
Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 1.26.24
Hello friends! Lee Sanders is back with you, and although I’d like to say Happy Fantastic Friday, but it’s been a WTF week! I haven’t even been able to process everything, but I will be talking about everything this weekend. Feel free to scoop it up by checking out these links here when you see it drop. In the meantime, we got ourselves a nice weekend for wrestling as it continues with AEW RAMPAGE! Tonight’s card sees Komander vs. Kip Sabian vs. The Butcher vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo. Elsewhere, Jon Moxley takes on Lee Moriarty. In addition, Christopher Daniels faces Konosuke Takeshita. Finally, Anna Jay goes 1-on-1 with Ruby Soho.
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Location: Savannah, GA
Venue: Enmarket Arena
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard
MATCH 1: JON MOXLEY VS LEE MORIARTY
Nice drop-step by Moxley. Moxley goes for a collar & tie-up wristlock before Lee delivers a snapmare. Both men return to a vertical base as it’s a test of strength battle. Moxley gets the advantage as he chops Lee so hard that he rolls out of the ring. Lee goes back inside as the two exchange technical holds. Lee has a headlock on Moxley tight. Moxley sent to the ropes and is shoulder tackled as Moxley rocks him with a back elbow to send him out the ring again! Moxley briefly gets in Shane Taylor’s face before getting back in the ring. Moxley fires off big elbow chops as Lee is hammer-thrown into the corner. Lee bounces off the ropes and applies a border city stretch lock. Moxley manages to grab the ropes for the break. Both men trade off strikes again as Moxley lays down multiple right hands on Moriarty. An elbow catches Moxley followed by a dropkick. Moriarty with strikes to the face before sending him over the ropes as we head into a commercial break. We are back as Lee plants Moxley a belly-to-belly and a double wrist lock. There is some great transitioning as Moxley rocks him with a German suplex. Lee with a forearm as Moxley hits him with a King Kong lariat! Moxley looking for the bulldog choke as Lee transitions to the border city stretch. Moxley reverses it as he brings his trademark elbows down before Lee reverses it to be on top. Lee snaps Moxley’s fingers before delivering a double dropkick and knees to the face. Multiple high boots to the face as he goes for the cover. Moxley kicks out! Lee over the top rope as Moxley catches him and stomps on him. Moxley with a piledriver as somehow Lee kicks out. Moxley, with the elbow, blows to the neck and face as Moxley hits him with a kick to the head! Moxley returns with a bulldog chokehold to make him tap out for the win!
Winner:Jon Moxley (12 minutes)
Rating:***
Damn that was good.
Moxley offers to shake Lee’s hand afterward, but Shane hits him from behind as both men give him a beatdown. Meanwhile, Rene Paquette is backstage with Anna Jay and Angelo Parker. Angelo wants to know if Anna is somehow responsible for what happened last week involving Harley Cameron. Anna smacks the taste out of his mouth as she doesn’t appreciate the question. Anna feels she’s been very loyal to Angelo and their group, but from now on, she’s done. Anna feels it’s time to fly officially solo as she storms off.
MATCH 2: CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS TAKESHITA
Daniels tries charging at Takeshita off the gate, but it’s to no avail as Takeshita rebounds quickly. Takeshita tries for a super avalanche suplex as Daniels fights it off with headbutts. Daniels hits a spinning ddt from the top! A back suplex follows, and an STO as soon Takeshita comes back with a running knee to the face to end this one.
Winner:Takeshita (3 minutes)
Rating:N/R
SQUASH…SQUASH…SQUASH! I admit I’m biased here as I’m a big Daniels fan, but how they did him here was wrong. Was no one else available for this squash match?
Don Callis grabs a microphone afterward to challenge Chris Jericho. Callis wants Jericho to take on Takeshita when Kyle Fletcher steps in to demand he gets his shot against Jericho. Callis likes the idea and signs off on it. Elsewhere, Private Party and Top Flight are in the back with Rene. We hear the news that these teams will have a rematch next week.
MATCH 3: RUBY SOHO VS ANNA JAY
Ruby attacks Anna before the bell rings. The action spills to the outside. Ruby sends Anna to the barricades before tossing her back in the ring. Anna is sent into the ropes and hits Ruby with a high boot. Ruby misses a forearm strike as Anna catches her between the ropes for a whiplash neckbreaker. Saraya causes a distraction to help Ruby jump Anna from behind as we head into our next set of commercials. We’re back as Anna Jay dodges a suplex and hits Ruby with a ddt for a near fall. Anna looks for the queenslayer as Harley Cameron sweeps at her leg from ringside. Anna and Harley are going at it when the referee decides he’s seen enough and ejects Saraya and Harley from ringside. Ruby hits the no future for a kickout as she tries setting up Ruby on the top rope. Whatever she was looking for is countered as Anna hits a flipping neckbreaker before applying the queenslayer to make Ruby tap out!
Winner:Anna Jay (8 minutes)
Rating:**
A little sloppy here and there with a few miscues but not too shabby. Some decent stuff here.
MATCH 4: FRESHLY SQUEEZED- KOMANDER VS. KIP SABIAN VS. THE BUTCHER VS. EL HIJO DEL VIKINGO
Sabian vs fighting Komander outside the ring where he sends him into the barricades. Butcher makes quick work of Vikingo as both men get into the ring for muscle pose before fighting one another. Vikingo and Komander end up doing dives simultaneously on both men to send them respectfully out of the picture for a bit. Komander and Vikingo fire off a bunch of air moves before Butcher gets in and stops them. Butcher with a modified Boston crab on Komander while Sabian almost botched from the top rope trying to plant Komander before a commercial break. We’re back as Sabian and Butcher tried for a submission on Komander. Butcher sends Komander into the corner, where he and Sabian double-team on him. Sabian tries for a cover when Butcher breaks it up. Butcher with a spinning backbreaker when Vikingo breaks it up. Vikingo with a dropkick on Butcher. Vikingo tries for another move when Sabian sweeps at his legs to derail him. Komander returns and hits Sabian with a Spanish fly for a two-count. Vikingo stops Komander from an air assault off the top rope. All four men are involved in a super avalanche suplex as Sabian tries for a pin on Vikingo. Komander hits a Canadian destroyer on Sabian when Komander drops on everyone with an attack from the top rope. Butcher tries to pin Komander, but the move is broken up. Komander pulls off a reversal pinfall for the victory over Sabian. We now know who will face Cassidy for his AEW International title on Collision tomorrow.
Winner:Komander (12 minutes)
Rating:***
Great effort by all men. Pretty entertaining.
Orange Cassidy comes out to celebrate Komander’s win as he and Komander stare each other down to end the show.
End of Show
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 you all!
THE FINAL SCORE: REVIEW
GOOD
Decent show this week with a solid card that was right down the middle. Usually I have loads more to say here but you’ll have to forgive me as my head is still rocked by all the bad news in the last 48 hours. How’d you all enjoy the show this week folks? Sound off and be sure to vote in that 2023 WRESTLING AWARDS I mentioned earlier for a chance to enter a raffle drawing to win a copy of WWE 2K24 for your respected platform by clicking here 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 you all!