‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Apr 22nd 2023)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show features Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Jon Moxley def. Christopher Daniels
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mox applied a headlock to Daniels. Jon Moxley followed up with two shoulder tackles, but then Daniels used a drop toehold to take Mox down to the mat. Mox backed Daniels into the corner and he and Daniels traded chops. Outside the ring, Moxley used a big back body drop on CD. Moxley lifted Daniels and dropped him hard on the steel ring steps. Moxley was looking for a superplex but Daniels knocked him off the ropes and hit a diving cross body for a near fall. Moxley raked Daniels’ eyes. Daniels rolled up Mox for a two-count but Mox came back with a King Kong lariat. Moxley spiked Daniels with a piledriver and then applied a bulldog choke. Daniels escaped and countered a Death Rider with a back body drop. Daniels nailed Mox with a flatliner off the middle ropes. Daniels connected with Angels Wings for a near fall. Moxley sunk his hooks in, wrapping his legs around CD, and then put Daniels to sleep with the choke hold. After the match, Moxley offered his hand as a show of respect to Christopher Daniels.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Julia Hart def. Kiera Hogan
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Julia Hart slapped Kiera, but Kiera fired back with elbow strikes and a right hand across Julia’s face. Kiera hit a leg drop on Julia. Julia connected with a kick to Kiera Hogan. Kiera cracked Julia with a kick across the jaw and then followed up with a big wind-up dropkick in the corner. Julia Hart used a standing moonsault press for a near fall. Kiera countered Julia’s attempt at the Heartless submission with a cradle. Julia managed to lock in Heartless and Kiera tapped out!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood), Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett def. Ari Daivari, Josh Woods, Slim J & Tony Nese
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Slim J took down Cash Wheeler. He continued to hammer Cash with hard rights. Cash caught Slim J in midair and powerslammed him. Lethal and Jarrett used their tandem offense on Slim J. FTR and the team of Lethal and Jarrett seemed to have different strategies for the match. Mark Briscoe watched the match on a monitor backstage. Dax tagged in a cleaned house with big right hands! Jarrett and Dax exchanged words after Jarrett inadvertently hit him. Dax managed to score the pin and before things broke down, Mark Briscoe ran down to act as peacemaker.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: AAA Mega Title Match – El Hijo del Vikingo def. Dralistico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dralistico jumped over the top rope and landed on El Hijo del Vikingo as the champ was making his entrance! Vikingo came back with a tope suicida but Dralistico dodged it, sending Vikingo crashing on the arena floor. El Hijo del Vikingo rallied back with a corkscrew kick and then a reverse hurracanrana. Dralistico impaled Vikingo with a destroyer off the ropes. LFI ganged up and rammed El Higo del Vikingo into the barricade and then the steel ring steps. Dralistico jumped off the ropes and rocked Vikingo with a Code Breaker. Dralistico and El Hijo del Vikingo exchanged strikes on the turnbuckles. Vikingo drilled Dralistico with a Canadian Destroyer on the ring apron. LFI swarmed Vikingo and the ref saw enough and ejected LFI from ringside. Vikingo connected with diving foot stomps onto Dralistico for a near fall. Dralistico surprised Vikingo with a diving hurracanrana. Dralistico was looking for the arm bar submission but Vikingo managed to touch the ropes with his boot. El Hijo del Vikingo rocked Dralistico with running knees in the corner. Vikingo hit the 630 splash and pinned Dralistico.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
An interesting week on Rampage – we got some good matches, a main event for a title belt from another promotion, and some promos that just seemed to exist (as in they didn’t really further anything we didn’t already know). The real interest in this episode was Christopher Daniels and the BCC… It would seem, from this edition of Rampage, that Daniels may be getting back in front of the camera a bit more and getting involved in the BCC/The Elite storyline and that feels full circle given how connected The Elite and SoCal Uncensored were back when AEW began.
