The TBS Championship was at stake Friday night in the main event of AEW Rampage as Julia Hart of the House of Black defended against "Legit" Leyla Hirsch.

That match topped a card that also featured Ring of Honor world trios champion "Switchblade" Jay White in action, as well as former AEW international champion Orange Cassidy.

Did Hart retain her title against the tenacious Hirsch or did the "legit" challenger pick up the biggest win of her young career?

Find out with this recap of the April 12 TBS broadcast.

Match Card

Announced for Friday's show were:

• TBS Championship Open House Match: Julia Hart (c) vs. "Legit" Leyla Hirsch
• "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker vs. Zak Knight
• Orange Cassidy vs. Alex Reynolds
• "Switchblade" Jay White vs. Matt Sydal
  

Orange Cassidy vs. Alex Reynolds

Orange Cassidy defeated The Dark Order's Alex Reynolds in the night's opening match, all while combating the emotions surrounding the split of The Best Friends following Trent Beretta's shocking betrayal.

Cassidy overcame a game Reynolds to score the win, then watched as Chuck Taylor came from out of nowhere to confront Beretta, but not actually choose sides.

The Best Friends story is intriguing, even more so after Beretta wore a Best Friends shirt to the ring Friday. Is he good, bad, or simply frustrated over his repeated losses in championship opportunities?

From a match perspective, Cassidy and Reynolds had solid chemistry but the latter has been such a non-factor in AEW over the last year that the outcome was never in doubt.

Result

Cassidy defeated Reynolds

Grade

B-

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Excalibur pointed out that Cassidy appeared to be even more ambivalent than normal this week, perhaps a reflection of Trent Beretta's recent betrayal of the Best Friends.
• Cassidy's babyface fire-up is great. When he brings the intensity, it enhances his matches exponentially.
• Taylor, clad in black, approaching the white-shirted Beretta while Cassidy stood between them, made for a cool visual.

TBS Championship Open House Match: Leyla Hirsch vs. Julia Hart

TBS champion Julia Hart successfully retained her title over Leyla Hirsch Friday night in an Open House Match in which Brody King was barred from ringside.

Hart never really needed her House of Black teammate to win the match, handling Hirsch in short order and winning with a roll-up.

There was nothing to this match. This was a showcase for Hart, a reason to get her on TV and potentially add gravity to the show.

Other than that, this served no purpose, which is disappointing given how fun it could have been under different circumstances.

Result

Hart defeated Hirsch

Grade

C-

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Hart's presence and aura remains as great as any AEW star, a testament to what she had developed and evolved as a member of The House of Black.

"Cool Hand" Angelo Parker vs. Zak Knight

A match born of the ongoing love storyline involving Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho saw "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker and Zak Knight brawl before their scheduled match, with the former being lacerated and at a clear disadvantage ahead of the opening bell.

Parker showed great grit and toughness, fighting out of pinfall attempts and staying in the match. Ultimately, though, Knight downed him and earned the victory in a match that was more story than substance.

This was fine for what it was but felt like a holding pattern for the feud more than something that catapulted it forward.

Result

Knight pinned Parker

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Parker showed some great fire here.
• "I'll take care of Ruby!" Knight taunted.
• The outcome was interesting in that Excalibur asked what is next for Parker, suggesting that this was the conclusion of the feud, despite not feeling at all like the case and seriously lacking an appearance from Soho.

"Switchblade" Jay White vs. Matt Sydal

The cerebral and studious "Switchblade" Jay White foresaw a Meteora from Matt Sydal, stepped back, and caught him with the Blade Runner to score the win in a strong Rampage main event.

The former IWGP world heavyweight champion overcame a late flurry of offense from Sydal, to pick up the latest victory in his feud with (checks notes) Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed.

Nothing about that sentence sounds right given White's stature.

Still, this was a great showcase for him, even if the argument could be made that he is a star far bigger than his spot in the company would suggest.

Result

White defeated Sydal

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Why is White being utilized in such an unsatisfying manner for someone of his talent?
• The crowd's general apathy for this match, despite the talent involved, was proof that simply throwing two great wrestlers out there and expecting the match to get over is not an effective plan. 
• Sydal remains one of the most effortless workers in the industry. Such a smooth wrestler.

Overall Grade

Rampage continues to be the most irrelevant AEW show of them all, somehow even more so than Ring of Honor.

Like most Friday nights, this was merely a collection of matches, with some very light storyline development, particularly in the Cassidy and Parker matches, but not a single thing that makes it feel like a must-watch show.

There was some solid stuff from Freshly Squeezed and Cool Hand Ang, including inspired performances, but nothing felt like it was must watch.

Until Tony Khan recognizes how meaningless the show is and does something to change it, this will be a low-rated show that fails to generate that must-watch feeling among fans, regardless of who is on the card.

Grade: C