A special live episode of Wednesday Night Rampage!
- Jay White vs. Dante Martin
- Rocky Romero vs. Kyle O’Reilly
- Konosuke Takeshita vs. London Lightning
- Manitoba Massacre for the AEW TBS Championship: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Skye Blue
AEW Rampage 5/1/24
Live from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada! Excalibur recaps what we just saw on Dynamite, but The Elite jump FTR in the back as they’re trying to load Kenny Omega into an ambulance. “I love you to death, Kenny, but it’s just business” as FTR dumps Kenny off of the stretcher! We still have wrestling to get to, though, so let’s get back to the ring.
Match #1. Jay White w/ The Bang Bang Gang vs. Dante Martin
Dante charges White to start and both guys fight to the outside. Martin with some chops on the outside, and a rebound elbow. Back inside the ring and a tieres by Martin. Martin goes up and over the apron but White drops him with a snake eyes on the top turnbuckle. White catapults Martin underneath the bottom rope and gets two. Backbreaker by White as we go to commercial break. Dante fires back with a dropkick and both guys are down. Up and over by Dante into an enziguiri and a springboard crossbody. Two count. Dante catches a boot from White and clotheslines him over the top rope. Dante changes his mind and brings White back in the ring, but that allows White to recover and catch Martin with a big high-angle Uranage. Two count. Martin fights out of a sleeper suplex and hits the Nosedive! Two count only! White escapes a Side Effect and plants Martin with a sleeper suplex. Bladerunner! This one’s over.
Winner: Jay White
Rating: **3/4. Fine win for Jay White but… I think he deserves more here. Also, a legitimate contender for the trios championships might be a good start.
After the match, White picks up Martin and congratulates him, only to hit Bloody Sunday anyway.
Deonna Purrazzo wants to know when is enough, enough? She’s a former five-time world champion, and after last week, she’s starting to feel like herself. Do you know what happens when you make things personal with a Jersey girl? Hope you never find out.
A video package for Rush is shown.
Renee is here with Big Bill. Bill wants to be under Jericho’s learning tree, why? Bill has all the tools but he needs the proper guidance. Here’s Jericho. Jericho thanks Shibata and welcomes Big Bill… to the Learning Tree.
Swerve is here. Christian wanted to tag with Swerve because of what kind of man he is. Swerve won’t be alone next week, and it’s time to remind Christian who he is.
Match #2. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero
Both men trade wrist locks to start. Boot by Rocky sends Kyle to the outside and Rocky follows up with a suicide dive. Kyle catches a second dive by Rocky, headlock right into a Falcon Arrow and Kyle locks in a straight armbar! Back inside the ring and Rocky connects with a powerslam and a two count, before transitioning into a kimura. Kyle fights his way to the ropes as Rocky now works over the arm. Arm ringers by Rocky and round kicks to the arm. Kyle fires back with some round kicks of his own and both guys are trading in the center of the ring. Rebound kick from Rocky and a rebound lariat from Kyle! Avalanche Sliced Bread by Rocky! Two count. Rocky shoots for a single leg but Kyle hits a knee to the face. Axe and Smash by Kyle! Two count. Kyle jumps a guillotine choke and transitions to a kimura. Rocky transitions to a straight armbar but Kyle grabs a straight armbar. Rocky with a cradle for two. Back slide for two! Rocky wants a top wrist lock but Kyle rolls through with both legs trapped for the win!
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
Rating: ***. Excellent, technical match here. Very similar to Serena Deeb and Mariah May from Dynamite, again, just wish it was longer. I think you’re asking a lot from the crowd tonight though, as they really didn’t seem too interested in this one.
Saraya and Hayley are here. They want to call Mariah May “Tiny Storm” instead, since she’s a chip off the old box. Next week, they do want a match, however.
Match #3. Manitoba Massacre for the TBS Championship: Willow Nightingale (c) w/ Stokely Hathaway & Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue
Willow attacks early with a trash can and here we go. By the way, falls count anywhere in this one. Willow hits Blue in the face with a chair as she springboards off the guardrail. Willow opens a chair and sets Blue up on it but misses a cannonball off the apron! Blue in control now as we go to commercial break. Blue sets up a chair in the middle of the ring, looking to suplex Willow on it, but Willow counters with a big body slam! Willow looks for another chair, and another, and another. Willow throws every chair in the arena into the ring, but Blue slides out and punches her in the face instead. Blue looks under the ring, maybe for a table, but Willow with the POUNCE out of nowhere. Willow looks for a cannonball but Blue chucks a chair in her face and gets a two count. Blue heads under the ring and gets a black bag of… thumbtacks! Blue wants a powerbomb on to the tacks but Willow holds on the top rope, so Blue launches a chair in Willow’s face AGAIN. Blue heads up top but Willow with an avalanche Fisherman’s Buster IN THE TACKS. Two count! Body slam on the chair by Willow, who heads up top and MISSES a moonsault! Superkick by Blue as she heads underneath the ring to find a BARBED WIRE BOARD. Blue puts the barbed wire on a table and both women are fighting on the apron. Blue has Willow up in a fireman’s carry but Willow escapes, deadlifts Blue, and puts her THROUGH THE BARGED WIRE TABLE WITH A BABE WITH THE POWERBOMB! One, two, three!
Winner and STILL AEW TBS Champion: Willow Nightingale
Rating: ***1/4. I mean, this was a car crash. Both women worked hard and this match was brutal. The finish was great and the story made sense, as Willow now has a clear path to Mercedes Mone.
Willow celebrates with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathway as we go off the air.
Final Thoughts: Well, this was certainly a different episode of Rampage. Obviously, it was a continuation of Dynamite, and it felt that way. The timing of the show was all off as I think we were supposed to get a Takeshita match on it as well, so I’m glad they didn’t try to fit that in tonight. Three good matches, storyline advancement with Omega and The Bucks, a really entertaining hour of wrestling tonight. 8/10.Â
