AEW Rampage Review - August 9, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Darby Allin def. The Butcher

These two have had a few matches over the years and they always work well together. This told the same story as their other encounters with Butcher on offense for a majority of it, yet the outcome was never in doubt, especially with Allin set to challenge for the AEW TNT Championship at All In. I don't know why this match happened other than to further Allin's momentum, but at least they made the most of the time they had.

Wheeler Yuta def. Rocky Romero

This was the well-wrestled affair you'd expect from Yuta and Romero, and it was right where it belonged on Rampage. That's not to say there was anything wrong with it necessarily, but I can't recall a single important match he's ever won on AEW TV, so there was zero uncertainty surrounding the outcome. Plus, Yuta appears to be in rebuilding mode following his loss of the ROH Pure Championship. Bryan Danielson sitting in on commentary was a treat, though.

Private Party def. The Dawsons

I remember Dave and Zane Dawson from their time in the NWA five years ago. They're a competent team that's been around for a while, but this was all about Private Party and existed to give them a rare win, so it made sense for this to be a standard squash. Private Party are obviously a talented team, but it's almost impossible to care about them these days with the way they've been booked.

Saraya def. Nyla Rose

Rose vs. The Outcasts is very much a Rampage-level feud. Nothing against any of the three women, but this is pretty pedestrian stuff. The Outcasts haven't been relevant in a while and Rose hasn't had direction as a babyface in AEW. The match was decent, but not main event material. Saraya winning keeps the feud alive, but I can't say I'm clamoring for the rematch.

Overall Show

Going from five matches to four matches was a nice step back in the right direction for Rampage. Ideally, we'd get only three matches with the one in the middle being a squash and the other two getting an ample amount of time, but again, four is an improvement over five. Regardless, this was your typical throwaway edition of Rampage. The in-ring action was adequate on the whole, but you missed nothing if you didn't tune in.

SEE MORE: Rampage Reviews