‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Aug 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 emanated from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, and featured Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and Matt Menard on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii) def. The Butcher & The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Butcher booted Briscoe in the abdomen. Mark fired back with redneck kung fu. The Outrunners tagged in and out, trying to swarm Mark, but Mark quickly dispatched of them. Ishii grabbed a tag and Turbo chopped him, but Ishii didn’t budge. Ishii unleashed chops of his own on Turbo. Ishii clobbered the Outrunners with lariats and shoulder blocks. Ishii blasted Turbo with a brain buster. Orange took flight with a tope suicida to the Outrunners. Mark tried to use a steel chair as a launch pad, but Butcher kicked him. Orange cracked the Butcher with the Orange Punch. Briscoe jumped off the chair, flipped over the top rope and wiped out the Outrunners. Mark spiked Truth with the Jay Driller and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Nyla Rose def. Erica Leigh
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nyla Rose power slammed Erica and then squashed her with a sit-out senton! Erica dropkicked Nyla but Nyla rallied back with a running cross body press. Nyla smashed Erica with the Beast Bomb and earned a decisive victory!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Nick Wayne def. Kip Sabian
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick Wayne slapped Sabian in the face and then slid out of the ring. Nick Wayne returned to the ring and Sabian knocked him down with a running shoulder block. Sabian slapped Nick Wayne in the face. Sabian bashed Nick with a gut buster. Kip connected with a kick and then a moonsault to Nick on the outside of the ring. After a distraction from Mother Wayne and KillSwitch, Nick yanked Sabian into the steel ring post. Kip staged a huge comeback with a springboard dropkick and then a cannonball in the corner for a near fall on Nick Wayne! Sabian had a burst of adrenaline and nailed Nick with a half and half suplex. Nick stunned Kip with the Wayne’s World and then a double underhook into a DDT for a two-count on Kip! Sabian hoisted up Nick Wayne, but Mother Wayne jumped on the apron to distract the referee. Killswitch jumped on the opposite side of the ring and headbutted Kip! Nick cracked Kip with the Wayne’s World and pinned Sabian!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Rush & Kyle Fletcher def. Rhett Titus & KM
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
KM booted Fletcher in the mid-section. Fletcher fired off stiff shots and then a Michinoku driver on KM! Titus grabbed a tag, but Fletcher planted Titus with a side slam. Fletcher followed up with a half and half suplex. Rush splashed Rhett in the corner and then stomped Rhett. Rush smashed Titus with the Bull’s Horns and pinned Titus!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) def. MxM Collection (Mansoor & Mason Madden)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mansoor dropped Dante with a shoulder tackle and then posed. Mansoor scoop slammed Dante and then dropped an elbow. Dante swept the leg of Mansoor as Mansoor went for a leapfrog. Darius and Mason tagged in for their respective teams. Madden smashed Darius with the Final Cut leg drop. Madden connected with a hip attack on Darius. Dante grabbed a blind tag and Top Flight showed off their tag team synergy and their new ring attire. Top Flight crashed onto MxM Collection with a double tope suicida. Mansoor hit Darius with a Manhattan Drop-spinebuster combination. Leila Grey and Mason Madden had a pose down on opposite sides of the ring and Mansoor was caught in the middle! Darius clocked Mansoor with a big thrust kick as Mansoor was distracted. Dante springboarded off the top onto Madden. Dante ducked a dive from Mansoor. Top Flight hoisted up Madden and twirled him in a double airplane spin! They followed up with a double dropkick. Madden choke slammed Dante while Dante was on Mansoor’s shoulders! Darius and Dante ping ponged Madden back and forth with thrust kicks. Darius spiked Mansoor with a brain buster. Dante pinned Mansoor after the crossover frog splash!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Another slightly above-average week for Rampage. However, we fell into squash match territory this week with not one but TWO squash matches on the show, which is unfortunate. Especially when the rest of the matches are only above-average and not good, or even better, great. And one of those squash matches wasted the talent of RUSH for god’s sake! The two multi-man matches were the stars of the show, with the trios match providing great entertainment to open the show and the main event saw Top Flight hitting their stride with the new line-up and new look – I’m just hoping the boys can stay injury-free as that seems to hit their momentum each and every time it looks like they’re headed for a push.
