‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Sept 9th 2022)
It’s Monday morning, so you know what that means, it’s time for this week’s review of AEW: Rampage! This episode emanated from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Now let’s get to the review!
Match #1: Grand Slam Tournament Rampage Wild Card Match – Sammy Guevara def. Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Darby used a side headlock takedown on Sammy. Sammy bridged up and put Sammy in an arm bar. He followed up with a Coffin Splash in the corner on Sammy. Sammy dodged the third Coffin Splash from Darby. Sammy propped Darby onto the top rope and they began to battle it out. Darby hammered at Sammy’s ribs but then Sammy superplexed Darby! Sammy went for the Three Amigos but on the third suplex, Darby pulled Sammy over the top rope and down onto the arena floor. Darby was about to hit the tope suicida when Tay jumped in the way to stop him. With Tay out of the way, Darby rocketed through the ropes but Sammy countered with a cutter out of nowhere. Sammy attempted a shooting star press but Darby dodged it. Tay distracted Darby long enough for Sammy to connect with a thrust kick to Darby Allin. Sammy and Tay kissed to celebrate but then Darby nailed Sammy with a tope suicida. Darby pulled off Sammy’s wedding ring. Tay jumped on the ring apron, demanding Darby return the ring. Sammy hit a knee strike on Darby. Sammy hit a springboard cutter on Darby for a near fall! Sammy tried a Coffin Drop of his own but Darby moved. Anna Jay ran out to distract the referee. Sammy powerbombed Darby on Darby’s skateboard and then finished him off with the GTH for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Serena Deeb def. Madison Rayne
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Deeb grabbed Rayne’s ankle but then Rayne kick upward. Rayne used an arm drag and then tried to pin Rayne after countering the Deebtox. Deeb jumped on Madison and attacked her with a ground and pound game. Deeb rocked Madison with a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Serena Deeb began smashing Rayne’s knee onto the mat and then made Madison submit with an ankle lock!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: ROH World Title Match – Claudio Castagnoli def. FTR’s Dax Harwood
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Caprice Coleman joined the commentary team for this match. They adhered to the Code of Honor before the match. Claudio hit a shoulder tackle on Dax. Dax grabbed an inside cradle on Claudio. Claudio cracked Dax with a big elbow strike. Claudio followed up with a European Uppercut! Claudio suplexed Dax and they both toppled over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Back in the ring, Claudio whipped Dax into the turnbuckles but Dax ended up hitting the steel ring post. Claudio followed up with a sliding dropkick, driving Dax into the steel guardrail. Claudio decked Dax with a lariat for a near fall! Claudio muscled Dax onto the top rope. Dax chopped away at Claudio and then dropped him with an elbow strike. Dax smashed Claudio with a diving headbutt off the top for a near fall. Dax countered the Neutralizer and spiked Claudio with a piledriver for a two-count! Dax went back to the top turnbuckle but Claudio charged at him with a European Uppercut. Claudio superplexed Dax Harwood for a near fall! Dax connected with a slingshot Liger Bomb on Claudio for a two-count! Dax followed up with German Suplexes. Claudio retaliated with a barrage of European Uppercuts. Claudio grabbed Dax with the Giant Swing! Claudio stepped through with the sharpshooter! Dax rolled through and applied a sharpshooter of his own! Claudio escaped and pummeled Dax with elbows. Claudio put the sharpshooter back on Dax and forced Dax to tap out!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A pretty solid episode of Rampage this week. The women’s match felt less important than the rest of the card, in fact the entire show felt left behind by the SUPERB main event that saw two professional wrestlers put on a professional WRESTLING match. I get it, wrestling can be about gimmicks and about characters, but when we get pure wrestling on a show it somehow hits differently. And that’s certainly what happened this week.
