wrestling / TV Reports
Sanders’ AEW Rampage Review 9.15.23
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Wassup people! Lee Sanders back with you all on this lovely Friday! We’re finally experiencing Fall temperatures on the east coast side as it’s been perfect weather this week. We got a new AEW RAMPAGE this week as sees the AEW TBS Championship defended by Kris Statlander against Jade Cargill. Meanwhile, Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal vs. The Kingdom. Elsewhere, Lucha Bros & The Hardys vs. Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, The Butcher & The Blade. Finally, The Acclaimed in action! Should be a pretty solid show this week.
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho
Venue: Heritage Bank Center
Location: Cincinnati, OH
MATCH 1: Lucha Bros & The Hardys vs. Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, The Butcher & The Blade
Jeff Hardy tagged in as Matt soon gets tagged in and delivers a diving elbow from the middle rope onto Butcher. Jeff tagged in as he continues to work on the arm of Butcher. Blade tries getting in as he’s seen enough of the brothers tag teaming on Butcher and gets taken out by the brothers. Sonjay Dutt ends up grabbing on the ankle on Matt to give Team Jarrett the advantage on offense. Lethal tagged in now as he begins mocking Penta’s dance moves while choking out Matt on the middle ropes. Jeff Jarrett tagged in as he delivers a Russian leg sweep on Matt as we head into our first set of ad breaks. We are back as Matt tries looking for a tag and gets Fenix! Fenix with a nice step-up kick from the ropes and a cutter to Blade! Fenix follows up by running the top rope to punt both Jarrett and Lethal in their heads! Butcher sent over the ropes as Penta takes flight with a tope to crash into Jarrett and Lethal. Fenix tries to do the same thing but is stopped by Blade as the two of them are fighting by the barricades. Alex tries climbing to the top and is derailed by Sonjay as Alex clocks him over the head. Alex resumes climbing as Kip Sabian tries to interfere and gets eye poked! Alex climbs again and leaps as Satnam Sighn catches him and tosses him into the barricades. Fenix with a kick to Satnam, followed by a cork screw dive to crash into team Jarrett. Fenix and Blade in the ring as Fenix connects with a driving falcon arrow for the victory.
Winner:Team Hardys (9 minutes)
Rating:***
Solid opener, not enough from Penta as he seemed more of a non-factor in this one. That to the side thought this was overall good. Nice to see some of the silliness that was surrounding Team Jarrett in recent weeks scaled back. At this point let it all come from Lethal as he’s pure gold with the right material.
Post-match The Righteous come out to glance over Matt and Jeff Hardy after Lethal and Jarrett beat them down at the stage ramp. Elsewhere, Rene Paquette interviews Britt Baker as she wants to know what’s next for the former Womens Champion. Britt talks about how nothing has really gone her way the past few months but that’s about to change as she’s on a quest to hold the TBS and AEW Womens Championship at the same time. She’s challenging the winner between Jade and Kris in the main event for the TBS title this weekend on Collision. Keep this woman away from both titles please. Have Britt challenge? Sure I’m down with that but winning them is a hard no for me.
We are back as it’s QTV time! The gang wonders if QT is coming back as Johnny TV assures them that he will. This QTV crew seems lost without QT it seems as we head to our second match.
https://x.com/aew/status/1702869869027361222?s=61&t=7ewW8cGwrIrJMCdNsDzwiA
MATCH 2:Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal vs Matt Taven and Mike Bennett
Daniels and Bennett to kick things off as they exchange holds and reversals in the opening minutes. Daniels with a couple of arm drags and a nice toe-hold as Sydal is tagged in. Sydal scoop slams Daniels Bennett as Sydal follows up with a standing-back moonsault. Taven is tagged in as Sydal catches him with a leg scissors takedown. Daniels and Sydal with some double team action on Bennett. Daniels the legal man as Taven delivers a dropkick to send Daniels off the ropes. Bennett follows up with an elbow to the face of Daniels as we head into our next set of ad breaks. We are back as Taven catches Sydal with a Blue Thunder Bomb as Daniels breaks it up! Taven misses a moonsault on to Daniels as Sydal tags Daniels. Some combination offense by Daniels and Sydal but it’s not enough as Bennett breaks it up. Bennett with the death valley driver on Sydal. Kingdom with a lethal combination as Bennett puts Daniels over his shoulders in a sitting position as Taven kicks Daniels head off for the win!
Winner:The Kingdom (8 minutes)
Rating:***
Another solid match. I appreciate Kingdom building up some momentum to this weekend as Roderick has been on a roll in recent weeks with the neck brace gimmick. Even more of an extra treat was getting to see Christopher Daniels in action. The man can still hang with the best of them. I’d love to see more of him and Sydal on AEW programming as they make a pretty good tag team. Very good tag synergy.
Kingdom hypes up this month being Neck Health Awareness month. It’s a pretty hilarious segment as I’ll post a video of it below when it becomes available. Meanwhile, Rene is backstage with Embassy Mogul as Prince Nana is upset with Young Bucks sticking their noses in their business. Gates of Agony and Brian Cage will be facing the Hung Bucks and Hangman at Grand Slam. Yes, Hung Bucks folks as that was said by Swerve Strickland.
https://x.com/aew/status/1702873612556861614?s=61&t=7ewW8cGwrIrJMCdNsDzwiA
MATCH 3: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn vs Outrunners and Peter Avalon
And a leg drop, famasser, and mic drop later on Avalon, and it’s over!
Winner:The Acclaimed (2 minutes)
Rating:NR
Sqaush…Squash…SQUASH!
Dark Order comes out crying for a shot at the Trios titles because gosh darn it they deserve it! A singles match is proposed for Collision as Anthony Bowens offers to face whoever after a game of rock, paper, scissors fails between him, Billy Gunn, and Caster. We head into our nest set of ad breaks. Side note, the new Aquaman 2 trailer looks meh. What say you folks?
MATCH 4: Aussie Open vs Damian Chambers & Lord Crewe
If you blinked, you missed it as Chambers and Lord get a double collision-sandwich back bomb, clotheslines, and the Coriolis for the win.
b>Winner:The Acclaimed (30 seconds)
Rating:NR
Sqaush…Squash…SQUASH!
Excalibur gives a rundown for this weekends Collision, next weeks DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and WrestleDream. Take a drink of water, Excalibur!
MATCH 5: TBS Championship-Jade Cargill vs Kris Statlander(c)
Nice lockup as the girls come to a stalemate off the break. Another attempt as Jade delivers a knee to the midsection while Britt Baker looks on from the backstage area. Meanwhile, Jade and Kris try clotheslining one another but neither is budging. Statlander with a nice scoop slam but misses a pump kick. Jade is sent over the ropes as Kris tries for a crossbody. Jade catches her and tosses her onto the apron, stomach first as we head into our final set of ad breaks. We are back to our main event as both women are trying for a delayed vertical suplex. Jade gets the best of this one as she pulls it off. Jade tries for another one as Statlander comes in with a delayed vertical suplex of her own. Statlander with an uppercut and a knee streak in the corner, followed by a blue thunder bomb for a near fall! Mark Sterling climbs up on the apron as Jade is about to attack Kris from behind. Kris moves out the way in time as Jade catches herself. Kris comes in and hits Sterling while Jade hits Kris with Jaded, but not so fast! Kris reverses Jaded for a rollup as Jade quickly kicks out. Jade with a chokeslam for a near fall. Jade tried for Jaded again as Statlander hits a clothesline and a scissors kick! Statlander with the Friday Night Fever for the retain!
Winner:Kris Statlander (10 minutes)
Rating:***
Nice main event! If the reports are true and Jade is done with AEW, this was a good way to go out. I’m going to miss her contributions to the AEW Womens division as she was one of the best things that consistently was good in AEW. The way Tony Khan and crew built her up was exceptionally good except for when her streak came to an end. That could’ve been executed a little better but overall Jade was booked pretty well. This win over Jade helps Kris come off more as a legit champion. Sure, one can say Kris was lucky on the first attempt. To defeat someone for a second time however? That takes skill as Statlander is the only one to give Jade Cargill two defeats in singles matches. That’s great bragging rights and is the perfect template to continue building Statlander. A match with Britt Baker will continue to expand on Statlander’s current reign.
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!
