‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Jun 23rd 2023)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show, which broadcast from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, features Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho and Chris Jericho on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher & Will Ospreay) & Swerve Strickland def. CHAOS (Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero) & YOH
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Swerve vaulted off the ropes and kicked Chuck, backing him off. Chuck created distance with a dropkick. Trent tagged in and he and Chuck hit tandem offense on Swerve. Trent backed up Fletcher with chops to the chest. Fletcher fired back with a back body drop. Trent scored with a half and half suplex. Rocky tagged in and he and Trent hit double jumping knee strikes to Fletcher. Swerve planted YOH with a rolling flatliner. Ospreay nailed Rocky with a spinning backbreaker. Cobb grabbed a tag and plowed into Rocky with a lariat and then a standing moonsault for a near fall. YOH used boxing elbows on Will Ospreay. Ospreay came back with a corkscrew kick. YOH suplexed Will but Fletcher broke up the subsequent pin attempt. Jeff Cobb bull rushed YOH into the corner turnbuckles. Ospreay wiped out YOH with the running elbow and then pinned YOH!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) & Daddy Ass def. 3 local competitors
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Acclaimed wasted no time going after their opponents. Bowens used the Scissor Me Timbers then the Arrival. Caster followed up with the Mic Drop and the Acclaimed grabbed the pin.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Quarter-Final – Skye Blue def. Anna Jay A.S.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Anna and Skye locked up with a collar and elbow tie-up. Anna got the upper hand and used a hip attack. Skye countered a waist lock with a hip attack of her own. She backed Anna up with a dropkick. Anna DDT’ed Skye Blue on the arena floor! Anna started to grind her boot into the throat of Skye Blue. Anna used another DDT for a near fall on Blue. Skye Blue retaliated, battering Anna with forearms. She followed up with a knee strike to Anna. Skye connected with a roundhouse kick and then a crossbody press for a near fall. Anna blasted Blue with the backstabber for a near fall. Anna locked on the Queen Slayer. Skye escaped and hit a thrust kick. Skye followed up with the Code Blue and pinned Anna! Skye Blue advances to the next round of the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Jack Perry def. DOUKI
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jack Perry hit a shoulder tackle. DOUKI answered with an arm drag. Jack came back with a dropkick. DOUKI wiped out Jack Perry on the ramp with a tope. Jack whipped DOUKI into the guardrail. Jack drove down DOUKI on the ring apron, planting him with force. DOUKI smashed Jack with a double foot stomp. Perry answered with a Tiger Driver for a two-count. Frustrated, Jack Perry pulled over the timekeeper’s table. DOUKI kicked Jack and followed up with a diving senton, smashing Jack Perry through the table! Jack Perry clobbered DOUKI with a lariat but then DOUKI mustered the strength for a brain buster. DOUKI stuck Jungle Boy headfirst with a DDT for a near fall! Jack hit a thrust kick and then a poison rana on DOUKI. Jack hit DOUKI from behind with an elbow strike. Jack Perry locked in SANADA’s finisher, the Skull End, and forced DOUKI to tap out!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Not as good a show as last week but this did its job in selling not only Forbidden Door 2 but also the Owen Hart Tournament. As for the matches, the opener was a repeat of last week with 2 extra men in the mix but that didn’t improve over what CHAOS and United Empire did together in the opening match last week! The Acclaimed match was just an angle to start a feud with QTV and reintroduce John Morrison into the AEW mix. The Women’s Quarter Final match was OK and another step-up the ladder for Skye Blue who, by now, is surely a shoo-in for the Owen Hart winner? Surely? She has so much momentum and whilst there are other women who are higher up the flagpole of the women’s division, they’re all involved in feuds already and none of them – like the Outcasts, Britt Baker, etc. – need a tournament win. The real surprise of the night? The main event between Jack Perry and DOUKI, who seemed perfectly matched in terms of sheer “insanity”, with both men pulling off moves that got the crowd on their feet. But to hear Jack Perry get booed? That was a total shock. But, then when DOUKI put on such a display of superb wrestling that he LITERALLY converted fans, even those who were unaware of his work, to fans in an instant! I feel that Sanada/Perry might just steal the show at Forbidden Door 2…
