‘AEW: Rampage – Beach Break: Championship Friday’ Review
Welcome to this review of AEW’s Rampage Beach Break: Championship Friday special which emanates from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio and features TWO championships on the line! Let’s get right into the action!
Match #1: Jon Moxley def. The Acclaimed’s Anthony Bowens
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moxley wiped out Caster as The Acclaimed were making their entrance into the ring. Mox wasted no time and German Suplexed Bowens! Mox stomped a mudhole in Bowens and then clubbed him with right hands. Mox rammed Bowens into the ring barricade. Mox and Bowens brawled through the crowd. Mox tried to grab Bowens but Bowens pulled back and Mox’s head hit the steel ring post. Bowens grounded and pounded Mox in the ring. Bowens concentrated on Mox’s shoulder, hitting a Russian Leg Sweep. Bowens was looking for a vertical suplex but Mox countered by hoisting up Bowens and dropping him. Caster grabbed Mox’s boot, and the momentary distraction allowed Bowens to connect with a ripcord neck breaker! Outside the ring, Caster sent Mox headfirst into the ring post again! Bowens climbed to the top rope but Mox jumped up on the apron and raked Bowens’ back with his fingers. Bowens superplexed Moxley off the top rope for a near fall! Bowens jumped off the top turnbuckle but Mox met him with a boot. Mox was looking to follow up with a Paradigm Shift but Bowens back elbowed him. Bowens charged at Mox but Mox backdropped Bowens out of the ring and straight down onto Caster on the arena floor! Mox rocketed to the outside of the ring with a tope suicida on Caster. Moxley tried to get back in the ring but Bowens punted him. Bowens had Mox caught on the ropes and he transitioned Mox into a DDT for a near fall! Mox and Bowens exchanged fire with right hands. Mox was looking for the King Kong Lariat but Bowens hit Mox with a knee and then a thrust kick! Mox walloped Bowens with a palm strike to the face and then a jumping pile driver for a near fall! Mox tried to roll up Bowens but Bowens hit a knee and then the Claim to Fame for a near fall on Mox! Bowens grabbed his boombox from the corner but Ref Aubrey Edwards yanked it away from him. As Aubrey went to rid the ring of the boombox, Caster tossed a chain to Bowens, who wrapped it around his fist! Mox had Bowens’ number and cut him off with a cutter! Caster jumped into the ring and charged at Mox but Mox knocked Caster over the top rope with a lariat. Mox knocked off Bowens’ block with the King Kong Lariat! Mox finished off Bowens with the Paradigm Shift and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: FTR – Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood def. Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cash and Lee locked up. Lee reversed a wrist lock but then Cash applied a headlock. Lee Johnson tagged out to Brock Anderson but not before hitting a step-up hurracanrana on Cash Wheeler. Dax Harwood tagged in and he and Brock chain wrestled to a stalemate. Brock and Lee hit a double backdrop on Dax. Lee flattened Cash with a tope con hiro! Lee followed up with an assisted dive onto Dax on the outside! Lee Johnson hit a diving crossbody on Dax for a near fall! Cash ate a clothesline from Brock Anderson. And then Brock served up one to Dax! Brock Anderson surprised Cash with a gut wrench suplex! Brock catapulted Cash into a kick from Lee Johnson! Brock nailed Cash with a DDT! Lee Johnson landed a big frog splash on Cash but Cash was able to get his boot on the bottom rope to stop the ref’s count. Outside the ring, Brock confronted Tully Blanchard. Tully backed up and bumped into Arn Anderson! “The Enforcer” chopped Tully in the neck. FTR were able to hit a stuffed pile driver on Lee Johnson and Dax pinned Johnson!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: TBS Championship Match – Jade Cargill def. Julia Hart
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jade put Julia in a stiff headlock. She followed up with a shoulder block to Julia and then a powerful, spinning back breaker! Jade Cargill did push-ups in the ring, completely dismissing her opponent. Julia charged at Jade but it was like running into a wall. Julia caught Jade off guard with a hurracanrana! Jade booted Julia with a pump kick and then finished her off with her Jaded finisher! Jade Cargill is still the TBS Champion!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match – Jurassic Express def. Private Party
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The #2 ranked Gunn Club—Austin and Colten Gunn—were watching from ringside. The Gunn Club distracted Jungle Boy before the match, allowing Isiah Kassidy to dive outside the ring with a tornillo onto Luchasaurus! Private Party served up their Gin & Juice finisher on Jungle Boy at the start of the match! Kassidy covered Jungle Boy but Jungle Boy kicked out in the nick of time! Private Party hit a neck breaker-foot stomp combo on Jungle Boy! Marq Quen covered Jungle Boy for another near fall! Private Party tried a leg drop-frog splash combo but Jungle Boy rolled out of the way. Luchasaurus tagged in but Private Party immediately rolled to the outside of the ring. Luchasaurus followed them but Blade jumped in his way. Luchasaurus chucked Blade against the steel guardrail! Luchasaurus grabbed Kassidy, picked him up and then flattened him on the ring apron. Luchasaurus jumped up to the ring apron and was going to choke slam Marq Quen but Matt Hardy hit Luchasaurus behind the knee with a steel chair. Andrade El Idolo was sitting in a skybox with Jose the Assistant. Andrade nodded approvingly at his investment in the AHFO.Luchasaurus was able to paste Private Party with double clotheslines and made the hot tag to Jungle Boy! Jungle Boy was a house of fire on Private Party! Jungle Boy hit tope suicidas on Private Party! Luchasaurus hoisted Jungle Boy on his shoulders. Isiah Kassidy went for the crossbody press off the top rope but Jungle Boy was able to reverse it, landing on Kassidy for a near fall! Private Party fired up and blasted Luchasaurus with their Silly String tandem offense. Jungle Boy yanked Kassidy into the Snare Trap! Meanwhile, Marq Quen broke up the Snare Trap with a shooting star press! Private Party attempted the Gin & Juice on Jungle Boy but Jungle Boy was able to counter with a Destroyer on Kassidy! Jurassic Express shut down Private Party with their finisher, allowing Jungle Boy to pin Marq Quen! The Gunn Club jumped into the ring and ambushed Jurassic Express after the match! Billy Gunn neutralized Christian Cage with a cheap shot! The Gunn Club rammed Jungle Boy in the head with his tag team title! Billy Gunn shoved Luchasaurus into a double belt shot from the Gunn Club!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Well, well. AEW goes two for two with its Beach Break episodes… Like Dynamite this was a fantastic show and one that gave us a bevvy of good matches and decent promos slotted in between. The Opening match was better than expected, with Bowens going toe to toe with Moxley and coming out of the loss looking stronger than he went into the match! The long-delayed match between FTR and Johnson & Anderson was a banger… So was the main event tag match which was one of Jurassic Express’ best AND Private Party’s. in fact I’m enjoying how much Private Party are getting back to their roots after all the HFO showboating not wrestling stuff. The only disappointment? The Cargill/Hart match… Not that it disappointed, Cargill ran through Hart as expected. I just hoped that we’d see something of a heel turn for Hart start in this match. Maybe it’s another string to that bow? A loss so quick, along with Malakai Black’s influence putting her over the edge? I’m here for it!
