AEW Rampage Review – January 5, 2024
Trios Match
The Hardys (Matt & Jeff) & Mark Briscoe vs. The Butcher, The Blade & Kip Sabian
Mark Briscoe & Kip Sabian starts this match off with with some basic chain wrestling.
Briscoe eventually got the upper hand with a forearm and an elbow strike before tagging out to Matt Hardy.
Jeff Hardy enters and The Hardys hits Sabian with a double kick to the stomach followed by a double suplex. Briscoe drops an elbow on Sabian and Jeff covers him for a near fall.
Sabian rakes Jeff’s eyes and tags out to The Blade & The Blade got a couple of quick moves in before Jeff responded with a jawbreaker, a dropkick to the back and a neck snap.
Matt tags in and The Blade tags out to The Butcher. Matt got the advantage and rams Butcher’s head into all 3 turnbuckles.
Matt hits a splash from the 2nd rope for a one count then went for an early Twist Of Fate, but the Butcher reversed it into a clothesline. The Butcher, The Blade & Sabian works over Matt in the corner.
Sabian tags in and missed with a double stomp from the top rope allowing Matt to counter with a back elbow and a neck breaker.
Matt made hot tag to Briscoe who cleaned house for a bit. Briscoe knocks The Blade to the floor with a dropkick and then hit a sliding dropkick on The Blade while he was on the floor.
The Butcher trips Briscoe up while he was on the apron and drops him face first on the apron.
The Butcher, The Blade & Sabian works over Briscoe in the corner as we go to a picture in picture break.
After the break Briscoe & The Blade exchanged blows. Briscoe got the upper hand and hit a neckbreaker before hot tagging Jeff. Jeff cleans house before hitting an elbow drop on Sabian for a near fall.
Hardy hits a splash on Sabian from the 2nd rope for another near fall as The Hardys stacked Sabian & The Butcher in the corner for Poetry In Motion.
Jeff hits a jawbreaker on The Butcher while Matt hits Side Effect on Sabian for a near fall. Matt went for Twist Of Fate on Sabian but was stopped by The Butcher & The Blade.
They held Matt for a dropkick by Sabian but Hardy moves and Sabian struck The Butcher & The Blade.
Matt hits Twist Of Fate, Jeff hits Swanton Bomb and Briscoe hits Froggy Bow for the win.
Winners: The Hardys & Mark Briscoe
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Le Sex Gods noted that they still have their AEW World Tag Team Titles shot but next week on Dynamite, Guevara goes 1 on 1 with Ricky Starks. Guevara put Starks over but said that next week only one could win and that would be him. Jericho said he would be keeping an eye on him and would chop him down to size if he got involved as we go to a break.
After the break we go backstage where Renee Paquette is with Jake Hager, Angelo Parker, Matt Menard & Anna Jay. Paquette asked Jay about her upcoming match with Hikaru Shida & Jay said it was her year. She then said she would have this match alone. Harley Cameron enters and said she wanted to help all of them. She then whispered something in Parker’s ear which prompted him to say you would actually do that? She said I’m the best at it. Jay left the area while Parker told the others that it’s not what it looks like.
Tag Team Match
Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale vs. Kennedi Hardcastle & Notorious Mimi
Kennedi Hardcastle & Notorious Mimi got some brief offense in on Willow Nightingale but in the end Nightingale hits Hardcastle with a spinebuster for the win.
Winners: Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale
Backstage Renee Paquette is with The Hardys& they talked about their win earlier in the show with Jeff commenting that they should be on Dynamite to boost their ratings. Private Party enters and Matt put them both over but in a bit of a condescending way. He said they would go their separate ways and wished them well. He gave them Hardy t shirts and said he would see them down the road.
Hikaru Shida vs. Anna Jay
Match starts off with a lock up then Anna Jay hits a series of strikes and goes for Queen Slayer early but Hikaru Shida escapes.
Shida hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker as Jay attempted to roll out of the ring as Shida hits a running knee while Jay was draped over the apron.
Shida retrieved a chair from under the ring and attempted to springboard off it but Jay blocked the move and removed the chair.
Jay rams Shida into the barricade and continued the attack on the floor. Back in the ring, Jay caught Shida with a kick for a near fall as we go to a PIP break.
After the break they exchanged blows with Shida eventually getting the upper hand.
Shida hits a brainbuster on Jay for a near fall before Shida missed an attack in the corner and Jay caught her with a kick.
Jay caught Shida with a Widows Peak for a near fall. Shida hit a Falcon Arrow but Jay rolled her up for a near fall.
Jay went for Queen Slayer but Shida rolled out and hits a running knee for a near fall.
Shida drags Jay over to the corner and hits Meteora from the top rope followed by Katana for the win.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
The Jarretts, Jay Lethal & Sonjay Dutt were backstage. Dutt said that he was committed to getting them back on the same page and said that he booked Jeff Jarrett & Lethal in a tag team match. Lethal wasn’t sure how that would get them back on the same page and Karen said that for the past 9 months, they didn’t even have a team name.
Jeff said that the name needed to include the word loser and points out Lethal’s failures and his own accomplishments this past year. Lethal points out that none of Jarrett’s victories would have happened without him. Jarrett said he didn’t need him and told him to leave and start his own winning streak. Karen Jarrett steps between them and Dutt said they would continue the conversation next week as we go to a break.
After the break we get a video recapping the TNT Title No DQ match from Worlds End in addition to Cage’s promo on Dynamite.
ROH Pure Title Match
Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Komander
Wheeler Yuta went to work on the arm to start this match then Yuta had Komander down on the mat in an arm bar but Komander got to the ropes for his 1st rope break of the match.
Yuta chops and struck Komander against the ropes before Komander took Yuta down into a single leg lock bit Yuta grabs the rope for his 1st rope break.
Both wrestlers ran off the ropes with Komander eventually sending Yuta to the floor with a hurricanrana.
Komander attempted a dive but Yuta caught him with a closed fist uppercut in front of the referee. Yuta hits a single arm DDT on Komander on the floor as we go to a break.
After the break Komander had used a 2nd rope break with 1 remaining.
Yuta had Komander in a submission move and Komander reversed it which sent Yuta into the turnbuckles. Komander grabs a small package for a near fall.
Komander gained momentum with strikes, kicks and a dropkick from the ropes.
Komander hits a tornado DDT for a near fall then went for a Phoenix Splash but Yuta countered with an Angle Slam for a near fall.
Yuta then grabs an arm bar and Komander escaped to the ropes for his final rope break.
Komander rolls up Yuta for a near fall and hits a hurricanrana for another near fall.
Komander hit a back heel kick and Yuta responded with a big boot to the face.
Komander attempted to flip Yuta out of the ring but Yuta counters with a German suplex for a near fall then both exchanged roll ups for near falls.
Yuta hits a series of elbow strikes and went back to the armbar as Komander got to the ropes but had run out of rope breaks so Komander had no choice but to tap out.
Winner & Still ROH Pure Champion: Wheeler Yuta (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
