20th Jun2022

‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (June 17th 2022)

by Phil Wheat

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 Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz and Chris Jericho on commentary this week, so let’s get right to the review!

Match #1: Jon Moxley def. Dante Martin

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Dante offered to shake Mox’s hand but Mox slapped it away. They locked up in a test of strength and Moxley transitioned into a wrist lock on Dante. Moxley used a side headlock takedown to get Dante to the mat. Dante ducked a lariat from Moxley and fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Moxley invited Dante to chop his chest and Dante accepted the offer. Moxley retaliated with a chop of his own, and then another, and another. Moxley whipped Dante into the corner turnbuckles. Moxley smashed Dante with a Regal knee. Dante Martin flipped forward into a hurracanrana on Jon Moxley. Dante went back to the top but Moxley met him and took him back to the mat hard with a butterfly suplex. Moxley followed up with hammer and anvil elbows. Dante dodged a sliding lariat from Moxley. Dante took to the skies and spring boarded from the top rope with a double hammer to Moxley’s shoulders. Back in the ring, Moxley rocked Dante with a rolling elbow strike. Dante landed on his feet after trying for the nose dive. Moxley locked in a choke but Dante walked up the ropes. Moxley followed him, climbing up the ropes, thinking half and half. Dante countered with an avalanche sliced bread! Moxley grabbed a cutter on Dante and then waffled him with a King Kong lariat for a near fall. Moxley submitted Dante with the body lock into a hammer lock.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #2: Max Caster & Austin & Colten Gunn def. Ruffin It (Bear Country & Leon Ruffin)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Austin Gunn was all over Leon, sending him hard into the turnbuckle. Austin stomped a mudhole into Leon and then tagged in Colten. Austin hit the quick draw and then Max used the mic drop elbow and finished Leon!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #3: TBS Championship Match – Jade Cargill def. Willow Nightingale

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jade clubbed Willow will forearms. Willow cracked Jade with a kick across the jaw. Willow grabbed a cradle for a pin attempt on Jade. Jade walloped Willow with a massive pump kick, sending her crashing to the arena floor. Kiera Hogan was waiting for Willow and Kiera stomped Willow Nightingale. Willow came out of nowhere with a cannonball senton in the corner on Jade for a two-count! Willow was looking for a gut wrench but Jade hit a double underhook face buster and then smashed her with Jaded for the victory! After the match, Kiera Hogan and Jade continued the beatdown on Willow. “The Fallen Goddess” Athena ambushed Kiera from behind, coming to the aid of Willow. Jade grabbed Athena but then Kris Statlander sprinted down to help her friends Willow and Athena.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #4: Darby Allin def. Bobby Fish

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Bobby Fish peppered Darby with knees and kicks. He sent Darby across the ring with a dragon screw leg whip. Outside the ring, Fish charged at Darby but Darby jumped over him. Fish’s momentum sent him into the guardrail. Darby wasted no time with a pescado on Fish! Darby rocketed outside with a tope suicida! Fish mustered enough strength to kick out the legs of Darby. Fish began to pound Darby with strikes. Bobby Fish took Darby down onto the concrete with a dragon screw, and then another one. Darby used the coffin splash in the corner and then a code red on Fish for a near fall! Darby, off the top, nailed Fish with the coffin drop on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Bobby charged at Darby, knocking Darby outside the ring. Bobby Fish whipped Darby into the steel ring steps. Bobby Fish attacked Darby’s left leg and then stomped on Darby’s spine. Darby tried to defend himself from Bobby’s strikes on the ring apron. Bobby applied a standing ankle lock and then sent Darby flying with a German suplex onto the edge of the ring. Bobby propped Darby up to the top turnbuckle. Bobby dropped Darby with an avalanche falcon arrow! Darby managed to transition into the last supper and pinned Bobby!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

This was, apart from one match, a solid episode of Rampage. Dante Martin and Jon Moxley opened the show with a match that had an expected conclusion – Moxley getting the win – but the journey was the interesting part of the match. This was the second time this pair had faced each other and there was clearly a development in Martin’s skilss AND in his anticipation of Moxley’s moveset… he had learned. And so, given that we know they’ll face each other again, there’s real anticipation that, one day, Martin will get the win over Moxley given how well he’d changed things up between the first and second match-up. The second match on this card was a HUGE disappointment, a squash match of the worst kind and one that wasted the skills of Leon Ruff and Bear Country. Then we got the TBS Championship match… Wow. A great outing from Jade Cargill was matched by Willow Nightingale’s hyper, fun, and fantastic performance, as she brought a whole new atmosphere to AEW; one that was SO fun and SO infectious! For me this was Willow’s best performance for the company, one that – if I ran the company – would have me seriously considering why she’s not signed to a full-time contract. Truly stellar. The main event was a nice surprise too – Fish worked really well with Darby Allin, in what I would consider one of his best outings for the company so far. Great shock return for Sting post-match too!

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