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IS IT CLAUDIO?, ANOTHER AEW INJURY, RAVES FROM LAST NIGHT'S RAMPAGE AND MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2022-06-23 09:48:00

The number one question we have received overnight is whether Bryan Danielson was teasing the debut of Claudio Castagnoli for the Forbidden Door this Sunday against Zack Sabre Jr in his promo on Dynamite last night.   While we don't know 100% it's him, the build up based on Bryan Danielson's promo all but promised Castagnoli when you think about the choices that are out there, the type of wrestler Bryan would praise as being one of the best in the world, etc.   A few readers have asked about it potentially being Johnny Gargano, but with all due respect to Gargano, who is excellent and would be an amazing foe for Zack Sabre Jr., I don't see him fitting the build when you include the brawling and chaos that will obviously be featured next week inside the cage for the Blood and Guts match.  Castagnoli, however?  Oh yeah, he fits.  I would be stunned if it was anyone BUT Claudio this weekend.  AEW very rarely teases someone they don't deliver, so in my opinion, if you are waiting to see Claudio, I don't think you will be let down on Sunday.  He checks all the boxes, so if you ask me, I'm going to predict it's Claudio debuting.

We've heard a ton of raves for the Andrade el Idolo vs. Rey Fenix match that opens Rampage this Friday.  Billy Krotchsen, who attended the taping, said it was easily the best Andrade bout in AEW to date and that he was wrestling like "he had something to prove."    We are told that this match gets a ton of time and Fenix was just on as well.

We are also told that a long, extended brawl that will close out the show was tons of fun and was one of the most chaotic things AEW has ever produced live, described by one person as coming across like an old Mid-South/UWF brawl from the Bill Watts days.  If AEW can capture that feeling on their TV show, it should be a lot of fun.

It was noted last night Red Velvet is out with an injury.  We can unfortunately add Skye Blue to the list of names currently out with an injury.  AEW has been really snakebit lately and hopefully that trend ends ASAP.

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