‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Dec 3rd 2021)
Welcome to this weeks review of AEW: Rampage, which comes from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. We’ve got the usual three matches to check out so let’s get right into the action!
Match #1: TNT Title Match – TNT Champion Sammy Guevara def. Tony Nese
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sammy knocked Nese down with some early punishment, not forgetting about the cheap shot that Nese gave him to set up this challenge. Sammy hit Nese with hammer fists after taking him down with a double leg. Nese left the ring to slow down Sammy’s momentum but it backfired—Sammy fired himself out of the ring with a corkscrew tope suicida! Sammy rammed Tony into the steel guardrail, bouncing Nese all over the place. As Sammy was getting back into the ring, Nese knocked him off the turnbuckles. Nese got a near fall on Sammy after a gut buster! Nese guillotined Sammy’s neck over the rope and then followed up with a moonsault press. Nese sent Sammy hard into the turnbuckles. Sammy fought back with a sunset flip but Nese fired back with a thrust kick. Nese applied a body lock on Guevara. Tony blocked a roundhouse kick from Sammy. Tony Nese countered with a single leg crab, expertly applied in the center of the ring. Sammy fought out from underneath with a clubbing shot to Nese. Sammy did a double springboard into a cutter on Nese for a near fall! Sammy hoisted up Nese for the GTH but Nese escaped and countered with another single leg crab. Nese attempted a pump handle slam but Sammy countered with the Spanish Fly for a near fall! Sammy crashed onto Nese with a springboard moonsault from the top rope to the outside! Sammy went for the springboard but Nese rolled in and knocked Sammy back outside. Nese nailed Sammy with a 450 splash for a near fall on Sammy! Sammy rocked Nese with some elbow strikes. Nese schoolboyed Sammy and then buckle bombed him! Sammy managed to rally back with the GTH and pinned Nese!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Jade Cargill w/ “Smart” Mark Sterling def. “The Kick Demon” Janai Kai
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa was on commentary for this match. Jade Cargill and Thunder Rosa are scheduled to meet in the semifinals of the TBS Women’s Tournament. Jade lifted Kai and threw her across the ring! Jade flattened Janai with her Jaded finisher and pinned her. Jade continued to beat on Janai after the match with a pump kick and strikes! Thunder Rosa left the broadcast booth and ran down to the ring. Rosa avoided a pump kick from Jade and took her down. The AEW referees had to separate Thunder Rosa from Jade Cargill!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. Death Triangle (PAC & Penta El Zero Miedo)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Penta El Zero Miedo swept out Cash’s leg and applied a spinning toe hold. Penta El Zero Miedo removed his glove and tossed it to Alex outside the ring, but not before Cash tried to intercept it. PAC tagged in and he and Penta El Zero Miedo hit stereo dropkicks on Cash Wheeler. PAC took Dax down with a shoulder tackle. PAC body slammed Dax. PAC back body dropped Dax Harwood. Penta El Zero Miedo tagged in and blasted Dax with a dropkick to the tailbone. Cash tagged in and kicked Penta El Zero Miedo across the spine. FTR utilized quick tags to work over Penta El Zero Miedo in their corner. After a miscommunication between FTR, PAC tagged in and doubled over Dax with spinning kicks. PAC attempted a springboard and lost his balance due to only having vision in one eye. Dax took advantage and immediately tagged in Cash to work over PAC. FTR blasted PAC with a stereo slingshot underneath the bottom rope. PAC was trying to use his quickness to escape FTR and get the tag to Penta El Zero Miedo. While the ref was distracted, FTR used the backbreaker elbow drop on PAC and almost scored the victory. PAC rallied back and blasted Dax with a shotgun dropkick from the top rope!
Penta El Zero Miedo tagged in and connected with sling blades to both members of FTR! He DDT’ed Dax! Penta El Zero Miedo wiped out Cash with a big crossbody press! He followed up with the backstabber on Cash for another near fall! Penta El Zero Miedo tried to set up for the Fear Factor but Cash countered with a powerslam. Dax tagged in and smashed Penta El Zero Miedo with a leg drop for a near fall. Penta El Zero Miedo nailed Dax with the Code Red for a near fall. PAC climbed up to the top rope and connected with the cross-body press on Dax but Dax rolled through and held onto the trunks for a near fall. Dax planted PAC with the Tiger Driver for a two-count! PAC took out both members of FTR with a moonsault to the arena floor! Malakai Black sprinted out and sprayed the poison mist into PAC’s eye, unbeknownst to referee Rick Knox. Dax pinned PAC after PAC was blinded. FTR tore the mask off Penta El Zero Miedo! Alex Abrahantes jumped into the ring to cover Penta El Zero Meido’s face with his jacket. Malakai Black came back in the ring and gouged the eye of PAC.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
A very solid episode of Rampage that opened strong and closed even stronger, with what was essentially a match-come-promo for the Thunder Rosa/Jade Cargill match as aprt of the TBS Women’s Tournament. Plus we got some good promos,. all wrapped up in a show that used its short running time to great effect. Now all we need is for AEW to sort of Dark and we’ve got FOUR cracking shows a week from All Elite Wrestling.
