Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 6.23.23

What’s good everyone! Happy wrestling weekend! Lee Sanders here and we got ourselves a solid edition of AEW RAMPAGE this week as it sets up a go-home edition of AEW COLLISION this Saturday, followed by AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door ppv event on Sunday! Talk about loads of great action! You all excited? I know I am! Before I go any further I’d like to just offer thoughts, prayers and condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of the victims who lost their lives in the Oceangate mini-submarine this week. The more we are learning about this tragedy, the more questions we continue asking. I hope for the now departed, their families can get some type of resolution so that this doesn’t happen to other families in the future.

Location: Chicago, IL.
Arena: Wintrust Arena
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: Swerve Strickland & United Empire vs CHAOS

All eight men begin this one with an all-brawl out before things get under control (just barely) by the referee. Will Osprey with a spinning knee backbreaker on Rockey Romero, and afterwards tagging in Jeff Cobb. Romero gets a clothesline to the face as it sets up Cobb to connect with a backflip senton as we head into our first set of ad breaks. And we are back as Swerve and Romero are going at it inside the ring now. Swerve tries to throw some cheap shots at Trent and Yo but it backfires as it creates an opening for Romero to tag in Yo. Osprey gets tagged as well as Yo takes him off his feet with a flying clothesline, followed by a back suplex with bridge. Yo is looking for the pinfall attempt but it’s broken up by Kyle Fletcher as now all eight men enter the ring. CHAOS gets the best of it as they go for a big hug with one another. Swerve kicks Romero in the face outside the ring, while Cobb spears Yo into the corner. Fletcher and Osprey deliver a pair of superkicks to Yo, and toss him into Cobb. Cobb beautifully connects with a spinning back suplex as Kyle goes for the pinfall. It’s a near fall as somehow Yo kicks out! Osprey with a running elbow to the face of Yo to end this one.

Winner:United Empire and Swerve Strickland (9:00)
Rating: **
Solid but man I was expecting a bit more action. It’s all good despite yet another opportunity missed for Kenny Omega to extract some type of revenge on Osprey for attacking him on last weeks DYNAMITE. Talk about going unchecked!

Adam Cole makes his way down to the ring now as BAY BAY is in street clothes for this segment. Cole isn’t able to do his BOOM pose with the crowd as MJF interrupts. MJF tells Cole he spoke with Tony Khan to book Cole in a match against Filthy Tom Lawler! Lawler and Royce Isaacs attack Cole from behind. MJF mockingly talks about how he’s coming to save Cole but doesn’t as he wishes Cole luck this weekend. This was some pretty funny stuff by MJF. Remember Adam Cole and MJF are going to be tag partners in the blind eliminator tournament.

Filthy Tom Lawlor is here and attacking Adam Cole from behind! But is MJF going to save him?
WATCH #AEWRampage on TNT!@AdamColePro | @The_MJF | @FilthyTomLawlor pic.twitter.com/JYVPx4SfLB

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 24, 2023

MATCH 2: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn vs CAW 1(Green), CAW 2, and CAW 3

And we get a three-way scissor party as our guy in green pants (aka CAW 1), gets setup for the arrival and the mic drop to end this one.

Winner:The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn (30 seconds)
Rating: NR
SQUASH, SQUASH, SQUASH!

Harley Cameron comes out to interrupt the celebration with some masked guys in hoodies beside her that cannot breakdance worth a damn and I love it! Harley talks about taking The Acclaimed and giving them a number one hit if they teamed up with her. Billy Gunn interrupts saying HELL NO as they began hearing her sing badly. Harley tells them to give her a chance to rap. I can’t do this justice as we need a video for this one! She tries to flirt with Anthony Bowens who tells her she must not be paying attention to his gear because he’s gay as the crowd pops for it big time! QT Marshall comes in to mock Acclaimed as it turns out Johnny TV aka John Morrison lays out Billy Gunn from behind! Meanwhile, QT and Aaron Solo lay out Anthony and Max to end this segment. This just got better with John Morrison being added as now they have my attention. Let’s see where this goes folks.

Anthony Bowens has some news to break to Harley Cameron.

WATCH #AEWRampage on TNT!@platinummax | @bowens_official | @realbillygunn | @itsdanni_ellexo pic.twitter.com/z59Ble3c9Z

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 24, 2023

MATCH 3: Owen Hart Tournament Qualifier-Skye Blue vs Anna Jay A.S

Nice collar lockup that goes to the corner as Anna smacks Skye in the face! Skye gives chase and by the time she gets back in the ring, Anna uses a hip attack to the face. Skye comes back with a jawbreaker and a drop-down pinning combo but it’s a quick kick-out. Nice snapmare and a hip attack of her own by Skye Blue. Skye charges and misses as she gets tangled up on the ropes. It sets up Anna to push her head first to the outside as she follows up with a ddt! Anna grinds her boot into the face of Skye as we head into our next set of commercial breaks. Action continues as Anna is going for a cover attempt but somehow Skye kicks out. Skye with forearm strikes and a knee to the midsection. Anna’s head planted into the turnbuckle pad as Skye follows up with a kick to the face and a diving crossbody for a near fall. Anna with a nice hooked kick that would make Booker T proud. It’s followed up with the backstabber and pin attempt. Skye kicks out! Anna with the widow’s peak next, and another pin attempt. Skye Blue kicks out of that as well! Queenslayer attempt made as it seems Skye is fading but she somehow sends Anna flying headfirst into the lowest turnbuckle pad! Skye with a side kick and code blue to score the victory!

Winner:Skye Blue (6:00)
Rating: **
I love Skye Blue. Been singing her praises since her days in NWA and independents, long before she was under AEW’s radar. Really awesome seeing her getting popular with the fans. Nice match right here as her hot streak continues. My personal favorite to go all…the…way! You’re starting to get the crowd seriously behind this girl, Tony Khan. Even if you’re not going to have her slated to win this years OWEN tournament, you’ve got to at least have her go to the finals. The young prospect made Anna look decent on this episode. I know a lot of people aren’t quite fans of Anna’s in-ring work, even here among the 411MANIA community. This week however we can all agree Anna came off looking loads better. That Skye Blue though! In the words of one of my favorite Dave Matthews songs, “DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN THAT GIRL IS FINE!”

MATCH 4: Jungle Boy vs DOUKI

Nice shoulder tackle by Jungle Boy as DOUKI comes back with an arm-drag takedown. Jungle Boy with an overhead chop and an arm-drag takedown of his own. JB misses charging at DOUKI as he goes flying between the ropes. DOUKI capitalizes with a tope to crash into JB. Action now outside the ring as DOUKI is sent crashing into the barricades as we head into our last set of ad breaks. We are back as JB connects with a tiger driver for a very close pin-fall victory. Jungle Boy grabs a table on the outside now as DOUKI is laying outside the ring. DOUKI manages to pull off an enziguri to buy himself some time as he climbs to the top rope. DOUKI connects with essentially a leg drop onto to Jungle Boy’s head and through the table. DOUKI tries to launch into a springboard attack to get back inside the ring, JB almost takes his head off with a lariat! DOUKI reverses a brainbuster to score another near fall. DOUKI with a ddt to yet again score another near fall! Jungle Boy a superkick and an elbow to the back of the head as the Chicago crowd is booing him now. JB follows up with the skull end submission hold to earn the victory. JB just used SANADA’s own finisher for those who didn’t catch that as remember JB is facing him for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship this Sunday.

Winner:Jungle Boy (9:00)
Rating: ***
JB showing some mean streak there and I love it! Very weird hearing the crowd boo him and yet cheer for him and sing his theme after the match was over. Make up your minds people. I still don’t feel JB is a threat at all to Sanada and his title this weekend. It should be a good match however, possibly one of the sleeper hit matches of the night. We shall see but I must say I do love the idea of Jungle Boy having a mean streak and pissing off the fans going forward. Let the lines begin to blur and play off of what he’s been saying online, meet and greets, and in interviews. If you don’t know what I’m talking about just go do a YouTube search. You’ll thank me later!

Post-match, SANADA walks down to the ring to go face to face with Jungle Boy to end this episode.

End of Show

For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

A pretty straightforward episode this week. Fast hour of some pretty decent action for the most part. Gotta say seeing the return of John Morrison legit put a smile on my face. Happy to see him back as I missed him. Personally I can’t help but wonder how long he’ll fly with QT and his table before flying solo. Heck, if you really wanted to make things interesting you could have him and his wife Taya Valkyrie join QTV. You could also bring back probably my favorite era of Morrison and that is from his IMPACT WRESTLING days when he went heel with his wife by his side. Lot of options they can do there. That to the side, a nice setup for AEW COLLISION while also beginning the Owen Hart tournament, Skye Blue continuing to gain popularity, QTV turning a corner for the better, and more buildup for Forbidden Door. What more could you ask for folks? I know…More Skye Blue. What’s her Patreon again? Think I’ll sign up! For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!