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This week's AEW Rampage featured a few high octane showdowns as it continues to be the fastest hour in professional wrestling today.
As has been the trend, AEW threw a lot into the Friday night show, with the main event title match being accented by lightning-quick action throughout the program.
Having said that, there's no time for delay. Let's dive right into three things that stuck out about the latest edition of AEW Rampage.
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#3. Darby Allin vs. Swereve Strickland kicked off the show with a real barnburner
Swerve faced off against Darby Allin in an Owen Hart Memorial Cup qualifier match, and this was a real ‘crash and burn’ battle. These two left it all on the line out there.
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Allin got the win, but Strickland looked impressive in defeat. He matched Darby in terms of explosiveness. On top of that, he had a good portion of the audience on his side.
Allin will advance to the Owen Hart Cup Tournament, and that makes sense considering he is a longer-tenured grappler within AEW and deserves that spot. But Strickland will be someone to keep an eye on going forward. It wouldn't be a shocker to see him end up in the mix for the TNT Championship at some point.
#2. There was another confrontation between Hook and Danhausen, but it ended with a twist
Mr. Very Nice, Very Evil came out on the microphone and said he was there to take Hook out. Within no time, the Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil's music hit, and he was face-to-face with his unusual antagonist.
Danhausen began to change his tune once Hook insisted that they fight right there. However, Tony Nese came to attack both of them. Hook and Danhausen (somewhat) joined forces for a bit, prompting the crowd to chant 'Hookhausen' - a sign they would like to see the two performers pair up.
Before exiting the ring, Hook made it clear that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
While some fans and critics have said that AEW should keep Hook away from any sort of comedy angle, this storyline has been entertaining. It also affords the young up-and-comer an opportunity to finally take on an actual speaking role.
For now, this is a fun, evolving segment of the promotion's programming and will be a thumbnail in Hook's history with All Elite Wrestling. No matter where this storyline goes, he'll be fine.
#1. Seeing the Ring of Honor TV title defended on AEW programming still feels surreal in many ways
Samoa Joe successfully defended his ROH World Television Championship against Trent Baretta, as this bout is such a reminder of how much wrestling has changed over the years.
We've seen mergers, invasion angles, and co-ops in the past, but the fact that Tony Khan owns both All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor still hasn't sunk in for many of us. It's as if everyone is sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see what comes next.
There are so many possibilities with the two brands that we should be in for more treats like this main event. Samoa Joe looks to be one of the spearheads of the cooperation between AEW and ROH, and you couldn't ask for a bigger or better star to fill that role.
What did you think of this week's episode of AEW Rampage? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
