What is popping kind people! Lee Sanders back with you all on another Friday night covering AEW RAMPAGE! Tonight’s card sees Eddie Kingston and Ortiz team up to go against Kings of the Black Throne. Meanwhile, the AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed are in the house! Elsewhere, Anna Jay A.S. and Tay Melo continue their program with Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale in a STREET FIGHT. And, in the main event, Darby Allin defends his TNT Championship against a returning Juice Robinson.

Nothing to promote this week except thoughts, prayers, and condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues on the passing of Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Rock & Roll icon Elvis Presley. Also want to echo those same sentiments towards the passing of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck. Both passed away sadly this week. We here at 411MANIA offer nothing but love and thoughts..

Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: TNT CHAMPIONSHIP-JUICE ROBINSON VS DARBY ALLIN(C)

Robinson maneuvering behind Darby to plant him on his stomach in the ring. Robinson now smacking on the head of Darby as Darby manages to come to a vertical position to grab the ropes for a break. Darby now with a headlock on Robinson that turns into a side-lock-takedown. Robinson gets out of it with a back suplex. Robinson tried looking for a senton but misses as Darby had it scouted as he goes for another headlock. Darby with a series of armdrags as he comes off the ropes and is sent over the top rope to go crashing outside to the floor. Robinson sends Darby crashing into the barricades, and the steel stairs. Juice Robinson is just dominating the TNT Champion as we head into our first set of commercial breaks. We are back now as the action is inside the ring as Darby is laid out with a series of strikes. Darby comes back with a shotgun dropkick, followed by a suicide dive in-between the ropes. Darby gets Juice back inside the ring as he tries to look for the coffin drop from the side apron. Darby is denied as Juice counters it with a strike to the back, followed by a side kick! Cover attempt made by Juice and it’s only a near fall. Juice now with a senton as Darby lays seriously injured as Juice continues the onslaught with senton after senton. Another cover attempt made as the TNT Champion kicks out. Juice to the top rope now and misses as Darby tries going for a crucifix pin but Juice reverses it with a gutbuster! Darby with a code red on Juice for a kickout! Darby tries climbing to the top but Juice catches him. Juice sets Darby up for a lariat, and a jackhammer for another kickout! Juice now trying to setup Darby on the top rope for a avalanche suplex but Darby counters with a Scorpion deathdrop! Darby now with the coffin drop for a successful retain!

Winner:Darby Allin (12:00)
Rating: ***
Another successful title defense for Darby and an entertaining one. Gotta say I’m really appreciating the work of Juice Robinson as of late. I’ve kept tabs on him since he left WWE some years back and he is a better in-ring performer now then he was back then. Hopefully he’s not disappearing for another six months. I really want to see more of him in AEW. We shall see but I can’t help but look into the crystal ball and wonder how Sting’s big sendoff is going to be when he’s done with AEW. I want to see him face Darby Allin badly. How bout you all? Sound off!

Powerhouse Hobbs talks about how his hopes and dreams has been taken away from him which hurt him deeply growing up. He’s looking to crush the hopes and dreams of anyone he comes across in AEW. Man this comes off as a bootleg Miro The Redeemer montage as we head into a commercial break.

We are back as The Acclaimed is in the house! They did a nice diss to WWE potentially inking a deal with Saudi Arabia. Good stuff! If I can find the clip of Max Caster’s rhymes online, I’ll post it below. Nothing much here otherwise as they try to plant their hands in some cement but are interrupted by the Gunn Boys. They claim they are more popular and that the only reason why Acclaimed are as successful as they are right now is cause Acclaimed stole their dad! Billy Gunn invites his sons to plant their hands in the cement. As the Gunn Boys turn around, Acclaimed pull the Gunns pants down as the boys get pushed into the cement..butts first! Acclaimed gets a one up here for now to end this segment.

Rene Paquette is with Swerve Strickland and his new stable, the Mogul Affiliates, with Parker Boudreaux, Granden Goetzman. They promise to be the most vicious and destructive fans have seen in AEW.

MATCH 2: MALAKAI BLACK AND BRODIE KING VS EDDIE KINGSTON AND ORTIZ

Ortiz goes right for Brodie with strikes and all as Brodie grounds Ortiz with one chop to plant Ortiz to the ground! Good GAWD! Ortiz coming off the ropes and lands a dropkick on Brodie as he begs for Eddie to tag in. Eddie seemed reluctant but he tags in as he tells Brodie he wants Malakai Black. Eddie gets his wish as Malakai and Eddie circle each other for a bit. Malakai goes up and over the ropes and is stopped in his tracks with a chop to the canvas. Eddie tries going for a backhanded fist and misses as Black misses his trademark spinning kick. Both men sit in the ring Indian style as we head into our next set of ad breaks. We are back as during the commercial break Ortiz was begging for the hot tag as Eddie Kingston was filled with too much pride. You could say he didn’t trust Ortiz as Kingston gets in a desperate half & half on Brodie who is the legal man. Eddie now to his feet and is slow about tagging Ortiz as Brodie makes the tag to Malakai. Eddie senses an attack coming and gets out the way in time as Ortiz plants Black with a ddt. Kingston delivers an over the top exploder and goes for a cover as it’s a no-go. Both men are trading strikes as Malakai connects with a rising knee strike! Ortiz leaps from the top rope as Black plants him with a high-rise knee to the face! Sweet spot! Eddie plants Malakai with a suplex followed by a clothesline for another near fall. Brodie tries getting in the ring but is sent crashing to the floor. Julia Hart tries attacking Eddie behind as Eddie managed to grab a steel chair from Buddy Matthews as somehow our referee is distracted. Ortiz yells at Kimgston for almost hitting a woman as Malakai tries to do a back-heel kick on Ortiz. Black misses as he kicks Kingston instead! Ortiz tries to go for a fisherman buster as Black pushes Ortiz outside the ring and quickly covers Kingston for the cover and victory. Post-match the House of Black grab Ortiz to tell him how good of a job he did for them.

Winner:Malakai Black and Brodie King(10:00)
Rating: **
It was okay but to not have the referee take control of the match with all the distractions and people interfering, and the silly spot with Julia Hart made this match drop a few notches for me. Less is better and we needed that here!

Lexi is now backstage with Jade Cargill as she tries to get down to the bottom of what’s going on with Jade and Red Velvet. Jade is only concerned with her 50th victory and that’s all. Short, sweet and to the point of a segment.

Paul Walter Hauser is in the ring with Rene Paquette as he talks about how much he loves professional wrestling. Danhausen comes out to talk about how he is a winner as well as he sold a mother-load of AEW merchandise as he should get an award, more specifically Paul’s award. Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring as Paul cuts him off to insult him big time! Nice digs on Jarrett as Paul mentions how Jarrett never plays the guitar, looks like a woman that owns a fitness machine, and his entourage looks dressed to be going to a prom. Bad news here as Paul and Danhausen are laid out! Hauser is held as Jarrett lays him out with a guitar shot! Orange Cassidy and Best Friends come out but the damage is already done as the villains make their exit as we head to another set of breaks.

MATCH 3: STREET FIGHT-ANNA JAY A.S.S & TAY MELO VS RUBY SOHO & WILLOW NIGHTINGALE

Tay and Anna are attacked from behind as Ruby and Willow are dressed similar to the Dudley Boyz. It’s a nice nod as eventually the action goes to ringside. Anna puts Ruby inside the trash can as Tay leaps from the side apron to crash onto Ruby! Ruby is busted open as Excalibur is quick to point out how she’s bleeding. Excalibur you need to be more specific my man about that bleeding as we head into our last set of commercials. We are back as Anna has barbwire fitted around her arm as she puts it around the neck of Willow. Ruby takes a handful of chains to her fist and goes swinging across the head of Anna. Tay comes from behind with a trash can lid to the back of Ruby. Tay now laying out some steel chairs on the mat as Anna joins her for a superplex on Ruby. Willow comes from behind and under the legs of Tay and Anna to plant all of them as the crowd loves the spot. Willow is attacked from behind by a steel chair from Tay! Tay tries going into the ropes and is planted with a spinebuster. Willow delivers a senton to Anna and goes for the cover as Anna kicks out. Willow plants Anna with a side suplex onto the apron as Tay hits Willow over the head with a trash lid. Ruby trying to setup a table now as Willow and Anna fight by the ramp. Looks like Willow was supposed to plant Anna with a powerbomb through a table but Willow misses it as she basically put her own butt through the table. Meanwhile, Tay plants Ruby through the table with a piledriver as she quickly rolls her into the ring for a cover. Ruby kicks out as Tay grabs a bag of thumbtacks! Tay looking for a piledriver as Ruby kicks out of it as Tay is trying to drive Tay’s face into the tacks. Ruby hulks up and throws a handful of tack into the face of Tay to set her up for the destination unknown into the thumbtacks for the victory.

Winner:Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale (10:00)
Rating: **
Visually I had this match playing out the way I thought it would. I had this being an average match and that’s how it was coming off in reality. It didn’t come off as a clusterf*** by any stretch but there was some sloppy spots here and there. The blood, sorry guys but the blood was way too much for me and honestly not needed. All this for a tv show ya’ll? And just how the heck do you try to top that come next week and the week after? A lot of what I saw felt like overkill and was unnecessary. Entertaining? Oh for sure in some aspects but again less is better.

End of Show

THE FINAL SCORE:  REVIEW

GOOD

Decent in-ring action on this weeks show but to only have three matches made this episode tricky for me to rate. It seems the way Tony Khan did the card for this week was to rely heavy on the TNT Championship match and surprisingly the main event tag match with the girls. I’m very curious to see the quarter segment breakdowns to know exactly how many people stuck around for the main event match. This has to be a rare time where Tony Khan had a true main event match be the last match. Usually he likes to open up with a heavy hitter. Given the gore and brutality it was a smart move to have the women go last. Look I’m a fan of all forms of women’s wrestling, but what all they did tonight was too much for me. Ruby is too damn talented and doesn’t need to do all that crazy crap at this stage of her career. It feels like Tony Khan and crew are not going to build off of this match for Ruby and Willow, I could be wrong, we shall see. Darby continues to kill it in his singles matches as I want to see him square up with Takeashita, Morarity, HOOK, Top Flight, and Ethan Page next. The House of Black screwing with the mind of Eddie Kingston continues to intrigue me. What’s the endgame to that one? A returning Santana to begin a feud with Eddie? Sound off 411MANIACS! For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!