AEW Rampage 9/9/2022 Match Ratings and Commentary
Here’s where we landed with Rampage this week. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Rampage - 9/9/2022
Sammy Guevara def. Darby Allin: ★★
Serena Deeb def. Madison Rayne: ★
Claudio Castagnoli def. Dax Harwood to retain the ROH World Championship: ★★★★
Professional Wrestling (Credit: AEW)
Show Highlight—
Claudio def. Dax. If the answer to the question of what do you do to “solve” Rampage, the correct response is banger, four-star matches. We have more star power on Rampage than we’ve had in weeks, and these two wrestlers are the darlings of the AEW hardcores that their audience wants to see. It was going to come down to a battle of sharpshooters and that’s just fine. I don’t like seeing Dax lose so much in singles competition, but it fulfills the Bret Hart arch in Harwood mirroring Hart’s own losing streak when Bret first teased going solo in ’88. Great spots in this match, like Dax taking a bump into the ring pole beneath the bottom rope that tumbled him to the outside. And notice how they worked hard through the picture-in-picture breaks? Another case made for Dax as wrestler of the year. This is Malenko winning the PWI 500 in 1997 type shit but better.
What Worked—
Regal’s popped a wrestling woody. Regal baited Dax into cutting an impassioned promo. Not because Regal’s turning heel and wants to see his man lose, but because Regal wants to see his men be challenged by the best professional wrestlers possible as he’s all about grappling violence. Just look at Regal's face when he knows he’s getting Dax at his best. Fucking brilliant. These fun little subtitles are what makes AEW so great. This is what Vince couldn’t conceive of or thought his audience was just too stupid to follow. Fantastic, layered usage of Regal and the perfect example of why doesn’t have to play the same old same old as an authority figure.
Diving cutter. Darby dove into a brutal cutter from Sammy that ought to be part of Rampage’s video packages for years to come. Shot and executed perfectly.
“Monstar.” Hobbs cut a good little promo, denying that his win was unexpected. Powerhouse, in his own unique way, stated his case like Wardlow did on Dynamite, that he’s his own man and gets shit down himself. Sneakily effective. I hope it’s not lost on the fanbase with its placement on the show.
Deuce-plex. Such a hardcore wrestling fan thing to be snippy about, but having wrestlers do the same spot on a one hour show typically gets us whining like a Truth Social post, but Sammy/Darby and Claudio/Dax each executed the holding-onto-the-suplex-over-the-tope-rope-to-the-outside spot but it was unique to both types of wrestlers ala their personas—smooth gymnasts vs rugged grapplers.
What Didn’t Work—
Sammy/Darby at half-speed. Maybe there was an injury, or guys came into it working hurt, but it didn’t seem to be up to their standards. Why not Sting in one of the ex-TNT champions spot? Imagine the pathos and drama for Sting to go on one last run as opposed to Sammy being fed to Mox.
Cut the “cut the shit?” Poor Jade. She can’t say “shit” on a Friday at like 10:30PM anymore? Another thing to pile-on Ace Steel for.
Show Cringe—
What’s a coach? Like in kayfabe, what is a coach supposed to be doing on-screen, because Ryane’s not doing what Arn or Jake were doing, and we haven’t seen b-roll footage of her doing what Dustin does in training young talent, either. Unfairly or unjustly or not, it seems like her whole presence is an acknowledgement that the women’s division needs improvement but we haven’t seen an example of what she does as a wrestler that’s exponentially better than, say, Serena Deeb, who ought to be the one who has that on and off-air role of coach. I loved seeing Serena Deeb win on TV and she can be reheated to give Toni Storm a credible win. Clearly, I’m splitting hairs as this was overall a fine show of wrestling with stakes and a great match. Rampage this week felt like there was a reduction in cramming in so much content into 60 minutes where you couldn’t absorb and breathe.
Deeb/Rayne (Credit: AEW)
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