Jeremy’s AEW Rampage Review 10.21.22

Hello AEW fans! It’s Friday night and you know what that means — it’s time for AEW Rampage! I’m Jeremy Thomas, filling in for Lee Sanders for tonight. We have a pretty decent show tonight on paper as Orange Cassidy defends the AEW All-Atlantic Title against RUSH and Preston Vance, while The Acclaimed put the World Tag Team Titles against the Varsity Athletes with “Scissor Me, Daddy” on the line as well. Plus, Willow Nightengale faced Penelope Ford and HOOK defends the FTW Championship against Ari Daivari. Sounds like a fun show, so let’s jump right in.

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.

* We’re live in Jacksonville!

* Max Castor references Tuesday’s ratings, Kanye West and more in his rap. Sterling then cuts off Bowens and talks about how he has the trademark for scissoring and gives the catchphase as The Acclaimed attack.

AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Acclaimed vs. The Varsity Athletes

The Acclaimed dump the Varsity Athletes to start, but Sterling distracts them and Nese and Woods return the favor, then scissor. Acclaimed back in the ring and we have a big brawl, Caster dumps Nese and then tags in. Repeated elbows in the corner, Bowes whips Woods to Caster for a powerslam. Irish whip, backdrop by Caster to Woods and now an artmbar, reversed by Woods and refersed back, Woods gets Caster in the ropes and yanks him into the top rope so he falls outside.

Billy Gunn helps Castor up and Woods gets in his face, but bails to the ring. Gunn then trips Woods with the ref’s back turned, but the Athletes call the ref’s attention it and he’s been ejected. Woods knocks Bowens off the apron and Nese double team Caster until Woods hits a neckbreaker and we go to PIP.

We’re back as Caster takes out Woods with a big clothesline, and both men are down. Nese tags in and Bowens comes in hit, taking it to both Nese and Woods. Combination of elbows to Woods, then a couple kicks to Nese and a leaprfog legdrop, cover but Woods breaks it up. Woods with a GTS to Bowens, Nese tags Woods in and Bowens sent into the corner. Woods with a charging forrarm, then Nese goes in and nails Nese. Rising knee from Woods, Nese tags in, finisher and cover but Caster tackles Woods (kind of) into the pin.

All four men down now, Caster is up and jazzed. He chops Woods and hits a DVD, Nese with a kick to Caster, Bowens throws Nese but he hits Caster. Sunset flip into the ring, Bowens rolls through and kicks Nese, he takes out Woods and hits the Arrival and Caster with the mic drop for three.

Winner: The Acclaimed (8:03)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Not bad, but a little sloppier than any of these guys usually are. It wasn’t an awful match but was far from their best.

Sterling refuses to give up the trademark despite the stipulation, and Billy Gunn rolls him into the ring. The Acclaimed repeatedly stomp Sterling down low, and now Caster and Gunn hold him for the legdrop off the ropes. Gunn rips up the trademark and they scissor. That’s not how trademarks work.

* Jade is backstage with Tony Schiavone and Leila will wrestle WIllow in Penelope’s place since she;s injured. Jade says she’s a woman of her word and is saving the show…again. She demands a chance to get in the ring to get in the ring with Nyla and get her title back, and Schiavone says it’ll happen.

* Alex Marvez is backstage with Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and the Lucha Bros. Ortiz says Eddie is losing it, and the Lucha Bros say he’s a superstar and they don’t want him to lose his job. PAC comes in and says that he should pay attention to them, mocking him a bit before leaving.

* Before their match, Ari gets a mic and tells HOOK that he gets that HOOK didn’t want a check but maybe he likes straight cash, so he’s giving him one more chance — HOOK slaps the money into the ring and the match is on.

FTW Championship Match
HOOK vs. Ari Daivari

Suplex by HOOK to start, but Ari gets him out of the ring. HOOK blocks a toss into the guardrail, Daivari escapes to the inside and HOOK is distracted enough for Ari to attack. He gets HOOK in the ropes and chops him before kicking him in the head. The ref backs him off and the butler smacks HOOK.

Back in the ring, Daivari yells at HOOK and swings but HOOK blocks it and goes apeshit with body punches. He is backed off and when he comes in, Ari hits a kick. But HOOK does a legsweep and suplexes him. The butler distracts again, Daivari attacks and Hook stops it, comes off the ropes and takes out the butler! Daivari with a superkick that — sure, we’ll say that hit. But HOOK is back in control, he locks in Redrum and that’s it.

Winner: HOOK (2:48)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Ari Daivari.

HOOK puts the butler to sleep after.

* Lexi Nair is with Ethan Page, Stokely, and Matt Hardy. Matt asks what he’s doing here and where Private Party is; PP got sent to the Stokely School to get the Matt Hardy stink off him, while Matt has a match on AEW Dark: Elevation. Matt responds by rapping.

Leila Grey vs. Willow Nightingale

Circle to start and Leila dodges a lockup. They go for it again, Leila dodges but then gets grabbed in a waistlock and brought to the mat. Back to their feet, Leila puts WIllow in the corner and boot chokes her, WIllow shoves the boot away. Irish whip, Willow cartwheels out and Leila off the ropes to get knocked down by a shoulder tackle.

Leila to the outside and nails Willow, but back in the ring and Willow is in control again. Bodyslam by Willow, Leila bails out of the ring and Willow chases. Back in, Kiera grab s her boot, she goes to the floor and Kiera superkicks her as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Willow crawling over to a downed Leila and picking her up. Shots to the head, whip into the corner and a splash. Willow throws Grey to the mat, takes it to her and hits a spinebuster for two.

Willow puts Leila on her shoulders, but Grey slips out and hits a Russian legsweep. Leila charges Willow in the corner, but she gets slammed down. Keira with the distraction, Leila with a rollup. Roundhouse kick and a Doctor Bomb for three.

Winner: Willow Nightingale (7:50)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This was fine. Again, a few awkward moments but all in all very watchable.

Tony is in the ring to interview Willow, who is now officially All Elite. Willow is emotional and hugs Schiavone — but here comes Jade! She’s coming to the ring with a chair and Willow exits the ring. Jade sits in the ring to hold the show hostage, getting a mic.

Jade says she’s a classy woman and not a bum-ass thief, she’s giving Nyla 10 seconds to bring out the title. She counts down and Nyla and company are on the tron in a car. Nyla says she missed Jacksonville way too much. Apparently it’s Jade’s car so they stole that too, and drive off. Jade says she’s not leaveing the ring until she gets her belt back as the Baddies run off. Security comes in and Jade starts to lay them out before she finally leaves.

* We get a replay of the video from yesterday where the RUSH vs. Vance match became a triple threat with Orange Cassidy for the AEW All-Atlantic Title. Tony Khan was there in the original video drinking a beer and said “Book it.” If you guys don’t think I got a screenshot of Tony Khan casually holding a beer in hand for the 411 image header gallery, you don’t know me very well.

* Orange Cassidy tries to take over Mark Henry’s interviewing job, but Henry cuts him off and asks why he’s getting in these guys’ business and putting his title on the line. “Uh, I don’t know.” Vance and RUSH talk shit as well. Orange says “Well, it looks like there’s been enough talk” and gets sushed by Henry so HE can say his catchphrase.

AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match
Orange Cassidy vs. RUSH vs. Preston Vance

Vance and RUSH go right at each other while Cassidy chills. They realize this and Cassidy does the pockets thing for some shin kicks, but RUSH cuts off the supershinkick and nails Vance. Cassidy takes him down and then dives onto Vance; he goes up top and leaps off but RUSH with a shot to him and then a charging pun.

RUSH nails Vance as he tries to enter the ring and goes outside, beating on Vance around the ringside area. RUSH grabs Cassidy and throws him into the guardrail. He goes back to Vance and snapmares him to the floor, then grabs electrical cord from under the ring and whips Vance with it. Vance now getting chokes on the ringside floor for a bit. He showboats for the crowd and then walks over to find Cassidy — snapmare down and a kick to the chest. Jose brings over the cable and RUSH whips the knee, then chokes Orange with it.

RUSH back over to Vance, he chops Vance and rolls him in the ring, coming in but Vance clotheslines him down several times. Back ouitside and Vance nails RUSH several times, Cassidy dives out of the ring but gets caught by Vance and RUSH for a chokeslam into the table. And off we go to PIP break.

Back from PIP break as RUSH comes off the ropes but gets speared by Vance. Cassidy goes for the Orange Punch but Vance catches him in a full nelson. Cassidy goes for the pockets, gets picked up and hits a jawbreaker. Cassidy takes out RUSH and gets caught with a big boot — Cassidy with a Beach Break for two, but Jose breaks it up. Cassidy back up and DANHAUSEN IS IN THE RING! He curses Jose with a low blow — RUSH shoves Danhausen into Cassidy and then nails Danhausen in the jaw. Cassidy charges at RUSH and is belly-to-bellied into the turnbuckles.

Vance in now, he hits a spinning bomb and a spinebuster on RUSH! He grabs Cassidy and hits a wheelbarow suplex and a Discus lariat for two, but RUSH breaks it up! Vance is up now, he grabs RUSH and hits him with a forearm, charges into the corner and strikes away at RUSH. RUSH turns it around and tries to rip the mask off, he turns the mask around and leaps up to step onm Vance’s head. RUSH turns around — ORANGE PUNCH! Cassidy goes for a Beach Break, Vance rolls through but Cassidy sits down for three.

Winner: Orange Cassidy (11:47)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: No one thought Orange was losing the title here, but it was a very decent match. It got a wee bit repetitive, but otherwise they delivered here.

Vance stares off with RUSH on the ramp before he grabs -1 and exits to the back. RUSH points angrily at Cassidy and Danhausen, who dismiss him and pose for the crowd.

We end with a tribute to Brian Muster, who passed away yesterday.

And with that, we’re done for the night.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was the epitome of a "fine" episode of AEW Rampage. There was nothing I would call bad on this show, but nothing stood out and there was nothing you have to see except arguably the main event. The Acclaimed's match was a bit of a disappointment, everything else was what it was. This felt very much like a filler episode and there's nothing wrong with that; it just won't be remembered for much in even a week's time.