The final edition of AEW Rampage before this Sunday's huge Revolution card featured some finishing touches and a whole lot of tag team action
Friday night's episode of AEW Rampage would be the promotion's final televised event before Revolution on Sunday, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Maybe it was the fact this edition was broadcast live, but the Cow Palace was definitely rocking.
The World Championship match is set, with Bryan Danielson taking on MJF this weekend. As is most of the card as nearly every single title is on the line. So, there really wasn't much more to this show than putting on a bow on things. Which it did, quite nicely.
There were no explosive or over-the-top moments, but there didn't need to be. The AEW faithful are already chomping at the bit for Revolution to get here, so all the promotion had to do was coast the car into the garage. They did that, cruising through one hour of solid action.
Having said that, let's take a look at three moments that stood out about this week's go-home episode of AEW Rampage:
#1 - Are we seeing the emergence of the 'Blackpool Bad Boys Club'?
Let's face it: The BCC has always had a rough edge. They represent gritty, high-impact grappling that originates from the school of hard knocks. So the group isn't exactly known for having a soft touch when it comes to their opponents, anyway.
But lately, the members of the Blackpool Combat Club tend to be veering in a darker direction. One that could lead to a heel turn, or possibly a run through both AEW and ROH as rogue vigilantes.
In any case, this group consists of three veterans who have won world championships and a very promising youngster in Wheeler Yuta. Despite what many critics might say, he's going to be somebody in this company for a long time to come. Who and what will likely remain unclear until he goes inevitably leaves the nest and goes out on his own.
Seeing this group come together with a legitimate mean streak would be a fun watch. For now, the team of Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli got the win in a multi-team tag team match. The crowd didn't exactly cheer the outcome, and the BCC would brawl with their opponents following the final bell.
#2 - The intrigue in the Women's Division is as thick as Ruby Soho's mascara
On the ladies' side of the ledger, something is looming large this weekend at AEW Revolution. It's just not clear what yet, and that's got the AEW faithful talking.
It's a nice change of pace, as the women of All Elite Wrestling have often been unfairly underrated. So for them to have this kind of buzz around them is well-deserved. Some early struggles saddled the division with the stereotype of being a 'flop', but they never really were. Homegrown stars like Britt Baker and Jade Cargill have been toiling away, carrying the division until the ranks were fortified.
Now, the new faces have lined up against the AEW originals. Former WWE wrestlers like Saraya and Toni Storm (and possibly more on the way) have vowed to overtake the locker room. Left standing in the middle is Ruby Soho, who stands in the middle with a reason to have loyalty to both sides in the battle. Her decision, and what happens in the three-way title match at this Sunday's PPV, will go a long way to determine the future of the division.
#3 - Yet another main event on AEW Rampage left a little something to be desired
With all due respect to the four men involved in this match, did this card get turned upside down? Because this is the sort of throwaway, mix-'em-up tag encounter that would normally open a show.
Nonetheless, the final bout of the night featured Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee teaming up against Swerve Strickland and Parker Boudreaux of the Mogul Enterprises Incorporated Whatchamacallit... (ESQUIRE).
Very little heat for this one, despite the history between Strickland and Lee - and the fact that they tried to do a quick angle over the last couple of weeks of television. The crowd was not into it and was fatigued at this point, which likely led to the broadcast feeling like some energy had been let out of the building. In anticlimactic fashion, Lee and Rhodes got the victory.
It doesn't help that Lee is moving a lot slower these days, probably from the 40 or 50 extra pounds he's carrying. And if Parker Boudreaux has any talent as a professional wrestler? He's done a terrific job of hiding it thus far.
Strickland is always good, and Rhodes is an absolute mat master, so the match wasn't awful by any stretch of the imagination. It just wasn't what a major promotion should ever promote as a televised main event. It's a glaring illustration of why the ratings have fallen so greatly on Fridays. This kind of booking gives even some die-hard AEW fans a reason to skip Rampage once in a while. That's (unfortunately) one obvious negative that came out of this viewing.
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