Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 6.30.23

Happy Friday everybody! Lee Sanders here! Hope for those of you getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July are celebrating in style. Most importantly if you’re going to be drinking, please be smart and don’t drink and drive. Have patience on the roads during your travel as you’ll get where you need to be in due time. On a side note, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of wrestler Darren Adrian Drozdov, the man known as Droz. For us that remember him, the man was a solid wrestler whose life changed forever in a freak accident during a match with D’lo Brown that left him severely paralyzed. Despite that he still kept living and enjoying life. Droz was 54 years old. From all of us here at 411MANIA, Droz…you will greatly be missed…

Commentators: Excalibur and Tony Schiavone
Arena: FirstOntario Centre
Location: Hamilton, Ontario

MATCH 1: ROH World Heavyweight Championship-Claudio Castanogli(c) vs Komander

And the champion is dominating early on as he tries for a suplex on Komander, but Komander slithers out of it to deliver a stranglehold from behind. Claudio manages to break free briefly before it’s reapplied as Claudio eventually spikes him on the ground. Pinfall attempt made as it’s only a two count. Claudio now goes for the giant swing a few times and sends Komander flying! Ricola Bomb attempt by the champion fails as Komander counters with an armdrag to send Claudio outside the ring. Komander tries flying in-between the ropes to crash into Claudio but is caught! It’s an awesome spot as Claudio tries to go for a suplex but Komander wiggles out of it to be back on the apron. Komander looking for flying armdrag from the top rope. It’s a bad spot that was sloppy as Claudio runs towards Komander with a boot to the face to rock the challenger outside the ring. Komander flung between the ropes as Claudio follows up with a ddt as we head into our first set of ad-breaks.
We are back as both men are fighting on top of the ropes as Komander managers to reverse a ricola bomb to send Claudio onto the canvas, back first! Komander with a dropkick to the face and knee and a spinning hurricana. The ROH champion is rocked as Komander follows up with a pretty moonsault. Action spills back outside the ring again as Claudio is caught up on the ringside barricades. Komander walking the barricades now and connects with a shooting star press as the fans are loving this match! Action goes back inside where both men are now trading chops and strikes. Claudio wins with one mean uppercut as he follows up with a cover. Our challenger kicks out as Claudio steps in with a short clothesline for another near fall. Claudio misses another flying uppercut attempt as Komander connects with a ddt with help from the top turnbuckle for a near fall! Cradle pin attempt by the challenger as Claudio kicks out. Komander with the double-jump phoenix splash as the champ kicks out! The champion kicks out! Komander walks the ropes and tries for a shooting star press as Claudio moves out the way. Komander tries for the ropes again and this time Claudio rocks him with a flying uppercut as the referee steps in to stop the match. Komander apparently is knocked out! Gawd damn what a finish!

Winner:Claudio Castanogli (15:00)
Rating: ****
Knocked him out so good that Suge Knight remembered when he got knocked out like that! This was a fantastic opener that honestly should’ve closed out the show. Tony Khan and crew missed out on a great opportunity here to continue the hatred story arc that Eddie Kingston has for Claudio. For those who don’t know why these two have been beefing so hard, it goes back years prior. Only the diehards are really going to know about that arc honestly. They honestly should’ve had Kingston come out and try to brawl with Claudio as officials break them up. That to the side thought I dug this match. Komander has to take it easy with all those spots from the top ropes. No reason to be spamming all out like that for a tv show. Save that stuff for ppvs. Love to se more of him on weekly programming.

MATCH 2: Shawn Spears vs The Blade

Nice and strong lockup as ref steps in to try and break it up. Both men feeling each other out as they 1-up each other, each time. Eventually, Spears connects with a snapmare and flexes his ass at him. This sends Blade into a fury as he charges and gets sent over the top rope. Spears still the aggressor as he chops on the chest repeatedly before sending Blade into the steps, face first! Referee is allowing for these men to go at it as she’s being lazy with the counting. It’s like a game freezing with the referee, I tell you. Blade gets the attention of the ref as Butcher delivers some hits to soften Spears up good. Blade is able to capitalize as he finally returns a few chops of his own. Spears with a Lou Thez press and a short-arm lariat as the fans are loving it. Spears getting Blade in the corner as he tries going for a ten count with fists to the face but Blade gets out the way in time. Spears quickly takes to the sky as Blade gets back in the ring to try and charge at Spears. We soon see Shawn Spears leapfrog over Blade to get baited into running in the arms of Spears who connects with the C4 for the victory.

Winner:Shawn Spears (5:00)
Rating: ***
Solid stuff right here from both men who I’ve been a fan of since they started in AEW! More please! Not sure about you guys but I’d love to see more of Spears on Collision. That goes for Butcher and Blade as well!

Mens Owen Hart preview is shown as we have Harley Cameron sings her ass off to introduce John Morrison and QT Marshall. Somewhere Jillian Hall is going, “and they thought I was bad…”

MATCH 3: John Morrison aka Johnny TV and QT Marshall vs Matt Hardy and Isiah Cassidy

Johnny TV with rights and left hands on Hardy and then a nice roundhouse kick. Johnny with a short running moonsault that misses as Hardy tags in Cassidy. Cassidy connects with a diving crossbody and connects with a hurricana! Nice stun gun on QT follows Cassidy goes out to deliver a big right hand to him. Meanwhile, Johnny TV connects on a flying corkscrew to lay Cassidy out as we head into another set of ad breaks. We are back as Cassidy connects with a enziguri that sends him into tagging QT. Cassidy manages to reverse an attack to tag in Hardy who’s coming in white hot! Side effect on QT as Hardy is now delivering haymakers to Johnny, followed by a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Hardy drops the elbow from the middle rope as he calls for the twist of fate. Johnny does his best to fight it off as Matt settles for turning it into a ddt! Cover attempt made as QT breaks it up. QT with an elbow strike to Hardy after sending Cassidy over the top rope. Meanwhile, Johnny with the nice side-step kick from the ropes for another near fall. Johnny to the top and misses a corkscrew attack. QT sent to the outside as Matt and Cassidy clothesline Johnny outside as well. Cassidy lunges off the break of Hardy to crash into QT and Johnny. Hardy the side effect on Johnny as Harley distracts Isiah from trying to do a high spot. QT takes advantage as he low-blows Cassidy. QT sweeps out the leg of Hardy and rams him into the steps as Johnny connects with starship pain onto Cassidy for the three count.

Winner:QT Marshall and Johnny TV (10:00)
Rating: ***
Gotta say I’m loving Matt and Isiah as a team, sorry Jeff! Johnny TV does add a new layer of fun curiosity with QT and I’m loving it. This was a solid tag match for what it was worth with a simple formula.

Post match, QT and Johnny mock Ethan Page and persuade him to try and join them. Page takes off his shirt and tries fighting them as they lay him out. The Acclaimed come out for the save as we head into another set of commercials.

MATCH 4: Shida vs Taya Valkyrie

Waist lock by Taya as she drops down Shida. Shida grabs onto the wrist to bring Taya down. Jumping knee to the corner by Shida as she follows up with right hands repeatedly, battering Taya in the corner. Shida with a shot to the face and a hurricana that sends Taya outside the ring. Shida grabs a steel chair to set up. Taya moves out of the way to get back in the ring. Shida with a enziguri as Taya comes back with a chop to the face and the chest. A strong whip into the corner follows as Taya sweeps out the leg and rams it into the ring post as we head into our last set of ad breaks. We are back as Shida has barely been able to stand on her feet as she tries to go for a suplex as Taya fights out of it and connects with an elbow strike. Shida comes back with big elbow strikes of her own. Shida follows up with strikes, after strikes and a jumping knee as Taya kicks out from a pinning predicament. Shida looking for something on the ropes as she’s gingerly climbing but Taya clips her up and sends her crashing outside. Shida manages to reverse a suplex as she runs to the apron and connects with a flying knee as she favors her knee. Action goes back inside where Shida connects with a running elbow as somehow Taya kicks out! Shida tries looking for the katana but is blocked as Taya sends her knee first, into the corner! Taya with the double knee strike in the corner as she goes for the cover. Somehow Shida kicks out as Taya goes for what looks like a Romero special as Shida kicks her way out and delivers an upkick. Shida charges as Taya catches her and looks for the road to Valhalla as Shida counters it into a cradle pin attempt. Taya counters it as somehow Shida reverses it to score the win!

b>Winner:Shida (9:00)
Rating: ***
Best showing for Taya yet since she came to AEW. This is how Taya should’ve started off in AEW honestly. I’m not sure how I feel about Taya losing here as I have to see where it goes. If it continues to have her go down a mental breakdown then I’m all for the move. Shida has been on one helluva mean streak since resurfacing. I’m loving it as I’d eventually like to see her challenge for the AEW Womens Championship, how about you?

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

A nice rebound from last week given it was pretty much all about Forbidden Door. Rampage continues to be a show in limbo that doesn’t really bridge the gap well from Dynamite to Collision except to announce matches. We need to see developing story arcs that overlap. Not saying there needs to be multitudes of it on Rampage, but sprinkles here and there. With shows like what they put out in this one, this is the right type of formula for AEW. Now they just need to have some story arcs introduced from Dynamite or Collision continue onwards on Rampage. For starters, follow up on MJF and Adam Cole bonding on their night out of the town. I’m sure you all can think of other examples from there, sound off 411MANIACS! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go play some AEW FIGHT FOREVER! Review to come soon! 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!