
Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 10.28.22
Hello folks! Lee Sanders back with you all once again for AEW Rampage! Great to be back as I was gone last week. I was somewhat on assignment as I had the pleasure of meeting Bret Hart for an awesome meet & greet at the SQUARED CIRCLE COLLECTIBLES store. If you didn’t check out my review and experience of the event, check it out right here on the site by clicking here. By the way, on behalf of all of us here at 411MANIA, thoughts and prayers this holiday season to Kevin Nash and his family. As you all know, Nash lost his son Tristen at the age of 26. Be sure to show Big Sexy Diesel some extra love and hit him up on his social media pages.
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross
MATCH 1-AEW WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR: JON MOXLEY VS MATT MENARD
Rules for this match are simple. Whoever pins or submits JonMoxleyy in this non-title match, gets a title shot against Moxley. Moxley is biting on the forehead ofMenardd asMenardd came out swinging with right hands to the face, followed by stomps. Menard drives his knee into the face of Moxley as he tries looking for a piledriver. Moxley tries reversing it as Merard shoves him in between the ropes. Parker clotheslines Moxley flat on his back while the referee is distracted as we head into our first commercial break. We’re back now as Moxley is powerbombed by Menard which sets up a Boston Crab. Moxley barely gets to the ropes in time as he delivers a side cutter to even the odds. Both men are now trading off punches as Moxley gets the upper hand with an ugly lariat, followed by an ankle lock. Menard kicks his way out to get free as he tried looking for a sunset flip. Moxley reverses it and connects with a Regal knee to the face! Moxley delivers another cutter to Parker whileMenardd comes from behind with a handful of trunks for a near fall! Menard tries to stomp on the face of Moxley but Moxley counters and transitions into a grounded rear-naked sleeper for the victory!
Winner:Jon Moxley (11:00)
Rating: **
Never a doubt that Moxley was going to win this encounter. I did enjoy the psychology that was used in the numbers game by having Parker run constant interference as it made it semi-interesting.
Jon Moxley isn’t able to celebrate too long as Stokley Hathaway and Lee Moriarty come out. Hathaway knows Moxley is pissed about being jumped by The Firm this week on DYNAMITE. Stokley offers Mox an opportunity to go 1 on 1 with Lee Moriarty on the next DYNAMITE. Moxley accepts as it’s official!
We get news that yet another WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR is coming but this one is a tournament. It’s taking place at AEW FULL GEAR where the winner receives an AEW WORLD TITLE match at the WINTER IS COMING event. Also, Mike Tyson is making his return to AEW on next week’s RAMPAGE! Hope he’s not yawning like last time.
We’re back from ad breaks as Jade Cargill is working out. She’s pissed that Nyla Rose still has her championship as she promises to beat her ass and remind everybody why she is still…DAT B*TCH!!!!
MATCH 2: KEITH LEE VS SERPENTICO
Annnnnnnnnnd it’s over! Powebombed in seven seconds. Wish I was kidding but yeah! Tony Schiavone has the nerve to get in the ring and say what a BIG WIN! What the Hell?! Too funny!!!
Winner:Keith Lee (07 seconds)
Rating: NR
All about The Acclaimed. Speaking of which….
The Acclaimed come out still salty about what’s been going down the past couple of weeks. Swerve appears on the titantron to reveal that he’s kidnapped Billy Gunn. The Acclaimed are looking on at Keith Lee as the big man tells them he has no idea what’s going on. Swerve tells Billy Gunn, who’s tied to a chair that he’s going to make sure Billy doesn’t make it to FULL GEAR. Swerve takes a pair of plyers and cuts off one of Billy’s fingers!!!! Acclaimed leave as Keith looks on disgusted and sad.
Footage is shown of Chris Jericho and the JAS as they are still salty about Claudio Castanogli pinning Jericho this past week. Jericho reiterates his Open Challenge coming up. Superstars beat wrestlers every time they claim.
MATCH 2: MADISON RAYNE VS TAY MELO
Madison tries going for a Greco-Roman knuckle lock on Tay. Tay reverses it as we see a short series of rollups for the breakaway. Tay gets in an armbar as Madison rolls her up for a counter for another break. Tay comes swinging with a right hand as Madison comes back swinging! Tay is sent into the ropes and is tripped up. Madison tries climbing onto the top rope but Melo catches her and delivers one sloppy backbreaker! That looked very dangerous I tell you guys as we head into a commercial break. We are back as Madison counters a potential back suplex from Melo with a DDT! Madison follows up with a big elbow strike, followby ed a neckbreaker for two-count! Madison charging in but gets a boot to the face. Melo is sitting on top of the rope as Madison connects with a sloppy cutter for a near fall. This match is becoming a cluster–you know what. Tay gets a sliding lariat by Madison that gets her another near fall. Both girls are trading chops as Tay delivers a pump knee strike, followed by the TAY-K.O for the victory!
Winner:Tay Melo (7:00)
Rating: *
Sorry, I love all forms of women’s wrestling but this match was bad. So many sloppy areas and a few where I thought a serious injury might’ve occurred.
Lexi is with Ethan Page as he reveals he’s entering the FULL GEAR AEW World Title Eliminator. He vows he’ll get the title off of Moxley while sticking it to MJF for turning his back on Stokley Hathaway and The Firm. We’re on to some more ad breaks.
MATCH 3: TNT CHAMPIONSHIP-WARDLOW(C) VS MATT TAVEN
Taven tries showboating and chopping Wardlow but Wardlow isn’t having it as he comes chagrining at Taven. Series of leapfrogs and counters culminates in Taven giving Wardlow a dropkick. Wardlow comes right back with a headbutt to Taven followed by an elevated arm drag. Matt Taven gets strong whipped into the corner where he goes flying over the ring post, and to the outside canvas. Wardlow rams Taven’s face into the barricades while MarKanellislis distracts the referee. Mike Bennett attacks Wardlow from behind! Wardlow looks on at him not stunned as Maria now gets in Wardlow’s face. This sets up Taven to do a dive from the top rope to crash into Wardlow. Maria distracts the referee again as Mike rams Wardlow face-first into the steel steps!! This sets up Taven to deliver a body splash on the ankles of Wardlow as we go into our last set of commercial breaks. We’re back as Taven delivers a running knee to the face for a two-count cover attempt. Wardlow catches Taven and delivers an F10! Wardlow gets in a lariat, followed by an overhead belly-to-belly! Wardlow follows up with a one-handed slam, followed by a powerbomb despite Maria trying to interfere. Wardlow delivers three more powerbombs to end this one but wait! Mike Bennett attacks Wardlow from behind as Samoa Joe comes down charging for the rescue! Joe tosses Bennett oof ut the ring as wait a minute folks!!!! Powerhouse Hobbs arrives but we don’t know who he has his eyes set on. The Embassy come from outnowherehere as they attack Joe and Wardlow! Hobbs joins in on the fun and attacks Wardlow as Brian Cage and Hobbs hold up the TNT and ROH TV titles to end this episode.
Winner:Wardlow (9:00)
Rating: **
Much like the first match for tonight, I never felt Wardlow’s title was in jeopardy. If anythinpaidayed attention to this match for the story arc that’s been playing out the past couple of weeks with The Kingdom and The Embassy. To now have Powerhouse Hobbs working with these factions I fit ind somewhat flat though. So Hobbs goes from Team Taz to Ricky Starks to another faction? The future AEW World champion don’t need no faction! Happy to see the guy back on my tv but not in this capacity. Hopef,ully this alliance is short term. As far as this main event match? Kudos to Taven for bumping like a mofo to make Wardlow look good. Sadly this is something that’ll barely be memorable in Wardlow’s reign of terror as TNT Champion thus far.
End of Show
THE FINAL SCORE: REVIEW
NOT SO GOOD
I can remember saying how smart it’s been for Tony Khan these past several RAMPAGES in focusing on two major matches and building a show from that. It’s a great formula but this week it felt as though there wasn’t that extra incentive for watching a live RAMPAGE this week. You put Moxley in a match against someone that wasn’t believable to win. Honestly I would’ve settled for Moxley coming out there pissed and grabbing a microphone, demanding to get his hands on Stokely Hathaway and The Firm. Setup a handicap match or a tag match. They made Moxley come off bipolar and silly here. Might be time to scale back a bit on Moxley wrestling on RAMPAGE or always appearing on RAMPAGE while still safe to do so before it becomes stale. Great seeing Wardlow defend his TNT Championship but you knew he wasn’t losing it and that this was more about the angle with The Embassy and Kingdom than the match itself. I’m okay with some shows being used to strengthen angles but put some quality in the matchups. This was one of the weaker cards I’ve experienced from an episode of AEW RAMPAGE since its inception. By the way, if ever a time to have Billy Gunn disappear after a DX 25th anniversary appearance to setup what went down tonight….That’s all I’m gonna say! What say you all? Sound off!