‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Nov 18th 2022)
It’s Monday, so you know what that means, it’s time for this week’s review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show was broadcast from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and featured Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, CHris Jericho and Jim Ross on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Men’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament Quarter-Final Match – Ricky Starks def. Lance Archer
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The match began backstage with both brutes brawling! Lance threw Starks like a lawn dart into an overhead garage door in the back of the arena. Archer jumped over the guardrail right onto Ricky Starks. The bell to begin the match finally rang. Starks hit a lariat on Archer, sending Archer over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Archer fought back with a chokeslam to Ricky onto the ring apron. Ricky fought his way out of a blackout attempt from Archer. Ricky took Archer down with a big lariat. Ricky DDT’ed Archer for a near fall. Starks speared Archer and pinned him! Ricky Starks advances!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: FTW Championship Match – HOOK def. Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lee delivered an elbow to HOOK but HOOK fired right back, looking for a knee bar. HOOK dodged a kick and countered with a suplex. HOOK sent Moriarty flying with another suplex. Stokely swiped at HOOK’s leg. While HOOK was momentarily distracted, Lee rocked HOOK with a big boot to the face. Lee Moriarty worked over HOOK in the corner, hitting him with jabs to the ribs. HOOK rallied back with a high impact lariat to Lee! HOOK followed up with body shots to Lee, battering him with his bare knuckles. HOOK walloped Lee with a fisherman’s throw. Lee used a diving knee drop and then locked in a double wrist lock, but HOOK used his power to fight out of it. Moriarty was looking for the Border City Stretch but HOOK turned his hips and transitioned into the RedRum, finishing off Moriarty!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Athena def. Madison Rayne
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Athena dropkicked Rayne from behind as Rayne was standing on the ropes during her entrance. Athena swung Rayne into the metal ring barricade. Athena hit a back handspring into a chop to Rayne. Madison countered a delayed vertical suplex with a DDT. Athena flipped forward with a stunner out of the blue onto Rayne. Athena flattened Rayne and pinned her. Athena decked ref Aubrey Edwards after the match, as Edwards was trying to pull Athena off Rayne. ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez saw enough and stormed down to the ring. Athena retreated!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita def. Ortiz & Eddie Kingston
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kingston called out Akiyama, but Takeshita locked up with Kingston first. Kingston chopped at Takeshita and then took him down with a belly-to-belly suplex. Ortiz tagged in and got rocked by a right hand shot by Takeshita. Akiyama tagged in and smashed his elbows into Ortiz. He spiked Ortiz with a piledriver. Takeshita and Akiyama used tandem offense on Ortiz. Kingston DDT’ed Takeshita for a near fall. Eddie invited Takeshita to chop him, and Takeshita obliged. Kingston fired back but Takeshita used boxing elbows and tagged out to Akiyama. Akiyama connected with two high boots to Ortiz’s face. Akiyama followed up with the jumping knee to Ortiz. Kingston jumped into the ring and he and Akiyama traded shots. Kingston nailed Takeshita with a back drop driver, as all four men were in the ring. Kingston and Akiyama traded shots again. Kingston blasted Akiyama with the exploder suplex. Akiyama hit Kingston and then Ortiz with knees to the head, and then pinned Ortiz!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
A solid episode of Rampage leading into Full Gear. This was a decent go-home show but not the kind of match-making unmissable show you’d expect from the last regular episode before a pay-per-view. Though we did get the announcement of two matches for the Zero Hour pre-show – a 10-man tag match and a singles match between Kingston and Akiyama… Both of which show make for great additions to the pre-show but neither of which will have any impact on the PPV. Much like this show.
