Here’s where we landed with this week’s Full Gear Friday edition of Rampage from Jersey. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.

Show Highlight—

Hook/Moriarty. Hooks longest match and he wasn’t exposed. I was fearing that with Hook’s matches intentionally kept short, that he could get lost if thrown from the comfort of judo-inspired offense. Instead, to the first break, they wrestled amateur-style that wasn’t boring, and were able to mix in a multitude of styles on the other end without missing a beat. The crowd responded to the creative way into Red Rum for the finish. Keep giving Hook more opponents with credibility to maintain his stardom.

What Worked—

Athena. They ran with the buzz Athena was getting as a heel and actually had her attack Aubrey! That was the first time that Aubrey was touched, far as I can recall. To her credit, Aubrey did the wonderful old bit that I love of a ref getting hit once yet selling it forever like it was the Powerbomb Symphony off the Hell In A Cell. AEW does have a habit of debuting someone, they lose momentum, and then they find it again with a new refurbish, so hopefully Athena gets her opportunity to shine, because she’s fucking great. Imagine the program she could have with Jamie Hayter. To say nothing of what’s being suggested with Mercedes Martinez.

What Didn’t Work—

No ref’s or agents? This is the only time I’ll ever fucking write this, but poor Aubrey. No faceless refs or agents or security to assist her after being hobbled? I get from a creative standpoint you want the focal point to be Martinez coming out for the confrontation, but you’d think in kayfabe they’d scurry some out to make more of that moment.
Jun Akiyama. I’ll plead my ignorance, I’ve never seen his work even while recognizing his name and knowing his historical value. I’m like someone seeing Terry Funk for the first time in 2006 WWECW. Looking forward to see what Eddie Kingston can do with Akiyama for the Full Gear Zero hour as this felt underwhelming to my (unrealistic?) expectations.

Show Cringe—

Madison Rayne. Being a champion of women’s wrestling means supporting the female wrestlers that deserve the limited screen time that AEW’s roster gets as opposed to blanketing every performer with toxic positivity platitudes that dull your credibility. The viewing audience has no idea the value and experience and mentorship she brings backstage, but in front of the camera, Madison Rayne is not worth the investment after given multiple opportunities to do so. Not even as an enhancement talent. The reason why Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi had jobs for life, is they were able to adapt to any style and make their opponents look great. In-ring, what we see still is the walk-running and phony-looking cooperation of practicing wrestling maneuvers. Having the designation of coach has hurt Rayne’s character, as you’re expecting a level of wrestling quality that isn’t evident. This certainly reads harsh, but it’s squeamish to watch as a viewer, and every minute of air time is precious for AEW with where they are at with their ratings and creative momentum.

AEW Rampage 11/18/2022 Match Ratings and Commentary

AEW Full Gear 2021 Match Ratings and Commentary