Hook vs Fuego Del Sol AEW Rampage 12-10-2021
Tony Khan has some balls on him.
No I am not talking about letting Urban Meyers coach his football franchise. I'm talking about some of his AEW decisions. In his short time running AEW Tony has shown he is not afraid to make mistakes and throw things out there. This isn't a bad thing by the way. Part of the refreshing aspect of AEW has been their willingness to make mistakes and then course-correct. However, not all of his boldness has been a mistake. To me the ballsiest things Tony has done are about the rookie talent. AEW has a solid foundation of television veterans, indie stalwarts, foreign talent, and up and comers. To me what has been remarkable is the confidence Tony Khan has in the rookies. Part of it may be because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Tony has not been shy about putting talent with very little experience on TV and seeing if they deliver. It's very ballsy to take someone like Jade Cargill and give her a debut match involving Cody Rhodes and Shaq. She absolutely knocked it out of the park, and it speaks to just how good Jade is. I want to save some of the Jade praise for later, because she deserves her own entry. The Jade debut also speaks to Tony's confidence in his roster. It's not just Jade either. Lee Johnson and Alan Angels were only wrestling for two years. If Cagematch is to be believe, Anna Jay had less than ten matches when she joined AEW full-time. Brock Anderson's first match was a tag match with Cody Rhodes. Tony Kahn's philosophy seems to be, screw it, if they are a rookie I believe in than I am going to invest and put them on TV.
And then there's Hook
Suck it in Suck it in Suck it in if you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn, Hook is a huge example of that philosophy. Hook debuted as part of the Cody Rhodes vs Team Taz feud, and instantly people were intrigued. Hook never spoke, instead he ate potato chips and stood menacingly . I can't take credit for this joke, but people pointed out he was the pro wrestling equivalent of the Simpsons episode with the Yakuza member that never does anything. People became infatuated with what Hook was gonna do. People felt some really...let's call them intense feelings about Hook. My girlfriend thinks it has a lot to do with his TikTok Fuckboi hair, but regardless people became borderline obsessed with Hook. For about a year he didn't do much. He showed up with Taz, took part in beatdowns, suplexed some people, standard stuff. Then one night Taz showed up on AEW Dynamite and let us all know
It was time to Send Hook
To say Hook's debut was anticipated was an understatement. Nobody had any idea if he was going to be any good and he got a singles match. It's very reminiscent of the Jade Cargill situation, Tony taking a rookie wrestler and making their debut an event. It's hard to argue with Tony's faith, as if he's doing his job than its our resolve he breaks.
From the minute his entrance hit, Hook was made. Coming out to Action Bronson ,Hook carries himself like a badass. It's hard not to think of his dad. Much like Taz, Hook isn't the tallest guy in the world, but once the bell rings you don't seem to notice. His opponent is Fuego Del Sol, a wrestler who became a cult hero in AEW during the pandemic and was awarded with a contract. The crowd loves Fuego, but they love Hook that much more. He's a perfect opponent. When the match begins Hook displays his unique offense with a cool judo throw. After Fuego escapes a submission Hook gets in referee Bryce Remsberg's face because how dare Hook be prevented from hurting someone. What follows is more Hook throws and cool submission holds, as Hook breaks down Fuego. Fuego gets moments of hope, but Hook is always there to bring him back to reality. MTV is not for free Fuego. Fuego goes for a hiptoss, but Hook lands on his feet and then hits a nice gourdbuster. BUST THOSE GOURDS HOOK. Fuego finally puts together a combination and goes for his Tornado DDT finish. Hook hangs on and in a move typically reserved for bigger men, Hook tosses him across the ring before hitting a lariat. One Tazzplex and a Redrum submission later and Hook is victorious.
It's a great squash match, especially when you realize this is Hook's first match. There were very high expectations and I think Hook exceeded all of them. It's not in the hall of fame.... yet. This is one that I may need to revisit as Hook's career grows. It may get in there for historical context. I don't think I'll ever dislike AEW.....because if I ever start wavering from the product
Hook will bring me back
I ain't telling you no Lies
TLDR Review
Don't want to give you the run around. But Anyway. Hook
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