Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 1.14.22

And a Good Friday to you all! I’m Lee Sanders and tonight is AEW RAMPAGE night! Tonight’s RAMPAGE sees Shawn Spears vs. Andrew Everett. Kris Statlander, Red Velvet & “Legit” Leyla Hirsch, Kris Statlander, and Red Velvet vs Nyla Rose, Penelope Ford & The Bunny. Also, Trent Beretta vs. Adam Cole. And in the main event, for the AEW World Tag Team Titles, Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus vs. Dark Order’s John Silver & Alex Reynolds.

Commentators: Taz, Excalibur, Ricky Starks, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: Adam Cole vs. Trent Beretta

Cole tries going for a pump kick out the gate as Beretta moves to the side. Beretta follows up with successful strikes and chops to the chest of Cole. Beretta is laying it in thick on his chops, followed by an overhead throw. Beretta still on the offense as he delivers elbow strikes to Cole’s face, followed up with a dropkick to send Cole outside the ring. Young Bucks along with O’Reilly and Fish look on as Cole quickly gets up and swipes Beretta’s leg to send him crashing on the canvas. Adam Cole is now on the offense focusing on Beretta’s neck. Neckbreaker applied to a banged up Beretta as Adam Cole gets a near fall. Cole tried looking for the Panama Sunrise but is countered by Beretta as Beretta sends Cole landing right on his back via back body drop. Beretta tries charging at Cole but Cole uses Beretta’s momentum to send him head first into the guardrails. Ouchie! Action is soon back inside the ring after commercial break as Cole connects with a backstabber on Beretta. Cole tries calling for a superkick with stomps in the corner as Beretta connects with a back throw. Cole comes right back with a brain buster that only gets him a near fall. Trent finds himself applying a piledriver to Adam outside the ring apron as he follows up with Strong Zero but Cole counters with a Canadian Destroyer for a two count! Cole tries looking for Panama Sunrise again from the top rope but Trent counters with a suplex followed by a short clothesline. Trent tries charging at Cole but is super kicked for his efforts. Cole also kicks Trent in the back of the head as he tries looking for Panama Sunrise again. Trent counters with Strong Zero as Adam gets his leg up just in time. Everything is chaotic at ringside as the factions are fighting each other. Inside the ring while the ref is distracted, Adam applies a low blow, followed up with the BOOM for the victory.

Winner: Adam Cole (13:00)
Rating: **
Thoughts: Loving this new Beretta as he looks like a stud! Honestly the Best Friends stable and the Elite stable weren’t really needed in this. Found it rather comical that the referee gave a damn what was happening with all of them in the closing moments of this match as Cole and Trent were still inside the ring with him. Really took away from overall a pretty solid matchup. One of the best solo matches Trent has had in AEW to date.

Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez recap is shown. Very happy for Mercedes and looking forward to her elevating the other women in AEW.

MATCH 2: Shawn Spears vs Andrew Everett

Series of backholds and counters to begin this one. Andrew tries looking for a springboard attack but Spears catches him off the ropes and connects with the C4 to end this match—err—If you want to even call it a match. Shawn cuts a promo afterwards asking if CM Punk really is the best in the world. Who he is, is easy to explain, what he is, is much more complexed. He’s the guy Max sends to ensure a message is understood. He doesn’t play in the lines as there’s no warnings coming from him, no apologies. There’s a reason why he’s called the Chairman and that with one swing he promises CM Punk will remember him forever. Spears feels Punk can’t hang with him as seven years retired is seven years too long. In five days the Chairman cometh! Nice promo but even nicer that Wardlow got love from the crowd. Ah smell the face turn for Wardlow…

Winner: Shawn Spears (Was it even 30 seconds???)
Rating: NR
Thoughts: All about Spears vs CM Punk coming up on Wednesday. Nothing more and nothing less here, Poor Andrew Everett…

Music video is shown of The Acclaimed burying Sting and Darby Allin. Some pretty funny stuff. Check it out below.

MATCH 3: “Legit” Leyla Hirsch, Kris Statlander, Red Velvet vs Nyla Rose, Penelope Ford & The Bunny

We are joining this match in progress as it’s pretty fast paced going into commercial break. Nyla Rose is stomping a mudhole in Red Velvet. Nyla tries connecting with a senton but Velvet moves out the way as she makes the white hot tag to Kris Statlander! Statlander takes out Ford with a Gordbuster. Ford tries looking for a cutter but misses as Statlander applies the spider crab on Penelope. Bunny connects with a blind slide kick to save her partner as Ford tags Bunny in. Bunny tries looking for the Rabbit Hole but Statlander connects with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Statlander primed and ready to go but Hirsch tags herself in to Statlander’s surprise. Hirsch was taken out during the Picture in Picture break as Hirsch and Statlander are jawing off now. Bunny pushes Hirsch right into Statlander as Bunny quickly rolls up Hirsch for the win. Hirsch looks on with very little emotion, just as I am with this match.

Winner: Bunny, Ford, Rose (5:00)
Rating: **
Thoughts: The commercial break was terrible considering when we came back from it this match didn’t go that much longer. Should’ve known something was up considering they didn’t show these women making their entrances. This match was spotty and messy in many areas with a few miscues. So Hirsch can show all this emotion and be full of piss and vinegar but when she looses the match for her team she has no emotions? Just a blank stare? Come on man!

Ricky Starks has a message for Jay Lethal as he didn’t appreciate him tugging at his cape, interfering with Team Taz business and that he’s going to learn. Jay comes out to address how he’s been watching the AEW product and he isn’t too happy with what he’s been seeing particularly from Team Taz. Jay also challenges Ricky to put the FTW championship on the line. Jay knows Ricky has to get permission from his dad-err Taz first and to go ahead. Ricky is pissed as he’s charging at Jay when officials come out to keep these men separated as Taz screams how Jay isn’t worthy as he doesn’t give a sh*t about Jay Lethal, he doesn’t give a sh*t about Ring of Honor! Now this segment was money!

Mark Henry is with Dark Order, Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy as it’s time for the main event!

MATCH 4: AEW World Tag Team Titles, Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus vs. Dark Order’s John Silver & Alex Reynolds

Both tag teams really bringing it and are busting their asses off in this main event. Luchasaurus with the hot tag after we come back from Picture in Picture break. Luchasaurus takes out Silver and Reynolds with double clotheslines. He sends them in separate corners as he delivers side body splashes on both of them. Luchasaurus follows up with another double clothesline as the fans are loving it. Luchasaurus takes Silver and choke slams him on top of Reynolds! Impressive as he goes for the cover and it’s a near fall. Silver tags in Reynolds as Silver tries to setup Jungle Boy for the Doomsday Device. Luchasaurus is incapacitated for the moment as Jungle Boy gets off the shoulders of Silver and sends him crashing into Reynolds. Silver comes up from behind Jungle Boy, trying to apply a German suplex as Luchasaurus soon gets involved and comes up from behind as all four men go crashing down from the corner. Silver and Reynolds try double teaming Luchasaurus and then focus on a great sequence of attacks on Jungle Boy. Pretty sweet strikes with a German and jackknife cover. Jungle Boy delivers a hurricana on Silver to send him crashing outside the ring onto Evil Uno. Jungle Boy gets an assist from Luchasaurus with a mini Destroyer for a near fall. Luchasaurus tagged in as he delivers a high boot to Silver. Double team on Reynolds as Jungle Boy does a suicide dive in-between the ropes to take out Silver as Luchasaurus scores the pinfall.

Winner: Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy (12:00)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Awesome tag team action! Gotta admit I was quite taken back with how well of a tag team Silver and Reynolds are as I don’t watch AEW DARK or ELEVATION. After seeing them in action tonight, I’d love to see them in more tag team action as they had an excellent performance tonight. They provided Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy a challenging title defense as this match had me on my toes in a good way. This was almost an old school throwback type of tag match

End of Show

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Not too shabby of an episode this week. Low points was the Spears match and the womens tag match. High points the AEW tag titles match, and Cole vs Beretta. Other than that, nice added drama with Jay Lethal and Ricky Starks as it’s nice we’re seeing Jay get more TV play. Anything involving Jay Lethal and Taz potentially trading shots on the microphone is going to be great for the fans but don’t sleep on Ricky Starks! He’s really finding his groove on the microphone and working behind the desk these past couple of months has really helped him become a overall better performer I feel. Little breadcrumbs are planted so far I feel of an ultimate AEW vs ROH war. Not sure if IMPACT will be involved in this far as teaming with AEW against ROH, we shall see. Slightly above average show for this week otherwise! Until next time people have a great and safe weekend!