Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 12.9.22

Well hello good and kind people! Lee Sanders back with you all once again on a Friday as it’s time, it’s time, it’s AEW RAMPAGE time! It’s the final RAMPAGE as we head into them presenting ROH: FINAL BATTLE this Saturday. Don’t forget we’ll also be having NXT: Deadline afterwards that weekend. That’s going to be at least six to eight hours of wrestling combined. Are you ready? I said ARE YOU READY? If not then let’s take it one step at a time and begin with RAMPAGE.

Nothing to promote this week but as many of you all are aware, Mr. Barry Windham recently went into cardiac arrest and was taken to the hospital. As you would imagine he has accumulated high medical bills. Mr. Windham’s family started up a GoFundme which if you can check out by clicking here. Please, if you’re able to give this holiday season then please do so or at least share the link. Many thanks! Let’s talk RAMPAGE!

Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone

MATCH 1: Jon Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita

And we join this match right as it’s underway as there’s no entrances for either men. Both are in the ring firing off chops on each other. Elbow strikes soon follow as neither man is backing down. A series of takedowns, counters and more takedowns follows as both men look at each other in stalemate. Moxley offers to shake Takeshita’s hand. Takeshita reaches in as Moxley smacks him in the face! Takeshita returns the gesture as Moxley sends him to the corner. Moxley delivering more chops as Takeshita gets out of it and delivers a leaping double leg takedown! Takeshita follows up with a dive from over the top rope to crash into Moxley! Deep and high above in a skybox, we see Don Callis is watching as he smiles and nods his head in approval. Who’s Callis rooting on here folks is a mystery as we head into our first set of ad breaks. We are back as Moxley is busted open big time as blood drips from his forehead. Apparently during the break, Takeshita planted Moxley with a big boot to the face to bust Moxley wide open. Takeshita flips Moxley silly with a lariat but wasn’t able to capitalize by going for a cover. Takeshita bounces off the ropes to deliver a flying clothesline as Moxley smartly rolls out of the ring. Takeshita catches Moxley on the side apron and delivers a ddt right on the apron, followed by a slingshot ddt! Cover attempt made as Moxley kicks out! Takeshita tries going for the blue thunder bomb but Moxley counters as elbows from both men are now being exchanged. King Kong lariat by Moxley! Backslide pin attempt by Takeashita for a nearfall. Takeshita connects with a brain buster for a two count! What a match! Both men are fighting on the top rope as Moxley gets the upper hand to toss Takeashita off. Sleeper hold applied to Takeshita as Takeshita transitions to a Thunder Bomb as Moxley kicks out yet again! Both men exchange elbows again as Takeshita plants Moxley with a delayed German suplex. Takeshita climbs to the top rope looking for a frog splash as Moxley gets his ankles up in time to stop Takeshita. Moxley goes in with his trademark elbows to the face, followed by the paradigm shift as Takeshita hulks up! Moxley follows up with a running knee and cover as Takeshita kicks out! Moxley now with a submission attempt as Takeshita counters with stomps to Moxley’s face! Moxley comes back with kicks of his own as Moxley hammers down on the back, head, and neck of Takeshita. Moxley applying a sleeper hold on Takeshita now as Moxley puts serious hang time on it as Takeshita passes out!

Winner:Jon Moxley (16:00)
Rating: ****
What a classic match! Good Gawd I think this one may get an honorable mention for a tv show match of the year nominee for AEW. Seriously Takeshita hanged in there big time with Moxley and was made to look like a stud. Moxley went above and beyond in putting over the newcomer to the AEW roster.

Post-match Hangman Adam Page makes a bee line down the ring to get in the face of Moxley. Hangman reveals that Doc Sampson won’t clear him to wrestle because of his brain. Hangman guesses he doesn’t have much sense right now as he starts throwing punches at Moxley! The two are brawling as Claudio Castanogli comes out along with officials to separate the men. This comes before Moxley sends Hangman crashing into the steel steps to end this great brawl.

Video package of Powerhouse Hobbs is shown as he talks about growing up in hard times. This isn’t a Dusty Rhodes promo mind you. This comes off more like Menace II Society meets Boys In Da Hood.

Stokley Hathaway joins us now to show that his client Lee Moriarty deserves another shot at HOOK for the FTW Championship. Stokley shows video footage of Lee vs HOOK from a few weeks back. It shows the referee clearly blowing a spot as Stokley wonders if HOOK will do the right thing and give Lee another shot at the title. Stokley walks off to ask a woman off camera if she wants to go to the Waffle House as he has some MJF money left over. I’m dead!

MATCH 2: Regina Di Wave Championship- The Bunny vs Shida(c)

Bunny is wrenching on the back of Shida from in-between the ropes as this match is going into a Picture-in-Picture break. Bunny plants her boot on the face of Shida as she goes skipping around the ring. Bunny tries to go for a back suplex but it gets reversed as Shida goes for a rollup pin attempt but Bunny kicks out! Bunny rams Shida’s face into the top turnbuckle now. Bunny follows up with mean and ugly elbows to the face! Bunny lands a thrust kick on Shida as she looks for the rabbit hole. It gets reversed as Shida goes for a cover but Penelope Ford tosses a kendo stick into the ring to interrupt the count. Shida runs after Ford with the kendo stick and is about to hit her when Bunny grabs hold of the kendo stick from behind. This causes Shida to turn around and pay attention to Bunny as Ford grabs onto Shida and tries undercooking her arms. Bunny comes down hard with the kendo stick on the head of Ford as Shida manages to escape the hold in time. Shida gets back on Bunny now and connects with a spinning kick to retain her championship.

Winner:Shida (8:00)
Rating: **
Never a doubt who the winner was going to be coming out of this match. Nonetheless this was another good showing for Bunny as I continue to be impressed with how far along she’s come as a wrestler. Really proud of her work as I hope in the coming year she’ll be highlighted more. So with Shida winning she will go on to face Jaime Hayter for a shot at the AEW WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIP on DYNAMITE this Wednesday. Speaking of Hayter, she comes out to have a stare down with Shida.

MATCH 3: Big Will & Lee Morarity vs CAW 104 & CAW 105

Annnnnnnnnd a SQUASH!

Winner:Big Will and Lee Morarity
Rating: NR
Not so much the squash match that bothers me. If anything my man Big Cass aka Big CassXL aka W. Morrissey is now BIG WILL? Myself and other wrestling fans and gamers have come up with better names for CAWS or in story mode for WWE 2K. Come on man!

FTR in a video package share their thoughts on the third encounter with Briscoe Brothers this Saturday at FINAL BATTLE. They were down and out, kicking themselves for not winning the AEW World Tag titles. This opportunity to face Briscoes however has lifted their spirits big time. FTR accepts the challenge as it’s a double dog collar tag match for FTR’s ROH Tag titles.

Ortiz and Eddie Kingston accept the challenge put out by House of Black from this weeks’ DYNAMITE. They will see them next Wednesday.

Video package shown of Shane Taylor and JD Griffey is shown. Nice job of going more into their history with Keith Lee as footage is shown of them all together in earlier years. Better late than ever to build this up but it should be a good match.

MATCH 4: AEW ALL-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP-Orange Cassidy(c) vs Trent Seven

Lot of showboating going on here. Mustache twirling, light kicks and all. Trent plants Cassidy with a DDT when we hear some metal music play throughout the arena. Butcher and Blade appear as Trent Barretta and Chuck Taylor fight them at the top of the stage ramp as we head into our final commercial break. We are back now as Trent plants Cassidy with a superplex for a near fall. Trent plants Cassidy in the corner with a chop as Cassidy is tossed across to the other corner. Trent delivers an attack from over the ropes and crashes into Kip Sabian by accident as Cassidy moved out the way. Action back inside the ring now as Cassidy connects with the stun dog millionaire. Cassidy tries to go for a ddt but it gets reversed into a modified spinning powerslam for a near fall! Trent chops on the neck of Cassidy and plants him with a short arm lariat for a near fall! Couple of swing and misses from both men until Cassidy connects with a swinging ddt! Cassidy climbs to the top rope, he launches but Trent kicks him low in the knees and plants him with a piledriver for another near fall. Cassidy finally gets in the orange punch followed by the beach break to secure the victory.

Winner:Orange Cassidy (7:00)
Rating: ***
Solid main event match and a great debut for Trent Seven. Orange Cassidy continues to be killing it in these singles matches and is really shinning right now. A great utilization of the young man on Fridays.

Post match Kip attacks Cassidy as he talks serious trash to Trent as both men now attack Cassidy. Dustin Rhodes comes out for the save as the crowd is loving it. Nice couple of punches to takeout Kip, and a powerslam on Trent Seven as we go off the air with Cassidy and Dustin shaking hands to end this episode.

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!

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

One last push in a few areas to put over key matches at Saturday’s RING OF HONOR: Final Battle pay-per-view event. Aside from that though this was all about solid AEW in-ring action. Tony Khan continues to experiment with these RAMPAGES, trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t work. He has found himself a nice mix with this episode but we’ve gotta stop bringing in titles from other promotions on these shows. There’s so many titles between AEW and ROH to keep up with as it is that it can be a headache. Now we talking about highlighting possibly other titles from other promotions such as the one Shida currently holds? Hard pass for me on that one. Takeshita, Takeshita, Takeshita! If this young man truly doesn’t have a breakout year in 2023 I will be scratching my head. You build him up just right and I’m telling you he could be the one to dethrone MJF for the AEW World Championship. Just the right amount of emphasis on ROH without being overkill. Nice utilization of building up next weeks’ DYNAMITE as well. I need more episodes like this please Tony Khan. All these people debuting the past couple of months has me wishing we could slow things down a bit as for me I feel Tony Khan has enough pieces in place. Let me end my thoughts by saying this…If the reports are truly that Miro is healthy, eager and ready to be back in AEW then this spot would’ve been a great return for the Redeemer. Has me even more curious where this man will be inserted upon returning. What you think of the show 411MANIACS? Sound off! 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!