‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Feb 25th 2022)

It’s Monday morning, so you know what that means… It’s time for our review of Friday night’s episode of AEW: Rampage, which emanated from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut – just down the road from a certain other wrestling promotions headquarters! That being said, let’s get right into it!

Match #1: TNT Championship Match – Sammy Guevara def. Andrade El Idolo

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Sammy took down Andrade with a double leg. Andrade got to his feet and hit Sammy with an explosive chop! Sammy tried for the GTH but Andrade escaped. Andrade tried to shake Sammy’s hand but Sammy flipped off Andrade with the one finger salute! Sammy clotheslined Andrade, sending him over the top rope. Andrade jumped back in the ring but Sammy blasted Andrade with the Spanish Fly! Sammy attempted the double springboard into the cutter but Andrade shoved Sammy off the ropes, sending Sammy crashing onto the arena floor! Andrade snap suplexed Sammy onto the ramp. Back in the ring, Andrade charged at Sammy but Sammy rallied back with two lariats and then a strong knee strike! Andrade charged at Sammy again but Sammy dodged it. Andrade’s momentum sent him to the arena floor. Sammy wiped out Andrade with a tornillo! Sammy was searching for the 450 splash but Andrade moved and connected with a big boot and then DDT’ed Sammy on the ring apron! Andrade climbed to the top rope but Sammy met him up there. Sammy sent Andrade to the mat with a Spanish Fly off the top rope! Andrade tried taking the turnbuckle pad off, but ref Paul Turner stopped him. While Turner was admonishing Andrade, Matt Hardy ripped off the turnbuckle pad on the opposite corner of the ring, unbeknownst to the ref. Andrade hip tossed Sammy into the turnbuckles. Andrade charged at Sammy, but Sammy moved out of the way. Sammy hoisted up for the GTH but Andrade escaped once again and rolled up Sammy. Andrade tried pinning Sammy with his foot on the rope, but Matt Hardy appeared to push Andrade’s boot off the rope, and Sammy kicked out of the pin. Sammy rocked Andrade with a thrust kick! Sammy climbed to the top turnbuckle but Andrade blasted him with a rising elbow strike. Sammy kicked out Andrade’s legs and Andrade landed face first on the exposed turnbuckle. Sammy followed up with the double springboard into the cutter and Sammy pinned Andrade!

My Score: 4 out of 5

Match #2: Wardlow def. Nick Comoroto

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

They locked up and Nick gut wrenched Wardlow! Wardlow quickly got to his feet and tossed Nick across the ring! Wardlow suplexed Nick over the top rope! Outside the ring, Wardlow was looking for a powerbomb but Comoroto countered by ramming Wardlow into the steel ring steps. Nick hoisted up Wardlow with one hand but Wardlow escaped. Wardlow choke slammed Nick! Wardlow powerbombed Nick Comoroto! Wardlow powerbombed Comoroto a second time. Wardlow powerbombed Nick a third and fourth time and then pinned him! Aaron Solo jumped off the turnbuckles but Wardlow caught him! Wardlow was about to powerbomb Aaron but Shawn Spears cracked Aaron with the chair! Wardlow was frustrated and furious. Spears hugged Wardlow and Wardlow looked disgusted.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #3: The Professor’s Five Minute Rookie Challenge – Serena Deeb def. Kayla Sparks

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Deeb clothesline Sparks. Deeb began to choke Sparks with her ring robe. Deeb landed uppercuts on Kayla Sparks. Deeb had Sparks tied up in the ropes and placed her in a submission hold. Deeb wrenched down on Sparks’ neck while Sparks had her knees tied up in the ropes. Deeb put Sparks in the Serenity Lock and forced her to tap out!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #4: Face Of The Revolution Qualifying Match – Orange Cassidy def. Anthony Bowens

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Orange hit a tope suicida on Bowens! Anthony Bowens grabbed Cassidy and planted him on the ring apron! Caster clobbered Yuta with his chain wrapped around his fist! Bowens used a rip cord into a neck breaker for a near fall on Orange! Bowens tossed Orange to the outside of the ring. Bowens distracted the ref while Caster choked Orange with his chain necklace. Orange bounced Bowens from turnbuckle to turnbuckle. Orange tried for a swinging DDT but Bowens countered and wiped-out Orange with strikes. Orange countered with the StunDog Millionaire! Bowens spun Cassidy around and then flattened him face first! Bowens charged at Orange Cassidy with a knee strike for a near fall. Orange nailed Bowens with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall! Bowens was looking for a DDT but Orange rallied back with body shots to Bowens. Cassidy backdropped Bowens over the top rope and to the outside the ring! Orange Cassidy spiked Bowens with a diving DDT! Orange followed up with a second DDT for a near fall. Caster threw the boom box into the ring but ref Bryce Remsburg saw it and struggled to pull it out of Bowens’ hands. While the ref was distracted, Caster climbed up onto the ring apron. Orange charged at Caster but Caster retreated back to the arena floor. Bowens rolled up Orange from behind with a handful of Orange’s jeans for a near fall. Bowens clotheslined Orange and then pancaked Orange for another near fall. Outside the ring, Caster was about to blindside Orange when someone dressed up like a ring crew member snuck up behind Max Caster. It was Danhausen! Danhausen cursed Caster, ducked out of the while, and then Orange Cassidy KO’ed Caster with the Orange Punch! Orange jumped into the ring and served up an Orange Punch to Bowens and pinned him!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 4/5

Well AEW ends this week on a high. The beginning of the week, with Elevation and Dark, looked a little shaky for Tony Khan and co. but they certainly pulled out all the stops for both Dynamite and Rampage. The TNT Title match was THE best we’ve seen Andrade in AEW and cemented Sammy Guevara’s title reign – though he needs more wins like this to parlay his TNT Title reign into an AEW Championship run. Wardlow versus Comoroto was a hoss fight, with Comoroto looking like a beast after putting down Wardlow, who’s been on a tear in AEW for months now. Comoroto might not have won but his fight back against Wardlow really elevated his stature in AEW. Whilst Deeb’s 5-minute challenge adds a women’s match to the card every week, I’m hoping that we get some shock out of this – perhaps an “unknown” indie star (someone who only hardcore IWC folks would know) coming into the company and getting the win? As for the main event… Well this was all about Bowens, who looked like the real star of this match. As did Danhausen, who popped up once again, this time to “curse” Max Caster! Now we just need Bowens to get a push and Danhausen to get his first actual match!