‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (March 4th 2022)
It’s Monday, so you know what that means… It’s time for our review of Friday night’s episode of AEW: Rampage, which emanated from Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho and Ricky Starks on commentary so let’s get right into it!
Match #1: TNT Championship 3-Way Match – Sammy Guevara def. Andrade El Idolo & Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Andrade rolled out of the ring at the start of the match. Sammy and Darby followed him out there, and Andrade had no choice but to return to the ring. Darby quickly hit a Code Red on Andrade but Sammy broke up the pin attempt. Sammy backflipped over Darby and then blasted Darby with a dropkick that was right on target. Sammy connected with a rising knee to Darby. Sammy was attempting to suplex Darby when Andrade came up from behind and powerbomb both of them off the top rope! Andrade El Idolo snapped Sammy back with the three amigos suplex sequence, finishing with Sammy’s back hitting the turnbuckles! Andrade nailed Darby with a backbreaker. Andrade attempted a moonsault on Darby but Darby moved—but Andrade landed on his feet—and then connected with a standing moonsault on Sammy for a near fall! Andrade and Darby traded chops. Darby was looking for the Coffin Drop but Andrade caught Darby. Sammy knocked Andrade for a loop with a thrust kick. Darby removed his belt and began whipping Andrade with it as Andrade was tied up in the tree of woe! Sammy jumped out of nowhere and hit Andrade with the coast-to-coast dropkick! Darby launched himself like a battering ram, crashing into Andrade El Idolo outside the ring! Sammy and Darby chain wrestled back in the ring, trading near falls. Andrade cracked Darby with a back elbow. Darby fired back with a stunner! Sammy hoisted up Andrade and hit him with the GTH! Darby tried to steal the pin on Andrade but then Sammy smashed Andrade with a senton and pinned Andrade!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Keith Lee def. JD Drake
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
JD chopped at Lee but Lee didn’t budge. Keith Lee double chopped JD Drake, knocking JD right off his feet. Keith Lee followed up with a shoulder block and JD went flying! Outside the ring, Keith Lee rammed his head into JD Drake’s chest! Lee continued to pummel JD Drake until he finally placed Drake back into the ring. JD Drake connected with a lariat but Lee answered with another headbutt to Drake’s chest! Lee hoisted Drake onto the top turnbuckle. Drake jumped off the top rope but Lee caught him and then pancaked him for the pin! The Wingmen ambushed Lee after the match and he quickly wiped them out, throwing Peter Avalon out of the ring and onto the rest of the Wingmen! Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs got up from the broadcast table and started walking down the ramp until Orange Cassidy came out! Starks and Hobbs backed off.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: The Professor’s 5-Minute Challenge – Serena Deeb def. Leila Grey
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Grey jumped out of the ring as the match started, attempting to play cat and mouse with Deeb to burn time off the clock. Deeb finally caught Grey’s leg and pulled her out of the ring, yanking her right onto the arena floor! Deeb applied a front choke and Grey tapped out! After the match, Deeb applied the Serenity Lock onto Grey! Hikaru Shida sprinted down to the ring with a kendo stick! Shida attacked Deeb, whacking her brutally again and again and again with the kendo stick!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: Face of the Revolution Qualifier Match – Christian Cage def. Ethan Page
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cage and Page locked up, with Page pushing Cage into the corner! Cage kicked his way out and then hit Page with a flying uppercut. Then Christian connected with a baseball dropkick! Page back elbowed Christian Cage. They fought outside the ring and Christian Cage DDTed Page on the arena floor. Christian Cage put the pressure on “All Ego,” standing on his back and then following up with a reverse DDT! Page jumped at Christian Cage and caught him off guard with a cutter. Christian Cage rallied back with a diving headbutt off the top rope for a near fall. Cage was about to spear Page but Page was playing possum and he hit a shoulder tackle on Cage. It didn’t take long for Christian Cage to get back on his feet and spear Page! Ethan Page rammed Christian Cage’s shoulder into the corner post. Page hoisted Cage up for the Ego’s Edge but Christian escaped, countering with the Kill Switch to score the pin! Christian Cage advances to the pay-per-view this Sunday. AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express joined Christian Cage in the ring after the match to help him celebrate! Young Bucks and ReDRagon walked down the ramp and confronted the tag champs. Jungle Boy launched himself over the top rope and took out the Bucks and ReDRagon!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was a decent episode of Rampage but nothing super-exciting. Many will say this show was essentially all about the title match and the qualifying match but for me it was THAT match between Keith Lee and JD Drake. I’ve always been a fan of JD Drake since the first time I saw him on AEW programming and to pair him with Keith Lee… Genius! Two big men who know how to throw themselves and each other around the ring like their cruiserweights. LOVE IT! Not much of a build, beyond the qualifying match, for the Revolution pay per view though…
