‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (May 13th 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 UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Long Island, New York. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz and Chris Jericho on commentary so let’s get right to the review!
Match #1: Trios Match – Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix & Penta Oscura) def. The Butcher, The Blade, & Marq Quen
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Penta Oscura and the Blade began for their respective teams. Blade clocked Penta Oscura with a haymaker shot. Penta fired back with a kick and then tagged in PAC. PAC blasted Blade with stiff kicks and forearms. Butcher pulled PAC outside the ring and dropped PAC on the ring apron! Back in the ring, PAC countered an Irish whip with a dropkick to Butcher’s knee. PAC used a shotgun dropkick off the ropes to take the Butcher off his feet. Marq Quen tagged in and quickly got taken down with a big hip toss from PAC. Rey Fenix tagged in but Marq Quen caught him off guard with a step up hurracanrana. Rey Fenix executed a tornillo into a foot stomp onto Marq Quen! Rey Fenix was triple teamed by the opposition. Marq Quen came off the top rope with a 450 splash for a near fall on Fenix. Luckily PAC was there to make the save. Butcher sent Rey Fenix into the Blade’s knee and followed up with a huge lariat for a near fall! Rey Fenix hit a backheel kick on the Blade! Fenix made the tag to Penta Oscura, who jumped onto Marq Quen. Penta walloped the Butcher with a sling blade clothesline and then spiked the Butcher with a DDT. “The Bastard” PAC tagged in and nailed Marq Quen with kicks. PAC hit a deadlift German suplex on Quen but Quen escaped by touching the ropes with his feet. PAC made Quen pay with a release German suplex! The Lucha Bros planted Quen with the Fear Factor and then PAC followed up with the Black Arrow and pinned Marq Quen!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Shawn Spears def. Bear Boulder
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bear grabbed Spears by the throat. Spears escaped a gorilla press but then Bear Boulder powerslammed him! Spears evaded an attack from Boulder in the corner. Boulder splashed Spears in the turnbuckles. Spears thumbed Boulder in the eyes and then blasted him with the C4! Spears pinned Bear Boulder as he shouted out “Wardlow!” After the match, Spears cracked Boulder in the back with a steel chair.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Quarterfinals Match – Ruby Soho def. RIHO
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ruby grabbed a wrist lock on Riho, and then transitioned to an arm bar. Ruby knocked Riho down with a shoulder block. Ruby tried for a near fall but Riho escaped with a Matrix bridge. Ruby countered a Northern lights suplex but then Riho landed on her feet! Riho connected with a double stomp to Ruby. Ruby jumped off the top turnbuckle but Riho dodged it. Ruby tweaked her left knee on the landing. Riho blocked the No Future from Ruby and then worked over Ruby’s knees! Riho crashed down with force onto Ruby with a double stomp to Ruby’s back. Riho spiked Ruby with a dragon snap suplex for a near fall! Ruby was looking for the blade runner but Riho countered with a crucifix bomb for a near fall. Ruby threw Riho with a backdrop driver and then kicked her in the face for a two-count. Ruby smashed Riho with the blade runner and pinned Riho to advance in the tournament!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: TNT Championship Match – Scorpio Sky def. Frankie Kazarian
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Frankie used a fireman’s takeover on Sky. They traded wristlocks and Kaz showed off his speed with a lateral press to Scorpio Sky. Frankie applied short arm scissors on Scorpio Sky, but Sky countered by rolling up Kaz for a near fall. Scorpio Sky was looking for the TKO early but Kaz escaped. Both men butted heads in the center of the ring in a hard collision. Kaz booted Sky in the midsection. Kaz bridged over with a fishermen’s suplex for a near fall on Scorpio Sky. Sky wiped out Frankie with a tope con hiro on the outside! Sky ate an elbow from Frankie in the corner. Kaz rolled up Sky for a two-count. Frankie rocked Scorpio Sky with a lariat. Scorpio Sky attempted the TKO but Kazarian rolled up Kaz for a near fall. Kaz followed up with his trademark leg drop for a two-count! Frankie went for the chicken wing but Sky countered with a jawbreaker. Frankie spiked Kaz with a cutter. Frankie tried to lock on the chicken wing but Dan Lambert sprinted to the ring and distracted the referee! “All Ego” Ethan Page blindsided Kaz with the title belt. Kaz popped up his shoulder before the ref counted to three! Sky landed the TKO and pinned Frankie Kazarian, oblivious that Ethan Page wacked Kazarian with the title. Scorpio Sky shoved Ethan Page after the match. Ethan Page asked Sky which team he was on. Scorpio Sky leveled Kaz with the belt!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was another great episode of Rampage, with 3 great matches and the usual short squash match. The opening Trios match set the bar high for the show, though it felt too obvious that Marq Quen was going to eat the pin keeping the Butcher and the Blade looking strong even in defeat. Shawn Spears’ quick squash of Bear Boulder was the usual time filler (it seems AEW have found a way for the show to have 4 matches instead of three by putting a squash match into the mix) but I personally wish Bear Boulder wasn’t done dirty. The Owen Hart tournament match delivered too with Riho and Ruby Soho putting on a great match that was fast-paced, exciting and tense. Soho selling a knee issue made the outcome slightly in doubt, which added an extra layer to this one. The main event was everything you wanted from a match between two former partners who know each other inside out. Unfortunately, for me, this was knocked down a notch by the ending – I would have loved to see a cleaner finish. Hell, at least this gives us a chance for a rematch!
