Jeremy’s AEW Rampage Review 5.27.22

Hello, AEW fans. It’s Friday evening and the NHL playoffs are still a thing, so it’s another early episode of Rampage. We’re just two days away from Double or Nothing and tonight we have the last semifinal in the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament between Ruby Soho and Kris Statlander. In addition, Matt Sydal will take on Bryan Danielson while the Young Bucks will be in action. And Scorpio Sky will get a new AEW TNT Championship, which will certainly not go awry in any fashion, right? We might also get a new match for Double or Nothing if reports bear out. Sounds like a fun night of action, so let’s get right to it.

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 Theme Song)

Matt Sydal vs. Bryan Danielson

They start off circling and lock up, armdrag by Danielson. Test of strength, Danielson with a shoulder to the chin but gets put on the mat, he gets back up and locks in a headlock. He cinches in and snapmares Sydal down, kneedrop to the dome and they break. Sydal gets a waistlock, pushed off and a leaping snapmare. Danielson kips up.

Lockup, Danielson with a full nelson takedown and he keeps it locked in. Danielson to his feet, escapes out but gets caught with a backbreaker. Danielson with a Euro uppercut and another, one more and Sydal is down. Danielson tries for the elevated surfboard, but he instead rolls through it and lays in forearms to the face! Danielson with a headlock, shot into the ropes and runs Sydal over, they run the ropes and Sydal with a leg lariat as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and Danielson with a snapmare, kneedrop, and cover for two. He picks Sydal up, snapmare but Sydal flips out, hits a knee strike and a leaping leg lariat! Danielson back up and strikes, but Sydal chops back. Into the ropes, Sydal goes for the leg lariat but gets caught — he turns it into a rana for two!

Sydal with kicks to the leg, Danielson slaps him in the chest but Sydal with an enzuigiri and cover for two. Sydal goes up top, but Danielson nails him with a shot to the head. Danielson up to the middle rope, double underhook but he gets pushed down, METEORA but Danielson hangs on into a single-leg crab! Sydal gets close to the ropes but Danielson pulls him to the center of the ring! He turns it into a kneebar and Sydal manages to get to the ropes.

Danielson now with the kicks to the chest, flooring Sydal who keeps getting back up. Danielson with a headbutt to Sydal, he sets Matt on the top and climbs up. SYDAL TURNS IT INTO A SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB for a nearfall!

They’re trading strikes in the ring, Sydal with a backslide for two and then a high knee. Danielson ducks a kick and nails the running knee. He gots into hammer and anvil elbows and then locks in a submission choke for the tapout.

Winner: Bryan Danielson (11:01)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: What, you thought these guys weren’t going to deliver? Hot as hell match to start the show. I’m surprised Sydal got the amount of offense he got, but it didn’t hurt Danielson who subtly sold the effects of the knee from last week’s post-show accident.

* We’re back with a vignette recapping the HOOKhausen storyline.

* The Young Bucks come out in Hardys gear to the Hardys theme — AND GANGREL IS WITH THEM! And Brandon Cutler is Lita! Jesus Christ. We even get a Matt Fact.

The Young Bucks vs. Taylor Rust & Jon Cruz

Nick starts off with Cruz and locks in a headlock, off the ropes and Nick runs him over. Nick drops Cruz, drops the legdrop between the legs and tags in Matt, Whisper in the Wind. Bodyslam by Matt, who goes up top and then decides to tag in Nick. Matt acks like Matt Hardy and they hit an elbow to the back of Cruz. THey go for a double backdrop, Cruz escape and tags in Rust who nails Matt with a kick. He comes off the ropes right into a double superkick.

Matt grabs Cruz and Nick goes up top, he comes off but Cruz ducks. He turns around into a double superkick! Matt with a Twist of Fate, Nick with a Swanton, cover for three.

Winner: The Young Bucks (2:39)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: What a bunch of Hardy Cosplayers.

After the match, the Bucks attack Gangrel and lay him out, they grab him and go for a BTE Trigger — but here comes Matt and Jeff! They come down to the ring and star off with the Bucks. Some trash talking, the Bucks charge in but get kicked in the gut. They go for double Twists of Fate but Cutler saves them. Cutler gets an Impaler from Gangrel! Twist of Fate by Matt, Swanton by Jeff. The New Brood celebrate in the ring as the Bucks aren’t happy.

* Darby Allin is backstage and says it wasn’t Adam Cole, Bobby Fish or the Young Bucks that took out Sting — it was Kyle O’Reilly. So he’s challenging KOR to a match at Double or Nothing and if he doesn’t accept, he’ll interfere in all of the Elite’s matches.

Max Caster vs. Dante Martin

Max does his rap and references the Bunny Ranch and Darius Martin being injured. Austin screams “LOS ANGELES” and Colton does it too. Anthony Bowens shouts for Las Vegas and gets the crowd to shout out the Ass Boys. Dante Martin attacks with a dive to the Gunn Club and Caster but gets slammed into the apron by Billy, and the bell rings — as Aubrey Edwards ejects the Gunn Cubb and Bowens.

Martin rolls Caster up for two, and Caster immediately goes on the attack after. He lays into Martin but Martin fights back, Irish whip and Caster downs Martin with an elbow. Cover for one as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Caster slams Martin down and climbs up top, he leaps but Martin moves. Martin with a back elbow, sunset flip for two. Caster goes for a leg submission but Martin rolls him up for two, he flips over Caster and knocks him down off the ropes with elbow strikes. Caster charged at in the corner, he blocks Martin but Martin up top for a top-rope crossbody for two.

Martin on the apron, he goes for a kick over the ropes to Caster who blocks it but catches his arm. He goes up top and leaps onto Caster, cover for three.

Winner: Dante Martin (6:13)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This match was badly hurt by being so short with a PIP break. Even that considered, this was disappointing as it never got out of first gear really.

* We get a vignette previewing the men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament finals between Adam Cole and Samoa Joe.

* Dan Lambert and Men of the Year are in the ring, and Dan says the only things we can count on are death, taxes, and having a girlfriend whose CM Punk shirt is bigger than yours. He says he got a new title put together in just a week and has Ethan Page unveil it, it’s purple and gold. Ethan Page introduces Sky as the TNT Champion and says now that Sky has the belt that matches the talent, they can be finished with those pieces of trash Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti.

Of course, they aren’t as Sammy, Tay, and Kazarian are on the tron from American Top Team. Kazarian is complaining that just a week with Sammy and Tay and he’s already breaking and entering. They walk up to their belts and Kaz nearly smashes a caae, but Sammy has a better idea. They smash open a case with the BMF title, UFC titles and more and Sammy and Tay say they’re going to have a celebration with the belts. Sammy says if they want them back then show up at Double or Nothing — and bring Paige.

Sky says they’ve got their match — Kaz, Sammy, and Tay vs. Page, Sky, and VanZant. But if Men of the Year win, Sammy and Kaz can never challenge for the title again.

* We get Mark Henry doing the side-by-side remote interview with Ruby SOho and Kris Statlander. Soho says she’s been doubting herself a bit as of late but then earned her way into the tournament and fought her way through it. She says she needs it and will even beat her friend to do it.

Statlander says everyone needs it, but she has nothing to show for her time in AEW so far. She says Ruby may need it, but she has to win too.

* We get a recap of the card for Double or Nothing with the two new matches added in.

Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semifinal Match
Ruby Soho vs. Kris Statlander

Lockup to start, Statlander with a headlock takedown. Soho headscissors her way out of it, but gets her leg swept. Soho goes for a single leg but Kris is in the ropes and they break. Headlock by Statlander, she goes into the ropes and runs Soho over. Statlander into the ropes, Soho with a waistlock but gets knocked down. Shoulderblock off the ropes, cover for two.

Back up and Soho sends Statlander into the ropes, she goes in for a punch but hesitates. They get in each other’s faces and go into it, Soho with an armdrag off the corner and she goes for another but gets grabbed. Statlander then runs Soho over as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and Statlander is still in control. She whips Soho into the corner and charges in for an uppercut, then grabs Soho on her shoulders and climbs up. Soho fights out of it, and hits a rana off the ropes. She comes off the ropes but gets caught by Statlander — power bomb! Cover for two.

Soho is in the corner, Statlander charges in but Soho moves and Statlander hits her shoulder. Statlander goes for the Gorilla Press but her shoulder gives out — NO FUTURE by Soho! Statlander tumbles out of the run, and Soho tries to roll her in but Statlander recovers. Soho with a rana off the apron, rolls Statlander in, she climbs up and hits a single-arm DDT off the middle rope. SOho with a shoulderlock, but Statlander gets her foot on the ropes.

Soho ends up on Statlander’s shoulders, she tries to go down the back but gets Alabama Slammed onto the turnbuckle! Statlander hits her finisher, but Soho kicks out at two and a half! Statlander with a short-arm clothesline, goes for the Spider Crab but Soho gets a leg free and kicks at the shoulder to escape. She tripes Statlander, cradle roll-up and pin!

Winner: Ruby Soho (10:07)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Good match, but not great. It had some good moments but also some awkward transitions, and it didn’t reach the heights it should have as a Rampage main event with serious potential.

Britt Baker comes out to the ramp and Ruby tells them to cut the mic off because people have been listening to her talk for two years. The crowd boos Ruby and she says she did what she had to do. She says she’s fan too of Kris’, she gets it. She says she loves Kris and look what she did to her. She doesn’t like Britt and she’s gonna hurt her real bad. She’s cashing in the receipt coming for Britt.

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

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This week's Rampage started off very high and then never hit that height again. Once again, this was a show where there wasn't anything overtly wrong. The Young Bucks mocking the Hardys and Gangrel's appearance was fun, the main event match was "fine" and while I was disappointed with Martin vs. Caster, I didn't hate it. Even the Sammy/Tay stuff was okay in theory. But it didn't ever get above "okay" after probably the Bucks and Hardys bit. All in all, not the best show but if nothing else, at least check out the opening bout.