The John Report: AEW Rampage 12/02/22 Review

This week’s AEW Rampage featured Orange Cassidy defending the All-American Title in a Lumberjack Match along with Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett teaming up.

As usual for Rampage, I’ll do a summary review of the matches and then play-by-play for the main event. I did not do a review for last week’s show. Sometimes life is too busy and I don’t have time for Rampage. I thought Preston Vance turning on Dark Order was really well done on that show. The FTR match with Top Flight was very good too.

This is AEW Rampage from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana. Check out the AEW PPV listing archive only on TJRWrestling as well. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport. This was taped after AEW Dynamite.

It’s Friday night and you know what that means. The commentary team was Excalibur, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone.

Darby Allin vs. Kole Carter (w/Nick Comorato)

Sting went to the back instead of staying with Allin at ringside. Way to collect that paycheck, Stinger. Allin beat up Nick easily with a baseball bat. Allin hit a running suicide dive onto Carter on the floor. They did a big spot early where Carter knocked Allin off the top to the floor followed by a Powerbomb on the apron. JR said this show has a great lineup. No. It does not. Carter sent Allin into the steel steps. They went to a picture-in-picture break.

(Commercial)

Carter was still in control, Allin fought back a bit and hit a Code Red for a two count. Carter hit a Falcon Arrow off the middle rope for a two count. The crowd didn’t react because they know Carter had no chance of winning this match. Allin avoided a 450 Splash attempt and Allin hit a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin went up top, Carter had to move into position and Allin hit the Coffin Drop for the pinfall win. It went about nine minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Darby Allin

Analysis: ** A very basic match to put over Allin after Carter was on offense for most of the match. Allin sells well and the crowd likes him. It wasn’t very interesting although some of Allin’s offense is certainly fun to watch.

Keith Lee was interviewed by Renee Paquette with Jay Taylor, former ROH TV Champion, interrupting. Jay complained about Lee leaving his family six years ago referring to himself and Taylor challenged Lee to a tag team match at ROH Final Battle. Swerve Strickland walked into the picture, Lee asked if he can count on him, Swerve just looked at him and Lee left.

Analysis: I don’t know what percentage of the audience knows the history between Lee and Taylor. I don’t know it. Now they have an ROH Final Battle PPV tag team match.

(Commercial)

A video aired about Preston Vance turning on Dark Order to join Rush’s group. Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds said that Vance made the biggest mistake of his life.

Let’s Hear from The Acclaimed

The Acclaimed made their entrance as the AEW Tag Team Champions with Billy Gunn joining them. Renee Paquette was in the ring for an interview. Max Caster did a rap on the way to the ring while Anthony Bowens shouted the catchphrases leading to the scissoring with Daddy Ass.

Bowens talked about how Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett interrupted their scissoring because they are jealous that everyone loves The Acclaimed. Bowens said they can’t cut the line for a title shot. Bowens spoke about how there was a tag team waiting a very long time to get a shot at those titles. The fans chanted “FTR” in reply to that. Bowens talked about how they are the people’s choice and the fans want them to fight the best.

The Gunn Club duo of Colten & Austin Gunn entered with fans chanting “Ass Boys” at them. Austin claimed they were the best tag team in the world, which nobody believes.

Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and their crew was next with Sonjay Dutt calling them Ass Boys. Dutt claimed that their team is the greatest tag team alive today.

Billy Gunn said they want the best, which led to FTR’s Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler making their entrance with the ROH, IWGP and AAA Tag Team Titles.

FTR joined The Acclaimed in the ring. FTR shook hand with The Acclaimed to agree to the match.

Analysis: FTR has been the number-one ranked tag team for about eight months. The rankings have since gone away, but that’s how long it took them to get a title match. It’s ridiculous. Anyway, it should be a great match.

A video aired about Hikaru Shida facing The Bunny next Friday on Rampage. It featured some comments from both women. I like The Bunny a lot.

Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett (w/Sonjay Dutt & Satnam Singh) vs. Private Party – Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen (w/Matt Hardy)

It has been 21 years since Jarrett wrestled on TNT. The final days of WCW Nitro. He’s old. Kassidy and Quen hit a tag team combo move with a corner splash along with a dropkick. The guys on the floor were arguing, the referee was distracted, so Lethal pulled Kassidy out of the ring and sent him into the steel steps.

(Commercial)

When the match returned, Quen got a tag with a cross body block off the top and a dropkick. Quen missed a splash on Lethal, then they did a referee distraction spot with Kassidy looking at the referee and Jarett hit the Stroke while Lethal hit Lethal Injection. Lethal pinned Quen while Kassidy was unable to make the save. JR: “Really good tag team matchup.” I don’t agree. They went seven minutes with three minutes in the commercial.

Winners by pinfall: Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett

Analysis: **1/4 An average match. This was more of a traditional tag team match unlike some tags in AEW. They used referee distraction spots well. That’s because an older wrestler like Jarrett was involved. Private Party has been in AEW since the beginning and haven’t really been used much. They got that win over The Young Bucks early in their careers. Since then, they are on the Youtube shows for the most part and rarely win on TV. Big difference between them and The Acclaimed. Anyway, Lethal & Jarrett get a win to try to give them some credibility as a team. I’d rather see Lethal pushed as a singles wrestler.

Saraya was interviewed backstage by Renee Paquette. Saraya talked about how it was an emotional moment for her and she felt incredible having a match like that. Saraya spoke about how her brother being there meant a lot to her and it made her tear up seeing him there to support her. Saraya talked about how great it was to have three women’s matches at Full Gear and she’s proud of the women’s division while mentioning Jamie Hayter as the AEW Women’s Champion. Saraya made it clear that she wants that AEW Women’s Champion.

Analysis: A simple interview to feature Saraya on the show and have her speak from the heart about her in-ring return. I think she’ll probably win the AEW Women’s Title in the first half of 2023.

Athena vs. Dani Mo

Athena is challenging Mercedes Martinez for the ROH Women’s Title at Final Battle. Athena hit a suplex and a sitout neckbreaker for two because Athena picked her up. Athena argued with the referee Paul Turner about it and Mo got a rollup for two. Mo kicked Athena, who no sold it and hit a forearm. Athena hit a slam off the shoulders and got her boots up to the face. No more top rope Stunner finisher for now. It went two minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Athena

Analysis: * A squash match to put over Athena’s new heel attitude. They just had Saraya talk about how great the women’s division was and then the only women’s match on the show went under two minutes. Think about that.

After the match, Athena lifted Mo over the top rope to the floor. Athena whipped Mo into the steel steps. Athena called for Mercedes Martinez to come out and play. She did not. Athena hit a running knee on Mo against the steel steps. Referees made Athena move back.

Analysis: It’s nice to see Athena embracing the heel attitude because being a face didn’t really get her anywhere in AEW.

Juice Robinson did a promo saying he was issuing a challenge to Samoa Joe for the ROH TV Title at Final Battle. Juice said that Joe may be the king of TV now, but kings get dethroned.

(Commercial)

It was time for the main event interview with Orange Cassidy defending the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against QT Marshall, so there was a split-screen interview. The usual talk leading to Mark Henry doing his “it’s time for the main event” catchphrase to end it.

This coming Wednesday on AEW Dynamite:

* Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale.

* We will hear from AEW World Champion MJF.

* Jake Hager & Daniel Garcia vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta.

* Jade Cargill & The Baddies vs. Madison Rayne, Skye Blue & Kiera Hogan.

* AEW Tag Team Championships: The Acclaimed (c) vs. FTR

Darby Allin did a promo backstage talking about winning back the TNT Championship, so he challenged Samoa Joe.

* TNT Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Darby Allin

They also mentioned the Shida/Bunny match on Rampage.

Analysis: Two title matches on Dynamite is good. They should be awesome matches.

There were lumberjacks surrounding the ring for the main event. Excalibur mentioned that Juice Robinson has officially signed to AEW.

All-Atlantic Championship: Orange Cassidy vs. QT Marshall

The lumberjacks surrounding the ring were mostly AEW midcarders. They also had former WWE/ECW wrestler Kevin Fertig as a lumberjack. He was known as Kevin Thorn as well as a very short run as Mordecai. The announcers didn’t even mention him. Cassidy’s Best Friends had axes since they are lumberjacks, but the referees made them put the axes away.

Orange did a dropkick with his hands in the pocket to knock Marshall out of the ring, so Marshall was sent back into the ring. Marshall sent Orange out of the ring, Orange did his comedy kicks to the legs of some lumberjacks and sent Marshall into the barricade. Back in the ring, Marshall with two backbreakers and Marshall sent Orange out of the ring. Matt Hardy sent Orange into the ring, so Ethan Page got Matt about it because Ethan wanted Matt to beat up Orange. Ethan told Matt to go backstage. Marshall sent Orange into the turnbuckle leading to a break.

(Commercial)

The Factory’s guys that are Marshall’s buddies went into the ring and were taking out by Best Friends. Marshall with a handstand leading to a kick to the head. Orange hit a Stundog Millionaire, Orange wanted a Beach Break and Marshall came back with a punch to the head. Orange countered a move with a headscissors leading to the spinning DDT. There was a distraction from the lumberjacks, so Marshall got a hold of Orange on the apron and Danhausen went on the apron to curse Marshall, who gave Danhausen a middle finger that was blurred. The lumberjack started fighting while Orange gave Marshall a Beach Break slam, but it was more like a back body drop. Orange jumped to the top rope leading to a somersault dive onto the pile of wrestlers. Penelope Ford went to ringside and stood on the apron to distract Orange, so her husband Kip Sabian showed up to shove Orange off the top rope leading to Marshall hitting a Diamond Cutter for two. Orange came back with an Orange Punch and Beach Break for the pinfall win after nine minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Orange Cassidy

Analysis: **3/4 It ended up as a solid match with the cheap attack by Sabian leading to Marshall getting a nearfall. After that, it was time to end it with Cassidy hitting two moves to win. The result was never in doubt, but Marshall is a solid in-ring performer even though he almost never wins on television.

After the match, Orange Cassidy hit a suicide dive onto Sabian on the floor. Sabian tossed Orange up the ramp and they went fighting to the back. Some of the lumberjacks started fighting again. The lights went out.

When the lights came back on, House of Black was in the ring as Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews were in the ring. They destroyed everybody in the ring. Black worked over Kassidy with punches and kicks. Matthews wanted to do a move to Ortiz, but Black stopped it. King hit the Dante’s Inferno on Serpentico. Black left the ring and kicked Ortiz while HOB beat up some other guys on the floor.

Analysis: It’s good to see House of Black booked in a strong way. They can probably go after the Trios Tag Team Titles whenever the Best of Seven series is done between Death Triangle and The Elite. They also set up a Cassidy-Sabian match for the future as well.

Three Stars of the Show

1. Orange Cassidy
2. Darby Allin
3. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett

The Scoreboard

This Week: 5 out of 10

Last Week: No review.

Final Thoughts

This was a boring show. Last week’s show that I didn’t review was better. It was the usual case of matches having very predictable outcomes. They advanced some midcard stories, but otherwise, I’d call it a skippable show. Orange Cassidy and QT Marshall had a solid main event, but I doubt anybody thought there’d be a title change. House of Black kicking ass to end the show was a fine way to end it.

The women’s match was given less than two minutes to put over Athena as a heel. It followed an interview with Saraya talking about how great it was that Full Gear had three women’s matches. Just saying. I think the build for next week’s ROH Final Battle show has been very poor. There are some intriguing matchups I guess, but in terms of stories it is weak.

I am looking forward to The Acclaimed vs. FTR for the Tag Team Titles (finally FTR gets a title match) and Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin for the TNT Title on Dynamite next week. Those are good matches at least.

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John Canton

Email: mrjohncanton@gmail.com

Twitter: @johnreport