Reviews

The John Report: AEW Rampage 11/19/21 Review

By John Canton • Published 20th November 2021

It’s AEW Rampage featuring a tag team main event with Jurassic Express teaming up to face old friends Adam Cole & Bobby Fish.

This is AEW Rampage from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. It was taped on Wednesday night. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport. Let’s get to it.

The pyro went off on the stage with Excalibur welcoming us to the show with Taz, the yeller Chris Jericho and Ricky Starks as the other announcers. Starks should be in the ring more often. Maybe they don’t have him wrestle much because of the bad neck, but I think if Ricky is healthy, he is underused as much as anybody in the company.

Darby Allin entered with 28-4 record in 2021 with “uncle” Sting joining him. Billy Gunn was the opponent with a 43-6 record in AEW because I guess he beats a lot of jobbers on the Youtube shows that I don’t watch. Shouldn’t a 58-year-old guy like Billy put over younger talent more often? I guess it doesn’t matter. Kudos to Billy for being in great shape. Billy had his sons Austin and Colten with him. Gunn Club is undefeated as a tag team this year and a trios team.

Darby Allin (w/Sting) vs. Billy Gunn (w/Austin & Colten Gunn)

There were fans chanting “Mr. Ass” and Billy nearly pulled down his trunks, but he stopped himself. Thanks Billy. Darby tried a lockup, but Billy swung Allin around to slam him into the mat. Allin with a slap to the face, but then Billy came back with a back body drop across the ring with Jericho yelling about how Darby was hurting since he had bandages around his waist. Billy tossed Allin down by holding the ribs. Sting had a staredown with Billy on the floor. They are similar in age at least. Billy got in Sting’s face on the floor and then pulled Allin off the apron to the floor. Allin with a kick that knocked Billy off the apron to the floor. Allin went for a suicide dive, Billy moved and Allin hit the floor hard. They went for a 90-second picture in picture break.

(Commercial)

Billy remained on offense with forearms while Allin was on the turnbuckle, so Allin bit Billy’s head and Allin hit a Coffin Drop on two Gunn Club guys on the floor. Billy held Allin by the tape and tossed him across the ring. Billy did a Sting-like yell followed by a DX chop and missed a corner splash by a lot. Allin hit a flipping Stunner. Allin went for a Code Red (sunset flip Powerbomb) that looked painful to watch since Billy barely rotated for it. Allin up top, Coffin Drop for not even a one count. What? Allin went up top and this time he covered Gunn for the three count with Billy kicking out right after the three count. This got nine minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Darby Allin

Analysis: *1/2 It was a boring match with Allin finding a way to get the win. Darby lost at Full Gear, so he gets a win back here. Billy got a lot of offense and worked at a very slow pace the whole way. The fact that it took two Coffin Drops to put away Billy is silly and it should only take one. If AEW airs less Billy Gunn matches on TV in the future that would be a good thing. Congrats to Gunn Club for being undefeated somehow.

Post match, Austin and Colten went after Allin, so Sting punched and clotheslined them both out of the ring. Nice of the guys to stand against the ropes like that. Billy got back up with a chop block to the leg. Billy punched Sting a few times with Sting staying down. That ended it.

Analysis: I guess this will lead to Sting/Allin vs. Gunn Club soon. Hopefully Allin gets a more meaningful feud where he can get the win since he lost to MJF and CM Punk at the last two PPVs.

They showed the video of CM Punk interrupting MJF on Dynamite, MJF wanted a handshake and Punk just left with a smirk on his face.

QT Marshall was interviewed by Tony Schiavone with Marshall saying he was going to beat up CM Punk on Dynamite next week in Chicago. Marshall ripped on Punk being a quitter and a guy that was worried that Marshall was to make Punk go to sleep. Marshall asked if Tony saw what he did there. Yeah, we all did.

Analysis: Punk should get the win in under five minutes, but it’s AEW, so they will want Marshall to get some moves in and go too long.

(Commercial)

They showed a video of Inner Circle after Full Gear with Chris Jericho talking about their big win and saying it’s us against the world.

Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page did a promo with Sky saying Inner Circle got just one victory. Sky said that they are far from finished with them. Page mentioned that they beat Dan Lambert, who didn’t want to be in the match in the first place. Page said that Lambert didn’t give up and this was not the last you’ve seen of American Top Team.

Analysis: I’m glad there will be more American Top Team. They were very good and I enjoy the Lambert promos. Sky and Ethan Not Adam Page are both great as well.

TBS Tournament Quarterfinals: Jade Cargill (w/Smart Mark Sterling) vs. Red Velvet

Jade Cargill is 18-0 and a fan has a sign that says “Jade is that bitch.” That sign is actually a compliment. Red Velvet is 19-4 this year. They exchanged strikes to start the match, Velvet avoided a kick and then Velvet tried a sunset flip, but Jade got out of it. Velvet with a spin kick, Cargill caught her and hit a fallaway slam (without falling) across the ring. Cargill with a spinning slam. Velvet hit a running leg lariat to knock Cargill out of the ring. Velvet tried a suicide dive or something and then Cargill punched her. That didn’t look good at all. Cargill hit a uranage slam on the apron.

(Commercial)

Cargill remained in control by tossing Velvet across the ring followed by some push-ups. Cargill charged, Velvet with boots to the face and jumping clotheslines. Velvet hit a leaping bulldog, a slap to the face and a double knee to the back. Cargill with a leapfrog over Velvet followed by Jade hitting a pump kick. Cargill lifted Velvet, then Velvet fell back on her and they had a sloppy pin attempt for Velvet for two. That pin didn’t look good. Velvet with a Spear for two. Jade avoided a kick and hit the Glam Slam that she calls Jaded for the pinfall win after ten minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Jade Cargill

Analysis: ** It was okay. Cargill has the physical tools to be great, but she’s still green in some ways in terms of doing the spots and some of the basic moves in a pro wrestling match. Velvet shows a lot of fire as a babyface although I don’t think they are ever going to push her that much. Cargill’s finisher is good for her because it’s a power move fitting for the style of wrestler that she is.

Jade Cargill moves on to the semifinals to face the winner of Thunder Rosa and Jamie Hayter.

They showed a promo from Thunder Rosa saying she’ll beat Jamie Hayter so she can become the TBS Women’s Champion. Rosa spoke in Spanish as well.

This Wednesday on Dynamite on Thanksgiving Eve (for those of you in the US) in Chicago:

* Thunder Rosa vs. Jamie Hayter in the TBS Women’s Championship Tournament

* Cody Rhodes, Pac & Lucha Brothers vs. Andrade, Malakai Black & FTR

* CM Punk vs. QT Marshall

CM Punk was interviewed by Tony Schiavone, who asked about QT Marshall’s comments. Punk said he’s lost in Chicago, he’s lost big in Chicago and he’s also won huge in Chicago. Punk said that Marshall bit off more than he can chew coming to Chicago the day before Thanksgiving and we’ll find out who the turkey is.

* Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana

They showed highlights from Dynamite when Bryan Danielson turned heel against AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page. Bryan plans on beating every Dark Order member before he gets Page.

Next Friday on Rampage:

* Daniel Garcia vs. Eddie Kingston

They announced that December 15 is the “Winter is Coming” Dynamite special in Garland, Texas. That was the episode last year where Kenny Omega beat Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Title along with Sting’s AEW debut, so maybe there will be a big debut there or perhaps a big title match like Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson.

There was a split-screen interview hosted by Mark Henry with Adam Cole talking with Bobby Fish along with the Young Bucks there. Cole said they’ll put an end to this stupid charade. Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage talked about how those other guys couldn’t take them out. Christian said they beat the living shit out of The Elite at Full Gear. Christian said he’ll bring a friend of his – a steel chair. That main event is next.

(Commercial)

Adam Cole and Bobby Fish made their entrance. The Young Bucks did not go to ringside with them. The fans hummed along with the Jungle Boy theme song as usual as the Jurassic Express duo got a big pop. They are 11-3 in 2021.

Jurassic Express – Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus vs. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish

Cole and Jungle Boy started with Boy doing his usual spot bouncing off the ropes with an armbar, but then Cole stopped him with a kick. Fish tagged in with a senton splash. Boy did the armdrag spot leading into a dropkick. The big dinosaur Luchasaurus tagged in with a hard chop to the chest. Luchasaurus with a kick to the chest. Boy jumped off the top with a senton splash on Fish for two. Cole with a knee to the back while Fish distracted the referee and Fish with a kick to the chest as the heels took control.

(Commercial)

The match returned with about ten minutes left in the show with Jericho said that the commercial was about three minutes of wearing down Jungle Boy. When Boy got back up out of a chinlock, Boy hit a running clothesline. Cole tagged in, Boy avoided a few moves and Luchasaurus tagged in with shoulder tackles, kicks for both guys, running back splashes and a double clothesline. The crowd popped for the dinosaur. Fish was in there illegally with a kick to the leg, but then Boy tagged in with a kick into a suplex combo. Luchasaurus lifted up Cole for a double team neckbreaker like move for a two count. Boy worked over Fish with chops after Fish was in there illegally and then the heels knocked Luchasaurus down. Cole with a suplex while Fish hit a kick for a combo move for a two count on Boy. Fish hit a very slow somersault dive over the top onto Luchasaurus on the floor. Cole with a running knee, Cole caught the leg to block it and they each hit kicks at the same time. Cole with a pump kick, Boy with a superkick, Boy off the ropes with a move, but Cole hit him with a superkick. Cole tried Panama Sunrise on Boy, Luchasaurus caught him with a Powerbomb and Boy hit a running elbow to the back of Cole’s head for a two count with Fish breaking up the pin. Fish pulled Cole to his corner and Fish tagged in. Fish with a running knee on Boy, then kicks to the legs of Boy and a leg whip takedown. Fish charged, but Boy caught him with a belly to belly suplex into the turnbuckle. Cole was signaling for some help from the back, so The Young Bucks slowly walked out there. The Young Bucks were “not cleared for action” after Full Gear. Luchasaurus got in their faces in the aisle, so Christian Cage ran out there with the steel chair. Christian ran the Young Bucks to the back and Cole joined them, so Fish had no partner at ringside. Fish with a rollup for two, Boy with a rollup for two and Boy slapped on the Snare Trap submission with Fish tapping out for the loss after 16 minutes.

Winners by submission: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus

Analysis: ***3/4 This was a great tag team match. Lots of action. As soon as the match was announced, I figured Fish was losing because a lot of AEW TV matches are easy to predict. Plus, the full-time team should beat the part-time team. This was more of a traditional tag team match instead of the usual AEW tags where all four guys are in the ring for three minutes while the referee looks like an idiot. They did have some moments where guys were in illegally, but not that bad. I prefer traditional matches like this. Cole losing again sucks, but in this instance, he left the match. It’s not like Cole is getting pinned although after losing at Full Gear as well, I hope Cole gets some wins soon.

The trio of Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage celebrated the win. That was the end of the show.