‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (May 1st 2024)
It’s Monday so you know what that means, it’s time for our weekly review of AEW: Rampage! This week’s show aired straight after Dynamite on Wednesday and was broadcast from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and featured Excalibur, Taz, Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: Jay White def. Dante Martin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jay White chopped Dante in the corner. Dante connected with a tope suicida on Switchblade! Dante clocked White with a jumping knee strike. Dante was looking for a springboard, but Jay White had it scouted and tripped Dante, causing Dante to lose his balance and fall hard on the mat. Dante rallied back with a big cross body press for a near fall on Jay White. Dante sent Jay White over the top and to the floor with a clothesline. Jay White lured Dante in with a uranage for a two-count back in the ring. Dante hit the nose dive out of nowhere for a near fall. Jay White fired back with a sleeper suplex and then the Blade Runner to score the pin fall victory! Jay White attacked Dante after the match until Darius and Action sprinted down to even up the odds!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Kyle O’Reilly def. Rocky Romero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kyle and Rocky chain wrestled, with Kyle getting a wrist lock on Rocky. Rocky dropkicked his way out of it. Rocky applied an arm bar, but Kyle escaped and transitioned into an ankle lock. Rocky escaped and hit a tope to Kyle. Rocky went for another tope, but Kyle caught him and applied an arm bar on the floor! Kyle knew he couldn’t win the match on the floor, so he relinquished the hold. Rocky nailed Kyle with an avalanche sliced break for a near fall! Kyle clobbered Rocky with a flurry of offense. Rocky had an arm bar applied but Kyle countered with a quick rollup and pinned Rocky!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: TBS Championship Manitoba Massacre Match – Willow Nightingale def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Willow whacked Blue with a trash can lid. They brawled over the barricade and into the stands. Skye Blue jumped off the barricade, but Willow countered with a chair shot for a near fall. Willow attempted to flip off the apron onto Skye who was sitting on a steel chair, but Skye moved! Willow crashed onto the steel chair. Willow pounced Skye Blue on the arena floor! Willow placed a chair against Skye in the turnbuckles. Willow was looking for a cannonball dive, but Skye Blue threw the chair at Willow! Skye Blue grabbed a bag and poured out thumbtacks into the ring! Willow planted Skye with an avalanche fisherman’s bomb into the tacks for a near fall! The champ set up a table outside the ring. Back in the ring, Willow escaped a Code Blue from Skye and body slammed Skye Blue onto a steel chair! Willow went for a moonsault for Blue dodged it! Skye Blue pulled a barb wire board out from beneath the ring and placed it on the table! Skye was looking for a Death Valley Driver, but Willow countered with a Doctor Bomb off the apron, putting Blue through the barb wire table and pinning Blue!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
I’m not going to lie, this one hour of Rampage was a LOT more fun than the two hours of Dynamite that proceeded it. The main event was the star of the show, with Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue putting on a proverbial banger – for two “new” wrestlers the pair have come a long way even in the short time they’ve worked for AEW and this match was a perfect example of that, feeling very much like two wrestlers being given a chance to showcase their stuff in the way they want to. And killing it. All in all, this was a great episode of Rampage.
