{"id":125419,"date":"2021-08-21T23:01:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-22T04:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=125419"},"modified":"2021-08-21T22:55:52","modified_gmt":"2021-08-22T03:55:52","slug":"aew-rampage-hits-misses-8-20-c-m-punks-debut-a-hit-jurassic-express-and-private-party-deliver-athletic-contest-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/08\/21\/aew-rampage-hits-misses-8-20-c-m-punks-debut-a-hit-jurassic-express-and-private-party-deliver-athletic-contest-more\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW RAMPAGE HITS &#038; MISSES 8\/20: C.M. Punk&#8217;s debut a hit, Jurassic Express and Private Party deliver athletic contest, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1531035914\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><strong>C.M. Punk\u2019s AEW Debut: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Off memory, this is probably the first time an AEW TV show has ever opened with an in-ring promo. I personally don\u2019t mind WWE\u2019s long-running format of doing this, but AEW fans probably do, so Tony Khan reserving this for big moments works just fine. Very smart to put Punk\u2019s return on first as well, because this crowd would not have relented chanting for him otherwise, and that wouldn\u2019t have been fair.<\/p>\n<p>Punk\u2019s entrance alone was a spectacle. This crowd wouldn\u2019t have booed him even if he came out with a bloodied Darby Allin. I\u2019m happy he retained Cult of Personality as his theme song, and you could see the elation on his face while he was soaking up the cheers. The announcers mostly sat back and let the entrance play out, which is smart because no one except Jim Ross in his prime could have had a fitting call for this return.<\/p>\n<p>Punk\u2019s entrance took so long that Excalibur had to cut to a break before his promo. Interesting that he explicitly emphasized that the break would only be 90 seconds long. Curious to see how that pays off in the minute-by-minute viewership.<\/p>\n<p>The first part of Punk\u2019s promo involved gratitude in coming back and some reflection on his past. His digs at WWE were smartly delivered. I usually hate it when ex-WWE guys over-emphasize how glad they are to be out of WWE and in AEW in their debut promo, but this was different. Punk was able to do it in a way that didn\u2019t make AEW sound minor league. He made WWE sound completely irrelevant as a pro-wrestling company, which very few people manage to do. If AEW talent has to take digs at WWE, I\u2019d rather they follow this strategy.<\/p>\n<p>The second part of Punk\u2019s promo was a little weird to me. He said he wants to \u201cwork\u201d with the young guys, which is wording I wouldn\u2019t have used outside of a podcast. He also said he has some \u201cscores to settle,\u201d which I\u2019m looking forward to follow-up on.<\/p>\n<p>When Punk shifted his attention to Darby Allin, he challenged him to a match at All Out. The reason for his challenge? \u201cI want to help you.\u201d I am not sure what to make of that, but it sounds patronizing on the surface. Nonetheless, I\u2019ll reserve judgment until the coming weeks. There is a non-trivial portion of the AEW audience who isn\u2019t as familiar with Punk as we are, so starting next week he\u2019d better start outlining an agenda beyond just \u201cyou\u2019re young, so I want to work with you. I think you can learn from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ending with an ice cream bar announcement was a sweet nod to fans from 2011, and newer fans would probably just perceive it as a babyface promoting \u201cmerchandise\u201d other than just t-shirts.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2944109263\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Christian Cage and Jurassic Express Promo: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Christian is a serviceable but sup-par mouthpiece for Jurassic Express until Jungle Boy improves his promo skills. Tonight, he barely even addressed Jurassic Express\u2019s CURRENT opponents, Private Party, and largely focussed on the Elite. What made it worse was his reference to the Bucks \u201cusing their EVP status\u201d to hire friends, which is not what I want to hear in a kayfabe promo. His comments on Omega were largely the same thing he told Don Callis on Dynamite two nights ago, so nothing spectacular there either. A waste of a promo.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jurassic Express vs. Private Party: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AEW\u2019s television shows are usually so packed with content (or so scarce on AEW Dark news) that I almost forgot there is a tag-team tournament going on.<\/p>\n<p>The match itself was athletic and entertaining, as you would expect from these two teams. Jungle Boy is a star on the rise, Luchasaurus has a great hot tag, and Private Party have a great future ahead of them. The Young Bucks watching from the entrance ramp got me to care more about the result. However, this was by no means a perfect match. For example, there was a shooting star press that missed Luchasaurus by so much that the announcers spent quite a bit of time covering for it afterward, including by saying something like \u201cyou know how even a grazing shot at high-velocity can hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Omega and Callis Promo: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nothing of substance was mentioned here. Pretty ordinary promo to build the main event of an AEW Pay Per View. Omega had an odd choice of words when he said \u201cI\u2019m going to retire you for another seven years,\u201d which implies Christian will still be back. Why not just vow to retire him permanently if retiring him is your objective?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cargill vs. Hogan: HIT<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1969819319\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>This was a squash match and deserved to be one. Good to see Jade Cargill in the ring on television.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Henry had to leave at the beginning of the match to interview the main eventers. They literally played this out on commentary. I would not have done this. It devalues the importance of the current match, even if, in a meta sense, we all know it\u2019s just going to be a squash. If he really has to leave early, he would have been better off quietly leaving the desk. Alternatively, why not just give him a microphone and put a camera on him while he\u2019s sitting at the announce table. It\u2019s not like he is physically present with the wrestlers during the interview anyway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Moxley and Garcia Interview: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Looks like Mark Henry interviewing both main-eventers is going to be a recurring, unique feature of Rampage. I like this formula, but I hope he doesn\u2019t have to skip commentary on the second match of the show every week to do this. As I mentioned above, they can work around it to keep him at the announce desk.<\/p>\n<p>Garcia listed off victories on a YouTube show which only a fraction of the television audience watches, and 2.0 yell too much. Moxley was Moxley, and he seems to have more of a 1997 Steve Austin vibe going, which I like, but the onset feels a bit too sudden. I\u2019m also not really convinced that this much anger and a death threat is worth in a \u201cfeud\u201d like this.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Moxley vs. Garcia: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The was short, and deservedly so. AEW has done precious little to explain who Daniel Garcia or 2.0 are. While this would be a \u201chit\u201d for a regular squash match in the middle of the show or on Dark, this didn\u2019t deserve to be a television main event. In retrospect, ending with the tag team tournament match would have been better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Post-Match Brawl: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I guess Tony Khan figured he couldn\u2019t end with a glorified squash match, so we had ourselves a brawl involving Sting and Darby. While it was entertaining to see Sting and Darby get physical, AEW really needs to reserve post-match brawls for feuds that deserve it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Commentary: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jim Ross replaced Chris Jericho tonight, probably to have a legendary voice on call for Punk\u2019s return. JR is far from what he was 20 years ago, but this was one of his better days. Excalibur very \u201cempty calories\u201d to me, but he\u2019s a serviceable lead announcer and probably the best we have on North American television in 2021. Taz is basically a babyface-leaning color commentator unless Team Taz is wrestling, and Mark Henry is still learning. His best mic work was when he was serious, so maybe he would shine in situations where he has to condemn heels. I really wish he\u2019d show some personality during his backstage interviews, such as asking tough questions to heels, instead acting like a neutral arbiter. In any case, he will only get a chance to grow if the commentary table is less populated, and these AEW television shows weren\u2019t so crammed with content.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, according to Excalibur, Chris Jericho was \u201ctaking some time to collect his thoughts\u201d and \u201che\u2019ll be back next week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall show: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A good, but not flawless show. If it wasn\u2019t for C.M. Punk, this week\u2019s Rampage would have been pretty ordinary. Not only did AEW deliver Punk, but we also got a high-action tag match and Jade Cargill actually wrestling on television.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>CATCH-UP:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/08\/20\/8-20-aew-rampage-tv-report-moynahans-coverage-of-punks-planned-debut-moxley-vs-garcia-jade-vs-hogan-jurassic-express-vs-private-party\/\">8\/20 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Moynahan\u2019s coverage of Punk\u2019s planned debut, Moxley vs. Garcia, Jade vs. Hogan, Jurassic Express vs. Private Party<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2289398475\"><div id=\"pwtor-1303221664\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>C.M. Punk\u2019s AEW Debut: HIT Off memory, this is probably the first time an AEW TV show has ever opened with an in-ring promo. I personally don\u2019t mind WWE\u2019s long-running format of doing this, but <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/08\/21\/aew-rampage-hits-misses-8-20-c-m-punks-debut-a-hit-jurassic-express-and-private-party-deliver-athletic-contest-more\/\" title=\"AEW RAMPAGE HITS &#038; MISSES 8\/20: C.M. Punk&#8217;s debut a hit, Jurassic Express and Private Party deliver athletic contest, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":125366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[6121,6558,6120],"class_list":["post-125419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists","tag-aew","tag-aew-rampage","tag-all-elite-wrestling"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2021\/08\/IMG_6500.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125419"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125424,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125419\/revisions\/125424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}