‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Jan 5th 2024)
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 Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and featured Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Mark Briscoe & The Hardys (Jeff & Matt) def. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mark Briscoe locked up with Kip Sabian. Mark escaped a wrist lock and then applied a side headlock to Kip. Kip Sabian hit Mark with a shoulder block and then taunted the Hardys. The Hardys double suplexed Kip after a quick series of tags. Blade ate a boot from Jeff Hardy. Butcher and Matt Hardy tagged in for their respective teams. Matt slugged away at Butcher and then rammed Butcher’s head into the turnbuckles. Matt splashed Butcher from the ropes, but Butcher kicked out at the one-count. Butcher escaped a Twist of Fate attempt with a huge lariat. Mark Briscoe tagged in and cleaned house on the Butcher and the Blade with his redneck Kungfu. Briscoe scored with a dropkick on the Blade. Butcher swept out Mark’s leg and then planted him face first on the ring apron. Kip followed up with a moonsault onto Mark. Butcher bit down on Matt Hardy’s head. Meanwhile, back in the ring, Mark Briscoe was triple teamed by the opposition. Butcher blasted Briscoe with a half nelson backbreaker for a near fall! Mark scored a neck breaker on the Blade. Both men tagged out. Jeff Hardy and Kip Sabian came in, and Hardy hit a double leg drop on Sabian. Hardy used a diving splash for a near fall on Sabian. Matt shocked Sabian with a Side Effect. He was looking for the Twist of Fate, but the Butcher and the Blade blindsided Matt. Mark Briscoe saved Matt Hardy. Matt Hardy smashed Sabian with the Twist of Fate. Jeff followed up with a Swanton bomb. And Mark pinned Kip after the Froggy Bow!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #2: Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale def. Notorious Mimi & Kennedi Hardcastle
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Stokely Hathaway told Justin Roberts that he’d make the ring introductions for this match. Stokely went out of his way to really hype up Kris, and barely put any effort into his introduction for Willow. Kris and Willow used quick tags to work over Mimi, while Tony Schiavone speculated that Stokely was perhaps smitten with Statlander. Willow double suplexed Hardcastle and Mimi. Kris tagged in and ran over both opponents. Statlander powerslammed Hardcastle and then planted Mimi on top of Hardcastle. Willow scored the pin after a spinebuster!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Hikaru Shida def. Anna Jay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shida scored with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker. She followed up with a knee lift on Anna Jay. Shida pulled a steel chair from out beneath the ring and set it up. Shida tried to jump off the chair but Anna side stepped it. Anna whipped Shida into the steel guardrail. Anna Jay rocked Shida with a thrust kick for a near fall. Shida and Anna Jay traded forearms in the center of the ring. Shida battered Anna Jay down to the mat. Shida smashed Anna in the jaw and followed up with a delayed brain buster. Anna Jay connected with a pendulum kick. Shida rocked Anna with the Falcon Arrow, but Anna countered with the Queen Slayer. Shida rolled out and nailed Anna Jay with a knee for a near fall. Shida climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the meteora right on target. Shida finished off Anna Jay with the katana kick and pinned Anna Jay!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: ROH Pure Championship Match – Wheeler Yuta def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, and Pat Buck were the judges. Yuta trapped Komander with a double wristlock. Komander exhausted his first rope break, as Yuta left him with no choice. Komander applied a single leg crab and Yuta used his first rope break. Komander blocked a lariat with a kick. Yuta clocked Komander with a strike and then drove Komander’s shoulder down on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Komander had an inside cradle for a near fall on Yuta. Komander jumped off the ropes and transitioned into a dropkick to Yuta. Komander spiked Yuta with a DDT for a two-count. Yuta put Komander in a double wrist lock again, grounding Komander. Komander used his third and final rope break here. Yuta was smiling ear to ear. Komander caught Yuta off guard with a hurracanrana. Yuta nailed Komander with a bridging German Suplex. Yuta pounded Komander with the hammer and anvil elbows. Yuta put Komander in the double wrist lock again, and with no rope breaks remaining, Komander had no choice but to tap!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A good episode of Rampage with great matches across the board. The opening match might get a higher score, depending on how much you enjoy this work of this iteration of The Hardy’s. Me? I think they’ve run out of steam and so I don’t enjoy their stuff as much these days. Nice to see an even number of men and women’s matches on this show – definitely a much-needed thing. And we got some great women’s action, with Shida and Anna Jay really delivering a memorable match! As for the main event, we got another ROH Pure Championship – something that seems to be defended a lot more on AEW programming than ROH. I do wonder if or when Yuta is going to be beaten – it does feel like he needs that title to be relevant right now, especially given his status compared to the rest of the BCC. Overall a must-see week of AEW television.
