‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Mar 20th 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 TD Garden in Boston, MA and featured Excalibur, Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Best Friends (Orange Cassidy & Trent) def. The Don Callis Family (Powerhouse Hobbs & Kyle Fletcher)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hobbs spiked Orange with a spinebuster, and Trent ran in to break up the pin attempt! Hobbs planted Orange onto the apron repeatedly. Orange dodged a splash from Hobbs. Trent tagged in and drove Fletcher down with double knees. Trent wiped out Hobbs and Fletcher on the floor with a swan dive. Hobbs and Fletcher stunned Trent with a pendulum bomb! Trent fired back with a DDT on Fletcher. Orange tagged in and connected with a crossbody to Fletcher and then he knocked Hobbs with an elbow suicida. Cassidy pumped Fletcher with a DDT and tried to cover Fletcher, but Hobbs broke it up. Hobbs put Orange in a torture rack. Trent freed up Orange, ramming a knee into Hobbs so Orange could roll up Hobbs for a near fall! Hobbs bulldozed Orange to the mat! Orange rallied back with a Stun Dog Millionaire on Fletcher while Trent followed up with a half and half. Hobbs pulped Orange and Trent with a double shoulder tackle. Hobbs rag dolled Orange into the LED lights. Trent stomped Hobbs so Orange could crush Hobbs with a Beach Break! Fletcher avoided the Orange Punch and countered with a spinning tombstone for a near fall on Orange! Trent nailed Fletcher with an avalanche half and half! Orange drilled Fletcher with a diving DDT! Orange rocked Fletcher with the Orange Punch and pinned Fletcher!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Katsuyori Shibata def. Kevin Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shibata pounded Matthews into the corner and followed up with a running dropkick! Shibata took Matthews over the top with a suplex for a near fall. Matthews fired back with a lariat. Shibata went behind, locked in a sleeper, but Shibata released it. Shibata cracked Matthews with the PK and pinned Matthews!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Konosuke Takeshita def. Rocky Romero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rocky chopped Takeshita in the chest. Rocky rocked Takeshita with a strike to the face. Rocky wiped out Takeshita with a step up hurracanrana. Rocky followed up with the forever clotheslines. Takeshita countered with a boot and then a running basement dropkick. Takeshita swung at Rocky but Rocky ducked and Takeshita struck the steel ring post! Rocky followed up with a tope suicida! Rocky hit the running sliced bread for a two-count on Takeshita! Rocky wrenched back on Takeshita’s arm. Don Callis jumped on the ring apron to distract the ref. Rocky turned his attention to Don Callis and Takeshita seized the moment to boot Rocky in the face! Rocky avoided a power drive knee, but Takeshita spiked Rocky with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall! Takeshita decimated Rocky with a forearm strike. Takeshita followed up with a Falcon Arrow and pinned Rocky!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Julia Hart & Skye Blue def. Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kris clocked Julia with a drop toe hold on a chair. Willow dropkicked Julia as Julia was wedged between the chair. Willow pulled a table out from beneath the ring and slid it into the ring. Skye Blue came to Julia’s aid. Skye wiped out Kris and Willow. Skye held Kris back while Julia pulled out a steel spike. Julia charged at Kris with the spike, but Kris moved out of the way, causing Julia to inadvertently hit Skye in the face with the spike. Willow tried to power bomb Skye on the announcers’ desk, but Sky countered with a Code Blue! Skye Blue emptied a bag of thumbtacks into the ring. Statlander had her own bag and emptied thumbtacks in the ring too. Skye Blue power bombed Statlander into the tacks, but Statlander kicked out at the two-count! Skye put the tacks in Kris’ mouth and then rocked Kris with a thrust kick! Skye covered Kris but Kris kicked out! Skye climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Willow jumped onto the apron, grabbing Skye and planting her through two tables on the arena floor with a Death Valley Driver. Statlander attempted a 450 splash from the top, but Julia rolled out of the way! Julia locked in Heartless and Statlander tapped out!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
I’ll be damned… This was a superb episode of Rampage! Probably the best episode of the show this year. It started strong with a great tag match and built and built to the tremendous women’s main event. Even the Shibata squash felt like a big deal – and it was a squash match! As usual Takeshita kicked ass in his match, can’t wait till his match on Dynamote this week, that’s for sure! As for the aforementioned main event, all four women put on a clinic. It really is amazing to see how far the likes of Sky Blue and Julia Hart have come since their AEW debuts – even Willow and Statlander have shown real progression, with their team-up giving both women a chance to work on their promos and personalities. The latter of which are REALLY shining now they seem to be having more fun on “the job” as it were. More Rampage episode like this please!
