AEW Rampage and Battle of the Belts V 1/6/2023 Match Ratings and Commentary
(Credit-AEW)
Here’s where we landed with this week’s, live double-shot of Rampage and BotB V from Portland. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Rampage and Battle of the Belts V- 1/6/2023
Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley def. Top Flight: ★★★
Jamie Hayter and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. The Renegade Sisters: ★★★
Preston Vance def. Sonico: ★
Darby Allin def. Mike Bennett to retain the AEW TNT Championship: ★★★
The Acclaimed def. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship: ★★★
Jade Cargill def. Skye Blue to retain the AEW TBS Championship: ★★
Orange Cassidy def. Kip Sabian to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship: ★★★
Jade Cargill (Credit-AEW)
Show Highlight—
Hayter and Baker vs. The Renegade Sisters. This was easily one of the better women’s tag matches in some time. It was perfectly snug while seemingly never reckless, as both teams brought physical offense. Sure, the Renegade Sisters are not stars or over by any means—yet, and while this match could have been a squash, Jamie and Britt lost nothing by giving them a competitive match. These two are proving they can be the female equivalent of the BCC that put on great matches whilst making younger, greener talent.
What Worked—
Pacific Northwest crowd. Another great market for AEW to return to. Again, not sure if it’s just the production upgrades and that’s why the audio sounds better, but this was another fantastic atmosphere. It’s gotta be frustrating for Tony Khan that the ratings were in the 800K territory for Dynamite when the audience is clearly so wildly invested again in the product. If there was ever a time for an uptick in the ratings and overall engagement, it has to be forthcoming.
BCC vs. Top Flight 2. Effective booking choice to give Danielson another match right after the angle with MJF on Wednesday, and the previous BCC match with Top Flight was fresh in the audiences’s mind and told the story that Top Flight would have to be more aggressive so as to try to learn from their previous loss on Dynamite. Providing no injuries—poor Darius, that seemingly permanent preface, as if we’re talking about a banged-up running back—Top Flight could have a run as challengers later this year once the belts go on heels.
Hangman’s promo. Great lines from Hanger here. Because if anyone would get horny watching MMA that still owns VHS, that would be our boy, Mox.
Matt Taven. “Sooooo brooding.” Fuck you, Sean Nash, how do you not adore Matt Taven? Excuse the random anecdote, but doesn’t Taven look like a guy in a a previous era that Vince would have turned into the B-backstage reporter, not unlike Stan Lane? When Vince is still running creative in 15 years that’ll be his gig.
Cargill vs. Skye Blue. Never mind that there was no kayfabe reason for Blue to be the number one contender, she did a great job of getting a different match out of Jade and they had one hell of a finish. Like Top Flight, there’s going to be a big opportunity for her in 2023.
Kip Sabian. Sabian was never going to win the title, but he had his moment, and it took a spirited, over-booked spectacle for him to lose where he didn’t come off as an afterthought.
What Didn’t Work—
Jade/Red Velvet feud. I don’t hate this angle, it just needs to pick up momentum. You can only accelerate and lean-in on so many rivalries at one time to create meaning, and virtually there’s so many climaxes peaking for this forthcoming Forum show. When that settles, Red Velvet and Jade need to get physical and differentiate themselves from other break-up stable programs. Especially with the precedent of Hogan getting kicked out of the Baddies so suddenly, why is Velvet still apart of the group? Or is she? It’s been moving so slowly that it could use a video package and some aggression. Jade, as has been written about extensively, has a star aura and is an eyeball magnet, but her star power will not be hurt and is still interesting when she’s vulnerable. How do you do that when she’s so physically superior to Red Velvet, whom she’s already beaten handily previously?
Show Cringe—
Branding of the Battle of the Belts. If Battle of the Belts went away would anyone notice it’s canceled? The show never had the gravitas of Clash of the Champions, much less Saturday Night’s Main Event. To rebuild Rampage as a destination program and live draw, would it just be better served to have a two-hour, special themed Rampage from time to time instead?
Top Flight (Credit-AEW)
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