Rampage emanated from the NOW Arena in Chicago as AEW presented their final show before All Out. CM Punk made his second appearance on the Friday night show ahead of his match against Darby Allin.
Malakai Black continued to torment the Nightmare Family as he and Lee Johnson opened the show. Dr. Britt Baker tried her hardest to make life hard for her opponent at All Out, Kris Statlander. Eddie Kingston and Miro got personal on the show ahead of their TNT Championship match at All Out.
Daniel Garcia and 2point0 vowed to incapacitate Darby Allin to prevent him from making it to All Out as the two young superstars clashed in the main event of Rampage with CM Punk on commentary. With so much happening, let's jump into five things AEW subtly told us at Rampage.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
#5. CM Punk to main event All Out in his AEW debut?
CM Punk joined the commentary booth for the AEW Rampage main event between Daniel Garcia and Darby Allin.
During the match, Chris Jericho quizzed CM Punk on how he was feeling before All Out. After all, the Second City Saint will return to action after seven long years. CM Punk expressed a great deal of nervousness and added that the Chicago crowd being behind him only added to the pressure.
Punk also mentioned that he wasn't quite sure if he could hang around with the younger guys in AEW, especially someone as good as Darby Allin.
Considering the fact that Darby Allin staring down CM Punk was the final moment before All Out, their match will probably be the main event of All Out and all eyes will be on CM Punk as his return is the biggest story in wrestling right now.
Expectations will be sky-high but one can safely bet on Punk and Darby Allin to deliver on the biggest stage for AEW at All Out.
#4. Malakai Black has quickly established himself as a force in AEW
Malakai Black has wrestled two matches in AEW so far and the combined time for both matches has been less than eight minutes. It's not like he faced lower-card talent or jobbers, he squared off and decimated the face of AEW, Cody Rhodes.
With his crushing win over Lee Johnson on Rampage, Malakai Black continued to demonstrate his abilities inside the squared circle. Sure, there was a point in time when Big Shotty got some offense in but the result wasn't in doubt. Black even played mind games as he tried to coax Johnson into using a steel chair on him.
Malakai Black is one of the most unique wrestlers in AEW and he looks set for big things. For now, his next challenger will be the legendary Dustin Rhodes on AEW Dynamite next week.
#3. Eddie Kingston is the best talker in AEW
Very few people knew of Eddie Kingston when he showed up in AEW to challenge Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship. Now, he is one of the most beloved stars in the company.
He is not the greatest in-ring technician and doesn't have any high-flying moves in his arsenal, what makes him so likable is his mic work. Whenever he gets on the mic, you sit and listen.
Eddie Kingston's promo skills were on display at Rampage as he talked down Miro and insulted the Bulgarian God. He tore down the TNT champion bit by bit and left the ring standing tall.
While Kingston may not win at All Out, rest assured we will witness a hard-hitting and intense match.
#2. Britt Baker has reasons to worry at AEW All Out
Dr. Britt Baker has been a dominant women's champion in AEW and has never backed down from any fight. Come All Out, she might have to punch above her weight to walk out of the pay-per-view with the belt around her waist.
Baker had the luxury of booking a match for Kris Statlander on AEW Rampage and the champion had the Alien wrestle in a two-on-one handicap match against Jamie Hayter and Rebel. Much to Baker's surprise and disappointment, Kris Statlander came out on top.
Statlander is undefeated in 2021 and the AEW women's champion's expression during the match said it all. Britt Baker has a huge challenge on her hands at All Out.
#1. AEW has a lot of faith in Daniel Garcia
Daniel Garcia is just 22 years old but has already shared the ring with the likes of Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, Eddie Kingston and CM Punk. It's evident that AEW sees him as a future superstar.
This week's Rampage was the second show he main evented, as he pushed Darby Allin to the limit and the face-painted star only won with a modified roll-up.
Although he's yet to get that one big win in AEW, it's clear that the company sees a lot of potential in him. Daniel Garcia made a name for himself in independent wrestling promotions and now has one of the biggest platforms in the world to showcase his talent, and he's doing just that.