Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 11.17.23

Happy Fantastic Friday, everybody! Lee Sanders is back with you all as AEW FULL GEAR weekend is here! We just got down with a live two-hour AEW COLLISION, as up next is a live edition of AEW RAMPAGE! I hope your week has been a great one, as Thanksgiving is around the corner!
Let’s jump right into the action!

Venue: KIA FORUM
Locarion: Los Angeles, CA
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGunniess, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: TNT CHAMPIONSHIP- Trent Beretta vs Christian Cage(c)

A nice pat on the head by the champion to Trent as Trent pushes him away, and the two lock up. Into the corner, Cage backs off with another pat down before the two exchange a few more holds. Back elbow from Cage, followed by a charge as Trent moves out of the way and sends Cage crashing outside. A frustrated Cage walks back into the ring, and limo slaps Beretta, followed by a couple of stomps. Reversal into the ropes as Beretta connects with a meteroa, followed by a successful dive over the top rope. Cage grabs on the referee as Nick Wayne delivers a cheap shot from behind to give Cage the advantage. Cage sends Trent into the steel post, and he goes tumbling to the outside as we head into our first set of commercials. We are back as Cage has a firm headlock on Beretta. The two come to a vertical base as Cage tries sending him over the ropes. Beretta catches himself and connects with a great-timed spear! The two men are now exchanging strikes as Beretta connects with a half & half. He follows it up with a back elbow shot but misses a ddt as Cage connects with a pele kick! Cage slugged on the top rope as Beretta connected with the hurricarana for a near fall. Cage wants a timeout as he sends Beretta outside to the outside. Beretta climbs to the top and misses an air strike as Cage tries for the spear. Beretta gets a knee up in time as he goes for the spinning ddt. It’s another near fall! Trent with a running strike for another near fall. A strong zero attempt was made and connected, but it was so close that it was another kickout. Luchasaurus with the distraction to the ref as Cage pulls on the back of Beretta’s neck for an opening. Cage continues focusing on the neck as he finally goes for the killswitch for the retain!

Winner:Christian Cage (10 minutes)
Rating:***
Love that Christian Cage! Love that opening! Cage has been on a role as the TNT Champion. Truly one of the bright spots in AEW. Here’s hoping that whoever takes the TNT Title off of him will be a big deal, as it’ll be a big moment for that new champion.

We are back as Jericho takes a moment to ask for the camera to come to him as he promises the Golden Jets will beat the Young Bucks to become the No.1 contenders for the AEW Tag titles—time for our next match.

MATCH 2: Timeless Toni Storm vs Emi Sakura

Toni asks Luther to hand her some papers as it’s apparently a script. Emi tears it up as she goes right to stomping on Toni. Nice hair whip follows up, and a few hair tosses. Storm with a hair toss of her own, followed by a big hip attack. Action spills outside, where Storm connects with a snap suplex before returning to the ring. Storm takes time to showboat, where Sakura catches her with a crossbody to send her crashing outside. As we head into our next set of ad breaks, Sakura follows up with a running crossbody to smash Storm into the steel steps. We are back as Storm and Sakura exchange a chop fest with Sakura, mainly on the receiving end. Storm with a spinning punch to send Sakura in the corner. Storm is looking for another hip attack, but Sakura gets out of the way and counters with a tiger driver for a near fall—Sakura with a delayed backbreaker for a two count. Sakura to the top rope and misses a back moonsault as Storm capitalizes for her closeup finisher with the hip attack and the piledriver for the victory!

Winner:Toni Storm (7 minutes)
Rating:**
Excellent presentation of the Toni Storm character. It was a solid match as well. I’m quite pleased with Toni Storm finally putting it all together. Sista has been on a role.

Rene Paquette is with Team Jarrett and Eddie Kingston. We find out during Zero Hour, that they will fight for the ROH WORLD Championship. Eddie tells Lethal not to look away from him as he tells him that the man is becoming a coward and that he doesn’t need Team Jarrett. It’s pretty heated as, eventually, Team Jarrett walks away. Kingston is left shaking his head, and as he turns around, he bumps into Ortiz! Long time no see, as no words are exchanged between the two as we head into our next set of commercials.

MATCH 3: Neck Strong aka ADAAAAAAAAAAM Roderick Strong vs Action Andretti

Roderick with the attack on Andretti off the break, but Andretti rebounds with a dropkick and a corkscrew elbow drop for a near fall early in this contest. Andretti with some shoulder tackles on Roderick in the corner. Strong comes back with some strikes, followed by a neckbreaker. A forearm strike follows as Roderick is looking good so far. Roles are reversed as Strong is back on his blistering strike fest. Andretti with a spin-back kick and a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall. It’s a pickup that Roderick spoils as he gets in a far-legged hook for a pinning combination. Andretti with the kick out as he comes back with a falcon arrow for a near fall as we head into our next set of breaks. We’re back as Andretti is white hot with the forearm strikes followed by a back elbow with an assist from the ropes. Strong tossed to the outside as Andretti delivered a dropkick to Bennett and Taven. Andretti misses an attack from the ropes after throwing Roderick back inside. Andretti, with the Spanish sly that looks so botched. The referee immediately jumps in and stops the match, asking Doc Sampson to step in. Looks like the match will continue after several seconds. Roderick catches Andretti with a jumping knee strike after Andretti tries for an air strike. Strong follows it up with the reversed-back gut check to end this one.

Winner:Roderick Strong (10 minutes)
Rating:***
That neck spot from the SPANISH FLY though! Oh my God, what a scary spot! I’m starting to love this Neck Strong movement as, week by week, Roderick Strong is growing on me and the fans.

Rene is with Jay White, who should go buy a replica title already. Jay promises to show MJF and the world that he’ll be fully cocked on Full Gear. The Switchblade era will run wild as MJF emerges from nowhere and jumps him. Jay’s head slammed on a table as Juice Robinson jumped in from behind. We go back to the commentators briefly as soon we head back to see Jay White trying to open the room he last saw the two were in. MJF has snapped and has a broken screen tv in his hands. He apparently bashed Juice over it as Jay goes running! Action spills outside, where MJF takes out the Gunns briefly to be reunited with his title but is jumped again. It’s a 3-on-1 beatdown as MJF should’ve made a deal with Samoa Joe for backup. Speaking of Samoa Joe–The man himself comes out as Bullet Club Gold runs like scattered roaches! Joe looks at MJF afterward and extends his hand as MJF finally accepts it after weeks of getting owned by Samoa Joe. So Joe will team with MJF to wrestle for the ROH tag titles, but what about having his back for the AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, and Chris Jericho run over the card for AEW FULL GEAR as we head into overtime. It’s pretty nice of TNT to do this for AEW, as it creates solid hype.

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!

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

A nice bookend to three hours of wrestling from AEW. This Rampage felt better structured, paced, and executed. One of the finer cards for the show I’ve experienced in recent weeks honestly. The live aspect really helps as well as I hope going forward AEW will work more to give us Rampage love on Fridays. This is for sure the right formula AEW wants to use going forward whenever they have a ppv weekend. It makes no sense to have a taped or live Collision on the same night you’re doing a live ppv. Very curious to see if Rampage gets a nice boost in the ratings. If so then this is the formula you want to keep playing with going forward. It also might not be a bad idea to move Collision away from Saturdays as well and continue making it be a 3-hour blow of programming but in the process be sure to give each show a distinct feeling and roster. What do you 411MANIACS think? Sound off! 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!