcores) were being honest, they'd admit that they don't watch Dark every single week. That's fine, because there's a lot of wrestling to consume these days, but it's also a shame for those who like credible title challengers.

On the surface, The Butcher & Blade were one-off challengers for the Lucha Bros on this week's Rampage, but there was more to it than that. Typically for AEW, the team had prepped for their title shot by winning a series of matches on 'C' level programming and building quite the mini-undefeated streak.

Attention to detail is everything sometimes.

The announcers referenced that on Rampage before the opening tag title showdown, and that helped make the match more credible. OK, so the Rey Fenix and Penta's belts were never really in jeopardy here, but the match was an enjoyable one regardless of any true threat the heels posed.