‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Aug 23rd 2024)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show emanated from the Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas, and featured Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and Matt Menard on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: The Conglomeration (Kyle O Reilly, Mark Briscoe & Tomohiro Ishii) def. Brian Cage, The Beast Mortos & Johnny TV
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ishii and Kyle used tandem offense on Johnny TV and then Brian Cage. Ishii went for a suplex, but Johnny escaped and tagged out to the Beast Mortos. The Beast Mortos and Ishii rammed one another with running shoulder tackles. Neither man budged. They collided again and both fell to the mat. Cage and Briscoe grabbed tags. Briscoe dished out his redneck kung fu to Cage. Kyle came in and walloped Cage with kicks. Kyle tried for an ankle lock, but Cage countered, picking up Kyle and planting him hard on the mat. Johnny TV connected with a forearm shot on Kyle and then tagged in the Beast Mortos. Johnny TV and the Beast double teamed Kyle O’Reilly. The Beast blasted Kyle with hammer and anvil elbows. Cage hoisted up Kyle for a suplex and Johnny TV tagged in and jumped off the top turnbuckle with a big cross body press to Kyle. Ishi and the Beast Mortos tagged in for their respective teams and exchanged chops. Ishii nailed Mortos with a vertical suplex. Ishii pulled in Cage and cracked him with a vertical suplex! Johnny TV jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Ishii countered with a release German Suplex! Mark Briscoe tagged in and cleaned house on Johnny TV, Cage, and the Beast Mortos! Briscoe attempted the Jay Driller on Johnny TV, but Brian Cage pulled Mark Briscoe away, saving his partner. Cage flattened Briscoe with a pump handle pick-up slam. Kyle immediately drilled Cage in the face with a running knee. The Beast Mortos was there, though, and he dropped Kyle with a Samoan Drop! Mark Briscoe set up a chair in the ring and catapulted off it, flipping over the top rope with a tope con hiro on Johnny TV! Mark climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Taya distracted him long enough for Johnny TV to meet Mark up top. Ishii grabbed a blind tag, while Mark blasted Cage with a shotgun dropkick. Ishii and Kyle used a double team leg sweep-lariat on Johnny TV. Kyle locked Johnny TV in an arm bar and Johnny TV had no choice but to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Roderick Strong def. Fuego Del Sol
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Roddy stomped Fuego in the corner. Roddy blistered Fuego with chops. Roddy leveled Fuego with a lariat and then a brutal back breaker. Fuego mounted a comeback, taking Roderick off his feet with a series of kicks. Fuego went up top, but Roddy met him up on the top turnbuckle. Roddy picked up Fuego Del Sol and dropped him onto the turnbuckle. Roderick nailed Fuego with the End of Heartache and picked up the decisive pin!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Mina Shirakawa def. Robyn Renegade
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mina rocked Robyn with a Russian Leg sweep. Mina stomped on the back of Robyn’s legs. Mina stunned Robyn with a kick to the back of the neck. Robyn rallied back with a running double knee strike. Mina Shirakawa locked Renegade in the figure four. Robyn managed to reach the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. They traded strikes from their knees. They got to their feet and slugged it out. Mina dropped Robyn with a variety of kicks. Mina positioned Robyn on the mat, went back up top, and hit a gigantic splash on Robyn for a near fall! Robyn smashed Mina with a double stomp to the back of the head, but Mina kicked out at the two-count! Mina wrenched on Robyn’s leg with a dragon screw leg whip. Robyn reached back and blasted Mina with a running lariat. Robyn went for a German Suplex, but Mina blocked it, applied a bridging figure four leg lock, and won via submission!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) def. The Iron Savages (Boulder & Bulk Bronson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bulk backed Bishop into the corner and clobbered him with right hands. Bishop Kaun fired right back with rapid fire chops. Bronson booted Bishop in the face, but Bishop clubbed Bronson with a lariat. Boulder and Toa tagged in for the respective teams. They clubbed one another and neither man flinched. Boulder blasted Toa with a clothesline. Toa busted Boulder with a Samoan Drop! Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona double teamed Bulk Bronson in the corner with running knee strikes. They planted Bulk Bronson and Toa pinned Bulk!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall) def. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ross dropkicked Truth and Turbo tagged right in. Turbo kicked Marshall in the abdomen and flexed. Marshall body slammed Turbo. Ross and Marshall connected with double dropkicks to Turbo Floyd. Turbo stagged Ross with a headbutt. Marshall tagged in and cleaned house on the Outrunners with a round of discus punches. Marshall connected with a cannonball splash on Turbo. Marshall followed up with a moonsault. Marshall went for the Iron Claw on Turbo, but Truth Magnum grabbed him from behind. Ross put Truth in the Iron Claw! Marshall locked Turbo in the Iron Claw, powered him down to the mat and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Another slightly above-average week for Rampage. This one WITHOUT a single full-on squash match – yes, the Fuego/Roddy and Gates/Savages were both very close to being squash matches but both matches managed to avoid being complete rollovers like a lot of AEW’s usual squashes. Speaking of Fuego, it was nice to see him back on AEW programming after his appearance(s) for ROH in recent weeks. We also got the appearance of one half of the Renegade sisters, another nice “throwback” to AEW programming of old. I know it’s probably because half the talent was making their way to the UK for All In, but the fact we got these “throwback” appearances on Rampage (and yes, I do know a lot of the old-school AEW talent who regularly wrestled on Dark & Elevation are now working ROH) gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me like this week’s show even more!
