‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (April 22nd 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 this week emanated from the Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Let’s get to it!
Match #1: Owen Hart Men’s Qualifying Match – Adam Cole def. Tomohiro Ishii
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ishii ran into Cole with a running shoulder block, and Cole went outside of the ring to collect his thoughts. Cole came back into the ring and Ishii leveled him with a chop. Cole went back outside for another breather but Ishii followed him out there, dishing out more chops. Ishii charged at Cole and Cole moved, sending Ishii’s forearm crashing into the steel ring post! Back in the ring, Cole applied a chin lock to Ishii. Cole nailed Ishii with a neck breaker. Cole clubbed Tomohiro Ishii with a forearm. He slapped Ishii and called him “stupid.” Ishii had enough and blasted Cole, dropping him with one, single shot. Ishii powerslammed Cole. Ishii backdrop suplexed Cole for a near fall! Cole rallied back with a neck breaker across his knee and then a running knee for a two-count on Ishii. Ishii superplexed Cole for a near fall. Ishii went for the sliding lariat but Cole dodged it and connected with a superkick. Ishii had Cole’s knee strike scouted and he countered with a sliding lariat. Cole hoisted up Ishii and dropped him across his knee. Ishii ate a superkick from Cole but Ishii didn’t budge. Ishii threw a huge kick to the back of Cole’s head, dropping Cole. Ishii headbutted Cole and then blasted Cole with a lariat. “Switchblade” Jay White sprinted to the ring and rammed Rocky Romero into the steel ring steps! As the ref was distracted, Cole connected with a low blow and then he lowered the boom with the knee strike to Ishii. Cole pinned Ishii after the massive assist from Jay White and advances in the tournament!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Lance Archer def. Serpentico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
As Archer was making his entrance, Serpentico rocketed towards him with a tope suicida! Archer, unbeknownst to Serpentico, didn’t budge. As Serpentico began to celebrate prematurely, Archer leveled Serpentico with a vicious forearm. Archer choke slammed Serpentico onto the ring apron. Archer suplexed Serpentico across the ring and followed up with a running splash in the corner. Archer finished off Serpentico with the Black Out, pinning him quickly, and sending a message to Wardlow! Archer continued to chokeslam Serpentico, mocking Wardlow with his own chokeslam symphony.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kingston peppered Garcia with open hand shots. He followed up with chops to Garcia in the corner, smothering him. Kingston tripped out the leg of Garcia and then came running in with a boot scrape. Kingston chopped Garcia outside the ring and then sent him flying into the steel ring steps! Back in the ring, Garcia gained momentum with knee strikes to Kingston’s ribs. Garcia kicked Kingston and then connected with a European uppercut. Garcia began to bite the head of Kingston. Eddie turned things around by biting Garcia’s ear! Outside the ring, Garcia drove Kingston shoulder-first into the ring post! Garcia dropped a senton on Kingston. Garcia fired in a knee for a near fall on Kingston. Garcia and Kingston traded chops! Kingston was looking for the exploder suplex but Garcia countered with elbow strikes. Garcia nailed Kingston with a German suplex for a near fall. Garcia charged at Kingston but Kingston got his boot up! Kingston dropped a knee to the back of Garcia’s neck. Garcia managed to apply a Boston crab to Kingston, but Kingston lunged to the ropes to force the break. Kingston poked Garcia in the eye and then sent Garcia for a ride with the exploder suplex! Kingston planted Garcia with a backdrop suplex and then connected with the spinning backfist for the pinfall victory over Garcia!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: TBS Championship – Jade Cargill def. Marina Shafir
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Marina connected with a round kick to Cargill. Jade muscled Marina off her back and followed up with an inside trip. Cargill clotheslined Marina over the top rope. Outside the ring, Jade whipped Marina into the steel ring barricade, right in front of the Baddie Section. As “Smart” Mark Sterling had ref Aubrey Edwards distracted, Red Velvet, who was sitting in the Baddie Section with Kiera Hogan, began to hammer Marina with heavy shots. Jade stomped Marina in the spine. Jade back drop suplexed Marina for a near fall. Jade started a ground and pound attack but Marina covered up. Marina kicked at Jade’s leg and Jade’s knee buckled. Jade powered out of a guillotine submission hold from Marina with the Eye of the Storm for a near fall! Marina tossed Jade overhead with a hip throw. Marina was looking for an ankle lock but transitioned into a knee bar. Jade grabbed the bottom rope to force the break. Marina rammed Jade’s knee into the steel ring post, smelling blood in the water. Marina kept chopping at the leg of Jade Cargill with swift kicks. Marina was distracted by the Baddie Section as they tossed popcorn at her. Jade wasted no time walloping Marina with a big boot! Jade spiked Marina onto the timekeeper’s table with a choke slam! Jade began to pose but Marina took her down and locked on a heel hook. Jade started to hammer down with her boot across Marina’s face, forcing Marina to release her grip. Cargill planted Marina with Jaded and then pinned her!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This episode of Rampage opened strong and the momentum kept up right till the final match. Yes we got a Lance Archer squash match but that was more a part of the storytelling going into his match with Wardlow. Loved seeing Ishii take on Adam Cole (and he popped up on Impact’s PPV this weekend too!), in a match that was paced well and looked like a fight rather than a wrestling match – the interference at the end is undoubtedly setting up something further down the line as well. I was all-in on the Eddie Kingston/Daniel Garcia match and it did not disappoint, it was also a great build to the inevitable rematch between Kingston and Chris Jericho… which is what kicked all this off in the first place! Total full-circle storytelling, you love to see it! As for the main event. It was good and Jade Cargill has CLEARLY progressed a lot in her time in AEW but, but, the match has a few issues – Jade hit that stretch/knuckle combo one too many times I think and it really looked like either Jade really struggled with putting Shafir back in the ring towards the end of the match. Whether that was Jade’s problem or Marina Shafir’s I couldn’t tell but commentary clearly had to cover and turn the mis-throws into “slammed in the apron” moves. But it was a good match and I’m definitely interested to see, nay invested in, where the hell Jade’s TBS streak goes!
