‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (June 10th 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 Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO. We’ve got just Excalibur and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get right to the review!
Match #1: Eddie Kingston def. Jake Hager
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kingston and Hager went right at it, slugging away at one another. Hager hit Eddie with a short arm clothesline, already dazed by the MMA prowess of Hager. Kingston was sent to the outside of the ring by Hager. Back in the ring, Hager continued to grind Kingston down with a forearm to Kingston’s back. Hager dumped Kingston back out to the floor and then suplexed him on the outside. Hager connected with more forearm strikes to Kingston’s back. Hager nailed Eddie with another suplex for a near fall. Kingston fired at Hager with open palm strikes. Kingston chopped away at Hager and then booted Hager to the side of the face. Hager got to his feet and hurled Kingston overhead. Both men were down and in a lot of pain. Kingston used his street fighting tactics, thumbed Hager in the eyes, and then DDT’ed him. The “Mad King” blistered the chest of Hager with machine gun chops. Kingston charged at Hager but Hager moved and countered with the Hager Bomb for a near fall. Eddie countered a suplex from Hager with two suplexes of his own. Eddie tried for the spinning backfist but Hager moved and applied the ankle lock to Kingston. Eddie dug in and made it to the ropes, forcing the ref break. Kingston powerbombed Hager out of the corner and then connected with two spinning backfists! Kingston covered Hager and pinned him for the victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal def. Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal started but immediately tagged in Satnam Singh. He used a massive knee and then a chop to Fitchett. Davey Vega jumped in to help his partner. They tried to double team Satnam but Satnam ran right through them with a huge crossbody press! Satnam held both men while Jay came off the ropes and blasted them with the Lethal Injection, allowing Jay to score the pin on Fitchett! After the match, they continued to beat down Fitchett.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Kris Statlander def. Red Velvet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Red Velvet tried to get the jump on Kris but Kris was ready and powerbombed her on the floor. Kris Statlander rocked Red Velvet with a running knee inside the ring. Kris hit Red Velvet with a hard strike to the jaw. Red Velvet jumped on Kris’ back, looking for a choke, but Statlander climbed into the ring with Velvet on her back. She tossed Red Velvet right into the ring. Statlander hoisted up Red Velvet with a delayed vertical suplex but Red Velvet escaped and countered with a chop block. Red Velvet placed her boot on the throat of Kris Statlander, and then applied a full nelson. Red Velvet smashed Kris with a leg lariat for a two-count. Kris Statlander shut down Red Velvet’s momentum as Kris rammed her shoulder into Red Velvet’s midsection. Statlander blasted Red Velvet with a blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Kris planted Red Velvet for another near fall. Red Velvet charged at Kris with knees to the back of the head. Red Velvet followed up with a cutter off the middle rope and then Just Desserts for a near fall! Statlander blocked a kick from Red Velvet and then finished her off with Friday Night Fever for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Trios Match – FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) & Trent Beretta def. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Will Ospreay squared off with Dax Harwood. Will went right at Dax and they chain wrestled and then exchanged chops. Cash Wheeler tagged in and applied a side headlock to Ospreay. Cash shoulder tackled Will Ospreay. Kyle Fletcher tagged in and slugged Cash in the mouth with a massive right hand. Mark Davis tagged in and hurled Cash. Trent tagged in and Davis tossed Trent into the turnbuckles. Mark Davis was looking for a Samoan drop but Trent escaped. Mark connected with a chop to Trent’s windpipe. Will Ospreay came in but Trent spiked him with a tornado DDT. Trent crashed down on Will with a moonsault to the outside. Back in the ring, Mark Davis sat out with a senton on Trent for a near fall. Trent finally made the tag to Dax, and Harwood fired off haymakers to Aussie Open and Ospreay! Dax walloped Ospreay with a lariat. Cash tagged in and FTR used stereo elbow strikes to Fletcher. Cash rolled up Fletcher but Ospreay ran and they swarmed Cash. Aussie Open hit a cutter and then Will splashed Cash with a 450 but Trent made the save on one leg, breaking up the pin attempt! Ospreay used the cutter on Wheeler but Wheeler kicked out, showing why he’s a top guy in tag wrestling. Trent tagged in and chopped Kyle Fletcher, but Kyle returned the fire with a forearm. Trent hit a backdrop suplex. Trent tried for the DDT but Ospreay shoved Trent away. Ospreay jumped over the top and took out FTR! Trent finished off Kyle Fletcher with the Strong Zero and pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Another banger of an episode this week, let down only by the Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh match. Everything else this week delivered in spades and built to a superb main event that only got me even more excited for just what AEW and NJPW’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view will bring us. Nice to see Kris Statlander’s “transformation” finally complete on this Friday’s show too – her new badass attitude really made the match feel different to her booping-alien matches from AEW’s early years! Hell, even Red Velvet showed out for this match too and I loved the way she targeted Statlander’s leg in true heel fashion. Rampage is on a roll right now, here’s hoping it keeps up at this level and pace!
