5 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage (Feb 4)

Rampage is rarely unwatchable.

In fact, scratch that. AEW's third hour hasn't been anywhere close to unwatchable since the program launched in August 2021. It's a neat complement to Dynamite, and gives the company firm footing to develop other characters, feuds and storylines without having to squeeze them onto the flagship.

This week's episode was another example of fine wrestling television, but All Elite chiefs have started a worrying trend on their 'B' broadcast. Rampage has become a much busier watch recently, and not in a good way. Again, it's not all bad, although Tony Khan might want to have a think about how he can maximise minutes rather than clutter them.

Friday's latest had two title matches, a squash and a grudge battle between two women who have decent chemistry but are being let down by an apparent need to stretch things out. On the plus side, the show featured more good promos than it normally does - actual in-ring wrestling is typically Rampage's main strength, so it was nice to see some talking.

Here are all the 'Ups' and the 'Downs'...