AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Andrade’s delight with his catch phrase is contagious, Jericho and Ciampa make the list again and The Painmaker is part of why

Welcome everyone!!!

If you read my column last week, you might not be happy with me. If you did not read it, I put three of the most popular AEW wrestlers on my fading side – “Hangman” Adam Page, Willow Nightingale, and Konosuke Takeshita – not because any of them are truly fading from the spotlight, but it just wasn’t their week a couple weeks ago. Go check it out and see if you agree.

This week was a little tough. After some, in my opinion, really good to great episodes of Dynamite, last week’s felt off. It was probably because of the fact that the set up for Redemption has had to come very quickly. Wrestling suffers when it can not lay out full stories and has to do quick set ups. I am sure Redemption will be a good show; after all, AEW has not had a bad PPV, arguably, ever. So my Rising Star choice is a guy who has been doing really good work since his AEW return.

So let’s see who landed where.

RISING STAR OF THE WEEK

ANDRADE EL IDOLO

Have you ever seen a 23 year veteran pro wrestler be so pleased with a catchphrase getting over? You have? Well, my question to you is, how you know? I have seen Andrade win titles and never look as happy as he does giving that line and the crowd saying it with him.

On a more serious note, it has felt like Andrade is motivated to do well this time in AEW. With what has gone on in his personal and professional life over the last few years, it’s easy to see why he may have been distracted before. Will that motivation continue is the question.

This week we are getting Andrade vs. Mark “Dunkzilla” Davis for the AEW National Title. First, how has it not come to Tony Khan’s attention that he has a National Title and International Title. Maybe it has and he doesn’t care. Regardless, there are too many titles. Okay, mini-rant over.

I fully expect Andrade to win this title on Wednesday and set up himself vs. Kyle Fletcher at All In London or sooner and the match happens at Grand Slam Mexico. Both the matches should be great and you don’t even have to ask me “how you know” because I just do.

FADING STAR OF THE WEEK

JERICHO AND TOMMASIO CIAMPA (again)

This is not working for me, at all. The Painmaker is not a gimmick that was huge in the States. In fact, the last time Jericho used it I believe the word “cringe” was used a lot to describe it. Looking at the way it was set up on Dynamite, the cringe factor is still there.

I want to say this: I have historically been a Jericho fan. I first became a fan of him through ECW and then WCW. His WWF Raw debut is still one of the best debuts anywhere ever, in my opinion. So this all comes from a place of love. I’m not going to throw around the retire word, but I just think Jericho would be better suited in a tag team with a younger wrestler.

Ciampa, Ciampa, Ciampa. For a guy who has been in the business as long as he has, why does he do what he did on Dynamite? As a heel, are you not supposed to get the crowd against you? Even in your home town? I get wanting to get cheers but it should more be from your diehard fans, not because you are pandering.

So we are getting another match between the two and it’s no holds barred, meaning we are probably getting another power drill spot. I am just over the feud and ready for both of them to be off television or, at least, doing something else. Both are better than what we have seen in this feud, especially everything that has happened outside of the ring.