AEW’s Hook Nails 1st Mic Moment, WWE Star Is Trapped and More Friday Night Takes

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Credit: WWE

This week’s block of WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage both featured some solid in-ring action, but not all was sunshine and rainbows. 

On the blue brand, Drew Gulak once again found himself being put in a submission hold by one of the competitors in the SmackDown women’s division.

Butch was in action against Xavier Woods of The New Day, and Madcap Moss looked to continue his babyface turn in a match against Angel of Los Lotharios.

Over on Rampage, Jade Cargill put the TBS Championship on the line against Marina Shafir, and Hook spoke for the first time in a backstage segment with Danhausen. 

Let’s look at some of the more noteworthy moments from Friday’s wrestling programs. 

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This week’s SmackDown opened with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte signing the contract for their upcoming I Quit match at WrestleMania Backlash.

After they got into a fight, which tends to happen in these segments, Rowdy Ronda proceeded to put Gulak in an armbar while she signed on the dotted line.

Having Gulak get taken out by Charlotte last week was bad enough, but doing it two weeks in a row makes it clear WWE management sees him as a comedy character at this point and nothing more. It’s truly sad because Gulak is such a talented worker.

Even if WWE is not going to push him to a world title, the former 205 Live mainstay could be an amazing talent to put over other Superstars on their way to the top. He can get a good match out of anybody and make them look like money in the process. He’s better than this. 

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WWE has been changing a lot of names recently, but the one that seemed to upset the most people was making Pete Dunne change his name to Butch.

Since arriving on SmackDown, the former NXT UK champion has been running with Sheamus and Ridge Holland. He has mostly been at ringside for their matches and involved in backstage segments, but he finally got a chance to have a good match this week against Woods.

The King and The Bruiserweight were given enough time to put on a fun, competitive showcase that finally allowed Butch to shine the way he always does when he’s in the ring.

This is the key to making people forget or forgive such a pointless name change. If WWE lets him go out there and work, the fans will respond more favorably to his new gimmick. 

This is a step in the right direction. He might have lost, but people will be talking about Butch for better reasons this week, and that’s what matters. 

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Madcap Moss seemingly turned babyface when he and Happy Corbin went their separate ways, but he has yet to ditch his awful gimmick and attire, so it’s starting to feel like WWE doesn’t know if it wants us to cheer or boo him. 

The worst part is Moss seems like the kind of wrestler Vince McMahon would usually push seriously. He’s jacked, has a marketable look and has the necessary athleticism to keep up with opponents of any size. 

For some reason, management has pegged him as a comedy character and is still portraying him as such despite being separated from the guy who was making him tell bad jokes in the first place.

If Moss ditches the suspenders and shorts, gets a little more serious, and feuds with somebody else, the WWE Universe might actually take to him. 

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For the first time since he debuted as a wrestler, Hook spoke on this week’s episode of AEW Rampage. And in case you were wondering, it was hilarious.

As Hook was walking backstage with an interviewer, he came across Danhausen. The very nice, very evil wrestler had poured a couple of bags of chips on the ground, upsetting Hook for destroying his favorite snack.

Taz’s son backed him up to the wall and told Danhausen that he now had Hook’s full attention. It was a short segment, but it worked perfectly.

Hook has impressed a lot of people since he arrived on the scene, but using him in a comedic storyline so early in his run would have had most people worried if he wasn’t paired with somebody as entertaining as Danhausen. 

Sometimes, it’s fun to see wrestlers act silly. If done in the right amount and in the right context with the right performers, comedy and pro wrestling can be a great combination. 

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Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Other than a few exceptions, most of Cargill’s matches in AEW have been five minutes or less by design. This week, she and Shafir worked a solid 15-minute main event to close out Rampage.

Not only did we get to see if Cargill has the stamina to work a slightly longer bout, but we got to see her on defense more than ever before. 

Shafir’s MMA background makes her a vicious competitor who was the perfect choice to bring the TBS champion to her limit. At one point, it looked like she might even win.

This is a big step in the right direction for both Cargill and the women’s division, but it’s still a long way to go before it feels like AEW is giving the division the time it deserves. 

With the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament starting to take shape, we should be in store for some great matches from a variety of competitors in the locker room. 

This week’s SmackDown and Rampage both had things to like and dislike, but most of the in-ring action on both shoes was enjoyable and that’s what matters most in the end.