5 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Rampage (July 14)

4. A Squash With Context

Don Callis Mentallo
AEW

Pre-match, Don Callis grabbed a mic to reveal that Konosuke Takeshita's opponent on Friday was actually Kenny Omega's childhood buddy. Then, the heel Takeshita hammered Mentallo in less than five minutes, and finished the job with a killer-looking senton move from the top.

That looked superb.

The bout was short, but the fact AEW stuck some story context in there linking it back to Omega before Wednesday's 'Blood & Guts' showdown was appreciated. This was definitely more effective than having the announcers explain who Mentallo is to the fans at home without cluing in the live crowd.

Suddenly, people had a reason to root for Mentallo. They knew he wasn't winning, but they wanted him to put egg on Konosuke's face; or, maybe on Don's face, because he does such a stellar job as a punchable heel manager.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood.