This week's Rampage quietly delivers the goods for pro wrestling fans, even if it won't set the mainstream on fire.
The Unarguable Epoch are stronger than ever
After last week's main event that saw Jurassic Express handily beat Bobby Fish and Adam Cole after Cole left Fish to get snare trapped, they set out to get their win back over the Best Friends unit of Orange Cassidy and Wheeler Yuta.
It was the win Cole and Fish needed, and I guess it means they won't be splitting up just yet even though Cole did leave his supposed best friend in there last week.
My only gripe is that Orange Cassidy's lazy schtick doesn't quite hold up when he's tagging with someone who's wrestling super-seriously. It works when he's just wrestling by himself, but when he's in there with someone playing it absolutely straight, he looks like someone who's dragging the team down. This is the first time I wasn't entertained by his gimmick in the ring, and I actually can't believe I'm saying that. I know Chuckie T and Trent are indisposed at the moment, but let's not do that again.
Riho beats Britt
Now we move on to a match that pissed quite a few people off—former Women's World Champion Riho goes up against Britt Baker in what is essentially AEW's version of WWE's Championship Contender matches, in which the contender must beat the champion to get a title shot.
I don't care if they don't do it as much; the fact remains I have never liked the idea of having to beat the champion to get a title shot. It should always be a match between two possible contenders to be named the number one contender—this is basically the wrestling version of the UAAP's ridiculous twice-to-beat advantage playoff format.
What I did like was Riho winning, because it's sure to (and totally did) piss off the people who hate her because of her size. She's good, you guys, for the same reasons Darby Allin is a totally fine wrestler in my book: she throws herself at her opponents and she uses her speed to her advantage. Cry more.
Anyway, Riho handing Britt another L (yet a rare L) is seemingly setting up the scenario where Britt finally gets her win over Riho in a title defense. I don't mind that.
A 10-minute classic
This week's Rampage main event deserved more time. That's my take.
My man Daniel Garcia and my newfound idol Eddie Kingston went a criminal 10-minutes in this, but believe you me, reader, they did the best they can. If you're the kind of wrestling fan I am, you'll love Japanese-style strikefests, and this is exactly what this bout was.
It might be a little tough to swallow the admittedly small Daniel Garcia as a legit heel. He's a little on the scrawny side, even in the standards of smaller MMA fighters. But he makes up for it with technique, force, and intent in every move; I'll admit that that might not float everyone's boat, but it works for me.
If that's not enough for you, maybe Eddie Kingston's hard-hitting King's Road style might. These two are a match made in my own personal heaven. Go watch this. I will die on this hill.
Rampage 11/26/21 Report: Another solid episode of Rampage in the books, rewarding some of the more established (and smarky) wrestling fans. If that's you, you'll love this. If that's not you, maybe you might like this. B+
Photo from AEW
*****
Romeo Moran (@roiswar) is the Editor-in-Chief of Smark Henry and one of the three hosts of the Wrestling-Wrestling Podcast. He gets by in this hard-knock life through working in advertising. Smark Henry was his and Stan Sy's original vision of a watering hole for local wrestling fans. He roots for the undersized guys who hit hard, and he likes taking your wrestling questions over on his Curiouscat account.
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