Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 1.20.23

Hello folks, Lee Sanders here on this somber Friday night as ahead we’re getting a new AEW RAMPAGE. If you’re like me, wrestling is the last thing on your mind with the sudden and tragic passing of Jay Briscoe this week. Add into the mix the lack of a tribute on DYNAMITE this week, many felt very disappointed in how it all was handled on-air including myself. This has been one of those weeks where you realize how short life can be and how much we take it for granted. Live life to the fullest folks! Somehow we have to push forward despite this news and that’s what we are going to do here tonight. Hopefully this outlet of RAMPAGE coverage can take your mind off of whatever negatively is happening in your life for the next little bit. For myself and all of us here at 411MANIA we extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the Briscoes family…

Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: Jungle Boy Jack Perry vs Ethan Page

Page tries to go for the Ego Edge after going from behind Perry. It’s a no-go as Perry manages to escape it in time. Perry with a leg scissors takedown that sends Page outside the ring. Isiah Kassidy and Ethan have an exchange of words as Perry dives in-between the ropes but bumps into Kassidy as Ethan pushed Kassidy into Perry’s crosshairs. Perry tossed in the ring as now Matt Hardy and Ethan begin arguing. This distraction causes Pery to take advantage as he delivers a tope crashing into Page. Action comes back in the ring as Perry tries climbing the top rope but Page catches him. Jungle Boy with a series of drop kicks as he’s oozing with confidence. Kick to the chest of Perry as Stokley Hathaway grabs on the ankle of Perry as he’s coming off the ropes. Page takes advantage of the outside interference as he delivers an elbow to the back of Perry’s head. Ethan sarcastically hugs Matt Hardy as he rams Perry’s face into the barricades. Back inside the ring here as Perry is laid out with a spinning backbreaker. Perry into the ropes as Page clothlesines him outside the ring. Overhand chop exchanges and strikes from both men now. Perry laid out with with a strike that sends his head into the ring post. Back inside the ring, Page grabs Perry from behind as we head into a commercial break. We are back as we see a great series of counters including a stand and switch as Perry launches off the ropes to connect with a lariat! Ethan applies a back-body drop as Perry tries recovering in the corner. Ethan Page charges and catches a boot to the face as Ethan connects with a cross arm takedown, followed by a powerslam for a two-count! Ethan is now mocking Matt Hardy’s Twist of Fate as Perry reverses it but Ethan counters the move! The countering between both men sees them go into the corner where Perry is applying fist after fist to Page’s head. Hathaway gets up on the apron to distract Perry. Stokley gets struck in the face to send him flying to the ground as Page manages to slingshot Perry into the turnbuckle, face first! Page with the Twist of Fate and the cover as Perry gets his boot up on the ropes in time! Ethan looks pretty upset as he’s talking to Matt and instructs Matt to attack Perry. HOOK comes out as the distraction causes Ethan to be rolled up from behind for the victory.

Winner:Jack Perry (12:00)
Rating: ***
Decent opener! The continued disappointment Ethan has for Matt not coming through is something else. I mean that in a good way as I’ve been enjoying what’s been laid out here for a couple of months now. Wondering what the payoff is as I wonder if we’re getting to Jeff Hardy returning. If so, it would make this whole angle even more interesting. What you all think? Sound off!

Post-match Stokley expresses how displeased he is with Hardy. Ethan Page questions whether Matt really had his back. Ethan tells Matt he will make it up to him by having a tag match with Matt vs JUNGLE-HOOK on DYNAMITE!

Commercial breaks are done as we are back with Tony Schiavone interviewing Ortiz. Tony wants to know what’s going on with Ortiz and Eddie Kingston. Far as Ortiz is concerned, Eddie was about to cross the line in hitting Julie Hart with the steel chair. He lost a lot of respect for Eddie as he feels Eddie has been getting owned mentally by House of Black. Ortiz calls for Eddie to come to the ring so they can talk face to face. Kingston comes out and has a steel chair in his hands as Ortiz wants to know what is up. Ortiz is grilling Kingston big time on almost hitting a woman last week. What bothers Ortiz the most is what their mentors would say such as Konnan. That was too far apparently as Kingston attacks Ortiz with the chair and lays him out as he leaves the ring pissed off.

Recap of Darby Allin winning the TNT Championship is shown as we get a recap of all the opponents he’s faced so far. Darby has his eyes set on House of Black as it’s about proving to himself he can beat every member of the House of Black. Darby wants them to show up next week on DYNAMITE as apparently he wants to start with Buddy Matthews.

MATCH 2: Brian Cage vs Willie Mack

Nice lockup as both men are trading acrobatics with leap frogs, and arm drags. Willie takes Cage down with a Samoan drop. Cage comes back with a high boot to Willie’s jaw, followed by a clothesline and a German suplex! Nasty! Forearm strikes to the chest of Mack, followed by stomps as Cage delivers a high boot to the face. Cage now showboating with some muscle poses as Willie comes in with a smack and a haymaker as Cage delivers a rock bottom to the side of the ring apron as we head into another set of ad breaks. And we’re back as Willie delivers a pump handle kick to Cage’s face! Cage tries charging at Mack as Willie delivers a step-up kick to lay him out. We are now seeing a series of semi no-selling from Cage as Willie gets in a sit-down powerbomb for a near fall. Superkick to Willie’s face as Cage applies a lateral press for a near-fall only. Nice jumping knee strike by Cage, followed by a powerbomb, and the drill claw to end this one.

Winner: Brian Cage (8:00)
Rating: **
Nice debut by Willie Mack. Way too much acrobatics for me as I wanted to see more of a technical, grounded game from Cage in setting up his match against Bryan Danielson. Happy to see Cage get more tv time right now as I’ve missed the big guy. Just hope after his match with Danielson is over we continue seeing him. We shall see…

MATCH 3: Jade Cargill & Leila Grey vs Jada & Jordyn Vanity

Leila opens up against Jordyn (I’m assuming it’s Jordyn as commentators don’t tell us who’s who) with a go-around belly suplex, followed by a front face-lock. Jordyn sent into the ropes as we see a misdirect. Leila delivers a jumping shoulder tackle to connect. Jordyn tossed into the turnbuckle as Leila delivers a running double dropkick to the face. Jade Cargill gets the tag now. Strong uppercut and total domination on this Vanity girl as it’s an ass-kicking total beatdown on this woman. Tag made to I’m assuming is Jada as she gets a face buster by Leila who’s the legal woman now. Cover attempt made by Leila as Jade shouts no repeatedly as she wants the tag. Jade gets her wish as she plants Jada with JADED for the victory. Speaking of Vanity, remember the band Vanity 6? Man they were good…

Winner: Leila Grey and Jade Cargill (3:00)
Rating: NR
A one-sided ass-kicking onslaught, nothing more and nothing less. Went way too long for my personal taste. Those Vanity sisters do look good however…GOOD GAWD!

MATCH 4: Action Andretti vs Daniel Garcia

Garcia charges Andretti with a flurry of strikes and stomps as Andretti is still in his jacket! Andretti sent into the ropes as he bounces off of it to deliver a springboard elbow to Garcia! Series of counters and reversals as Andretti catches Garcia with a beautiful leg scissor takedown, followed by a cork-screw splash for a near fall. Garcia sent to the floor outside as Andretti follows it up with a tope! Garcia sent back onto the ring as Andretti tries to stay on top of him with a dropkick that gets avoided. Garcia clotheslines Andretti followed by sending him crashing into the steel steps as we head into our final set of ad breaks. We are back as Garcia delivers a kick, after kick to the face of Andretti. Andretti breaks free to connect with a backbreaker/ neckbreaker combo. To the top rope the young man goes as Garcia takes himself out. Andretti botches a moonsault from the top rope that is nowhere near Garcia as Garcia sells the move anyway. Andretti quickly connects with a spring- legged moonsault for a near fall. Kicks exchanged from both sides as Andretti connects with a neckbreaker for another near fall! Andretti with a chop as he looks for a springboard maneuver and gets punched in the face! Garcia capitalizes with a pump handle exploder for a near fall! Andretti with the running senton on Garcia after connecting with a spinning corkscrew dive off the top ropes for the victory!

Winner: Action Andretti (11:00)
Rating: **
Andretti continues to remind me so much of Maven with this little run he’s been on. It’s been a fun ride but more needs to be done to have him really stand out from the Dante & Darius Martins, Isiah Kassidys, Marq Quens, etc, etc. A little too heavy on the flipping and constant top rope moves for me personally but a decent match. Interested to see what happens with Garcia as his arc with Sammy G has been entertaining. I’m waiting patiently to see Garcia punch the living crap out of Sammy!

End of Show
For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

So for me personally the in-ring action was semi-decent this week, nothing memorable or noteworthy mind you. My mind is still on the passing of Jay Briscoe as I was expecting for Jim Ross and Chris Jericho to say something and they did not which was disappointing. Many were expecting a tribute on Wednesday’s DYNAMITE only to learn a special was being tapped after this weeks DYNAMITE. This special is to air for free on the ROH website and YouTube, along with a memorial event at ROH’s next ppv. Tony Khan revealed this on Twitter after DYNAMITE. It would’ve been nice to hear Jericho and Jim Ross touch on these points but not even that was brought up. No condolences, nothing. Mike Tyson, Nick Gage, BOW BOW, and whoever else you can think of that negatively made headlines in the past, all got shots on AEW TV. Jay Briscoe? Forget about it! Add to the mix what Meltzer reported about Tony Khan essentially not cleared to do a Jay Briscoe TV tribute, let alone an in-depth mention…You’d swear nothing happened watching this show. Over 20 years this man dedicated to ROH, wrestling in IMPACT WRESTLING, NEW JAPAN, and no respect. Two point deduction off of that alone for me personally. Feel free to sound off below and share your thoughts. For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!