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Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 6.17.22

June 17, 2022 | Posted by Lee Sanders
AEW Rampage Sting Kyle O'Reilly Image Credit: AEW
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Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 6.17.22  

Hey hey good kind people! Lee Sanders here and I’m back with you all once again as if it’s Friday, that means it’s AEW RAMPAGE baby! Solid card lined up for this week as Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin in the opener. Meanwhile Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland speak to one another in front of fans for the first time since the battle royal match for a shot at in the main event at Forbidden Door. Max Caster and The Gunn Club vs. Leon Ruff and Bear Country. The AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill is in action against the lovely Willow Nightingale. Finally, in the main event we see Darby Allin against Bobby Fish.

In case you missed my return to the airwaves this week as I was on vacation, I highly recommended you check out my latest podcast episode of WRESTLING WITH THE TOPICS. I document everything from my AWESOME CON 2022 experience, latest drama with FLASH actor Erza Miller, hunting for good food in Washington, D.C. and loads more! On that note, let’s talk RAMPAGE!

Commentators: William Regal, Taz, Excalibur, and Chris Jericho

MATCH 1: Jon Moxley vs Dante Martin

Dante wants a handshake from Moxley but Moxley smacks it away as both men circle each other for a bit. Both men are feeling each other out in a test of strength bout as Moxley gets the better of Martin. Bunch of reversals as Moxley gets Martin with a side headlock takedown to set himself up to shoulder tackle Martin to the canvas. Martin looks on frustrated as we get another lockup as Moxley has a great go-behind and another side headlock takedown as Mox isn’t letting go of that headlock. Moxley into the ropes but he gets taken down by leg scissors followed by kicks to the legs. Dante plants Moxley with a solid dropkick as Moxley goes out the ring to regroup. Martin wants to do the chopping game on Moxley as the former AEW World champion welcomes it as Martin is suckered in big time. Moxley no sells the chops as he lays Martin on the canvas with one chop. He chops him a little more as we head into our first set of ad breaks. Back from break as Moxley has a Texas cloverleaf on Martin as he modifies it into Regal stretch, followed by a running knee! Nasty knee strike as Moxley goes for the cover, and it’s only a near fall. Moxley tries going for something on the middle rope in the corner but is denied as Martin takes him down with a flipping hurricanrana. Martin doesn’t get a chance to follow up as Moxley counters with a butterfly suplex. Cover attempt and it’s a two count. Martin comes back with a kick to Moxley to send Moxley off the ropes and follows up with a double axe handle to Moxley. Massive crossbody from Dante on Moxley now as he gets a near fall for the cover attempt. Dante looks for a nose dive as Moxley baits and switches with a headlock applied. Both men in the corner as Moxley seems to be looking for a half nelson from the top rope as Martin counters with a sliced bread! Cover attempt again and it’s a no go. Moxley with a beautiful cutter on Martin as Martin comes back with a sunset flip but no mas. Moxley plants him heavy with a Stan Hansen clothesline but that only gets a near fall. Hammer elbow strikes to the face and neck of Martin as Moxley applies a hammerlock submission to make Martin tap out.

Winner:Jon Moxley (14:00)
Rating: ***
Dante Martin really shined in this great match with Moxley. I’ve been eyeing Dante for a while now and the kid is coming along tremendously as he hanged big time against Moxley. This was a no-brainer about Moxley winning but the quality of this match far exceeded my expectations tonight. Martin got a nice rub from Moxley as Moxley continues building momentum going into Forbidden Door.

Tony Schiavone is with Swerve and Keith Lee backstage. Keith Lee wonders why he shouldn’t beat Swerve’s ass after the stunt that went down in their battle royal match. Swerve reminds him that it was every man for themselves as Lee wasn’t buying that answer. Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks make a quick cameo to insult the men about how they are nowhere near a tag team like they are before walking off.

House of Black and Death Triangle video package is shown as man this is feeling like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Can we get these stables moving on already from one another?

MATCH 2: Max Caster and The Gunn Club vs. Leon Ruff and Bear Country

Pure carnage all over the place as Caster and the Gunns jumped on Ruff and Country before the bell rang. Austin lays it in heavy on Ruff to set up a tag for Colt but then with the blink of an eye Caster gets a tag somehow as he plants Ruff with a micdrop to end this match.

Winner:Caster and Gunns(01:10)
Rating: N/R
Straight up DUD What was even the point of doing all this?

HOOK is interviewed about his upcoming wrestling appearance at Forbidden Door as he’s asked for thoughts and he offers no comments. Danhausen comes in hyping up this upcoming match as HOOK interrupts him to say he’s got it and walks off.

MATCH 3: TBS Championship Match-Jade Cargill(c) vs Willow Nightingale

Jade off to a good start with some solid punches to Willow in the corner. Elbow strikes follow up as Jade sends Willow out of the corner now. Willow does a handspring upon coming out of the corner which makes Jade look for her trademark pump handle kick but Willow gets out the way in time. Willow charges at Jade as she lands onto the shoulders of Jade who does shoulder presses with her. Willow counters with a rollup but it’s a near fall as Jade follows up quickly with a massive pump kick to send Willow outside the ring. Referee gets distracted as Kiera Hogan attacks Willow as we head into commercial break. Back to the action now as Willow connects with a running cannonball but she only gets a near fall for her efforts. Jade comes back with a kick to the midsection, followed up with a double underhook facebuster fallowed by Jaded to end this one.

Kiera Hogan quickly gets in the ring to attack Willow as we hear the music of Athena! Turns out Athena is on the top rope behind the champ and Kiera as she pounces on Kiera. Jade plants Athena with a pumphandle kick as Kris Statlander whacks Stokley in the back of the head while running into the ring for the save. Jade gets out of the ring in time to end this segment.

Winner:Jade Cargill (Time Malfunction)
Rating: **
A better and offensive outing for Jade and a better showing for Willow who rarely gets AEW TV time. This match I enjoyed far more than the Jade vs Anna Jay rematch as that was just bad for my taste. A short and sweet match, nothing more to say about this one except my GAWD is Willow a beautiful woman eh folks?

Recap of Same Joe’s feud with Sonjay Dutt, Sighn, and Jay Lethal is shown

MATCH 4: Darby Allin vs Bobby Fish

And we start off hot as Fish kicks the legs of Darby from behind as Allin took his eyes off Fish upon entering the ring. Action spills to outside the ring as Fish tries charging at Allin. Allin barely leaps over in time as Fish crashes into the barricades. Darby gets back into the ring in time only to launch himself over the ropes to crash into Fish who’s on the outside. Action goes back inside the ring as Fish connects with a Tilt-a-Whirl backbreaker applied to Darby. Darby comes right back with a suicide dive in-between the ropes and plants Fish. Both men are just teeing off on each other as apparently the referee is done counting it seems as we go into our last set of ad breaks. And we’re back as both men are struggling to come to their feet as Allin planted Fish with a scorpion death drop to buy himself some time to recover. Darby with Code Red but only gets a two count. Darby follows up with a Coffin Drop from the top rope to hit the chin and upper body of Bobby. Darby is hopping on one leg getting back inside the ring as Fish tackles him in-between the ropes and back to the outside of the canvas. Darby now rammed into the steel steps as the referee checks on him. Fish tosses Allin back in the ring and is attacking the hamstring, back of the leg, and lower spine of Allin. This is a one-man ass kicking contest folks as an ankle lock is applied to Darby now as it turns into a released German suplex by Fish. Why the ref keeps forgetting to count both men is beyond me folks. Fish gets Darby on the top turnbuckle as he’s looking for a superplex and turns it into an avalanche falcon arrow pin attempt as Darby kicks out! Fish quickly transitions into an ankle hold as Darby goes for his trademark last supper maneuver to pick up the win via pinfall.

Winner:Darby Allin (12:00)
Rating: ***
When did Bobby Fish all of a sudden get personality folks? For the longest I’ve watched him he’s always been pretty robotic like Lance Storm. He really showed us some serious swag that most of us didn’t know existed and I want to see more of it I tell you guys. Also, since Fish has been in AEW so far, this was for me was his best singles match to date. Great chemistry between both of these men as I can eat this up all day!

Post-match Fish jumps on Darby as he’s beyond pissed at what just happened as he calls for Kyle O’Reilly to come out. Reilly comes as he has a steel chair in hand and is about to attack when the lights go out. When the lights come back on we see it’s–it’s–it’s STING!!!! Sting is back as he take his baseball bat and rams it into the crown jewels of Reilly. Sting gives Darby that same chair that Reilly had and goes to town on Fish. Another Coffin Drop on Fish but this time on Bobby’s injured leg that was propped in-between the chair by Darby. Sting and Darby stand tall to end this episode as Sting looks well rested and a bit bulkier. It’s STING!!!! And we’re done for this week folks!

End of Show

7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
Great conclusion to Road Rager minus a few points here and there. For starters, I was looking forward to seeing Leon Ruff and Bear Country against Caster and the Gunns. That match was just a straight up enhancement match however and that rubbed me the wrong way personally because I'm a fan of Ruff and his work and not too mention Caster. Not saying it needed to be a 10-minute match but a 6-minute match would've sufficed. The main event match lost a few points as well as the referee stopped more than once in the middle of his counting Darby and Fish out. Picture a great video game you're playing and all of a sudden it freezes for no reason...That was the referee in this main event match. That put to the side and the return of STING made tonight overall an enjoyable episode. For those who felt there was too much NJPW on Wednesday and didn't care for it I say this weeks' RAMPAGE was the episode for you to watch. Not an instant classic episode nor a bad episode but an overall enjoyable hour. 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!
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article topics :

AEW Rampage, Lee Sanders