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Jeremy’s AEW Rampage Review 5.19.23

May 19, 2023 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
AEW Rampage Swerve Strickland Image Credit: AEW
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Jeremy’s AEW Rampage Review 5.19.23  

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Hey, AEW fans! It’s Friday evening/afternoon and the NBA Playoffs are in effect, which means it’s already time for this week’s AEW Rampage! Jeremy Thomas here; yes, you have to deal with me again instead of Lee, but he’ll likely be back next week for the Saturday night episode so hopefully you can settle for me until then.

Tonight’s Rampage will see Jade Cargill defend the TBS Championship in an Open Challenge, while Blackpool Combat will take on Best Friends and Bandido. Plus The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs. Varsity Athletes in a second six-man tag match, and Bishop Kaun battles Dustin Rhodes. Should be a fun time, 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.

THIS IS RAMPAGE, BABY! (aka Title Sequence)

* Our first match is ready to go right off the bat.

Blackpool Combat Club vs. Best Friends and Bandido

Moxley and Bandido start, and Moxley takes it right to Bandido by knocking him down and stomping at him. Bandido fights his way back up but is chopped in the corner, he is sent across the ring and goes up and over Moxley before dropkicking him. Yuta and Trent tag in and start jawing at each other, it devolves into traded forearms. They do some counterwrestling, Trent lariats Yuta and tags Chuck, who immediately goes on the attack on Yuta on the outside.

Claudio distracts Chuck and Yuta with a chopblock. He gets Chuck inside and tags in Claudio, who hits a verital suplex and an elbowdrop for two. Mox tags in and kicks Chuck in the midsection before locking in a cravate, Yuta tags in and nails Chuck. Chuck manages to fight Yuta off and Trent and Mox tag in, Trent with strikes but Moxley fights back. German suplexes by Trent, Mox keeps standing up until a half-and-half suplex. Claudio tags in and is immediately sent to the outside, Chuck in the ring and we get a triple dive onto the Blackpool Combat Club!

Mox now back in the ring, Trent goes up top and dives but Claudio in and hits a Euro uppercut. Moxley gets Trent in the corner and the double teams start as we go PIP.

We’re back with Claudio in control of Trent, Claudio stops the tag and knocks Chuck off the apron. Trent with a backslide for two but Claudio tags in Mox right away for kicks to the chest. Mox throws Trent into the corner, hits a couple strikes and sends him across the ring. Trent dodges a charge and hits a DDT. Claudio in, Bandido in hot and hits a top rope dive on Claudio. He turns a pop-up powerbomb into a rana, springboard rana into a pin attempt for two.

Bandido is psyched up, he chops at Claudio who fires back with a strike. Traded blows now, Claudio with a knee strike. He goes for a suplex but Bandido turns it around — Claudio is able to land on his feet. Yuta tags in and leaps, but Bandido catches him! The Best Friends tag in, the hit a half and half/Soul Food on Yuta and embrace in the ring. Taylor with a BIG piledriver, cover for two-plus. He goes for the seatbelt pin but Mox breaks it up with a dropkick. It devolves into chaos, Claudio lariats Trent, Yuta rolls Chuck up for two.

Chuck gets Yuta on the ropes but Claudio cuts him off. Death Rider and Claudio throws Yuta off the top into a splash for three.

Winner: Blackpool Combat Club (9:42)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Obvious result was obvious, but it was a fun ride to get there. There was never a question who would win, but the Best Amigos got enough offense that it wasn’t a squash match. No real complaijns here.

* We get a vignette of Kyle Fletcher talking about his attack of Orange Cassidy. He points out his accolades to say why he should be the new AEW Interational Champion.

* Jade Cargill is out for her TBS Championship Open Challenge.

TBS Championship Open Challenge
Jade Cargill vs. Danni Bee

Jade nails Danni right off the bat, picks her up for a fallaway slam. She tells Danni to get up and pump kicks her for a three-count.

Winner: Jade Cargill (0:35)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Danni Bee.

Mark Sterling asks if that is the best Texas has to offer and says they wanted more, so they lined up another match. Jennacide answers.

TBS Championship Match
Jade Cargill vs. Jennacide

Lockup to start, Jade shoves her in the corner and starts to lay into her. She sends her hard into the ropes ans pears her, Jaded and it’s over.

Winner: Jade Cargill (0:31)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Jennacide (or Jennasis as Jericho called her).

Sterling calls for another one another combatant comes out. But Taya Valkyrie’s music hits and out she comes. She lays the scrub and gets in the ring, laying out Jade and hitting the Road to Valhalla! Taya calls for the mic and asks “Now, who’s that bitch?” She says she’ll see Jade at Double or Nothing and holds the title up before leaving.

The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn vs. Varisty Athletes &

Caster and Woods start off, Caster with an armdrag takedown. He locks in a wristlock and tags in Daddy Ass, who gets in Woods’ face. Woods shoves Gunn, who shoves him back. Headlock, Billy shot into the ropes and runs Woods over.

Daivari tags in and talks trash to Gunn, who kicks him in the gut and went for the Famouser but Ari moved. Tony Nese tags in now and wants a pose-off with Gunn. Gunn takes off the shirt and Nese with a cheap shot. He goes into the ropes but Gunn catches him in a sidealk slam for one as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Max Caster turns it around on Nese in the ring and tags in Bowens, who goes HAM on Nese and Woods. Nese with a shot to the midsection and a whip into the ropes, Bowens goes up and over and hits the leaping leg bulldog. Cover but Woods breaks it up. Bowens goes for The Arrival but Nese counters and hits a big strike. Bowens fights back and lays him out, he tags in Caster and they finish Nese.

Winner: The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn (7:26)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Good match that didn’t make it to great, due in part to the mid-match break and because it felt a bit rushed.

* The latest episode of QTV has Marshall ask Solow if he attacked Matt Hardy, but he says he isn’t trying to get deleted. Marshall says they’re signed up for the International Battle Royale (but not Cameron) and praises Hobbs being part of Collision. They talk about the guys Hobbs can take out, and Marshall says on June 17th the real story begins.

* Tony Schiavone is in the ring and calls out The Hardy Boys for an interview. Matt and Jeff come out with Isiah Kassidy. Tony says they Deleted the Firm, and mentions the stipulation for Double or Nothing. Matt says it’s them vs. Ethan Page and The Ass Boys, and if they win they get control of Ethan Page’s contract. Jeff says they’re writing their song of becoming the AEW World Tag Team Champions.

Ethan Page comes out to the stage and tells them to hold on. He asks them to hear him out and says he asked the Gunns for help, not to make a match and put his contract on the line. Page says he and Matt are done, he just met Jeff and didn’t enjoy getting Swanton Bombed so they’re done. Page asks Isiah to tell them they can trust him, and asks who was there when Marq Quen got hurt? He runs down things he’s done for Isiah and says they’re going to become a tag team: The Moan Event. Page says they’re hugging it out and Isiah shoves him. He forces Kassidy to shake his hand and pulls him into a hug as The Gunns come into the ring and lay out Matt and Jeff with chairs. Page throws Kassidy into a chairshot. Page grabs the chair and gets ready to Pillmanize Kassidy’s neck — he leaps off the second rope and does it! Page says Kassidy will never moan again and they’ll see them at Double or Nothing.

We get a recap of the Falls Count Anywhere match between Strong and Jericho, and Jericho says he’s requested this time to speak. Jericho says Cole is a coward and exactly what he says he was. He didn’t have the JAS out there, and Cole is not a man of his word. He says if Cole were here he’d beat his ass.

Cole appears from location and says every week when Jericho leaves the arena, he’ll beat Jericho’s ass. Jericho says his legal agreement that he had on Cole is null and void because he’s challenging Cole to an Unsanctioned Match. Cole is allowed in the building again. Cole asks if he really ripped up the document? Good, because that’s what he wanted.

Cole walks into the arena and toward the venue as we go to break.

* We’re back and Cole is in the arena, walking through the fans to the commentator’s booth. Cole jumps the barricade and charges at Jericho, they start brawling and here come officials to break it up. Jericho breaks free and charges Cole to continue the brawl before it gets broken up again. Cole breaks loose and rinse, lather, repeat.

* No talking, it’s time for the main event straight away.

Dustin Rhodes vs. Brother Kaun

Kaun attacks Dustin right as he gets in the ring and the bell rings. Kaun sends Dustin hard into the corner, lays in some strikes but Rhodes takes Kaun down off the ropes. They end up out of the ring and Rhodes batters Kaun, sending him into the guardrail. Kaun fights back but Dustin takes over and rolls Kaun in.

Kaun attacks Rhodes as he’s getting in and knees Rhodes. He goes to pick Dustin up but he floats over. Rhodes off the ropes, Nana trips him and Kaun charges in but gets nailed. Rhodes goes to send Kaun into the corner but Kaun reverses and sends Rhodes head-first into a camera! Dustin falls out of the ring and is down, he’s busted open (of course). Kaun goes on the attack as we go to PIP break.

We’re back from PIP break and Kaun has Dustin up, but he fights back and sends Kaun into the ropes. Kaun holds on and runs Rhodes over, He drops Dustin with a backpack slam but Dustin is back up. Kaun with a shot and another, Dustin is hyped up and fires back. Into the ropes, Dustin nails Kaun. Kick to the cut, uppercut on the knees, powerslam.

A bloodied Dustin is looking hyped and he gets on the turnbuckle for seven punches before Kaun escapes and pills Dustin face-first into the turnbuckle. He hits a Destroyer for two, piledriver for two. Dustin and Kaun both up, Dustin with punches and he goes for a suplex, Kaun escapes and hits a boot to the gut, sunset flip for two. Dustin slow to get up, shotgun dropkick into the corner, Kaun charges in but Dustin moves, Bulldog from Rhodes! Final Reckoning and that’s it.

Winner: Dustin Rhodes (8:57)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This match wasn’t bad by any means, but it only main evented so they could end on the post-show beatdown. Dustin can get a good match out of anyone (though Kaun was decent as well), but blading was unnecessary in this case and I think it actively hurt the match as a whole.

Brian Cage attacks after the match and lays into Rhodes, he hits a powerbomb. Swerve comes up and into the ring. He takes off his mask — and here comes Keith Lee! Lee takes out Kaun, takes out Cage and throws him into the guardrail. He stares at Swerve and climbs onto the apron, into the ring. Swerve takes his jacket off and Kaun and Cage come in and attack Lee from behind. Lee is trying to fight them off, he takes it to Cage but Kaun has a chair and nails Lee in the back. Cage with a TKO of Lee onto the chair.

The Embassy sets Lee on the chair and Swerve is up top — double stomp to a seated Lee sends him to the mat! Cage has Rhodes in a Camel Clutch, and Mogul Embassy poses over the two.

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

6.0
The final score: review Average
The 411
This was a fine but forgettable episode of AEW Rampage. We had a couple of good matches and a couple of Jade squashes, then an unnecessarily bloody main event that didn't suck but was by no means a main event-quality bout. Rampage is sort of in lame duck status at this point as we wait for AEW Collision, and while this did some set up for Double or Nothing I wouldn't say this was must-see AEW.
legend

article topics :

AEW Rampage, Jeremy Thomas