‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Mar 17th 2023)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show features Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: TNT Championship – Powerhouse Hobbs def. Rey Fenix
My Thoughts: The very definition of a David vs. Goliath wrestling match, this turned out to be a superb battle between two men who had totally different styles and were totally different sizes. Given the squash matches Hobss has had recently, you’d have expected less of a battle for him against the smaller Fenix but this match was booked brilliantly so that just when you thought that was the case, it wasn’t! I was also pleasantly surprised we didn’t get shenanigans from QTV either!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Taya Valkyrie def. Ava Lawless
My Thoughts: Now this WAS a squash match, with Valkyrie coming out and demolishing her opponent. Interesting that two women on the AEW roster (Taya Valkyrie and Jade Cargill) now both have the same finish. A sure sign of a forthcoming feud right?
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Angelo Parker and Matt Menard def. Bollywood Boyz
My Thoughts: I wish Parker and Menard could get back to the dizzy heights of their 2.0 AEW debut. They’ve aligned with Chris Jericho and it’s only taken the wind out of their sails entirely, NOT elevated them as it should have. Drop the cheesy names, and get back to being one of the toughest, badass tag teams on the roster guys, seriously!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: Daniel Garcia def. Brody King
My Thoughts: This was another David vs. Goliath match on this week’s show but, like the first, it worked. What didn’t work was the crummy shenanigans at the end of the match that saw Jericho interfere and ruin the momentum Daniel Garcia had built trying to take down the big guy Brody King. THAT part of the match was great, as Garcia used his speed to his advantage against King’s size and strength. But the finish? Made it all about Jericho IMHO, taking away everything Garcia did.
