‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (April 29th 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 Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Let’s get to it!
Match #1: Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier Match – Darby Allin def. Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby and Swerve locked up. Darby grabbed a switch but Swerve backed him into the turnbuckles. Darby took down Swerve with a wristlock and followed up with a deep arm drag. Swerve jumped over the top rope but Darby was waiting for him with a stunner. Darby ran into the ring and rocketed back out with a tope suicida but Swerve had it scouted and connected with a knee strike! Swerve stood on the ring apron and booted Darby, who was still on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Darby locked up Swerve in a knee bar ankle lock combination. Swerve got out and suplexed Darby, showing tremendous fluidity. Swerve tried for the Swerve Stomp but Darby dodged it and countered with the Code Red for a near fall! Darby climbed to the top and attempted the Coffin Drop but Swerve got the knees up! Swerve jumped and kicked Darby in the skull! Swerve hoisted up Darby and nailed him with a vertical suplex from the ring apron to the arena floor! Ricky Starks left the broadcast position and snuck up to the ring but Sting saw what Ricky was up to. Sting forced Ricky to retreat. Darby grabbed a heal pick and pinned Starks out of nowhere. Darby Allin advances in the tournament!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Trios Match – Jade Cargill & The Baddies (Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet) def. Skye Blue, Trish Adora & Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Red Velvet rammed Skye Blue into the turnbuckles and began to hit her with body shots. Hogan tagged in and connected with a sliding dropkick. She tried for a leaping leg drop but Skye moved and landed a nice kick to the side of Hogan’s head. Willow charged at Kiera Hogan and pounced on her with a shoulder block, sending an interfering Red Velvet nearly out of the ring. Hogan landed a roundhouse kick on Sky Blue. Trish Adora made the tag but Kiera Hogan hit the leaping guillotine leg drop this time. Jade Cargill tagged in and booted Trish in the face! Red Velvet speared Sky Blue while Kiera Hogan blasted Trish Adora with a shotgun dropkick. Cargill hoisted up Adora and planted her with her Jaded finisher. Cargill scored the victory via pin.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Keith Lee def. Colten Gunn
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Keith Lee and Colten Gunn locked up and Lee forced Gunn right into the turnbuckles. Gunn shoved Lee and Lee was a little surprised by the puckish nature of Gunn. Keith Lee connected with body shots and then a double overhand chop to Gunn! Austin interfered from the outside and tried to batter Keith Lee, but Lee shrugged him off. Keith Lee face palmed Gunn and dropped him to the mat. Lee knocked down a clothesline attempt from Gunn. Keith Lee hurled Gunn halfway across the ring! Lee charged at Colten but Austin jumped up on the apron; it didn’t matter because Lee rocked Austin with the splash! But Colten came from behind and attempted the move his father made famous—the fame-asser—but Colten bounced off Lee’s massive back! Gunn was searching for the Colt 45 but instead Lee countered and pancaked Gunn with a jackhammer type maneuver for the pin!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: ROH World TV Title Match – Samoa Joe def. Trent Beretta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ian Riccaboni joined the commentary team for this match. The Code of Honor was adhered to before the bell rang. Trent had a side headlock on Joe but Joe fired back with a massive shoulder tackle. Joe chopped Trent’s chest. Trent dropped Joe with a sliding knee strike and followed up with a moonsault to the outside on Joe. Outside the ring, Trent chopped at Joe. Trent tried for his swinging DDT off the ring steps but Joe pushed him away and followed up with a massive boot to Trent. Back in the ring, Joe tried for a powerbomb but Trent escaped and dropkicked Joe! Trent climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a diving crossbody press onto Joe on the outside! Trent got Samoa Joe off his feet with a back throw suplex. Trent followed up with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Trent was looking for Strong Zero but Samoa Joe countered with a powerbomb! Joe followed up with an STF! Trent was able to reach the ropes with his legs, forcing the ref to break the submission. Trent got to his feet and slapped Joe but Joe fired back, leveling Trent with a lariat! Samoa Joe picked up Trent for the muscle buster but Trent countered with a sunset flip for a near fall. Samoa Joe locked in the rear choke and Trent was out, with the ref calling off the match!
After the match, Tony Schiavone entered the ring to interview Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe was cut off by Jay Lethal’s music! Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh walked onto the stage. Orange Cassidy confronted Satnam but Lethal wiped-out Cassidy. Lethal jumped into the ring and he and Samoa Joe began to brawl. The AEW Officials tried their best to separate Jay Lethal and Samoa Joe as RAMPAGE went off the air!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Another episode of Rampage that opened and closed strong, with two filler matches in the middle. Speaking of the filler matches, Keith Lee gave up WAAAAAAY too much to Colten Gunn in their match – no way Colten should have been able to mount that much offence on someone as experienced and skilled as Lee, even with some outside interference! As for Jade Cargill’s match? Well, we got a new faction out of it but what we DIDN’T get was a decent match for Willow Nightingale… Who’s had two cracking matches for Tony Khan recently but then gets this?!? I don’t get it. Swerve and Allin have done this kind of banger of a match time and time again on the indies and it’s great to see them do it for AEW. Nice to know that the Starks/Swerve feud isn’t over either. As for the main event, Trent got to show just how good he is again in a singles match whilst Samoa Joe did his usual, awesome, stuff. Hard to believe WWE wouldn’t let him wrestle for the latter part of his time with the promotion. He’s still got “it” and can still kick arse!
