AEW Rampage - Best and Worst - Hangman Page sends a fierce warning; big mistake with former NXT Stars?
AEW Rampage tonight served its purpose for the go-home episode before Full Gear this Saturday. It was another solid episode on a one-hour time slot.
Several interesting angles occurred this week, while a long-running feud seems to have culminated. In addition to that, four matches took place, which hyped the crowd.
As always, we'll point out the negatives and positives from tonight's edition. Since this will be the reviewers' opinion, feel free to pen down your thoughts in the comments section.
#3 Best: Hangman Page putting The Young Bucks on notice before his championship match at AEW Full Gear
The No. 1 contender @theAdamPage has a strong message for his former friends the @youngbucks ahead of his #AEW World Title match tomorrow at #AEWFullGear. Watch #AEWRampage LIVE on @tntdrama NOW! https://t.co/OsDhb8QQ8A
In what turned out to be a crisp and buzzworthy segment, Hangman Page surprisingly showed up on Rampage to deliver a fierce message to his former friends, Nick and Matt Jackson.
Moreover, the confrontation between The Cowboy and Adam Cole was delightful to watch. It might have hinted at a potential showdown down the road.
Page initially apologized to The Young Bucks for spoiling their friendship. However, he promised to ruin Nick and Matt Jackson if they tried to interfere in his match against Omega this Saturday.
From a storyline perspective, the segment worked pretty well. Both Page and The Young Bucks have screwed each other up in the past, and the company did a commendable job of possibly settling their differences tonight.
It also suggests we might witness a fair clash between Hangman Page and Kenny Omega at Full Gear. We'll see if The Cowboy fulfills his prophecy to become AEW World Champion.
#2 Worst: Adam Cole possibly exploiting Bobby Fish on AEW Rampage
It's a melee with the #SuperKliq & #JurassicExpress/@Christian4Peeps before tomorrow's FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE MATCH at #AEWFullGear! Watch #AEWRampage LIVE on @tntdrama NOW! https://t.co/YWBTow0Geu
As expected, Bobby Fish came up short against Jungle Boy on AEW Rampage tonight. Although it was an impressive match, the aftermath caught most of the attention.
Adam Cole ambushed Jungle Boy and began assaulting him with some help from Bobby Fish. Both former Undisputed Era members hugged each other in a feel-good moment. However, as soon as Christian Cage and Luchasaurus rushed to the ring, Cole left his former friend to take the beatdown.
After reuniting on the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, the company could have immediately booked Cole to recruit Fish into his faction instead of portraying the former NXT Champion as self-absorbed. With Fish being exploited tonight, the entire post-match segment didn't serve the purpose of building the friendship between Cole and Fish.
#1 Best/Worst: Matt Hardy defeats Orange Cassidy in the main event of AEW Rampage
The brass knuckles from @BladeofBuffalo gives @MATTHARDYBRAND the tainted victory and #HFO takes out #BestFriends on #AEWRampage!
Watch Countdown to #AEWFullGear RIGHT NOW on @tntdrama! https://t.co/I9F5s379wZ
As exciting as it was to see the Lumberjack match between Matt Hardy and Orange Cassidy, the outcome may have left a sour taste in the audience's mouths.
It wouldn't be far-fetched to say, did Matt Hardy need a win against Orange Cassidy tonight? The latter has been on the receiving end of an on-and-off push over the past year.
But having OC fall in front of a 47-year old wrestler will likely derail his momentum, especially after he suffered a loss against Miro last week. Regardless, the bout was a treat for fans. The former WWE Superstar putting a bounty on Cassidy was a treat for fans to watch.
That said, Hardy's win over Cassidy might be the culmination of their long-running rivalry. Both men can now move on to different feuds.