AEW Rampage

Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 3.25.22

It’s Friday and we’re back to AEW RAMPAGE in its regular time slot! I’m Lee Sanders! Hope you all had a great week so far. Side note shout out to Triple H who dropped such a bombshell piece of news today on his future. We all may be stunned but I’m sure we all can agree the man gave us so many memories. Now’s a good time for him to really focus on life after wrestling and what’s next per say. Anyways onwards with RAMPAGE!

Location: H-E-B Center, TX
Commentators: Excalibur, Chris Jericho, and Taz

MATCH 1: GRUDGE MATCH-LANCE ARCHER VS DUSTIN RHODES

And we kick things off with Dustin and Archer fighting each other by the entrance ramp before this match can officially begin. This lasts for about 45 seconds before the action moves into the ring when the match officially begins. Archer takes advantage of Dustin looking for a diving flip off the apron and moves out the way in time. Dustin crashes on the hard floor as the Murderhawk sends him back in the ring. A nice hard punch to the side of Dustin as he’s oozing blood from his left ear. Not sure if his eardrum was damaged or what as Archer stomps on Dustin. Big splash out of the corner from Archer as he looks for a cover. It’s a two count as Dustin kicks out as we head into a Picture in Picture break. Dustin tries to will his way back into the fight but Lance plants him with his boot, face first! Archer follows up by biting on the index finger of Dustin. Dustin comes in with a flurry of strikes, a couple of clotheslines follow from Dustin as he tries to look for a powerslam but Archer counters with a side to side slam. Archer charges but misses as Rhodes comes in with chops and right hands to Archer’s head. Dustin’s looking for the bulldog out of the corner but Archer pushes him into ring post. Archer charges again but eats a boot to the face. Dustin connects with a bulldog this time and connects with the crossroads. Dustin with the cover but Lance kicks out. Archer turns the table with a vertical suplex followed up with a full nelson. Cover attempt and Dustin kicks out as Lance follows up with a chokeslam. Pin attempt made and Dustin kicks out yet again. Action now in the corner as Archer tries looking for the blackout but Dustin collapses to the canvas. There’s an exposed turnbuckle in play now as Archer is stunned by it as Dustin gets him in a rollup for the win. This isn’t done as Archer continues attacking Dustin by slamming his face into the steel steps multiple times. Dustin is busted open over the forehead now as Archer rams his knee into Dustin’s face. Fuego Del Sol and other members from Dustin’s training academy come out to help. All of his students are massacred by Archer as the Murder hawk chokeslams Dustin through a table.

Winner:Dustin Rhodes (14:00)
Rating: ***
Great opener and follow up to when last these two faced each other. Archer continues to impress me with his height and size for a big guy. Talk about great speed and agility. I’m legit concerned for the ear injury Dustin obtained and hope he’s alright. This encounter was better than their last rodeo as all signs seem to indicate they aren’t done yet.

Jay Lethal is interviewed about losing to Adam Cole where he’s asked what’s next. Jay talks about how he can’t get pass his two loses as Ricky Starks and Adam Cole both cheated to win. He has to figure out what the better way is to get pass those loses and bounce back.

Fuego Del Sol now in the ring as he talks about how nothing was handed to him. He earned everything he got to get where he is today. Fuego mentions how he did pretty good in his tag match at AEW REVOLUTION against the House of Black. He puts the people over for believing in him as he challenges Malakai Black to a fight. Dude, didn’t we just watch you get destroyed by Archer? Seriously! Oh wait that was another Del Sol apparently. Be careful what you wish for Fuego as the lights go out. It’s pitch black for a few seconds when a spotlight comes on and it’s on Buddy Matthews, followed by Malakai Black, and Brodie King. They massacred this poor kid as House of Black make their exit looking on pleased. Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds come out to confront them. Malakai tells his boys not yet as they walk around each other.

Dan Lambert and Men of the Year are interviewed backstage. Dan wants to see someone who wants a shot at the championship build up a great resume to deserve one. For now it seems all requests are denied. Wonder what Khan thinks about this one…

MATCH 2: KYLE O’REILLY AND BOBBY FISH VS ALAN ANGELS AND 10 GRUDGE

We’re joining this match in progress somewhat as there was no entrances for either team. 10 is looking pretty explosive as he does a double tackle to RedDragun. During a commercial break the numbers game was too much for 10 as they weakened him to the point he needed to make a tag to his partner. 10 is trying to make a tag to Angels as RedDragun are on him as if they’re trying to deny him a touchdown. Angels gets the tag as he comes in with a crossbody dive on both men. Nice leg lariat to Reilly by Angels. An enziguri takes down Bobby Fish. Angels tries to do a spinning kick on Reilly and misses but connects with a big forearm strike. Angels grabs Reilly and does a capture back suplex pin attempt but Reilly managed to grab onto Angels neck in the process and applies a deep guillotine submission hold. 10 breaks it up by throwing Fish onto Reilly. Reilly ends up pulling on the mask of 10 as RedDragun go high and low on him to send him out the ring. Chasing the dragon done on Angles as this one is over.

Winner:RedDragun (5:00)
Rating: **
Solid back and fourth. 10 and Angels are really coming along as not just a tag team but as individuals. Best I’ve seen them performance wise since they’ve been part of AEW even though this was a losing effort

Post-Match Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus with Christian Cage come out to help Angles who’s getting jumped after the match. Little do they know, Adam Cole comes out and grabs the JB and Luchasaurus tag titles. They look on laughing as they make their exit like thieves in the night.

MATCH 3: NYLA ROSE VS MADI (THANKS FOR COMING) WRENKOWSKI

Nyla just body tackles this poor girl off the break and is tossing her all over the place. A running senton follows. Nyla delivers a Beast bomb and that’s all she wrote.

Winner:Nyla Rose (0:50)
Rating: NR
Bonafide Squashing at its finest

QT Marshall invites HOOK to come out for his Certificate of Accomplishment. HOOK arrives to a great ovation as Jericho delivers such a great line about HOOK looking annoyed as if someone woke him up from his sleep. QT doesn’t call himself a selfish guy as he’s happy to give HOOK this award as it looks pretty good and there’s confetti. HOOK rams Aaron Solo’s head into the award as it breaks into pieces, glass and all. Danhausen comes out and tries to put a curse of HOOK. HOOK just looks on unimpressed and rolls out.

MATCH 4: FTW CHAMPIONSHIP-RICKY STARKS(C) VS SWERVE STRICKLAND

We begin with a lockup as Ricky takes Strickland down with a good gutwrench hold and transitions into a headlock. Leapfrog by Starks followed by a great arm drag that would make Ricky Steamboat proud. Overhook by Strickland as we see some great speed counters by both men. Big right hand by the challenger followed by a leaping stomp. Strickland with a chop followed by a forearm strike. Swerve gets sent into the middle turnbuckle. We sadly go into our final commercial break. We come back as Ricky plants Swerve with a DDT. Ricky has a headlock on Swerve but rams him into the corner. Ricky comes back and tries to go behind as Swerve plants him with a high five knee strike. Swerve with a uppercut to the back of the head from off the middle ropes. Another series of counters now from both men as Swerve connects with a leaping flatliner. Swerve goes for the cover but it’s a near fall. Swerve launches from the top rope but misses as Ricky picks him up. Swerve flips behind as Ricky counters into Roshambo but Swerve attacks the knee of Starks. A funky sequence goes down of a miscue big time as Ricky goes to the outside. Got a feeling AEW Botches will feature this on their feeds. Swerve connects with a running senton that plants Ricky. Swerve now on the top rope as he connects with a double stomp on Ricky. It’s a near fall as it looks like nobody’s home for Ricky. Swerve now with a full nelson but Ricky counters it into a deep cover but there’s a kick out. Swerve with a rollup cover and another kick out. Powerhouse Hobbs gets in an attack on Swerve while the ref is distracted and assisting Starks. This sets up Ricky to connect with the Roshambo for the win.

Winner: Ricky Starks (12:00)
Rating: ***
Give me these two men again in a 30 minute match. These boys have great chemistry with one another. Ricky has without a doubt one of the best opponents to dance with to date in Swerve. Writing about this match really does not do it justice and needs to be watched because it was that good. I’d personally love to see Tony Khan and crew release this match in its entirety on YouTube. Minus a star because the match was one for only a couple minutes before going into a commercial break. Sorry folks but this practice really needs to stop when you have a championship match. Take a break on the spot and come back for match introductions or the match in its entirety.

Post-match Ricky Starks entourage come out with a banner as someone goes crashing through it…It’s KEITH LEE! Keith is battling Hobbs while Swerve is battling Ricky as officials try to get control of all this anarchy.

End of Show

THE FINAL SCORE:  REVIEW

GOOD

When you have so much blood spill week after week on these tv shows, it makes it not as much intense and meaningful. Not sure about you guys but I’m starting to get numb with 1-2 matches on tv each week involving guys getting color. It’s one thing if it’s accidental but it feels it’s starting to get out of hand. Only color this week should’ve been reserved for Britt and Rosa after what they did. We should be on standby mode with the color for a few weeks. Of course I’m talking about Archer vs Dustin. Other than the opener and the main event match for the FTW championship, this was average episode honestly. Reilly and Fish vs 10 and Angels gets an honorable mention for sure. Could’ve done without the Nyla Rose spot honestly. Always good to see HOOK in action. I can’t go any lower and won’t go any higher. Enjoy the weekend y’all!

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