Jade Cargill vs VertVixen

It feels like it’s been a while since we saw VertVixen in AEW after being a relative regular in 2021, after not seeing her for 16 months she’s had 5 matches in AEW this month. On Rampage, she takes on the 44-0 Jade Cargill.

Right off the bat, Jade’s far superior strength is put over. Jade goes on a nearly uncontested offensive run through the commercial break as Jade just sort of follows her around and beats her all over the ring. VertVixen dodges a corner splash but doesn’t generate anything off of it. Jade finally finishes her off, not with Jaded, but with the Pump Kick!

I thought it was really cool that Jade finished off VertVixen with her Pump Kick. It really should be, what I call, an “ETF” (Enhancement Talent Finisher) because it’s such a popper of a move. It makes me wonder if Jade is being lined up for something where they do need to get her Pump Kick more over in preparation for a spot. I’ll be watching to see if she wins her next match with the Pump Kick.

As far as the match went, look, I’m as big a Jade Cargill mark as there is but this didn’t have the familiar electrifying power move sprint that most of her matches have. Instead it was a plodding pace that kind of dragged on. Not that there was anything wrong with either woman’s work in this match but it just felt like a 2-minute squash match book-ending a 2-minute commercial break. With that having been said, if you’re looking for a positive takeaway it’s that Jade is just fine working a slower pace, which isn’t nothing. But if there’s not going to be any heat then you have to make up for it in action, so in light of that, this match felt more like a “rep” than a match where Tony Khan has some longer matches in store for Jade that will actually have some heat and he wants to make sure she can work the crowd in that situation. Which she obviously can.