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Join 411’s Live AEW Rampage Coverage

May 26, 2023 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
AEW Rampage 5-26-23 Image Credit: AEW

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Hey, AEW fans! It’s Friday evening and in a shocking development, AEW Rampage is actually airing at its usual time! Thank the Florida Panthers for sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes for that, because it meant the timespot opened up again. You’ve got me, Jeremy Thomas, as Lee Sanders is covering Impact Under Siege tonight (since we thought there would be no Rampage). We’re on the go-home show for Double or Nothing, and tonight we’ll see The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass in action against LFI as well as Hikaru Shida & Britt Baker vs. Marina Shafir & Nyla Rose, Best Friends vs. Lee Moriarty & Big Bill and more. Should be fun-ish.

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)

* We’re going right into six-man tag team action!

The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn vs. RUSH, Preston Vance & Dralistico

Bowns is starting off against Dralistico. They play to the crowd a bit before teasing a scissor, but Dralistico goes on the attack. They trade shots in the corner with Bowens in control, he sends Dralistico into the corner but he flips out and hits a rana. Bowens with kicks to the midsection, leapfrog Rocker Dropper and Dralistico tags in Vance.

Max Caster tags in and he squares up with Vance. Lock up, headlock by Vance, he gets shot into the ropes and runs Caster over. Into the ropes again, Caster with an armdrag into a shoulderlock. Vance back up and hits a forearm, Caster into the ropes and leaps but gets caught for a fallaway slam. Daddy Ass tags in now and does the slow shirt pull-off. He wants the test of strength, Vance goes for it and Gunn crotch-chops. Vance nails him and comes off the ropes but gets caught for his own fallaway slam and a bodyslam. Bowens tags in, Billy goes for Scissor Me Timbers and everyone comes in for a brawl that spills to the outside. The Acclaimed get tossed into the barricade, LFI get Caster in the ring and stomp him down, then flip him off. They pose together as we go PIP break.

We’re back and LFI are continuing to beat on The Acclaimed and Gunn on the outside. Back in and Vance has Caster, he tags in Dralistico who lays into Caster in the corner. Off the ropes for a low thrust kick to Max, he goes to whip him out but Max blocks it so he gets nailed. Dralistic goes for a splash but Max moves, off the ropes and they clothesline each other.

Both men crawl to the tag, Gunn and Vance come in and Gunn is on fire. He runs over Vance and splashes him in the corner. Kick to the gut, Fameasser, he covers but Jose puts Vance’s foot on the ropes. Caster grabs Jose and rolls him in, Bully grabs him and bodyslams him. He sets up Scissor Me Timbers and Bowens nails it.

The trio get ready to go on the attack, but RUSH and Dralistico trip two of them and then RUSH in the ring for a running shot on Caster. He stomps on Gunn but turns around into an attack from Bowens. Dralistico with a sprinboard lungblower, but Bowens takes him out with the Arrival. Mic Drop finishes it.

Winner: The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn (9:37)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Pretty by the numbers match with these six, but it was well-executed. The win was obvious to give The Acclaimed and Gunn the Trios Title shot at DoN.

Bowens gets on the mic and asks Vegas how they’re doing. He says they feel the same and have been running through the Trios Division all month long. And being in Vegas, he wants to do some gambling. Maybe Sunday night. The House always wins, but never bet on black because everyone loves The Acclaimed!

The Gunns & Ethan Page vs. Frescomatic, Watson & Jeaux Braxton

Colten starts off against…uh, one of the guys. He runs him over and tags in Austin, who gets the guy in the corner and starts stomping him down. Colten tags back in and they stomp the guy further, Austin tags back in and they send him into the ropes for a knee lift and lariat.

Page wants the tag and gets it, he comes in and showboats before kicking XXX down. XXX hits a jawbreaker, he tags in XXXX and The Gunns come in to get knocked down. But Page hits a big knee on him. He grabs XXXX and beats on him in the corner, setting him on the top. Straight jacket snapmare, The Gunns are in now to finish it.

Winner: Ethan Page & The Gunns (2:35)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP enhancement guys.

Page gets on the mic and says he hopes the Hardys are watching because they showed what a three-man team a real trio, can do. And they took out Kassidy so it’s going to be the three of them against the two of the Hardys.

Cue the Hardys, who come out to the ramp. Jeff says that the Ass Boys are looking good with a little boost of ego. He says on Sunday the Egos will be deleted by them. Matt says that Ethan’s contract and ass will be his. And if they have to fight three-on-two, they’re not afraid of that. And fear is only a four-letter word. Isiah Kassidy comes out in a neck brace and says unfortunately he’s not cleared. However, he found a replacement. And of course…IT’S HOOK. Hook comes out and comes down to the ring with The Hardys. Page and The Gunns bail.

* Lexy Nair is backstage with Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes and says that Swerve and Cage will be in the Blackjack Battle Royal. Dustin says imagine that. After Keith and he get rid of them, then they can get rid of everyone else and decide who will win. But Swerve and Brian Cage — they know what’s coming their way, so be ready.

Lee says the Embassy’s in this match? Can’t wait.

Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir vs. Britt Baker & Hikaru Shida

Shida starting against Rose, who kicks her in the gut to start. Shida sent into the hostile corner and Shafir tags in, she’s whipped into the ropes but Shida dodges and sends them both into the ropes. Shida suplexes Shafir onto Rose and then tags in Baker. Britt tags it to Shafir and comes off the ropes for a Sling Blade, cover for two.

Baker right into elbows to the shoulder. She sets Shafir up for a suplex but Marina blocks it, Baker eventually hits it and gets another two-count. Big elbow from Britt, but Shafir fights back with a chop and kicks Britt to the ground. Rose tags in and grabs Baker to choke her out over the ropes. We’re on PIP break.

We’re back as Baker dodges a splash by Rose and escapes a kick from Shafir. Shida tags in and hits an enzuigiri on Shafir, then knocks Rose off the apron. She lays in the fists to the back of Shafir’s neck and head, then knocks her down with a big shot. She goes up for mounted punches, reaching the full ten, and knocks her to the mat before hitting a missle dropkick for two.

Baker tags in and hits the twisting neckbreaker, cover but Rosa slams Shida on her to break it up. Rose sets Baker on the ropes and goes for the top rope knee but Shida helps Baker escape. Rose sent to the outside and Shida dives onto her, Baker gets the glove out and puts it on. She goes for the Lockjaw but Shafir counters with strikes. Baker with a thrust kick but she gets knocked down with a judo through. Cover but Baker rolls through, she catches Shafir and Shdia with a kick to the head. Lockjaw and it’s over.

Winner: Hikaru Shida & Britt Baker (9:00)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Perfectly fine match. Baker and Shida were obviously going to win, but Rose and Shafir got some solid offense.

We see on the Tron where The Outcasts are attacking Hayter. Baker and Shida run to the back.

* Mark Henry previews the main event putting The Best Friends against Lee Moriarty & Big Bill.

* Excalibur speed runs his way through the Double or Nothing card.

Best Friends vs. Lee Moriarty & Big Bill

The Blackjack Battle Royal competitors are watching this one. Chuck starts against Moriarty and gets a wristlock, Moriarty stomps the foot and escapes, then hits an armdrag and mocks Chuck. Trent tags in, lock up and Moriarty with a waistlock. Chuck reverses and eats an elbow, they counter each other with headscissors and Lee gloats again. Lee grabs a kick and rakes the face. Whip into the ropes reversed, Chuck with a cheap shot and gets knocked off the apron but Trent knocks Lee down.

Chop by Trent, Chuck tags in and Lee sent into the corner. Lariat splash and then a leaping elbow in the corner, delayed double vertical suplex but Bill comes in and double clotheslines them. Chuck tossed from the ring and then Bill sends Trent over the top to the outside as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Big Bill misses a kick and Trent tags in Chuck Taylor. He lays into Lee and hits a half-and-half suplex, then leaps through the ropes but gets caught by Bill. Chokeslam onto the apron! Bill grabs Chuck and rolls him in, Bill tags in and charges in for a splash but Trent moves. Tret goes for a half-and-half, Bill escapes but they get the Soul Food & Half-And-Half! Best Friends hug, they go for STring Zero but Lee takes out Chuck and Bill hits a big sidewalk slam!

Lee tags in, they grab Trent and take him out. Lee covers but Chuck breaks it up. Taylor sent to the outside, Bill tags in and goes up to the second rope. Lee grabs Trent and they go for a top rope move, but Trent sends Lee head-first into Bill down low.

Chuck and Trent have Bill on the top now, they climb up for a double superplex — they nail it! Chuck covers for two. Chuck grabs Bill and gots for a piledriver, but Moriarty breaks it up. Lee sents Trent over the top to the apron and kicks him to the floor. Chuck with a piledriver and Bill takes out Chuck with a big boot. Chokeslam and that’s it.

Winner: Lee Moriarty & Big Bill (10:45)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: This was a solid if not fantastic match. All four men worked and it’s nice to see Bill and Lee get a win, but this didn’t really kick into final gear.

After the match, Bill shoves Bandido at ringside and it turns into a massive brawl between the Blackjack Battle Royal competitors. Orange Cassidy comes down to join, and here comes Brian Cage as well. But before he gets to the ring, Naturally Limitless are out to confront him. The brawl continues and Cage is taken out, then here comes Swerve but he just stays on the ramp to play mind games. Lee approaches Swerve, who backs off.

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

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AEW Rampage, Jeremy Thomas