Written by Mike Mueller
There are so many different types of wrestling fans out there. Some enjoy technical mat wrestling, while others prefer hard hitting brawls. Some fans are looking for high flying “spot fests”, while others want great in-ring storytelling. Some want blood and guts, while others just want to smile and laugh. Well, no matter what type of wrestling fan you are, AEW had you covered on AEW Rampage 10/29.
BRYAN DANIELSON VS. EDDIE KINGSTON
The night started with Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston in the second round of the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament.eWithin moments after the bell rang, you knew exactly what kind of match this was going to be.
Eddie Kingston is a brawler, Bryan Danielson is a technical wrestler, and both men were determined to fight “their kind of match.” The in-ring storytelling in this contest was on a whole other level. Kingston was very cautious and tried to avoid any type of grapple, instead relying on shots with elbows, knees, and more chops than this “product of public school” could even count. Danielson, in contrast, had the upper hand when he was able to chain grapple and go for submissions. Whenever either man tried to adopt the other’s “style” it was unsuccessful. Danielson’s strikes were quickly blocked by Kingston, and Kingston’s wrestling moves were countered just as easily by Danielson.
Aside from a spectacular top rope back suplex, this match really wasn’t focused on “spots” so much as telling a consistent, hard hitting story. Eventually, Brian Danielson got the win after locking in a triangle sleeper hold and forcing Eddie Kingston to pass out. Of course, in typical Eddie style, he gave Bryan the middle finger as he went unconscious. After the match, Danielson offered Kingston a handshake, which Eddie refused and left the ring.
TONY SCHIAVONE “INTERVIEWS” CM PUNK
After the match, we are taken to the back where Tony Shiavone does what he does best: getting interrupted while trying to conduct an interview. As he starts to talk to CM Punk about his impressive 5-0 start in AEW, Eddie Kingston, loud and obnoxious as ever, comes to the back to confront CM Punk, I guess because Punk and Danielson are friends? Not really sure, but it was a tension filled moment that worked a lot better than most of these “interview interruptions” tend to, and has set up a very exciting Punk/Kingston match for the future.
MATT SYDAL VS DANTE MARTIN:
The next match was originally slated to be a tag team match between the Sydel Brothers and Dante Martin & Lio Rush. However, an injury to Mike Sydal instead gave us the third installment of Matt Sydal vs. Dante Martin. This match was everything you’d hope and expect from these two. One impressive move after another, without a botch to be found in the entire contest. These two work seamlessly together, and continue to show me moves that I’ve never seen in 32 years of watching wrestling.
Of course, the overlying story with this match was really about Lio Rush’s attempt to keep Dante Martin “under his wing.” All three men played their part perfectly in this match, with Sydal trying to reason with Martin and show him that Lio is not best for his future, Lio remaining as the “hard to please, disappointed mentor”, and Dante conflicted over the whole thing. While he still needs a lot of work on the microphone, Dante is portraying his character perfectly. You can see the doubt and confusion in his face, as this young prodigy is being pulled in two different directions and hasn’t had enough life experience yet to know what is truly best for him. One thing that AEW does not get enough credit for is their ability to inject personality into all of their storylines and feuds. Rarely is a feud ever as simple as “these two just don’t like each other,” and this is a perfect example of that.
MARK HENRY, WORLD’S…FUNNIEST MAN?
Prior to the main event, we get our traditional Mark Henry interview between Britt Baker and Abadon. Usually, this segment is a throw away, but tonight we were treated to perhaps the funniest moment in the short history of Rampage. Mark asks Abadon her feelings going into the match, and Abadon responds by spewing blood out of her mouth and staring at the camera. Mark Henry, totally unfazed, responds with “Well, it looks like Abadon doesn’t have a comment,” and I did a Saved by the Bell worthy spit-take all over my coffee table. This woman just spewed blood out of her mouth and Mark no-sells it like he’s Zeus in 1989. Every negative thing that’s been said about Mark Henry was totally erased in that one moment. And with that, the time for talking was over and we’re ready for the main event!
BRITT BAKER VS ABADON IN A “TRICK OR TREAT” MATCH
Our main event on Rampage this week was a no disqualification match, with the stipulation being if Abadon wins, she gets a future shot at Britt Baker’s AEW Women’s Championship. The match started out slow, as Britt was understandably trepidation about fighting someone, err, something, like Abadon. Abadon’s amazing character work was on full display as she stalked Britt and seemed impervious to pain, and there was plenty of pain to be found. AEW does not mess around when it comes ot hardcore matches. Chair shots to the neck, a table that wouldn’t break, and thumb tacks everywhere, including a handful going directly into Abadon’s mouth, would satiate even the most brutal of hardcore fan.
Comedy and brutality worked in perfect harmony throughout this match. This was perhaps highlighted best when Britt Baker went for her patented lock jaw (mandible claw) and you could see the hesitancy in her face. Did she really want to willingly stick her hand into Abadon’s mouth? No, but she did it anyway and her worst fears were immediately realized as Abadon started chomping Britt’s fingers like they were bite-sized Halloween candy bars. Just as things seemed to be turning around for Abadon, Britt’s cohorts (or, zombies in crime for this episode) Jamie Hayter and Rebel created enough of a distraction for Britt to get a rollup victory and keep Abadon far away from the good doctor’s AEW Women’s title.
Overall Thoughts on AEW Rampage 10/29:
While this recap likes to talk about the “highs and lows” from each episode, the fact is there really weren’t any lows to speak of. The three matches were all totally different from each other, but they also all worked perfectly. Issues were resolved, new issues were formed, we were given plenty of reason to tune into the next episode, and simply put, everybody had fun. The crowd was fantastic from beginning to end, and the commentary was spot on for the most part.
If we had to find one thing to criticize, it would be the very beginning of the episode. As Bryan Danielson was coming to the ring, Jericho on commentary said “Oh wow! He’s here guys, he’s here!”…Of course he’s here, Chris. He was scheduled for a match that you knew about. Why are you surprised? But, if one nonsensical line of dialogue is the biggest thing to be upset about, I’d say it was a pretty successful week.
