‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Aug 4th 2023)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show was broadcast from the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida and featured Excalibur, Chris Jericho and Taz on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Keith Lee & The Hardys (Matt & Jeff ) def. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kip shook hands with Jeff Hardy and then kicked him in the midsection. Sabian mocked Jeff Hardy by dancing like him. Jeff came back with a Russian Leg Sweep. Matt Hardy tagged in, and Jeff vaulted off Matt’s back and splashed Kip in the corner. Matt Hardy dropped an elbow on Kip. He tried for the Twist of Fate, but Kip rammed him into the turnbuckles and then tagged out to Blade. Matt rocked Blade with the Side Effect for a near fall. Butcher charged at Matt Hardy, but Hardy dodged him. Hardy pounded Butcher’s head into the turnbuckles and then tagged in Jeff. Butcher rocked Jeff with a half nelson into a back breaker. Jeff rallied back with a jawbreaker and then grabbed a tag to Keith Lee. Keith Lee cleaned house on all three members of the opposition. Keith Lee powerslammed Kip and went for the pin but Butcher broke up the pin. Matt Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Blade and Butcher. Keith Lee swatted Sabian out of the air and then choke slammed him. Jeff Hardy smashed Kip with the Swanton and then pinned him!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Anna Jay def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Skye Blue used a side headlock. Skye tested out the jaw of Anna with elbow strikes. Skye followed up with a thrust kick. Anna Jay fought back with the dangerous jay kick. Skye Blue connected with a diving cross body onto Anna Jay. She rocked Anna with a running knee strike. Blue cradled Anna for a near fall. Anna Jay cracked Skye with a mule kick and then a flatliner for a two-count on Skye Blue. Anna Jay got rocked by a thrust kick. Angelo Parker and Matt Menard jumped on the apron to distract Skye Blue. Anna Jay jumped Blue from behind while Blue was dealing with Parker. Anna locked on the Queen Slayer and forced Skye Blue to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: The Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland & AR Fox) def. Logan Cruz & Tyshaun Perez!
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
AR Fox blasted Cruz and Perez with a dropkick off the top rope. He wiped them out, launching himself over the top rope and crashing down onto them on the arena floor. Swerve and Fox double teamed their opponents. Fox nailed Cruz with a cutter. Swerve hit a brainbuster and then Fox finished off Cruz with the 450 splash, scoring the pin!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Parking Lot Fight – The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) def. The Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moxley jammed Trent with a fork in the forehead. Trent was busted wide open. Claudio suplexed Chuck Taylor onto the hood of a car! Trent jumped off the top of a car with a cross body press to Moxley. Trent used the fork on Moxley’s forehead. Claudio ripped off a spoiler from the back of a car and cracked Trent over the back with it. The Best Friends slammed the hood of a car onto Claudio’s head! The BCC turned the tables and slammed the car hood onto Trent. And then they power bombed Chuck onto the hood, smashing it onto his partner. Claudio swung Trent in the big swing and then whipped him right into a trash can! Chuck wacked Claudio and Mox over the head with a street sign! Moxley headbutted Chuck and then suplexed Chuck onto a safety rail. Trent crushed Claudio with a senton on a bike rack! Moxley spiked Chuck with a Paradigm Shift onto the roof of a car. Trent hit the Dude Buster on Claudio on the car’s roof! Moxley jumped up and applied a rear naked choke to Trent. Moxley and Trent traded strikes on the hood of a car. Mox smashed Trent through the windshield of a car with the Death Rider! Chuck Taylor had a flaming barb wire 2×4 and was ready to maul Moxley with it when Wheeler Yuta jumped out of the back of a parked vehicle. Yuta dared Taylor to hit him, but Taylor couldn’t get himself to do it. While this was occurring, Moxley snuck behind Chuck Taylor and grabbed the 2×4 out of his hands. Moxley swung it into Chuck Taylor’s abdomen. Wheeler went to work on Chuck Taylor’s forehead with a screwdriver! Trent’s mom Sue pulled up in a minivan! Orange Cassidy was riding on the roof, coming to the rescue! Cassidy jumped off the top of the minivan and hit Mox and Claudio with a crossbody press. Orange Cassidy wrapped a steel chain around his fist. He approached Wheeler Yuta but Claudio chop blocked Orange. The BCC swarmed Orange Cassidy and began to pummel him with strikes. Wheeler Yuta DDT’ed Orange Cassidy onto the hood of Sue’s minivan. Moxley curb stomped Trent’s head onto the minivan windshield! Claudio covered Trent and pinned him.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Rampage was all about the parking lot brawl, with everything else feeling like a teaser for what was to come. It was good to see Kip Sabian in action in the opening match and his resurgence on TV hopefully means he’s set to appear at All In in front of his “home” crowd. The women’s match between Anna Jay and Skye Blue was a great showcase of AEW’s younger talent and it actually showed how far these two have come since their first appearances for the company. SPeaking of appearances, it’s great seeing AR Fox and Swerve Strickland as a tag team, bringing back those Lucha Underground vibes. But like I said, this episode was all about the parking lot brawl and by god it was another great example of the match in AEW, with the kings of the format, Best Friends Chuck and Trent, delivering once again – with the BCC bringing their brand of violence to the match too and making this main event feel very much like an ACTUAL parking lot brawl. A brilliant match to end this show on!
