‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Sept 8th 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 Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis and featured Excalibur, Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament Quarter-Final Match – Penta El Zero Miedo def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal and Penta began shoving one another. Penta escaped a wristlock. Penta El Zero Miedo connected with a thrust kick. They traded chops. Penta hit a double foot stomp on Jay Lethal. Jeff Jarrett swiped at Penta’s foot from the outside, but Penta outsmarted him. Penta jumped over the top rope, but Satnam Singh caught him and smashed him into the ring post as the ref was distracted by Jeff Jarrett. Karen Jarrett tied the back of Penta’s mask onto the ropes. The ref saw it and ejected Lethal’s entire squad from ringside. Lethal stomped on Penta while the ref tried untying him. Penta El Zero Miedo dropped Lethal with two sling blades. Penta crushed Lethal with a tope con hiro! Penta squashed Lethal with another foot stomp for a near fall. Lethal fired back with a Lethal Combination for a two-count. Jay Lethal pulled Penta’s mask off! Penta immediately covered his face. Lethal tried to grab the guitar that Jeff Jarrett left behind, but Alex Abrahantes pulled it away from Lethal. Penta rocked Lethal with a backstabber and then spiked Lethal with the Fear Factor for the pin fall victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Hikaru Shida & Skye Blue def. Anna Jay, Taya Valkyrie & The Bunny
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Skye rolled up Bunny for a near fall early on. Taya tagged in and blasted Skye with a forearm and then a chop. Sky hit Taya with a thrust kick and tagged in Shida. Shida cleaned house and peppered Anna Jay with elbow strikes. Bunny tagged in but Skye Blue ran in to make the save. Taya speared Skye. Britt grabbed a tag and dropped the Bunny with a thrust kick. Baker suplexed Anna Jay. Shida and Britt inadvertently collided. Baker applied the Lock Jaw and forced the Bunny to tap out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. Angelo Parker & Matt Menard
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick and Matt used tandem offense on Parker and then on Menard, coming out of the gates hot. Matt hit a neck breaker on Parker and then Nick took down Daddy Magic. Parker thumbed Matt Jackson in the eyes. Matt rocked Parker with a series of Northern Lights suplexes. Matt Menard tagged in and suplexed Matt Jackson. Parker and Menard double teamed Matt Jackson. Parker got a near fall on Matt Jackson after a snap suplex. Nick Jackson tagged in and wiped out both opponents with a double crossbody press. The Bucks dished out a superkick party! They cracked Matt with the BTE Trigger and Nick grabbed the pin!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament Quarter-Final Match – Samoa Joe def. Jeff Hardy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hardy hit Samoa Joe with a basement dropkick. He followed up with a diving lariat to take Joe down. Samoa Joe gouged Jeff’s eyes and then connected with jabs. Jeff Hardy stunned Samoa Joe with a jawbreaker. Jeff attempted a running cross body, but Samoa Joe side stepped it. Samoa Joe sent Jeff Hardy crashing to the floor with a sliding dropkick. Samoa Joe softened up Jeff Hardy in the corner with body shots. Jeff jumped off the top rope with Whisper in the Wind, throwing his entire body at Samoa Joe. Jeff Hardy hit a Manhattan Drop on Samoa Joe. Jeff dropped an elbow for a near fall on Samoa Joe. Jeff Hardy went for the Twist of Fate, but Samoa Joe had it anticipated. Samoa Joe locked Jeff Hardy in the submission Clutch and put Jeff to sleep!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Another great episode of Rampage this week, with the Grand Slam tournament delivering some great action – and yes, that’s despite my disdain of AEW’s penchant for tournaments. I’ll give AEW some slack as well given that they’ve essentially got to rework their entire TV structure after CM Punk’s departure, so its almost kike rebooting the show again, after rebooting it for the soft “split” of the roster – something is is clearly NOT happening going forward. Always good to say that an episode of Rampage is unmissable, which this one certainly is.
