‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Feb 16th 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 H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas and featured Excalibur, Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Sammy Guevara def. Jeff Hardy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jeff taunted Sammy, slapping him in the face. Sammy fired back with a slap of his own, refusing to back down. Jeff Hardy pulled a ladder out from beneath the ring, but Sammy dropkicked it into Jeff’s face! Jeff whipped Sammy into the guardrail. Jeff flew off the apron and wiped out Sammy on the floor. Sammy connected with a knee strike on the apron. Sammy nailed Jeff with a thrust kick. Sammy followed up with a foot stomp on the apron! Jeff lunged at Sammy with a dropkick. Jeff moved the steel ring steps. Jeff charged, launched off the ring steps, and crushed Sammy against the barricade. Jeff threw a steel chair at Sammy’s head. Jeff began to climb the ladder in the middle of the ring. Sammy met Jeff on the opposite side of the ladder. The two exchanged blows, perched on the ladder. Jeff stunned Sammy with a Twist of Fate off the ladder for a near fall! Matt Hardy set up another table at ringside, along with a massive ladder. Jeff propped up Sammy on the table. Jeff began to climb the ladder, but Sammy got up and clubbed Jeff, preventing Jeff from ascending any higher. Sammy put Jeff’s head between a steel chair and then blasted Jeff with a cutter off the ropes! Sammy placed Jeff on the table at ringside. Sammy climbed the ladder all the way to the top! Sammy crashed down onto Jeff with a senton from the top of the massive ladder. Sammy hit a shooting star press on Jeff Hardy. Jeff countered by raising his knees into Sammy’s ribcage, but Sammy’s knee smacked into Jeff’s face on the landing! Sammy reversed a Twist of Fate and scored the pin fall victory after the GTH!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall) def. Hitt, Shimbashi, & Romero Crews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dustin locked up with Hitt. Dustin nailed Hitt with a stiff strike. Ross tagged in and landed a dropkick on Hitt. Dustin came in and destroyed Crews with the Cross Rhodes. Ross and Marshall locked on the claws on Shimbashi and Hitt and Dustin finished Crews with the Final Reckoning for the pin!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Queen Aminata def. Anna Jay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Aminata took down Anna with a side headlock. Anna Jay walloped Queen with a backstabber for a near fall. They traded chops but Queen Aminata wiped out Anna with a snap suplex. She followed up with a running PK to Anna Jay. Anna Jay dodged a hip attack. Aminata avoided a kick and then annihilated Anna Jay with a boot slide for a two-count! Aminata countered the Queen Slayer with a jaw breaker! Queen Aminata headbutted Anna Jay in the abdomen as Anna Jay charged in. Queen Aminata scored the pin on Anna Jay!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: The Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed – Anthony Bowens & Max Caster and Bullet Club Gold – Jay White & Austin & Colten Gunn) def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal and White locked up first. Lethal used a side headlock takeover. Jeff Jarrett hit Jay White in the back with a knee when White ran into the ropes. Evil Uno tagged in, and Jay White served up stiff chops to Uno’s chest. Colten grabbed a tag and splashed Evil Uno in the corner. Colten followed up with a dropkick. Caster held Evil Uno while Bowens nailed Evil Uno with the Scissor Me Timbers! Satnam Singh tagged in and hurled Austin Gunn across the ring. Daddy Ass tagged in and cleaned house on the opposition! Billy bashed Reynolds with the Fame-Asser! Silver hit a flurry of offense on Bowens. Satnam tried for a double choke slam on the Acclaimed, but Colten launched off Austin and drilled Satnam with a flying forearm. Colten blasted Lethal with the Colt .45! Jeff Jarrett jumped in and stunned Colten with the Stroke. Jay White entered the fray and walloped Jeff Jarrett with the Blade Runner! Alex Reynolds shoved Daddy Ass into Jay White and then rolled up Daddy Ass for a near fall. Daddy and Austin rocked Reynolds with the 3:10 to Yuma and then Daddy Ass scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
An improvement over last week’s Rampage, yet this show still feels like an afterthought at times. Though this week it also felt like they were using this episode to do a LOT of storytelling – with a ton of backstage segments and promos. But hey, at least we didn’t get a total squash match this week! Apart from the accident at the end of the match, the opener between Hardy and Guevara was good; nice to see Queen Aminata get a win at last, especially poignant given she was also made “All Elite” the same day! As for the main event. Meh. I’m not a fan of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang OR their opponents so it was for me, however YMMV with this one…
