Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 8.2.24

Happy Fantastic Friday and Summerslam weekend everyone! Lee Sanders is back with you all for another AEW Rampage edition! Let’s hope what we’ve been getting the past couple of weeks is better tonight.

Don’t forget to set and check your DVRs. Saturday night’s edition of AEW Collision will air at a special start time of 5:00 PM EST on TNT. Let’s jump into the action already!

Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Location: Greenville, SC
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

MATCH 1: Wheeler Yuta vs The Butcher

A few exchanges and reversals for a stalemate. There is a big elbow strike from Butcher as Yuta comes back with his own strikes. Yuta gets in an octopus hold and it soon turns into a rolling pinning scenario. Butcher kicks out as he backs Yuta into the corner afterward. A big lariat and series of strikes follow as he almost gets a near fall. Yuta continues trading strike for strike with Butcher. A bad idea as Butcher hits a backbody drop. Yuta sends the big man through the ropes followed by a flying dive from between the ropes. Butcher tossed back into the ring and into the turnbuckle. Butcher does a sidestep to have Yuta crash into the canvas. Butcher hits a backbreaker as we head into our first set of commercials. We are back as both men are fighting in the corner where Yuta hits a big crossbody from the top! Yuta hits a flying clothesline, followed by a Manhattan drop / enziguri combo. An elbow strike follows along with a flying forearm smash! Yuta is looking good as he hits a deadlift German suplex for a near fall. Yuta tries looking for the Kimora lock but Butcher gets to his feet and hits a powerbomb for a kickout. Yuta smacks Butcher hard in the face as Butcher clubs his back like there’s no tomorrow. Yuta hits a hammerlock throw into the corner. Yuta follows it up by grabbing him from behind to set up the cattle mutilation for the victory.

Winner: Wheeler Yuta(10 minutes)
Rating:**
Pretty solid and quite believable the way it was executed!

MATCH 2: Brian Cage vs Manny Lo

A shoulder tackle, capture suplex, cutter, and weapon x later, this one is done. Yes, Tony Schiavone, that move is called the weapon x.

Winner: Brian Cage (1 minute)
Rating:NR
SQUASH…SQUASH…SQUASH!

MATCH 3: Nyla Rose vs Harley Cameron

Harley shows spunk as she takes a slug at Nyla. Nyla ends up leaning her shoulder into Harley for a knockdown. The move is followed up with another shoulder tackle. Harley ends up getting thrown outside as Nyla hits a baseball slide. Harley ends up pushing Nyla into the barricades as the action heads back into the ring. Nyla is sent face-first into a corner as we head into another set of commercials. We are back as Nyla hits a leg drop and an elbow for a kickout. Harley counters with a jawbreaker. Harley tries for a crossbody as Nyla catches her for a slam. Nyla follows it up with a cannonball but no one is home. Harley hits a running knee as Nyla kicks out. Harley hits a leg scissors takedown as she climbs the ropes for a bronco buster. Nyla hits a running beast bomb from out of nowhere as Harley over overzealous in the corner! Nyla scores the pinfall victory.

Winner: Nyla Rose (11 minutes)
Rating:**
Always great seeing Nyla. Harley showed a lot of spunk! She’s coming along quite well as a singles competitor.

MATCH 4: Brian Keith Jackson Drake

Rake to the eyes, kick to the chest, and a strong whip into the corner to open this one. Keith follows up with a boot to the throat before raking the eyes again. Keith is just bullying this man. It’s a one-man ass-kicking battle. A big boot from Keith follows along with the diamond dust to end this one. Thank god!

Winner: Brian Keith (3 minutes)
Rating:NR
Way too long for a squash match. Speaking of squash…SQUASH…SQUASH…SQUASH!!!

MATCH 5: MXM Collection vs Private Party

Mansoor and Mason Madden, former WWE releases make their Rampage debut. Mansoor and Kassidy open this main event. Mansoor hits a shoulder tackle before hitting a pose as Kassidy hits a dropkick. Madden enters and throws Kassidy into the corner. A clubbing blow to the back follows as Quen is tagged and hits a dropkick as we head into our final set of commercials. Our main event continues as Kassidy hits the hot tag to Quen. Quen hits a flurry of strikes and a tackle, followed by a moonsault press on Mansoor. Madden is superkicked as they try for a double suplex but Madden reverses the move. Big elbow strike by Mansoor to Kassidy. Kassidy hits a big DDT and dropkicks Madden! Kassidy follows it up with a dive outside but gets the Big Bossman slam by Madden! Quen hits a flip to the outside as he gets Kassidy to tag him in. Madden chokeslams Quen as he and Mansoor double-team on him for the victory.

Winner: MXM Collection (11 minutes)
Rating:**
Not too shabby but MXM does nothing for me personally but to each its own.

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!

6.8

The final score: review Average

The 411

Not a drastic improvement from the past two weeks worth of Rampage episodes but an improvement nonetheless. Honestly, I would recommend watching Butcher vs Yuta from this episode. Everything else is honestly an afterthought except for the main event which was decent. I know MXM is catching some waves online and on the indies right now. I never clicked with them when they were in WWE, and I’m not clicking with them now. Sucks that Private Party had to lose to these guys but they looked good in defeat. Longtime readers know I’ve been big on Private Party for years. I want to see them climb the ranks of the tag division and become champions already. Let that sink in for a moment. We’ve been watching this team since 2019 and injuries put to the side, they’ve yet to win tag titles. Not even from the ROH division. Here’s hoping that before 2024 is out, Private Party scores gold. If the rumors are true about Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin coming to AEW, then I’d love to see Private Party join their ranks. Talk about a rub and boost! 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!