Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 7.5.24

Happy fantastic Friday, everyone! I hope your 4th of July holiday was a good one. I’m looking forward to Amazon Prime Day. Anyway, it’s AEW Rampage time! Let’s go!

Venue: Wintrust Arena
Location: Chicago, IL
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

MATCH 1: RUSH Orange vs Komander

Komander wants a handshake but doesn’t get one as he’s sent to the mat. Swing and a miss as Komander comes off the ropes and hits a huricarana that sends RUSH to the outside. RUSH rebounds on offense as he chops Komander while tossing him into multiple barricades. RUSH introduces a steel chair into the mix as he’s on the verge of disqualification. RUSH throws it in the ring as he settles for a pair of cable wires. RUSH chokes Komander with those cables as the referee is busy tossing the chair outside the ring. Action back inside the ring as RUSH hits a power slam and a double stomp from the side ropes. Komander hits RUSH with a DDT as his opponent rolls the outside. Komander tries for a huricarana as RUSH catches him and slings him into the barricades! Our match continues, and Komander is chopped and stomped on in the corner. A kick to the jaw follows as RUSH is being too cocky in this match. Komander is set up on the top rope in the corner as he’s kicked in the ribs. RUSH misses a dropkick as Komander hits a spinning corkscrew. A low dropkick to the knees follows up as Komander hits a tope on the outside! Moonsault from the top rope follows as Komander is red hot! A shooting star press follows as RUSH kicks out. Komander follows up with a crucifix pin for a near fall. RUSH with a headbutt to the jaw to stun his opponent. RUSH hits a suplex and pin combo for a kickout. RUSH takes Komander outside the ropes and on the apron as he tosses Komander to the floor! Action back inside the ring as RUSH hits the dropkick horns to end this one.

Winner: RUSH (10 minutes)
Rating:**
Just a one man ass kicking match. Nothing to see here.

Rene Paquette is with Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett. Strong is furious with Ishi, as it’s been over 3,000 days since they collided for the ROH World title. Strong has a receipt he wants to cash on on Ishi. Meanwhile, Strong calls out Kyle O’Reilly and reminds him he’ll do what he does best with him. Strong seeks to prove to Reilly that his best purpose in life is working beside him.

MATCH 2: Kyle Fletcher & Takeshita vs Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy

They had to show that one heavy fan gyrating to Private Party’s theme. That image will live forever on social media! Kassidy and Fletcher to start things. Nice armdrag by Kassidy from off the ropes. Quen is tagged as he hits a pretty dropkick from the top rope. Takeshita tagged as he’s bringing down right hands on Quen. Quen gets off a backheel kick from the corner as Private Party combines for some double-team action. It’s reversed as Takeshita hits a double-back suplex. Takeshita hits a big senton on both men with help from Fletcher. Back from commercial breaks as Quen and Fletcher are tagged. Kassidy hits a big crossbody, followed by leg scissors to send Fletcher outside. The same thing happens to Takeshita as Kassidy hits both men over the top rope. Kassidy hits a senton, and Queen tries a 450 splash. Fletcher manages to get his knees up in time. Meanwhile, Takeshita hits a deadlift back suplex on Quen. Fletcher follows up with a dropkick. Both men are hit with brainbusters as somehow Private Party kicks out! Out of nowhere, Quen and Kassidy hit gin & juice, followed by the silly string! Quen with a 450 on Takeshita as Takeshita kicks out! Kassidy, meanwhile, went over the top to crash into Fletcher. Takeshita sent over the ropes as he hit a clothesline on both men. Fletcher tagged as he hit a snap suplex! Takeshita hits a thunder bomb on Kassidy as Fletcher hits a tombstone for the win.

Winner: Takeshita & Fletcher (10 minutes)
Rating:**
Solid match as Fletcher & Takeshita make one helluva tag team.

Footage from earlier in the week shows Don Callis pitching to RUSH. It would appear that RUSH likes the idea of joining forces. Elsewhere, the footage shows MJF turning on Daniel Garcia.

MATCH 3: Kyle O’Reilly vs GPA

Blink, and you missed it.

Winner: Kyle O’Reilly (1 minute)
Rating:NR
SQUASH…SQUASH…SQAUSH!

A vignette of Samoa Joe promoting the massacre of Chris Jericho in Calgary next week.

MATCH 4: Owen Hart Tournament – Mariah May vs Hikaru Shida

A few reversals and strikes hit a stalemate. Both girls exchange forearm strikes on the face. With a knee to the face, Shida followed up with a few punches to the head. May hits a dropkick, followed by a few open-palm strikes as Shida rests on the ropes. May with a kick to the face as she goes for a cover. It’s a kick out for Shida as May kicks Shida in the head and tries to set her up for a powerbomb onto the floor. Shida reverses it and sets May up between the ropes and side apron for a kick to the head. We are back from our final set of commercials. May is making a comeback with a series of attacks. Shida is set up in the corner as she hits a huricarana. May takes to the top and hits a John Woo dropkick for a near fall. May hits a clothesline and is elevated over the ropes when she tries for another attack. Shida hits an enziguri followed by a back suplex for a two-count! Shida unleashes punches to the back of the head as May catches her with a spinning side slam from the ropes. May denied the hip attack as Shida hits a back suplex. May no-sells as she hits one of her own. Shida hits a falcon arrow for a kickout! May hits a back suplex and the hip attack! May thinking storm zero as it’s reversed. Shida almost hits a win as Mariah counters the katana with a bridge with a pin attempt, and she scores the victory!

Winner: Mariah May (12 minutes)
Rating:**
It wasn’t pretty as May struggled in many parts. It was not a terrible match but not a good match either, as our finals are now set.

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 you all!

5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Not a terrible episode but not exactly a good one either. Normally I come on here and say for some of these Rampage episodes that it was a 1 or 2 match edition. I follow it up with matches you should check out. There is nothing here I can recommend this week as everything was below average. I appreciate Tony Khan and crew closing out the show with Shida vs Mariah May but I’ve seen better women’s matches on Rampage than what I saw this week. Mariah May struggled throughout the match with only a few, and I do mean few bright spots. I’m honestly looking more forward to AEW Collision and Dynamite than anything I saw here tonight. I’m willing to give AEW a pass as it’s holiday weekend after all. Nothing earth shattering this week as you didn’t miss anything. Honestly for me a first real dub of a Rampage episode I’ve seen in weeks. I have to go back and check but I think so far in 2024, this is the second lowest rating I’ve given. 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 you all!