AEW Rampage Review – May 19, 2023
Trios Match
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) vs. Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) & Bandido
Jon Moxley delivers a kick to Bandido’s midsection then follows it up with a series of knees, but Bandido lands a dropkick and tags in Trent Beretta. Wheeler Yuta tags in and they go back & forth with forearms. Beretta sends Yuta crashing to the outside before Chuck Taylor tags in and beats down Yuta.
Yuta delivers a chop block to Taylor after Claudio Castagnoli distracts him then tosses Taylor back in the ring and tags in Castagnoli. Castagnoli delivers a delayed vertical suplex and tags in Moxley.
Moxley wears down Taylor but Taylor tags in Beretta & he delivers a pair of German suplexes then follows it up with a half & half suplex then the action spills to the outside, where Best Friends & Bandido take out Blackpool Combat Club.
Beretta gets Moxley back in the ring then ascends to the top and looks to go flying. Castagnoli pushes Moxley out of the ring and catches Beretta with an uppercut then tags himself in as we go to a break.
After the break Castagnoli delivers an uppercut to Beretta then Moxley tags in and delivers a series of kicks to his midsection then whips him into the corner and delivers a splash. Beretta executes a tornado DDT then tags in Bandido. Castagnoli tags in and Bandido goes flying off the top. He follows it up with a hurricanrana and a diving hurricanrana then delivers a chop.
Castagnoli fires off one of his own and they go back & forth. Bandido delivers a pump kick before Yuta tags himself in and ascends to the top rope but Bandido catches him then tags in Taylor then lands a vertical suplex on Yuta before Best Friends deliver the Sole Food half & half combination. Best Friends & Bandido then hug in the center of the ring.
Taylor lands a piledriver and sets up for Awful Waffle but Moxley takes him down with a suplex as Yuta climbs onto Castagnoli’s shoulders then Moxley hits Death Rider and Yuta follows it up with a splash for the win.
Winners: Blackpool Combat Club
TBS Title Match
Jade Cargill (c) vs. Dani Bee
Jade Cargill delivers a forearm to Dani Bee then follows it up with a fallaway slam and a pump kick for the win.
Winner & Still TBS Champion: Jade Cargill (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match Smart Mark Sterling grabs a mic and asks Texas if it’s the best she can offer. He says they lined up some more talent and Genesis heads to the ring as the 2nd challenger.
TBS Title Match
Jade Cargill (c) vs. Genesis
Jade Cargill sends Genesis into the corner then lands Jaded for the win.
Winner & Still TBS Champion: Jade Cargill (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match Sterling then grabs a mic and says why not go for 60-0 since the streak is at 59-0. The next opponent appears but before she can get in the ring. Taya Valkyrie’s music hits. She clocks Cargill’s opponent on the ramp then gets inside the ring. She takes down Leila Grey then nails Cargill with a clothesline before hitting Road To Valhalla. Valkyrie then grabs a mic and asks Cargill who that b*tch is then holds up the TBS Title and tells Cargill she’ll see her at Double Or Nothing.
Trios Match
Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese, Josh Woods & Ari Daivari) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) & Billy Gunn
Max Caster targets Josh Woods’ arm then Billy Gunn tags in and Woods shoves him. Gunn returns the favor then delivers a shoulder tackle. Tony Nese tags in and shows off his muscle. Gunn does the same then plants Nese with a slam that takes us to a break.
After the break Woods sets up for a suplex on Caster. Caster escapes and tags in Anthony Bowens as Woods tags in Nese. Nese then delivers a boot to Bowens’ midsection then lands a Famouser and goes for a pin.
Woods breaks the fall and Gunn dumps him to the outside then Caster tags in before Bowens hits The Arrival then Caster lands Mic Drop for the win.
Winners: The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn
Back in the ring Tony Schiavone introduces The Hardys & Brother Zay.
Schiavone asks them about their upcoming match at Double Or Nothing against Ethan Page & The Gunns with the catch being that if they emerge victorious Matt Hardy gains control of Ethan Page’s contract. Matt says that’s poetic justice and Jeff Hardy says music is the universal language everyone understands. He says the three of them are writing their song, but before he can continue Ethan Page appears.
Page says he asked The Gunns for help but not to create the match. He says himself & Matt have been at it for too long then says he just met Jeff but didn’t enjoy being hit with a Swanton Bomb and they’re done. He asks Brother Zay to tell them that he’s trustworthy, then reminds him of all the moments they shared together. Page says himself & Brother Zay will be a tag team, then forces him to shake his hand.
The Gunns appear out of nowhere and beat The Hardys down with chairs as Page holds Brother Zay in place. He tosses him over to Colten Gunn as he delivers a chair shot to his midsection. Page & Colten then get Brother Zay’s head in the ring and Page ascends to the top then lands a double stomp.
Chris Jericho sends a message to Adam Cole from the commentary booth. He calls Cole a coward for appearing this past Wednesday during his Falls Count Anywhere Match against Roderick Strong and says he would kick his ass if he were here right now.
Cole appears on the Titan Tron and tells Jericho he’ll make his life a living hell every week. Jericho holds up their legal agreement that says he’s banned from the building is void then challenges him to an Unsanctioned Match at Double Or Nothing. Jericho then rips up the contract and Cole says that’s just what he wanted him to do heads into the Moody Center.
We are back from the break Adam Cole’s music hits and he heads down to ringside through the crowd. He runs up the ramp as Jericho charges him and they exchange right hands before security appears and pulls them apart. Jericho breaks free and goes after Cole but security separates them once again. Cole then breaks free but security quickly holds him back.
Dustin Rhodes vs. Kaun
Kaun rains down right hands on Dustin Rhodes then Rhodes then clotheslines Kaun to the outside and heads out to join him. He lands a chop then sends Kaun into the barricade. Kaun eventually gains the upper hand and tosses Rhodes back into the ring then delivers a knee and sends Rhodes into the turnbuckles face first as we go to a break.
After the break Rhodes delivers a right hand. Kaun fires back with a kick and an over the shoulder belly 2 back piledriver. Rhodes responds with an uppercut and a powerslam then rains down right hands in the corner. He follows it up with a Code Red and a piledriver then hits a back body drop.
Kaun delivers a shotgun dropkick and sets up for a splash in the corner but Rhodes moves out of the way and delivers a bulldog then follows it up with Final Reckoning for the win.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes
After the match Brian Cage appears and delivers a powerbomb to Rhodes. Swerve Strickland then shows up as Prince Nana & Cage fire off stomps on Rhodes but Keith Lee’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring.
Kaun & Cage go after Lee but Lee takes out both men then gets in the ring and both Cage & Kaun follow him in. They get the better of him before Kaun grabs a chair and nails Lee with it. Cage then lands an F5 on top of the chair and sits him on it as Strickland ascends to the top and delivers the Swerve Stomp.
