Komander vs. Rey Fenix

[8.0] "An extremely good match here with Fenix kinda being the bully in this match. Fenix relishing in just blistering Komander with chops was a nice change of pace, allowing for some of better form to be on displayed. Komander had a nice display as well and got to have his first big time singles match showcase in AEW and delivered. He showed what he is capable of and some of the work he'll go on to produce. Kinda a hidden gem now, and one worth seeking; a match that got the crowd into it which wasn't alwaya the case with some of these later year Rampage's. ***3/4"

[7.0] "Fun match between two very athletic luchadores. No real psychology or story to speak of that puts it into the 8+ range for me, but if you like destroyers then this match is for you."

[7.0] "[3.5*] This match ruled a lot. Of course it was not a storytelling masterpiece, just a spotfest, but a very fun and creative spotfest. In my opinion, Rampage should be about that, 1 hour of fun matchups every single week, instead of trying some The Firm squashes."

[6.0] "Rey Fenix is pretty good when he's allowed to spread his wings and isn't shoved into meaningless tag matches. Of course, this wasn't an all-important match either with a few dull spots here and there but for the most part, this was a fun time. Komander is growing on me and has improved on all fronts as well so it's not surprising that they ended up pulling off an entertaining match. I wished they milked the kickouts a bit more and had trimmed their work a bit. While the runtime was around 10, there were parts that felt like a drag."

[9.0] "Great match. Nice even pacing, superb high flying spots, great wrestling sequences and not a single dull moment. The match lasted less than 15 mins and these two managed to put on a spectacle in that timeframe. I personally prefer 20 min matches but I think the match time work with the Lucha style match these two did. Some will not like this one due to personal preferences but for those who do, this was great. ****1/2"

[8.0] "A really fun opener that will fill your fix for some good lucha libre action. Komander continues to show out, despite taking a loss here. Plus, Fénix continues to be one of the best luchadors in wrestling today, if not THE very best. I could definitely understand someone giving this a 9/10, but for me it's a very strong 8/10."

[8.0] "Incredible match and easy 5* if it was 20 minutes. There was a lot of Flippy Shit and they really never stopped spamming it until the end, it was like watching PWG. It's a pity that sometimes AEW doesn't give importance to possible all - time classic. ****1/4"

[9.0] "Amazing show of athleticism between 2 incredible lucha libre wrestlers, there were a few moments that made me jump up from my seat. The only mess-up that was very noticeable was Kommander starting to get up at 2 before Fenix had kicked out. This match definitely could've been on Dynamite and in my opinion it was better than the matches featured on Dynamite this week. 8.5/10 or 4.25*"

[10.0] "Since I feel like the Lucha Bros tag team actually brings out the worst in both members, it's easy to forget just how brilliant Fenix can be when left to his own devices. But he definitely reminded us all here! He's taking on one of the hottest new luchadors on the scene, Komander, who clearly takes some influence from Fenix as well. So far I'd say Komander can be a little too reliant on his trademark big spots but there is a lot of talent there, and I thought he did a good job breaking from his normal game to some extent here, both in terms of anticipating Fenix's attacks and also with Fenix breaking up his usual flow, such as countering Komander's rope walk dive. Basically this had totally brilliant lucha action with an underlying story to boot, and I'd say Komander's finest US singles performance since facing Vikingo."

"Did not like this match. Very choreographed. There was a point Kommander "bailed out" of his pin attempt on Fenix rather than wait for him to kick out. I absolutely hate that part of lucha, and modern indie style. Announcers even remarked on it. The fact so many people just don't care about things like that makes me sad for the future of pro wrestling. Yes, they are both extremely athletic and can do impressive acrobatic feats, but a lot of the times their desire to dazzle the crowd with high spots takes away from the match and makes it so I can't be immersed in the story of the match. All I can concentrate on is how unrealistic it is. Fenix can sometimes get away with it when working with certain opponents, but putting Fenx in there against a guy exactly like him is not something I want to watch."

[8.0] "Very good match to start the show. The chemistry between those two were amazing. I wish Komander won more fights, he rarely wins on weekly shows, but he always put on a good match. For Rey, man, he should get another singles run, of course he's a great Tag Team wrestler, but he's more than enough capable to fly solo again. ****1/4."

[8.0] "This match ruled. Rey Fenix is one of the very best wrestlers on the planet. Not only in the insane things that he can do in and outside of the ring, but in the truthfully underrated storytelling that he brings to the table. This was a wonderful example of that. Komander was wrestling his idol, so this one featured a bevy of incredible counters. That includes Komander seemingly knowing everything that his favorite wrestler was throwing his way, thus forcing Fenix to go outside of the box in order to overcome a game and knowledgable opponent. On the flip side of things, Fenix happily allowed this to devolve into a fight when his high-octane offense could not get the job done. That opened the door for the insane Double Foot Stomp that I still find replaying in my mind some two days later. As the match progressed, the story thickened and the action improved. That ultimately led to one of my favorite finishes of 2023. A near fall that made me stand up and put my hands on my head before I even knew what I was doing. 4 stars, 8 out of 10. This was awesome."

[10.0] "This match was incredible. You expected to get an insane high flying spectacle between arguably the current best flyer in the world against an up and coming one in Komander, and this match totally lived up to the hype and then some. They got plenty of time to tear the house down and thats exactly what they did. The crowd was into everything they did. Not an easy feat after watching a live Dynamite show and some other taped matches."

[9.0] "A fantastic match between two outstanding luchadors. They did some things in this match that I didn't even know were possible, and they looked amazing doing it. They both looked so smooth, and the match was the perfect length. Just a great match, especially for Rampage."

[8.0] "An excellent match. The chop sequence was so loud that we were squirming. THAT"S how you do chops. I see so many sloppy chops, especially in the G1 this year that I've gotten bored of them, but these were awesome. Combine that with some grappling and some awesome high spots (but Komander did not overdo it this match), and this match popped the crowd tremendously and was an unexpected MOTN."

[9.0] "This is what rampage should have every week: exciting action to get the crowd hot, as a person who loves Lucha I can say this was an amazing match in my eyes, for some people whos never seen Komander wrestle before they can definitely come away from this match being a fan because you can say this is the Komander showcase match."

[9.0] "An action movie happening in front of your TV! Watching mexican luchadors in AEW is always a treat, the flying destroyer was awesome, I say this is the only one you need to watch and people was so over with it, just a little something before the Wembley ppv"

[8.0] "Rampage needs to become synonymous with this type of excitement. Just a classic example of jaw-dropping lucha libre one upmanship The crowd went from being indifferent to on their feet and taking the roof off for the spectacular sequence of false finishes ****"

[7.0] "Really enjoyed this. I didn't see too much of Kommander's typical slowness/overchoreographed setups at play here, and he kept pace with Fennix very well the entire time. Those near-falls were great, and so was Fennix's Destroyer. Just a very fast-paced and enjoyable match that probably could've gotten a slot on Dynamite if it had a bit more story to it other than "these two luchadores respect each other"."

[8.0] "Komander is credited as being inspired by Rey Fenix to become a wrestler, so this had to be massive for him. He nearly caught his hero on a few occasions, with Fenix having to work super hard to get the win. Way to get fans back on track after the awful Dynamite they had just seen."

[8.0] "This was great and so insanely fun. I love the Lucha style and its always a pleasure to see Rey Fenix do mind melting moves in the ring. Komander is also awesome with his ninja-like tight rope balance. Rampage should just be Lucha Libre Ramage from now on. (****1/4)"

[8.0] "Great match: Fenix is, for my money, the best luchador in the world and whenever he gets in the ring, he never dissapoints. Komander is still green and have to improve but he looked good here. The crowd was red-hot and the action was fast-paced, exciting and fun with lots of great sequences and spots. Fenix's strikes were insane, especially the chops. 8/10 - 4*/5*"

[4.0] "Fenix is a phenomenal luchador, probably the best there is right now, as Vikingo needs experience to get his polish. Komander is horrible, he takes ages to set up every move, which displayed evident elements of cooperation way beyond what counts as moderate suspension of disbelief. This match was bad, and I'm not sure why it happened, and why TK still thinks it make any sense for mainstream TV to display this kind of matches. The 10, 000 who actually want to see such matches watch GCW or other indies for it, not AEW. The finish was rushed, the moves were smooth yet to clean, it was not wrestling. Fenix deserves more."

[9.0] "It was a very good match with some great moments, impressive sequences, impressive athleticism and a good air of believability which some people criticize for lucha matches. Rey Fenix is definitely one of the best singles (and tag) wrestlers in AEW and it is on display here again today. I have not loved everything Kommander has done in AEW but this is definitely a great performance from him. Kommander's overhead slaps weren't great but he more than makes up for it with some explosive aerial maneuverers. Rey's strikes and power moves were absolutely sick."