‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (March 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 HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas.. We’ve got another 4-match show, set’s get right into it!
Match #1: Dustin Rhodes def. Lance Archer
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Archer walked through the tunnel and onto the ramp carrying one of Dustin Rhodes’ students from the Rhodes Wrestling Academy, about to inflict some pain. Thankfully Dustin wasn’t far behind and knocked the student free from Archer’s grasp. Dustin and Archer brawled ringside. “The Natural” grabbed Dan Lambert and was going to piledrive him on the arena floor when Archer came to Lambert’s aid. Once the bell rang, Archer clubbed Dustin with forearms. Archer tore off the turnbuckle pad, exposing the buckle. Dustin clotheslined Archer over the top rope. Dustin tried to follow up with a cannonball senton but Lance Archer dodged it. Dustin crashed and burned onto the arena floor! Archer knocked Dustin down in the ring with an open-palm strike. Dustin’s ear was busted open and he was bleeding. Archer kicked Dustin in the jaw. Dustin fired back with chops. Archer hammered the spine of Dustin Rhodes and then placed a boot across Dustin’s ear, grinding it down. Archer started to chomp on the finger of Dustin Rhodes. Dustin exploded with a flurry of right hands to the jaw of Archer. Dustin connected with a boot to the midsection and then an uppercut. Dustin tried for the powerslam but Archer planted his feet and blocked it, countering with a suplex. Dustin regained momentum with an elbow to Archer’s head. Dustin hit Archer with a bulldog off the second turnbuckle and then the CrossRhodes for a near fall! Archer turned the tables and nailed Dustin with a vertical suplex. Archer took a full nelson and transitioned it into a slam on Rhodes. Archer followed up with a chokeslam for a near fall. Archer propped up Rhodes for the Black Out but Dustin fell backwards on the mat. Archer spotted the exposed turnbuckle from earlier and gestured towards it, however Dustin yanked Archer’s head and shoved it into the exposed metal! Dustin Rhodes grabbed a jackknife on Archer for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: ReDRagon def. Dark Order’s Alan “5” Angels & 10
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kyle and Angels locked up. Kyle connected with strikes and then tagged in Fish. Bobby Fish continued the body shots on Angels. 10 tagged in and cleaned house on ReDRagon! He hit a double tackle on ReDRagon. Kyle jumped on 10’s back. Fish tried to help his partner but 10 muscled his way over to get the tag to Angels. Alan Angels was able to hit a leg lariat and a kick onto both members of ReDRagon. Kyle countered with a submission on Angels until 10 jumped into the ring! 10 broke up the pin but ReDRagon flattened 10 with the high-low. ReDRagon walloped Angels with their Chasing the Dragon finisher, and then Fish pinned Angels. After the bell rang, ReDRagon continued to serve up the punishment on 10 and Angels. And then AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express and Christian Cage ran down to even up the odds and chase off ReDRagon. As Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus were in the ring, Adam Cole snuck up from behind and stole their tag titles like a cowardly thief. Cole handed the belts to Fish and O’Reilly.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Nyla Rose def. Madi Wrenkowski!
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Chris Jericho said that Nyla was the inaugural winner of Chris Jericho’s Sports Entertainer of the Week award. Wrenkowski was making her AEW RAMPAGE debut and is a student of Thunder Rosa. Nyla charged at Madi! Nyla splashed Madi and followed up with the Beast Bomb to pin Wrenkowski!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: FTW Championship Match – Ricky Starks def. Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ricky took down Swerve with a deep arm drag. After some beautiful chain wrestling and a flurry of offense, Swerve landed a dropkick. Swerve charged at Starks but Starks moved out of the way, sending Swerve hard into the middle turnbuckle pad. Starks planted Swerve with a Doctor Bomb. Starks nailed Swerved with a DDT. Swerve rocked Starks with a knee strike and then a diving uppercut off the middle rope! Swerve followed up with a leaping flatliner for a near fall. Swerve pump kicked Starks and then hit a running shooting star press off the apron. Swerve flattened Ricky Starks with a double foot stomp off the top rope for a near fall! Swerve applied a half nelson but Starks countered with a roll up for a near fall on Swerve. Starks tried for a tope suicida but got cut off when Swerve connected with a big elbow strike. Outside the ring, Powerhouse Hobbs smashed into Swerve with a shoulder tackle. Starks pinned Swerve after flattening him with the Roshambo. Starks’ entourage came to the ring to help Starks celebrate. “Limitless” Keith Lee decimated the entourage! Keith Lee and Powerhouse Hobbs began to brawl! Swerve got into the fray and began slugging it out with Starks again! The referees ran down to the ring to try to separate the wrestlers!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Another solid episode of AEW: Rampage; this one opened strong with a great rematch between Dustin Rhodes and Lance Archer and a main event that was just as good – in fact I think Starks and Swerve probably outclassed the opening duo in terms of sheer wrestling and I’d love to see them go at it again in a rubber match. With some great promos added to the mix this was a slight improvement over last week’s episode and a little more tweaking and Rampage could be even greater!
