AEW Rampage - Best and Worst - Christian Cage becomes world champion again, Fuego Del Sol is All Elite, and more
Welcome to Best and Worst for the inaugural episode of AEW Rampage. The show emanated from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Friday night. It was a stacked card for a one-hour episode, especially considering that AEW had most of their champions competing on the show.
The company embarked on a new chapter in wrestling history tonight by delivering on the hype that surrounded the show's debut. The night was made even more special with the presence of an electric crowd. It certainly gave a pay-per-view feel to anyone watching. The show kickstarted with a massive swerve and ended with the hometown queen standing tall.
Let us take a look at the best and worst of the debut episode of AEW Rampage. If you agree or disagree with any of the points mentioned, do let us know in the comments section below.
#3 Worst: A distraction that lasted too long for AEW
The match that kicked off AEW Rampage got the entire wrestling world talking. In what was seemingly a swerve delivered for fans, Christian Cage defeated Kenny Omega to win the IMPACT World Championship, ending his reign at 111 days.
The bout was an instant classic, though, given that the company put two of the most technically sound wrestlers in the same ring. However, the convoluted finish of the match felt absurd in a lot of ways.
Don Callis got a hold of referee Brian Hebner and distracted him for what seemed like an eternity. The intention of The Invisible Hand seemed to be to enable Omega to get the job done inside the ring.
As it turns out, Captain Charisma got the benefit of it as he turned things upside down despite receiving a low blow.
The referee engaged in an argument with Don Callis for way too long, which at one point felt a little exaggerated. The fact that the Young Bucks' interfered just to walk to the back immediately after, thinking that the AEW World Champion had everything under control, also added to the chaos within the ring.
The entire angle felt off, especially when everyone knows that such distractions have always benefitted the heel. Christian Cage's victory came out of the blue.
Another letdown was having booked an IMPACT World Championship bout as their first match on the card for the debut episode of AEW Rampage. The company could have presented things better tonight by having Miro and Fuego Del Sol kick things off.
Regardless, Christian Cage must be basking in glory, and fans can expect bigger things to come for him moving forward.