BRM Reviews the 2/25/2022 Rampage
Posted: Feb 28th, '22, 13:26
AEW TNT TITLE MATCH: Sammy Guevara(c) vs. Andrade el Idolo (w/Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, & Jose the Assistant)- 7/10
How the hell is Anthony Bowens vs. Orange Cassidy main eventing over a title match?
The match had great action, but the whole dissension tease between Matt and Andrade was so weird. Of all the groups in the world, having dissension between these guys seems like such a weird choice right now. Sammy won after Andrade’s head landed on a turnbuckle that Matt had uncovered earlier.
POST-MATCH SEGMENT- meh
Matt attacked Sammy after the match, creating a reason for Sting and Darby to come out and make the save, building up the six-man tag on the PPV.
Q.T. MARSHALL TAKES CREDIT FOR HOOK’S SUCCESS BECAUSE HE TRAINED HIM- whatever
He wants Hook to come out and give him credit or else he’ll drag him out and “stretch you in front of your daddy.”
Hook came out. It turned out to be an ambush, but Hook was ready for it, beating up all of the students who attacked him. Notably absent from this ambush were Q.T.’s competent students, including Nick Comoroto, who is wrestling on this very show.
Look… I don’t get this Hook thing, but the internet decided that he should be a thing, and so he is. Tony Khan would be foolish to waste this, but at the same time, Hook is clearly not ready yet. Beating up undercard nobodies in short matches is the best way to use him while not getting too much in the way of anything else, so I think Tony Khan has handled this the best way he possibly could have… but that doesn’t change the fact that 1) it doesn’t do anything for me, and 2) there is some opportunity cost here, which is that you are taking time away from other things that need it, and that is especially an issue on a packed show like this one.
DAN LAMBERT, SCORPIO SKY, & ETHAN PAGE PROMO- fine
If Scorpio is ranked so highly and hasn’t lost a match in almost a year, it seems to me that the heels are completely right and Tony is being quite unreasonable by not just giving Scorpio Sky the title shot he has earned. Lambert promised that Sky would get a TNT Title shot before the winner of the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match gets his.
NICK COMOROTO (w/Aaron Solow) vs. WARDLOW (w/Shawn Spears)- 4/10
There was a VERY abrupt cut from the end of the previous promo to the beginning of this match. See my earlier comment about Hook and being forced to spend time on a packed show.
Wardlow won clean.
POST-MATCH SEGMENT- great… until the end
Solow attacked Wardlow but Wardlow had it totally under control and got him up for a powerbomb… at which point Spears swung his chair and hit Solow in the back… and also hit Wardlow’s hand, upsetting Wardlow. MAJOR props are due to whoever came up with this finish (I assume it was Tony, but figured I’d cover my bases). I still think the “Spears is trying to steal Wardlow’s spotlight” idea doesn’t make much sense, but this particular angle was wonderfully creative and simple.
And then they ruined it by having Spears be a cartoon, and trying to convince him that the Powerbomb Symphony isn’t getting over (in those words).
FIVE-MINUTE CHALLENGE: Serena Deeb vs. Kayla Pierce- no rating, pointless waste of time
What is the purpose of these? They’re not telling us anything new (we know Deeb can beat jobbers), and in kayfabe, what is Tony’s impetus for booking these?
WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH CONTRACT SIGNING- great
No entrances for this, either. Both women’s promos were great, but Britt didn’t say anything that justified Thunder Rosa assaulting her, so Thunder Rosa looked like both a jerk (for assaulting Dr. Baker for no reason) and an idiot (for starting a fight in a three-on-one situation). Mercedes Martinez came out to make the save. Thunder Rosa posed with the belt.
MARK HENRY INTERVIEWS THE PEOPLE IN THE MAIN EVENT- meh
Orange Cassidy was a goof. The Acclaimed were fine.
FACE OF THE REVOLUTION LADDER MATCH QUALIFIER: Orange Cassidy (w/Wheeler YUTA) vs. Anthony Bowens (w/Max Castor)- 6/10
Danhausen showed up. He’s been around for a month and neither of his other two appearances have been relevant in any way so far.
A passable episode of Dynamite. This show would have been better with less stuff on it.
How the hell is Anthony Bowens vs. Orange Cassidy main eventing over a title match?
The match had great action, but the whole dissension tease between Matt and Andrade was so weird. Of all the groups in the world, having dissension between these guys seems like such a weird choice right now. Sammy won after Andrade’s head landed on a turnbuckle that Matt had uncovered earlier.
POST-MATCH SEGMENT- meh
Matt attacked Sammy after the match, creating a reason for Sting and Darby to come out and make the save, building up the six-man tag on the PPV.
Q.T. MARSHALL TAKES CREDIT FOR HOOK’S SUCCESS BECAUSE HE TRAINED HIM- whatever
He wants Hook to come out and give him credit or else he’ll drag him out and “stretch you in front of your daddy.”
Hook came out. It turned out to be an ambush, but Hook was ready for it, beating up all of the students who attacked him. Notably absent from this ambush were Q.T.’s competent students, including Nick Comoroto, who is wrestling on this very show.
Look… I don’t get this Hook thing, but the internet decided that he should be a thing, and so he is. Tony Khan would be foolish to waste this, but at the same time, Hook is clearly not ready yet. Beating up undercard nobodies in short matches is the best way to use him while not getting too much in the way of anything else, so I think Tony Khan has handled this the best way he possibly could have… but that doesn’t change the fact that 1) it doesn’t do anything for me, and 2) there is some opportunity cost here, which is that you are taking time away from other things that need it, and that is especially an issue on a packed show like this one.
DAN LAMBERT, SCORPIO SKY, & ETHAN PAGE PROMO- fine
If Scorpio is ranked so highly and hasn’t lost a match in almost a year, it seems to me that the heels are completely right and Tony is being quite unreasonable by not just giving Scorpio Sky the title shot he has earned. Lambert promised that Sky would get a TNT Title shot before the winner of the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match gets his.
NICK COMOROTO (w/Aaron Solow) vs. WARDLOW (w/Shawn Spears)- 4/10
There was a VERY abrupt cut from the end of the previous promo to the beginning of this match. See my earlier comment about Hook and being forced to spend time on a packed show.
Wardlow won clean.
POST-MATCH SEGMENT- great… until the end
Solow attacked Wardlow but Wardlow had it totally under control and got him up for a powerbomb… at which point Spears swung his chair and hit Solow in the back… and also hit Wardlow’s hand, upsetting Wardlow. MAJOR props are due to whoever came up with this finish (I assume it was Tony, but figured I’d cover my bases). I still think the “Spears is trying to steal Wardlow’s spotlight” idea doesn’t make much sense, but this particular angle was wonderfully creative and simple.
And then they ruined it by having Spears be a cartoon, and trying to convince him that the Powerbomb Symphony isn’t getting over (in those words).
FIVE-MINUTE CHALLENGE: Serena Deeb vs. Kayla Pierce- no rating, pointless waste of time
What is the purpose of these? They’re not telling us anything new (we know Deeb can beat jobbers), and in kayfabe, what is Tony’s impetus for booking these?
WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH CONTRACT SIGNING- great
No entrances for this, either. Both women’s promos were great, but Britt didn’t say anything that justified Thunder Rosa assaulting her, so Thunder Rosa looked like both a jerk (for assaulting Dr. Baker for no reason) and an idiot (for starting a fight in a three-on-one situation). Mercedes Martinez came out to make the save. Thunder Rosa posed with the belt.
MARK HENRY INTERVIEWS THE PEOPLE IN THE MAIN EVENT- meh
Orange Cassidy was a goof. The Acclaimed were fine.
FACE OF THE REVOLUTION LADDER MATCH QUALIFIER: Orange Cassidy (w/Wheeler YUTA) vs. Anthony Bowens (w/Max Castor)- 6/10
Danhausen showed up. He’s been around for a month and neither of his other two appearances have been relevant in any way so far.
A passable episode of Dynamite. This show would have been better with less stuff on it.