Best and Worst of AEW Rampage: Ex-WWE star suffers another loss; big mistake with Hook; Samoa Joe's winning streak continues
Hot off the heels of a remarkable AEW Dynamite episode, the company continued the momentum from where they left off last Wednesday.
This week's AEW Rampage enthralled the audience with four high-profile matches. Aside from an action-packed show, a few booking decisions felt arguable, which we'll be discussing as positive and negative takeaways.
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#3 Worst: Swerve Strickland failing to win big matches
And with that appearance of @Sting, @DarbyAllin advances in to the #OwenHart Foundation Men's Tournament with the win tonight on #AEWRampage! Tune in to @tntdrama right now! https://t.co/BYw0eBYZf5
Darby Allin continued his winning momentum when he defeated Swerve Strickland to qualify for the Owen Hart Foundation Men's tournament. The two men put on a hard-hitting contest but were interrupted rudely by Ricky Starks towards the closing moments.
A slight distraction from the Team Taz member allowed Allin to sneak out a roll-up victory. While the company played a compelling move by protecting Strickland in defeat, this marked his second loss against a prominent name on the roster.
After witnessing a series of showdowns between Team Taz and Keith Lee w/ Strickland, management now seems to be dragging the feud unnecessarily just because the babyface didn't come out on top.
#2 Worst: AEW teasing an alliance between Hook and Danhausen
.@730Hook disposes of @TonyNese and @MarkSterlingEsq! It’s #AEWRampage on @tntdrama! https://t.co/RNQ33eZ1AA
Hook's booking on AEW programming has felt questionable lately, primarily since the company pitted him in a feud against Danhausen.
On Friday night, The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil came face-to-face with the face-painted star before being interjected by Mark Sterling and Tony Nese.
The entire segment was set up to build a match between the latter and Hook, but it also teased an unwelcoming alliance.
After Taz's son swiped out both Nese and Sterling, Danhausen expressed a desire to join forces with Hook. So far, the company has built the latter as a force to be reckoned with on the roster.
Given his fierce persona, it wouldn't be a savvy decision to continue involving him in amusing segments with Danhausen or, even more so, dropping a hint at a possible association between the two men. It will eventually damage his on-screen character in the longer run.
#1 Best: Samoa Joe and Trent slugging it out in the main event of AEW Rampage
Samoa Joe successfully retained his ROH World Television title against Trent in a grueling battle. Although the outcome was easily predictable, the two men kept fans on bated breath with their performances.
Some may even argue that Trent has continued to suffer defeats against noteworthy opponents. However, it would be hard to imagine him going over against a top-caliber in Joe.
The aftermath saw a massive brawl break out between Joe and Lethal while Best Friends and Satnam Singh collided outside the ring. Pandemonium was all over the arena when the curtains fell on Friday night's Rampage.
What is your take on the AEW Rampage episode this week? Which match did you like the most? Sound off in the comments section below.