Jeremy’s AEW Rampage Review 2.16.24

Hello AEW fans! It’s Friday night and we know what that means — it’s time for AEW Rampage! I’m Jeremy Thomas, filling in because Rampage is taking place at an earlier time this week. Tonight we’ll see Jeff Hardy take on Sammy Guevara in a No Disqualification match, while the Bang Bang Scissor Gang battles the Dark Order, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh & Jay Lethal in ten-man tag action. Plus Queen Aminata faces Anna Jay and Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs will be in action. Hopefully it will be a fun little show.

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.

THIS IS RAMPAGE, BABY! (aka Title Sequence)

No Disqualification Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara

Jeff tosses his towel to the crowd before they stare off, then circle. Jeff slaps Sammy, and Sammy slaps back! They start brawling with Jeff battering Sammy into the corner, then hitting a bodyslam. Jeff to the outside of the ring and he goes around the ring to pull out a ladder already. He slides it to the ring but Sammy with a dropkick to the ladder, knocking Jeff down!

Sammy sets up the ladder in the ring and goes outside to nail Jeff. He chops Jeff against the apron but Jeff whips him into the guardrail, then throws him into the other side of the guardrail before leaping off the apron onto him. Jeff plays to the crowd before tossing Guevara into the announcer’s booth and rolling him to the apron for a couple of stomps and a boot choke.

Jeff grabs Sammy for a powerbomb on the apron but Sammy fights free and hits a knee tot he chin. He goes for a piledriver on the apron but Jeff pushes him back — superkick by Sammy! Up top for a double stomp on the apron. Sammy pulls Jeff into the ring for a two-count.

Sammy throws Jeff under the ladder and Jeff rolls outside. Sammy grabs a neck brace from a fan and chokes Jeff with it, then chops him. He throws Sammy into the barricade and hits a dropkick, then pulls the steps free. He backs up and runs in, Willow in the Wind to the Sammy against the barricade!

Jeff rolls Sammy in and slides a chair in after. He grabs the chair and throws it into Sammy’s face, then pulls the ladder into the middle of the ring and climbs. Sammy up and climbs the other side, they trade firsts at the top. Jeff with a headbutt — TWIST OF FATE off the top of the ladder! Cover gets two as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Jeff hits a dropkick to the knees on the outside. Jeff sets up a table and slams Sammy into the apron, then sets him on the table. A massive ladder has been set up — the shift comes off! Jeff climbs up the ladder but Sammy is off the table and lays into Jeff’s back. Sammy rolls Jeff into the ring and follows, Jeff with a back elbow but Sammy nails Jeff and pulls him off the turnbuckle. Sammy puts a chair around Jeff’s head — CUTTER off the top with the chair on Jeff’s neck!

Sammy goes outside and puts Jeff on the table. He lays into Jeff and climbs the ladder — SWANTON THROUGH THE TABLE!

Sammy rolls Jeff in and goes up top — shooting star but Jeff gets the knees up! Jeff picks up Sammy, kick, Twist of fate countered into GTH, cover gets three.

Winner: Sammy Guevara (12:27)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Very good match to start the show with, by TV hardcore match standards. That SSP knee to the face was tough but otherwise no complaints.

After the match, Powerhouse Hobbs sneaks up behind Sammy and hits a spinebuster. Hobbs says he’s gonna get Sammy and picks him up — World’s Most Dangerous Slam.

* Renee asks Brian Cage about his match next week and asks if his target will stay on HOOK. Nana starts to talk and Cage interrupts, saying what matters is HOOK. He says HOOK doesn’t belong her and doesn’t want to be here, calling him a fad flavor of the mouth. He’s pissed that fans chant HOOK’s name and wants to buy his merch. He says he’s what a real wrestler should look like and he’s sick of taking a backseat. Doesn’t matter who HOOK’s partners are next week.

* Private Party is backstage and re-introduce themselves as our future AEW Tag Team CHampions. Marq says they’re shooting straight to the top and Kassidy says they talk that talk, walk that walk, and wherever they go it’s litty in the city. Marq isn’t keen on the phrase at first but Isiah gets him into it and they walk off.

* Mox and Claudio are backstage, and Mox says he’s in a pissy mood because they have to teach FTR a lesson. He says there’s never a time to provoke the BCC and you can’t fix stupid. Mox says FTR are what tag teams aspire to be, but you think they don’t know tag team wrestling in and out and are every bit the artists FTR are? He says he and Claudio can read each other’s mind, and asks Claudio what he’s thinking right now.

Claudio says “Your wife’s glutes” and Mox waits until Claudio adds that they don’t have to talk a lot because they get results. They don’t play this; they are. Mox says that’s exactly what they’re thinking and will see FTR next week on Dynamite.

* Renee is with Ruby Soho and asks about last week’s tag match as well as Angelo Parker asking for time tonight. Saraya and Harley walk up and Saraya says she forgives her. Ruby says she’s not sorry and she’s known every bad thing that’s happened to her lately, Saraya has been behind and she’s hoped that Saraya just thought she was doing what was best for her. But she knows what’s best and needs space.

Harley says she knows what’s best and pulls out a spoon, calling it a knife. Saraya points out it’s a spoon and Harley says “I see you’ve played Knifey Spoony before!” Saraya leaves.

Dustin Rhodes & Von Erichs vs. Romero Crews, HITT & Shimbashi

Hitt and Rhodes lock up to start, Rhodes backed to the ropes and whipped across the ring. Rhodes nails the uppercut and tags in Ross for a dropkick. Shimbashi tags in for an armdrag from Ross, Marshall tags in and Shimbashi into the ropes for a double back elbow.

Dustin tags in but gets hit with a punch by Shimbashi. Crews comes in and nails in fists to Rhodes, whip across the ring but Dustin grabs an inverted facelock for Cross Rhodes. Cover but it gets broken up and we have all six men in. Double Iron Claw, Final Reckoning, pin.

Winner: Dustin Rhodes & Von Erichs (1:48)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Romero Crews, HITT & Shimbashi.

* Renee is backstage with Timeless tonToni and her crew. She asks about Deonna’s reaction to her film and Toni busts up laughing before putting May on the ground for a shoulder lock and asks if that’s what Deonna wants to see, then an ankle lock. She says no one likes a drama queen Deonna, so piss off!

* We get a video of Queen Aminata for Black History Month.

Queen Aminata vs. Anna Jay

Anna offers the handshake and it’s accepted. Lockup, Anna with a wristlock, Aminata reverses and Anna re-reverses before locking in a waistlock. Aminata counters out into the wristlock which Anna reverses. A little ass shaking at each other in that too.

Aminata into the waistlock, blocks a spin kick and gets a headlock takedown. Anna tries to shoot Aminata into the ropes but she cinches it in so Anna puts her in the corner, hits an elbow strike and big kick. Backstabber and a cover gets two as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Anna is in control of Aminata and slaps her across the chest, which leads to a back and forth. Aminata knocks Anna down and hits a snap suplex, a clothesline and a snapmare followed by a running knee to the face! Aminata up now and charges in the corner, Anna moves and charges with a kick but Aminata moves and nails Anna, then charges in with the boot slide. Cover gets two.

Aminata gets Anna up for an Alabama Slam but Anna counters out, back heel kick, Flatliner and a cover for a nearfall. Anna pres for the Queenslayer, she locks it in but Aminata counters out. She locks it back in but Aminata rolls into a pin for two. Big headbutt and a cover gets three!

Winner: Queen Aminata (8:00)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Very solid match between these two, who have both really grown. Nice to see Aminata get the her first AEW win.

Anna and Aminata embrace in a show of respect after the match.

* Renee is with Willow, Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway. Renee asks if Willow’s happy with her win and Willow asks what the freak, she didn’t want Stokely to do what he did. Kris says that Stokely has probably never done anything like that and asks them to shake on it. Stokely is skeptical but Kris makes them shake. She asks if they’re all good and Willow and Stokely say yes in a very unconvincing way.

* Renee is with Angelo and Ruby and leaves it to them. Angelo says it’s a weird place to be doing this, but it’s the only time they can be alone so he gives her a Valentine’s Day gift. He says she makes him feel things he can’t even wrap his head around. He talks about how things have been over the past few weeks, and says he’s gonna go out and say it — Ruby cuts him off and asks if they want to get a drink next week. They’re into it.

Bang Bang Scissor Gang vs. Dark Order, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh & Jay Lethal

We start abruyptly with Lethal and White locking up. They do some counterwrestling back and forth, White shot into the ropes and Jarrett with a knee to the back. They lay into him and Evil Uno tags in, but gets chopped by White. Another chop knocks him down and White chops him in the corner once more.

Colton tags in and sends Uno into the corner, then hits a Stinger Splash and a dropkick. Caster tags in and bodyslams Uno, Bowens tags in and goes up for Scissor Me Timbers. Uno to the outside and it devolves into chaos as we go to PIP break.

Back from break with Lethal in control of Austin in the corner. He tags in Jarrett and there’s a whip into the ropes, Jarrett with a Russian legsweep and then off the ropes for legdrop against the ropes.

Singh is in now and plants Austin, then picks him up to fling him across the ring by the head. He puts Austin in the corner and chucks him across the ring again, then knocks the BBSG off the apron. Billy Gunn gets in the ring but is ordered out, Singh mocks him and tags in Reynolds. Reynolds mocks Austin and whips him across the ring but Austin takes down some guys and leaps to tag Daddy Ass.

Billy in hot and lays out everyone, then goes for the Famouser — he hits it in Reynolds, then kicks at Uno but Uno catches the foot, passes it to Aubrey and hits a cutter. Bowens in and then Silver in for some hits, Caste knocks Silver out and Singh comes in to grab both Acclaimed. Colton takes out Silver, they start trading finishers and White hits Jarrett with Blade Runner, Reynolds rolls up Gunn for two and dodges a Famouser, but Austin in for 3:10 for Yuma and that’s it.

Winner: Bang Bang Scissor Gang (10:44)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Look, I dig the Bang Bang Scissor Gang and the Dark Order is okay but I have such problems caring about anything involving Team Jarrett and it didn’t help that there were less minutes in the match than competitors, and a full-length PIP break to boot. This was fine I suppose, but there was nothing that got me remotely invested despite all the crowd-popping moments from the Acclaimed. If this works for people great, the match wasn’t bad by any measure but it didn’t stand out at all either.

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

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Outside of a very "bleh" main event, this was a pretty good episode of AEW Rampage. We had a strong No DQ match to open, Aminata getting her first win and some fun backstage segments, which is generally all I ask for. Overall, good enough for an episode that was bumped to an earlier time and a decent use of the hour on the whole.