‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Jun 2nd 2023)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show features Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross on commentary once again for a special “Championship Friday” edition of the show. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: AAA Mega Championship Match – El Hijo del Vikingo def. Dralistico and Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They ganged up on the champion to start things off. Dralistico fired off a shotgun dropkick to Vikingo and Komander and followed up with a dive to the outside on them. Dralistico covered Komander after a senton, good for a near fall. Dralistico chopped at Komander’s chest as Jose the Assistant cheered on Dralistico. Vikingo displayed inhuman agility, diving backwards off the ropes with a springboard to Dralistico outside the ring. Vikingo followed up with an implosion hurracanrana. Vikingo hit Dralistico with a Fenix Splash for a two-count. Dralistico and Vikingo exchanged forearms until Vikingo connected with a running corkscrew press. Komander took down Dralistico with a springboard hurracanrana. Vikingo and Dralistico brawled outside the ring and then Komander ran the ropes and flipped onto both of them. Komander did the tightrope walk again and flipped into a 450 splash on Dralistico. Vikingo broke up Komander’s pin attempt on Dralistico. Vikingo spiked Komander with a corkscrew reverse hurracanrana! Vikingo nailed Komander with a 630 senton from the middle rope to a table outside the ring. Vikingo hurt his back on the landing and Dralistico was there, looking to take advantage of the situation. Dralistico attempted to powerbomb Vikingo, but the champ countered with a hurracanrana, rolling up Dralistico and pinning him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: NJPW World TV Championship Match – Zack Sabre Jr. def. Action Andretti
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sabre used a wrist lock to take down Action Andretti. Action reversed it but Sabre maintained wrist control. Action hit a diving hurracanrana on Sabre. He followed up with a tope, driving Sabre into the barricade. Sabre yanked Action’s arm, driving him to the mat. Sabre punished Action with a hammer lock. Zack rolled through with body scissors and continued to work over Action’s arm and shoulder. Action Andretti suplexed Sabre but immediately came up clutching his arm. Action was looking for a hurracanrana off the top rope, but Sabre knocked him down. Action was persistent, jumped back to the top turnbuckle and sent Sabre flying with a hurracanrana. Action spiked Sabre with a reverse hurracanrana and then followed up with a John Woo dropkick. Andretti jumped off the top rope, but Sabre had lured him in. Sabre wrenched back with a submission and Andretti was forced to submit!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: NJPW Strong Women’s Championship Match – Willow Nightingale def. Emi Sakura
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Emi charged in with a shoulder tackle. Willow came back with a snap suplex. Emi raked Willow’s eyes and then charged at Willow, knocking her onto the arena floor. Emi rocked Willow with a crossbody against the barricade. Back in the ring, Willow rallied back with a shotgun dropkick off the turnbuckles. Emi connected with a crossbody in the corner and followed up with a twisting Vader Bomb for a near fall on Willow. Willow walloped Emi with a low cross body for a two-count. Willow blasted Emi with the pounce and then a cannon ball. Willow clobbered Emi with a lariat and then finished her off with the Doctor Bomb, good for the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: ROH Pure Championship Match – Katsuyori Shibata def. Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels, and BJ Whitmer were the judges. Shibata and Moriarty chain wrestled. Shibata transitioned to a triangle and Lee used his first rope break. Moriarty connected with a back elbow and then chopped down Shibata with kicks in the corner. Lee dropkicked Shibata in the knee. Shibata came back with a leg lock and Moriarty used his second rope break. Shibata cracked Moriarty with a dropkick. Shibata planted Moriarty with a snap suplex. Lee locked in a Border City Stretch. Shibata escaped and locked in a sleeper. After a vicious kick, Shibata pinned Lee Moriarty. After the match, Daniel Garcia came down to the ring. Garcia got in Shibata’s face, and they had a stare down as Shibata held his belt high in the air.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Well if this wasn’t an amazing episode of Rampage. The idea of a Championship Friday, with a whole heap of non-AEW titles on the line though, turned out to be a great example of the various styles of wrestling that AEW is home to AND we got four great matches too! The opening match for the AAA Mega title may have been a lucha spot-fest but goddamn if it wasn’t the best example of a spot-fest, with all three guys pulling out all the proverbial stops to put on a great ring-running, high-flying, insane-looking match! That fast-paced match was followed by a brilliant display of mat/technical wrestling from Zach Sabre Jr., who slowed the pace down but showed just how exciting mat work and submission moves can be. Then we got Willow Nightingale’s first defence of the NJPW Strong Women’s title against Emi Sakura, whose style of wrestling really matched Willow’s – the two delivering some hard-hitting moves that made this one feel more like a slugfest. Then this week’s Rampage ended with a Katsuyori Shibata match – which is ALWAYS a great time, with Lee Moriarty holding his own against the modern-day legend. All of which made for one of the best Rampages in some time!
