3 Big Takeaways from AEW Rampage (November 19, 2021)
This week's episode of AEW Rampage was good but certainly not great.
The show started off strong and ended strong. The stuff in the middle, however, was a little bit soft. Some filler content slowed the pace of the program, though it concluded with a strong main event.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three things that stuck out about Rampage.
#3. The AEW TBS Title Tournament match was kind of all over the place
what the sign says 💅 #AEWRampage https://t.co/o0VrTzfd6F
Jade Cargill and Red Velvet squared off to advance to the semi-finals of the TBS title tournament, and the match was sort of like a tornado: There was a lot of power and a lot of speed, but things were flying everywhere.
The ladies, who are no strangers to one another, never seemed to get fully on the same page. It wasn't terrible by any means because there were flashes of brilliance at some points. So it was a mix of both their athleticism and inexperience at the same time.
Cargill came out on top as AEW continues to build her as a future star, and for good reason. Both women have great careers ahead of them, but it just seemed like they had an off night, overall.
#2. Darby Allin vs. Billy Gunn was the ultimate 'David vs. Goliath' type of match
This contest stemmed from a challenge that was made on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite. It was the opening match and it was pretty much what you might expect, with the bigger man dominating most of the contest.
Gunn is now 58 years old and is still built like a college football All-American. At 6'5" and 275 pounds, he towered over AEW's ultimate risk-taker. The former WWE star always been known for his almost freakish strength, and he certainly displayed it here.
The powerhouse threw Darby around like a rag doll. At one point, Gunn literally gave Allin a backdrop so high in the air, it looked like he might be the first man to land on Mars:
Hoping we can still move like @RealBillyGunn at 58 😳 #AEWRampage https://t.co/jbAWhTvaw0
However, following that beating, Darby rallied back. After two coffin drops, he slew the giant. Unfortunately, he and Sting got a beatdown from the Gunn Club after the match.
Still, this was a big win for Allin as he defeated a proven veteran and WWE Hall of Famer. Another feather in the cap for one of the kids who will lead this company into the future.
#1. Seeing Bobby Fish and Adam Cole teaming together again was a great moment
YOU KNOW IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ________
#AEWRampage https://t.co/9Q72Eg6jyG
These two men were part of the greatest faction in NXT history, The Undisputed Era, and now find themselves working together in AEW.
They got a huge reaction, but that should come as no surprise; Cole always does.
However, it did seem special. Like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski: they're two friends who were playing for one team but somehow managed to swap jerseys and ended up playing for a new team together.
Unfortunately, they fell short of the goal line against Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus when Fish became isolated in the ring and fell victim to the snare trap.
Still, seeing Cole and Fish reunited was really cool, and it goes to show you once again that it seems ANYTHING is possible in AEW.
What did you think of this week's episode of Rampage? Let us know in the comments section below.