AEW Rampage Review - August 11, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Darby Allin def. ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Brian Cage

Allin and Cage had a really well-crafted feud from 2020 to 2021, so it was obvious they'd again have strong chemistry here. With Allin set to challenge for the AEW TNT Championship at All Out, he was never going to lose to Cage, but they had a great match, nonetheless. Luchasaurus attacked Allin afterward. Allin's pulling triple duty at the moment between Dynamite, Rampage and Collision and it's paying off because he has meaningful matches coming up at both All In and All Out.

AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy def. Johnny TV

It was weird seeing Cassidy defending his title in the middle of the show. Usually he opens Dynamite and Rampage and sometimes headlines Rampage. I actually would have preferred this in the main event over Saraya vs. Skye Blue. This was fun, but it's a shame that the former John Morrison doesn't mean more due to his silly partnership with QTV. He also barely shows up in person in AEW. Wheeler Yuta and Cassidy exchanged words afterward and they'll have a rematch for the title on Wednesday's Dynamite.

ROH World Tag Team Champions Aussie Open def. The Outrunners 

I was wondering last week why Aussie Open defended their ROH World Tag Team Championship on the 200th edition of Dynamite, and we found out why on Wednesday when Adam Cole and MJF announced their intentions to challenge for the titles at All In. This was a fairly standard showcase for Aussie Open, but the bout was a backdrop for them officially accepting the All In challenge. It's awesome that Aussie Open are getting a spot on the card, even if it's on the Zero Hour pre-show.

Saraya def. Skye Blue to Qualify for the AEW Women's World Championship Four-Way Match at All In

I feel like I've seen Blue against every member of The Outcasts a thousand times this year. She's improved quite a bit and I'm happy to see her getting more spotlight and more chances to shine, but I'm ready for her to move onto other opponents for a while, not to mention that there was zero uncertainty surrounding the outcome. The match was fine, but the finish sucked. The spray paint gimmick is just lame. Saraya competing in London at All In makes sense, though. Hopefully that leads to dissension within The Outcasts because the group has largely felt like a detriment to the division.

Overall Show

This was definitely better than your average edition of Rampage. It was weird that the wrestling was weaker as the episode progressed, but I can't complain about getting some significant storyline developments with a new All In match being made official, Saraya being added to the AEW Women's World Championship match, and feuds being furthered with Allin vs. Luchasaurus and Cassidy vs. Blackpool Combat Club. It was an enjoyable hour on the whole.

SEE MORE: Rampage Reviews