‘AEW: Rampage’ Review (Jul 19th 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 Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, and featured Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and Matt Menard on commentary. Now let’s get to the review…
Match #1: The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii) def. The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett & Matt Taven)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kyle and Roddy locked up. Roddy used a side headlock takeover. Kyle escaped and he and Roddy continued to chain wrestle until Orange Cassidy tagged in. Orange hit Taven with two arm drags. Ishii entered the match and knocked down Taven with a shoulder block. Ishii cleaned house on the rest of the Undisputed Kingdom. The Conglomeration put their heads together and suplexed Taven and Bennett. The Conglomeration chopped at Bennett’s chest. Orange dropped an elbow on Bennett. Ishii came in and punished the chests of Taven and Bennett with chops. Roderick entered the fray and took down Tomohiro with a dropkick. Roderick nailed Ishii with a back breaker. Kyle entered the ring and wiped out Taven and Bennett with round kicks. Taven gouged the eyes of Kyle. Ishii hoisted up Taven for a suplex and then Kyle kicked Taven in the end to put a punctuation point at the end of the sentence, walloping Taven with Chasing the Dragon. Orange Cassidy crushed Bennett with a Stun Dog Millionaire! Kyle followed up with an ax kick and then Ishii leveled Bennett with a big lariat! The Undisputed Kingdom regained the upper hand, with Roddy delivering the sick kick on Ishii, and then Taven covered Ishii after the Proton Pack for a near fall! Ishii blocked two knee strikes from Roddy. Cassidy caught a tag and went for a tope suicida on Bennett and Taven, but they blocked it, and then Strong slid into Orange with a baseball dropkick. Roderick rocked Orange with a back breaker. Ishii tagged in and blasted Roddy with a brain buster. He served one up to Bennett! Ishii climbed to the top rope, meeting Taven up there, and then drilled Taven with an avalanche brain buster. Roderick Strong jumped in to break up Ishii’s pin attempt. Orange spiked Bennett with a DDT! Roddy cracked Kyle with a jumping knee strike! Orange cracked Taven with the Orange Punch and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Chris Jericho & Big Bill def. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Big Bill battered both members of the Outrunners by himself while Jericho stood on the apron, texting on his phone. Big Bill chopped Turbo Floyd and then stomped him. Big Bill splashed Turbo and Truth in opposite corners of the ring. Big Bill choke slammed Turbo Floyd! Jericho tagged in, placed his boot on Turbo, posed, and pinned Turbo!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Minoru Suzuki def. The Butcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Butcher shoved Suzuki into the turnbuckles. Suzuki fired back with forearms and then a running boot to the Butcher’s face. Butcher intercepted the PK and dropped an elbow on Suzuki’s leg. Butcher suplexed Suzuki. Butcher headbutted Suzuki. Suzuki slid behind the Butcher and applied a sleeper. Suzuki planted Butcher with a Gotch-style piledriver and then pinned Butcher!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Kris Statlander def. Sydni Winnell
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Statlander walloped Sydni with a lariat right out of the gates! Kris battered Sydni in the corner with strikes and stomps! Kris hit a snap suplex. Sydni fired back with an elbow strike. Kris hoisted up Sydni and stuffed her with the Staturday Night Fever, picking up the quick pinfall victory!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) def. Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brother Zay and Rey Fenix traded forearms. Zay hit a hurracanrana on Fenix, applying the pressure. Rey Fenix dodged a cutter. Kassidy shoved Rey Fenix into Private Party’s corner and Quen grabbed a tag. Rey Fenix managed to tag out to his brother Penta El Zero Miedo. Penta El Zero Miedo booted Marq Quen in the face and followed up with a thrust kick to Quen’s head. Things broke down as both teams traded tandem offensive with a flurry. Marq Quen and Penta El Zero Miedo taunted one another, getting into each other’s face. Penta blasted Marq Quen with a chop and knocked Quen to the mat. Brother Zay and Rey Fenix tagged in for their respective teams and traded forearms, slugging it out. Zay connected with the Silly String on Penta! Quen stomped on Rey Fenix with a stomp-neck breaker combo on Fenix, and Zay followed up with a senton atomico for a near fall! The Lucha Bros countered a Gin & Juice attempt from Private Party. Rey Fenix punted Brother Zay after walking the tight rope! Penta El Zero Miedo followed up with sling blades on Zay and Quen! Rey Fenix climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Marq Quen shoved Penta into Rey Fenix, which forced Fenix to lose his balance! Private Party wasted no time, serving up Gin & Juice on Rey Fenix! Penta broke the pin attempt by jumping off Marq Quen’s back and then drilling Zay with a Destroyer. The Lucha Bros rallied back with a double thrust kick on Brother Zay! They isolated Marq Quen and sandwiched his head with thrust kicks. Penta El Zero Miedo held up Marq Quen while Rey Fenix jumped up for the double stomp Fear Factor on Quen! Rey Fenix flew out of the ring with a tope suicida onto Brother Zay while Penta El Zero Miedo scored the pin on Marq Quen!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2/5
Yet another disappointing week for Rampage, with only the trios match really delivering anything like a decent, good, solid, match – though the main event came a close second. But what’s with all the squash matches? OK, so the Suzuki/Butcher was a quasi-squash but the other 2 mid-show matches? Urgh. Could’ve been more productive to have fewer matches on the show and not have ANY squashes!? Once again there’s not much here to make this week’s episode unmissable, Probably one for the X/YouTube highlight clips.
