Posted on 5/20/123 by Colin Vassallo
AEW Rampage tonight comes to us from the Moody Center in
Austin, Tx. After last week drawing 284,000 & 0.07 in the
18-49 demo. Lowest ever audience; joint-lowest demo. Out
of timeslot yes, but there was nothing on that show to draw
viewers in. Dave Meltzer noted that the show started at
388,000 and lost over 100,000 viewers during the second
segment.
Quick update – per Fightful Select, AEW Fight Forever
apparently has a June 27th release date.
*****
BCC (Mox, Yuta, Claudio) vs Best Friends & Bandido
Backstory: None
Already in the ring – of course – Bandido faced off with
Mox, things going badly as the former champ stomped away.
Before Bandido ducked and dodged until hitting a dropkick
then tagging Trent as Yuta came in on the other side.
A fistfight ensued, Trent hit a nice armdrag to counter a
hip toss then a lariat as Yuta bailed outside. Where Chuck
stomped away like a heel before receiving a deserved chop
block from Yuta for cheating. Quick tags from the BCC:
Claudio in, the Swiss dropping Taylor via delayed suplex,
Mox in again to boot the gut, grab a cravate then tag Yuta.
The youngster missing an attack in the corner – Mox and
Trent back in, chops and strikes, half-and-half suplex,
another, a third as Mox kept popping up for more until
collapsing. The heels outside where the good guy trio hit
stereo dives. Things going well until Claudio blocked a
Trent springboard via uppercut, Beretta in the wrong corner.
You know what comes next. Ads.
Desperate to tag, Trent bagged two out of a backslide, Mox
in – kicks in the corner, big lariat, Trent in trouble until
avoiding a rushing Mox and landing a tornado ddt off the
ropes. Bandido in, just gaining his balance to hit a
tornijo and hurracanrana to Claudio – crowd loud – the
luchador to the apron – Rey-style hurracanrana into a pin
for two.
A pretty weak chop/fist fight ensured before Bandido looked
for his delayed suplex, Claudio slipped free but ate a
pumpkick – Yuta in but caught off the top right into the
delayed suplex before the Friends came in to hit a double
team then the stupid hug.
Taylor hit a piledriver and seatbelt for close counts, Mox
blasted Bandido via clothesline, Beretta took him out via
running knee, he was taken out by Claudio as Yuta rolled
Chuck up for two. Claudio back in to block awful waffle,
Mox Death Rider, Castagnoli propelled Yuta onto Taylor as
the youngster bagged the win.
Very fast lucha-style match. A little spot-heavy but non-
stop action.
No proper follow-up on the big show-closing angle from
Wednesday – no promos, no Elite appearance, nothing.
Winner: BCC
Kyle Fletcher promo, objecting to Orange Cassidy being the
International Champ when he’s not international. I suppose
it is a reason at least.
Jade Cargill vs Dani B, TBS Title open challenge
Backstory: None
JR was a little too honest about Cargill stepping up her
level of competition.
As they bothered to tell us that Taya Valkyrie was suspended
for going after officials. This is why they suck at
storytelling. You’re supposed to tell us that immediately
so we anticipate her return.
Jade won quickly
Afterward, Mark Sterling made another open challenge…
Jade Cargill vs Jennasis, TBS Title open challenge
Backstory: None
Jericho told us Jennasis was paralyzed and had to learn how
to walk and talk again. Jesus. Poor girl.
This win made Jade 59-0, Sterling made another challenge:
Taya Valkyrie returned to lay out the third challenger then
Jade with Road to Valhalla. ‘Now, who’s that bitch? I’ll
see you at Double or Nothing.’
They made the match official immediately.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs Varsity Athletes & Ari Daivari
Backstory: None
As very bad editing made Taya and Jade immediately transform
into the Acclaimed. Who remain popular with crowds.
Caster got the better of Josh Woods, then a t-shirted Billy
Gunn ran through Woods via shoulder block as Jericho
wondered if this was the best run of his career. 1998 might
disagree but otherwise it’s hard to argue he’s ever been
more popular.
I could write all this because there was a lot of posing and
no action. Culminating in Billy removing his t-shirt.
Before snatching Tony Nese into a side slam for two.
Ads.
Caster in trouble in-ring as Gunn destroyed Daivari outside,
Bowens ran through the other two via chops and an elbow
strike, kick to the gut, over the shoulder fameasser, count
of two. Broken up by Woods.
Who was flung into the barricade by Gunn who remained
outside. As Nese nailed Bowens with a crisp spinkick, but
ate a thrust kick, then the Arrival, then the Mic Drop. As
the Acclaimed won.
Keeping the #1 contenders hot as we build to the culmination
of this scorching trios titles feud.
Winner: Acclaimed & Daddy Ass
Deep breath, QTV time. QT signed them up for the
International Title Battle Royal. Then remembered Will
Hobbs is supposed to be the star as they mentioned he was on
the poster for Collision. They talked about who Hobbs could
beat on the show, immediately turning it into ‘comedy’ by
naming Buff Bagwell and the Blue Meanie.
‘On June 17th, the real story begins.’ Of course, that line
was said not by Hobbs but the real star of the show – QT
Marshall.
*****
The Hardys & Isiah Kassidy came out to the ring, Ethan Page
interrupted and was very entertaining here. Asking who
confirmed to Isiah that ‘those girls were cute’ or told him
moaning was a marketable gimmick. In fact they were going
to become a team – the Moan Event. I love Ethan.
Distracting them as the Gunns attacked from behind because
babyfaces are dumb and fall for the same thing multiple
times. They trapped Kassidy’s neck in a chair and hit a
stomp off the top. If it stops the moaning, that makes them
babyfaces to me. A six-man was then added to DoN. I yelled
‘OH NO’ out loud.
All this young talent and we have to cram the Hardys on the
show. Jeff also talked about getting the tag titles so
presumably that’ll happen at Wembley.
*****
Jericho demanded time to address Adam Cole. Reiterating
that Cole’s a coward and not a man of his word. If Cole
were here, he’d ‘beat his ass’. As Cole appeared on the big
screen – promising to beat Jericho’s ass every week.
The Ocho then removed Cole’s ban before challenging him to
an unsanctioned match. He ripped up the document, only to
find Cole was right outside the building, he came in to go
after Jericho.
Back from break, Cole’s music played as he marched down
through the fans. As Jericho ran to meet him. Shouldn’t he
be fleeing since he was so scared of him he had Cole banned?
Shouldn’t the good guy whose girl got attacked in front of
him make that unsactioned challenge? Why did Jericho
suddenly rip-up the ban? Yet another story which is all over
the place.
Your stereotypical wild brawl was quickly broken up by
security.
At least they carried something from the ‘A’ show over to
Rampage I suppose.
And presumably skipping right to unsactioned means Cole and
Jericho aren’t continuing past the ppv (on Weds an angle was
cut where Britt was going to interrupt Max and insinuate
Cole was his next challenger).
Bishop Kaun vs Dustin Rhodes
Backstory: Rhodes & Keith Lee saved Dark Order from a Mogul
Embassy beatdown last week
So two or three weeks ago Dustin had promo time devoted to
plugging big things when AEW reached his home state. This
is the result.
Kaun jumped Rhodes as he came through the ropes, before
Rhodes sent him outside via lariat, chopping him around
ringside and hurling him into the barricade.
By the time I looked up again from noting all the matches
announced for Dynamite, Rhodes was bleeding from the head
and Kaun was on top. As we went to break.
A Samoan drop bought only one for Kaun as Dustin fired-up,
firing rights, lariats, kick to the gut, drop-down uppercut,
snap powerslam, Rhodes absolutely pouring blood. Ten
punches in the corner, code red, count of two. Piledriver,
same result.
Kaun blocked a suplex, setup a pedigree, Rhodes backdropped
out, Kaun held on into a sunset flip for two. Shotgun
dropkick pushed Rhodes to the corner, Kaun missed a splash,
ate a bulldog, Final Reckoning, pin.
Very good after we returned from break, though only had a
few mins.
Immediately it’d finished, Bryan Cage dismantled Dustin.
Swerve joined to observe, as Keith Lee finally decided to
show up. Quickly destroying Cage and Kaun in the aisle, he
headed for Swerve in the ring, again very slowly, Swerve
smiling as his minions returned to attack Lee from behind.
Kaun hit a chair shot to the back, Cage – just about –
hauled Lee up onto his back before dumping him onto the
chair. Then positioning him in a seated position on another
chair for a Swerve Stomp. Since Excalibur told us right
before this that they’d previously broken a cinder block
over his head, why should we be concerned?
Heel attacks are supposed to scale up in intensity, as are
matches – which is why you shouldn’t start with a
cinderblock or an unsanctioned match.
With another two hours of weekly tv coming, Tony Khan really
needs help creatively.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes
____________________________________________________________
____
Next Dynamite:
Lucha Bros vs Claudio & Yuta, ROH Tag Titles
Cole/Jericho contract signing
Orange Cassidy vs Kyle Fletcher, International title
FTR promo
Tony Khan announces the location of the first Collision (and
implicitly whether Punk’s returning)
Taya Valkryie vs Lady Frost
Ricky Starks promo
House of Black vs AR Fox, Metalik & Blake Christian, Trios
Titles, HOB Rules
All four Pillars ‘will speak’
Added to Double or Nothing:
Hardys & Isiah Kassidy vs the Gunns & Ethan Page, if Page’s
team loses – his contract will be owned by Matt Hardy
Taya Valkyrie vs Jade Cargill, TBS Title
Adam Cole vs Chris Jericho, Unsanctioned Match