Best and Worst of AEW Rampage: Adam Cole makes bold prediction; first-ever no disqualification finish in show's history
Tonight's AEW Rampage was a newsworthy show as significant developments took place ahead of the Revolution pay-per-view. Multiple high-profile title matches went down on Friday night, which assured another solid one-hour episode.
However, a few booking decisions felt arguable, which we'll be discussing as positive and negative takeaways from the episode.
If you disagree with any opinion mentioned below, make sure to let us know in the comments section.
#3 Best: Adam Cole planning to challenge for the AEW World Championship soon
An emphatic @AdamColePro lets us all know that one thing is for certain.
Don’t miss another minute of #AEWRampage on @tntdrama! https://t.co/0FTg7Sv6XX
After suffering a crushing loss at the hands of Orange Cassidy at Beach Break, Adam Cole returned to winning ways tonight. The former NXT Champion defeated Evil Uno in a one-sided affair match, thus extending his winning streak to 10-0.
Shortly after the match, Cole cut an intense promo in which he flaunted his undefeated streak and made his plans clear regarding winning the world title.
While the 32-year-old didn't clarify when he might challenge for the coveted prize, it is a forgone conclusion that the company could allow him to fulfill his destiny at Revolution.
Previous reports have suggested that Adam Cole vs. Hangman Page is in the works. With the latter already set to defend his title next week, he could face a formidable challenger in Cole down the road.
After receiving ample criticism over his underwhelming booking, Cole potentially entering the world title picture is a sigh of relief for fans.
#2 Worst: Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Martinez ending in no disqualification
And @ThunderRosa22 gets the victory via disqualification as @RealMMartinez viciously blindsides her with a metal pipe to her head!
Tune into #AEWRampage on @tntdrama right now! https://t.co/j9W8EDA1th
Tonight, Thunder Rosa finally got the opportunity to lay her hands on Mercedes Martinez, who cost her a chance to become the TBS Champion.
Unfortunately, Rosa didn't get the sweetest revenge after Martinez assaulted the former with a steel pipe, thus ending the bout with no disqualification result, the first in Friday night's show history.
Since the company never followed the trend of no disqualifications in their matches, it felt like a shoddy booking decision to implement such an outcome on the show.
Rosa and Martinez enthralled wrestling fans with their hard-hitting performance tonight. Tony Khan should have looked to book a decisive winner, as the initial outcome has now left a sour taste in everybody's mouths.
#1 Best/Worst: Ricky Starks successfully retaining his FTW Championship on AEW Rampage
#AndStill!
#FTW Champion @starkmanjones retains his title in this incredible match against @TheLethalJay!
What an epic night of action here on #AEWRampage on @tntdrama! https://t.co/g48FNMOPrO
Ricky Starks successfully retained his FTW Championship tonight after defeating Jay Lethal in an incredible main event match on the show. The two men pushed each other to their limits and left no stone unturned in keeping fans engaged until the end.
As exciting as the contest was, almost everyone knew the outcome from the beginning. On top of that, Lethal suffered another big loss in AEW, which may not have sat well with fans.
He's had an underwhelming run thus far, thanks to a lack of opportunities due to a stacked roster. Yet, it will be interesting to see what the company has in store for Starks and Lethal moving forward.