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AEW Rampage has been bouncing around a bit lately due to the Turner Sports playoff schedule. While ratings have been down over the past couple of weeks, the program overall remains strong. It's not referred to as 'The Fastest Hour in Professional Wrestling' for nothing, as the show seems to fly by every week.
This week was the penultimate programming for AEW, with next week being the go-home for Double or Nothing. The event is shaping up to be a spectacle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will likely shape the future of AEW for the remainder of 2022.
Tony Khan has hit a home run when it comes to acquiring talent and even wrestling companies. We are finally getting to see what he can do as a booker with a shelf full of toys to play with.
Having said that, let's see how well he did this week by pointing out three things that really stuck out about the May 20, 2022 edition of Rampage:
#3 - Shawn Spears grabbed a quick victory as he prepares to face Wardlow
We rarely see Spears serve as much more than MJF's chair-wielding lackey, but anyone who has seen him in the past would agree that he's a very talented and proficient grappler in his own right.
The former Tye Dillinger was considered a massive signing for AEW in its initial days. However, he has since fallen a bit by the wayside. Most fans could see the talent that went untapped during his time with WWE.
While a win over Big Damo (FKA Killian Dain) on Rampage certainly won't make or break Spears' career, it was a good idea to showcase him ahead of his steel cage match with Wardlow next week.
Based on what we saw this week, Shawn Spears could do well in All Elite Wrestling's TNT Championship mix if he ever decides to dump MJF and fly solo.
#2 - Kris Statlander advanced in AEW Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament and looked awesome in her win over Red Velvet
Statlander was one of the early stars of the women's division, and fans got behind her 'alien' persona. However, it wore thin, and at the same time, she began fading into the background.
While she has evolved quite a bit in the last few years, one thing has not changed: her superior stature and pure power. She promptly defeated Red Velvet in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament quarterfinals on this week's Rampage.
Next week, Statlander will face Ruby Soho in the semifinals. While it's doubtful she will win the tournament, these good showings act as excellent building blocks for her future, which remains bright.
#1 - Sammy Guevara and Frankie Kazarian destroying the AEW TNT Championship was an old school move
Many older fans can remember when Mr. Perfect and The Genius did the same thing to Hulk Hogan's old WWF World title belt.
This segment was no different, as Sammy Guevara made off with Scorpio Sky's belt and then threatened to smash it if he didn't get a title shot. After not getting the answer he wanted. He took a sledgehammer to the gold until Frankie Kazarian showed up, took the tool of destruction, and finished the job.
This is the perfect opening for a three-way match between Kaz, Guevara, and Sky for a new version of the belt. Great job so far on this storyline. It will be interesting to see where they take it from here.
Right now, it's all about Double or Nothing on May 29, and this week's episode was another step towards that event.
While Rampage may not have been a blow-away show this week, it served its purpose in advancing storylines and The Owen Cup, as we are now only one week away from one of AEW's biggest shows of the year.
