AEW Rampage Review (06/23/2023)
8 Man Tag Team Match
Chaos (Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero & Yoh) vs. United Empire (Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher & Jeff Cobb) & Swerve Strickland
United Empire & Swerve Strickland waste no time and go straight after Chaos. Will Ospreay beats down Yoh in the corner but Yoh fights back and tags in Chuck Taylor. Swerve Strickland tags in and Taylor delivers a back elbow. Trent Beretta tags in and Best Friends deliver a double elbow drop before Kyle Fletcher tags in and lands a back body drop.
Beretta fires back with a half & half suplex but Fletcher lands a body slam then Rocky Romero tags in and beats down Fletcher with Beretta before Chaos looks to hug. United Empire & Strickland blindside them before Fletcher sends Romero into the corner and tags in Ospreay. Ospreay plants Romero then tags Jeff Cobb in & he delivers a clothesline and a standing moonsault as we go to a break.
After the break Strickland delivers a back elbow off the middle rope on Romero before Ospreay & Yoh tag in. Ospreay lands a chop and a springboard kick, then delivers a knee. Yoh fires back with a double underhook suplex before Best Friends deliver the Sole Food half & half combination.
Romero follows it up with a clothesline and Chaos hugs in the middle of the ring. Yoh then plants Ospreay and goes for a pin but Strickland breaks the fall. United Empire & Strickland then overpowers Chaos & Ospreay delivers Hidden Blade for the win.
Winners: United Empire & Swerve Strickland
Adam Cole looks to hit his signature pose but before he can AEW World Champion MJF’s music hits and he makes his way out to ringside.
MJF thanks Cole for giving him the confidence on Wednesday to put his AEW World Title on the line and face Hiroshi Tanahashi at AEW & NJPW Forbidden Door then says he returned the favor. He announces he got him a match at Forbidden Door against Tom Lawlor. Lawlor & Royce Isaacs the blindside and lock in a single leg Boston Crab as MJF slowly makes his way to the ring to help his partner. Lawlor & Isaacs retreat before MJF wishes him luck.
Trios Match
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) & Billy Gunn vs. Axel Rico, Darius Latrell & Koda Hernandez
The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn waste no time as Max Caster delivers a back body drop to Axel Rico then Caster delivers a back body drop then delivers a body slam before Anthony Bowens tags in and lands Scissor Me Timbers. Caster tags back in and delivers The Arrival before Caster delivers Mic Drop for the win.
Winners: The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn
After the match Harley Cameron and 2 masked men appear at ringside. Cameron calls herself an incredible journalist and an amazing musician, then says she’ll make sure she’ll write a hit that will send The Acclaimed straight to #1. Billy Gunn grabs a mic and says he doesn’t know if she’s seen what they do but they have the greatest rapper in the world. Cameron says she knows that they’re great rappers then calls for the masked men to join her in the ring. She calls for her music to be hit and starts rapping including flirting with Bowens. Bowens laughs at her and asks if she got kick in the head too many times as a kid by a donkey. He tells her to look at his gear and informs her that he’s gay.
QT Marshall & Aaron Solo appear at ringside. Marshall distracts them as 1 masked man takes off his mask and reveals himself to be Johnny TV (aka John Hennigan) then he superkicks Gunn as Marshall & Solo blindside The Acclaimed.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Cup
Anna Jay vs. Skye Blue
Match starts off with a lock up then Anna Jay fires off stomps on Skye Blue then sends her crashing out of the ring then lands a DDT then gets her back in the ring and jams her boot into Blue’s throat as we go to a break.
After the break Jay delivers a right hand to Blue but Blue fires back with several of her own before Blue delivers a knee and a snapmare then she delivers a kick to Jay’s head then sends her into the top turnbuckle face first. Jay sends her onto the apron before Blue ascends to the top and delivers a crossbody.
Jay responds with a kick to Blue’s head and a backstabber then plants her with a Gory Bomb and goes for a pin. Blue kicks out and Jay locks in the Queen Slayer but Blue escapes and delivers Code Blue for the win.
Winner: Skye Blue
Jack Perry vs. Douki
Match starts off with a lock up then Jack Perry lands a shoulder tackle but Douki lands an arm drag. Perry returns the favor and delivers a dropkick before the action spills to the outside and they go back & forth with chops. Perry sends Douki crashing into the barricade then plants him on the ring apron as we go to a break.
After the break Douki delivers a back elbow and an enziguri then follows it up with a flying back elbow and plants Perry but Perry delivers a backbreaker and a Tiger Driver. Perry drags the timekeeper’s table next to the apron and looks to plant him through it but Douki escapes and hits him with an enziguri that sends Perry next to the table then lands a senton that causes Perry to go crashing through the table.
They get back in the ring and Perry delivers a lariat but Douki responds with a brainbuster then delivers a shoulder to Perry’s midsection and follows it up with a DDT then goes for a pin but Perry kicks out. Perry then delivers a poisonrana and an elbow to the back of his neck then locks in Skull End for the submission win.
Winner By Submission: Jack Perry
After the match IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada makes his way down to the ring before he & Perry stare one another down.
Matches Of The Night
8 Man Tag Team Match- 7/10
Jack Perry vs. Douki- 7/10
