Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 8.16.24

Happy Fantastic Friday, everyone! Lee Sanders is back with you all for another edition of AEW Rampage!
Tonight’s card sees the following:

The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum) & Butcher
Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) vs. MxM Collection (Mason Madden & Mansoor)
Kip Sabian vs. Nick Wayne
Nyla Rose in action
RUSH & Kyle Fletcher in action
Saraya speaks!

Before we go any further, I’d like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and fans of wrestling legend Afa Anoa’i, uncle of Roman Reigns, who passed away this week at 81. This latest passing comes weeks after Reigns’ father, Sika, the other tag partner of the Wild Samoans, passed away. For myself and all of us here at 411Mania, we wish the Anoa’i family the best.

Venue: Chartway Arena
City: Norfolk, VA
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

MATCH 1: Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, Tomohiro Ishii vs Butcher, Turbo Floyd, Truth Magnum

Briscoe and Butcher open things up. Butcher soon tags Turbo Floyd. Ishii tags himself in as he lands a couple of chops on Floyd. Floyd gets chopped big time by Team Cassidy. Ishii demands Floyd slap him hard. Floyd goes for it, but Ishii no-sells as he chops Floyd silly! Briscoe tagged back in as he hit a couple of chops of his own. Briscoe follows up with clubs to the back. Floyd tags Magnum as Butcher sends Briscoe into the barricades, dragging him from the bottom ropes. We are back from commercials, as Briscoe desperately needs a tag. Floyd tries to get a suplex, but Briscoe is fighting it off. Briscoe reverses the attempt and tags Ishii as he hits a German suplex. A big shoulder block follows as he hits a brainbuster on Floyd! Ishii chops on Mangum when Butcher tries coming in. Ishii with a shoulder block as Cassidy is tagged. Cassidy hits a dive between the ropes onto the Outrunners. Butcher hits a lower blow on Briscoe and tries for a powerbomb, but it’s reversed when Cassidy hits the Orange punch! Ishii hits a clothesline on Floyd! Briscoe hits an underhook J-driller on Floyd for the victory!

Winner: Team Cassidy (10 minutes)
Rating:**
Decent tag match opener. Nothing too flashy or amazing. Overall, it was a well-rounded tag match!

MATCH 2: Nyla Rose vs Erica Leigh aka Bootleg Kristen Wiig

Powerslam, senton drop, boot to the jaw, crossbody, beast bomb later, and it’s over!

Winner: Nyla Rose (1 minute)
Rating:NR
SQUASH…SQUASH…SQUASH!

Back from another set of commercials, Saraya and Harley Cameron are in the ring. This weekend is Saraya’s birthday, and Harley is disappointed no one got Saraya anything. Saraya recaps winning the AEW Women’s Championship, losing it without getting her rematch. Saraya is still salty she’s not getting a spot on the ALL IN card. Classic Toni Storm interrupts to tell Saraya she’s turned into a pasty pile of dung. Storm challenges Saraya to a match on Dynamite for the championship!

MATCH 3: Nick Wayne Nyla Rose vs Kip Sabian

Christian Cage said I don’t do AEW RAMPAGE, brother! Settle for Nick’s mom and Killswitch instead.
Lockup to begin this one. Wayne with a slap to the face as he runs out of the ring to regroup and mock Sabian. Back inside, we see Cage watching from a monitor backstage. There he is! Sabian with an enziguri and a gutbuster for a near fall. Wayne counters with a couple of right hands to Sabian. The action spills outside as Sabian hits a moonsault. Mother Wayne tells Sabian to back up. Mother Wayne looks more intimidating than Nick Wayne! She should be fighting Sabian! We are back as both men are no-selling suplexes, and half & half’s like it’s nothing as Wayne hits an underhook DDT! Wayne gets a two-count for his efforts! Sabian avoids Wayne’s world as Mother Wayne distracts while Killswitch hits the headbutt. Wayne hits Wayne’s world for the victory!

Winner: Nick Wayne (7 minutes)
Rating:*
Not a bad match, just right. The commercial break cut into it big time, though. At least we got to see Nick Wayne’s mom!

MATCH 4: Rush & Kyle Fletcher vs KM & Rhett Titus aka Victims 110 & 111

Blink and you’ll miss it!

Winner: Rush & Fletcher (2 minutes)
Rating:NR
SQUASH…SQUASH…SQUASH!!

MATCH 5: Top Flight vs MXM Collection

Top Flight wearing airplane uniforms? It looks like something out of an adult film with Leila Grey out there! I’ll take it, folks! Mansoor and Dante exchange reversals. Mansoor with a scoop and slam, followed by an elbow drop. Dante with a couple of arm drags and an excellent controlled arm lock. Darius and Madden are tagged as well. Madden with a chop to the chest that sounds like a gunshot! Madden follows up with the Final Cut as Mansoor is tagged again. Nice Manhattan drop/hip attack combo for MXM. Top Flight sends MXM outside as they both hit dives from between the ropes! Back from the final set of commercials as Dante hits Mansoor with a crossbody for a kickout. Dante with a fireman’s carry as Madden breaks it up. Madden tries for a double chokeslam as Top Flight hits him with a double airplane spin. The duo follows it up with a double dropkick. Mansoor with a swing and a miss as Madden breaks up a pin attempt. Madden hits a spinning slam on Darius. MXM hit Darius with a chokeslam/pin combo as Dante somehow kicked out! Dante with a leaping knee to the face as Top Flight plays pin-pong with Madden! Mansoor with a backslide on Darius for a kick out. Darius hits a brainbuster as Dante hits a body splash for the win!

Winner: Top Flight (10 minutes)
Rating:**
Solid main event. The Top Flight costume change is growing on me already. It doesn’t hurt that Leila Grey is out there, too! LAWD HAM MERCY!

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!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Love that Top Flight got a slight facelift and them closing out the show. Toni Storm making a cameo to challenge Saraya for next weeks Dynamite was a nice bonus. That move gives a nice incentive for watching Rampage while pushing matches and story arcs for the main shows. I love the Outrunners as much as the next person but these guys gotta start getting wins. They are such a good tag team. Speaking of teams, Outrunners and Butcher click well. Would love to see more matches with them in the future. Beyond that? A forgettable episode this week. Not terrible by any stretch but nothing to bend over backwards to check out. 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!