wrestling / TV Reports
Sanders’ AEW Rampage 9.8.23 Review
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hello friends! Lee Sanders with you all this lovely Friday as it’s time for another edition of AEW RAMPAGE! Hope you all are well and have stayed hydrated this week due for the humid temperatures. We got us a pretty solid card tonight as we’re about to jump right into things. Quick side note, thanks to the many of you that checked out my CM Punk article covering his AEW firing. Lots of great comments and constructive feedback as majority of our awesome fans here were pretty civil with one another. If you didn’t get a chance to read it you can check it out by clicking here. For now, let’s jump right into some RAMPAGE action!
Commentators: Chris Jericho, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone
Venue: Indiana Farmers Coliseum
City: Indianapolis, IN
MATCH 1: AEW Grand Slam Eliminator Tournament (Yes another tournament)-Jay Lethal vs Penta El Zero Miedo
Neither man is backing down as there’s shoving early on here folks. Lethal with an advantage after applying an arm drag as Penta quickly reverses it as Lethal sarcastically gives him props. Lethal offers to shake his hand but takes it back to do the strut before delivering a thrust kick! Lethal off the ropes as he gets a thrust kick to the face as now Penta is doing a strut! The two exchanging kicks to the legs with Penta getting the best of Lethal. Penta with a leg scissors takedown as Lethal transitions into applying a figure four lock. Penta gets out of it as the action spills to a corner. Penta with the foot stomp, and a two count for his efforts. Jeff Jarrett tries swiping at the foot of Penta but Penta anticipated it as he stops dead in his tracks to stomp on Jarrett’s hands! Lethal attacks from behind to send Lethal outside the ring. Penta attempts to fly as Lethal moves out the way in time. Jarrett distracts the referee as Satnam Sighn rams Penta into the ring post. This gives Sunjay an opportunity to tie the mask of Penta to the ring ropes as the referee catches Team Jarrett hands in the cookie jar! Team Jarrett has been ejected! We are back with RAMPAGE as Lethal delivers heavy-handed chops to Penta before strong-whipping him into the corner for more chops and strikes. Penta with the slingblade, make that two of them and a tope to the crowds ovation. Penta to the top and gets another double stomp but only a near fall. Lethal with a lethal combination for a near fall. Lethal now trying for the figure four but settles for a pump kick as Penta anticipates the lethal injection and dropkicks him low for another near fall. Some great wrestling here so far people. Lethal takes the mask off of Penta as Penta is completely exposed. Lethal tries going for a guitar as Alex grabs on it successfully. Lethal is caught off the lethal injection as Penta catches him with a backstabber! Beautiful transition as Penta snaps the arm and plants him with fear factor for the victory!
Winner:Penta (11 minutes)
Rating:***
Penta awaits the winner of Samoa Joe or Jeff Hardy to face on Collision this Saturday!loved this opener as Joe and Penta delivered a classic one here. With the current arc going on it was a no-brainer Joe was going to win this but the way this was booked, it could’ve went either way for the fan. As long as Joe can continue to remain healthy, he can continue on with this great roll he’s been on as of late. We’ve seen times where Joe just phones it in but it seems these days he’s been stepping it up a bit. Go Joe!
Footage is shown of Jericho butting heads with Sammy Guevara from Wednesdays’ AEW DYNAMITE as Sammy comes out to join us now. Sammy tells Jericho how he’s pissing him off as he’s sure the feeling has to be mutual. Sammy wants to punch him in the face as Jericho agrees that he’d like to punch him right back. This is coming off like bedroom talk! Jericho reminds Sammy of their recents victories as the animosity continues to build. Jericho feels it’s time to get this out of their system. Jericho proposes a 1-on-1 match so they can move on and focus on the AEW tag titles. Sammy wants to know where they’re going to be doing it as Jericho wants it to be at Grand Slam. Jericho can’t go tonight because he’s in his commentary attire which is basically just dress pants as he’s commentating half naked now. Sammy agrees as we see the two handshake and hug each other with so much glee. Oh what corn!
Recap of Samoa Joe and MJF’s exchange from DYNAMITE is shown as up next is women action!
MATCH 2: Taya Valkyrie, Anna Jay, The Bunny vs Shida, Skye Blue, Britt Baker
Skye and Bunny kick things off as Bunny skips around the ring. Skye tries for an arm drag as Bunny catches and denies her! Skye with a rollup as Bunny breaks free and delivers a kick to the midsection. Bunny tries for a knee strike as Skye dodged with a waist lock. Bunny reverses it as she goes for a honor roll but Skye catches her with a lateral press as Bunny breaks away to tag Taya. Skye and Taya exchanging chops and forearm strikes now. Skye slammed into the canvas, face first after coming off the ropes as we head into our next round of commercials. Trios action continues as Taya takes a kick to the head by Skye as Shida is tagged! Shida goes right at swinging fists with Taya and Anna. Shida tries deadlifting Anna when Taya comes in with a kick to the midsection. Bunny is tagged in as it looks like she’s attempting a death drop when Blue comes in with a kick to the face! Taya delivers a spear to Blue, while Shida delivers a running-low clothesline, while Bunny plants Shida with an elbow strike! Shida with a pump handle kick as Baker tags herself in to deliver a pump kick to Bunny as she calls for the lockjaw! Baker with a butterfly suplex. Shida takes to the sky and misses a stomp. Baker tried going for a ripcore strike as Bunny shoves her into Shida. Bunny with a knee to Baker’s face as Baker kicks out and transitions into the lockjaw to get the submission victory.
Winner:Baker, Shida, Blue (9 minutes)
Rating:***
Great all-around effort from all the girls! The buildup continues for the eventual Shida and Baker match. I’m not sure if it’s just me but it’s a match I could care less about. It’s nothing personal on Shida as I’m pretty high on her these days. Baker seems to be refocusing on wrestling these days and that’s great but this rivalry feels so forced. I’d rather see Shida an Skye feud or Shida and Taya. Shida and Taya would be very hard hitting.
Baker tries to talk to Shida after the match but Shida isn’t having it as she storms off pretty pissed. Video package is shown of HOOK regaining the FTW Championship at ALL IN: London as it’s time for our next match.
MATCH 3: Angelo Parker, Matt Menard vs Young Bucks,
Bucks off the break with some double team action and synergy on Parker and Menard. Parker with a rake to the eyes of Matt as Matt comes back with a series of suplexes as these boys are looking outclassed right now. Jake Hager sweeps out the legs of Matt Jackson as it gives Parker the opportunity to tag in Menard. Menard with a suplex as fans are chanting to Hager where’s his hat as they miss it tremendously. Menard tags Parker as they go for a taste of their own double-team action for a near fall. Parker with the tag to Menard as he strong whips Matt Jackson into the corner. Matt leapfrogs over him to tag Nick who delivers a double crossbody onto Menard and Parker. Nick with the walking of the ropes and arm drag combo on both of them! Parker runs into a superkick as Hager and Menard get it as well. BTE trigger done on Menard for the Bucks win.
Winner:Young Bucks ( 5 minutes)
Rating:*
Not a bad match but a no-brainer who was winning this one. This should’ve gone a different way as it should’ve been Bucks against an enhancement tag team. If you remember I suggested a couple of weeks ago that everyone from the JAS should be doing bigger and better things. They should be finding success now that they’ve broken away from Jericho as Jericho continues his downward spiral. What’s been happening with everyone formerly of JAS, you can’t help but wonder if eventually they’ll all get back together. If that’s not the plan then it’s time for Tony Khan and crew to better flush out the former members of JAS and make them shine better. They don’t need championships to do this mind you. Again, not a bad match but Parker and Menard shouldn’t have been made to look so strong and as I’d they were on the same level as the Bucks. Also, this was mostly a one-sided tag match for what it’s worth. Sorry Bucks fans but you know I give Bucks props when given.
Another vignette is shown of Mike Santana as he promises the nastiest is yet to come. Excalibur gives a rundown of AEW COLLISION and next DYNAMITE.
MATCH 4: AEW Grand Slam Eliminator Tournament-Samoa Joe vs Jeff Hardy
Nice lockup as Joe sends Hardy to the corner. Joe charges af Hardy as Hardy delivers a series of dropkicks, including one to the back. Hardy with a diving lariat to take Joe down as he goes for the cover. It’s a kickout as Hardy tries looking for twist of fate. Joe reverses it while raking Hardy’s eyes, Joe with quick jabs to Hardy as we head into our final commercial break. We are back as Hardy delivers a jawbreaker to rock Joe. Long delay in Hardy coming to a vertical base to capitalize. Jeff misses a slingblade as Joe plants Hardy with a sliding dropkick to send him crashing outside the ring. Joe with a series of punches to Hardy’s face to the chorus of boos. Hardy with an elbow as he takes the moment to deliver whisper in the wind. Hardy with a series of clotheslines, back elbows, dropkick, elbow drop and cover for another near fall. Nice sequence of moves by Hardy as he tries for twist of fate but Joe anticipated it as he slaps on the coquina clutch to put him to sleep! Mama, there goes that man!
Winner:Samoa Joe (8 minutes)
Rating:***
Joe gets to face Penta on this weekends Collision. That is going to be fire! Meanwhile this match felt so nostalgic as I thought I was back in the good old days of TNA. Jeff really brought it against Joe on this episode. It’s sad that the Hardys are in this state of limbo as I’m hoping if Jeff can stay out of trouble for more than six months, maybe him and his brother will get a better story arc and series of programs. Speaking of arcs, so we’re just abandoning the arc with Hardys and Ethan Page?
End of Show
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