After the wild night that was on Dynamite, we’re back with a LIVE AEW Rampage. Let’s see what we’ve got:
- AEW All-Atlantic Title: Rush vs. 10
- FTW World Title: Hook (c) vs. Ari Daivari
- Leila Grey vs. Willow Nightingale
- AEW World Tag Team Titles: The Acclaimed (c) vs. The Varsity Athletes
Make sure to keep refreshing the page as the most recent results are below!
AEW Rampage 10/21/22
Live from the unofficial home of AEW, Dailey’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida! Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur are on commentary tonight. Right to business, as usual.
Match #1. AEW World Tag Team Titles: The Acclaimed (c) vs. The Varsity Athletes
If The Acclaimed win, they get the “scissor” trademark. That’s a sentence. Acclaimed get dumped early as the Varsity Athletes scissor in the middle. Caster and Woods to start as Woods gets back body dropped. Caster works a wrist lock but Woods isn’t the guy to trade holds with, as Woods backs Caster into the ropes and pulls his neck-first over the top rope. Gunn goes after Woods which causes referee Stefon Smith to eject him. Kravat by Woods which gets turned into a neck breaker for two. Nese is in now with some heavy knees before making the quick tag back to Woods. Woods now looking for the superplex off the top but Caster fights him off and hits the diving cross body as both men are down. Hot tag to Bowens who cleans house with a pair of clotheslines and a sequence of elbows to both men. Up and over Fameasser to Nese but Woods breaks it up with a running knee strike. Fireman’s carry into a knee (spinning GTS?) by Woods now as Nese gets the tag. Woods places Bowens on the top rope as Nese comes in with a Sagat-esque Tiger Uppercut, before throwing Bowens off the top rope into a rising knee by Woods. Olympic Slam/neckbreaker combo by the Varsity Athletes but Nese whiffed completely, however the Olympic Slam landed so all’s well that ends well. Cover by Woods but Caster throws Nese on top to break it up at two. Caster in now… spinning Attitude Adjustment to Woods. Spinning back kick by Nese to a kneeling Caster before dropping Bowens neck-first over the top rope a la Macho Man, and in the process, taking out Caster on the outside. Nese tries to roll up Bowens but Bowens catches him with a knee to the face. Woods in now but gets caught with the same combination that ends with a superkick. Bowens now tags Caster. The Arrival by Bowens followed by the Mic Drop finishes this one.
Winners and STILL AEW World Tag Team Champions: The Acclaimed
Rating: **. Meh. I understand it’s a stop along the way for The Acclaimed in their tag team title reign, but I find it hard to get invested in Nese and Woods at this point. The match was what it was, it existed, and the champions got the win.
After the match, Daddy Ass throws Smart Mark Sterling in the ring as The Acclaimed stomp his nads before dropping the Scissor Me Timbers. Funny stuff here and the crowd LOVES The Acclaimed.
Tony Schiavone sat down with Jade Cargill earlier in the day, as we find out Cargill SAVED THE SHOW by offering up Leila Grey to replace Penelope Ford. Now? Cargill wants her belt back.
Alex Marvez is in the back with Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and the Lucha Brothers. Ortiz called this meeting because Eddie has been losing his cool in matches and it’s been costing them wins. Pac shows up and reminds Eddie what happened at Grand Slam.
Match #2. FTW Title: Hook (c) vs. Ari Daivari w/ Jeeves
Daivari offered Hook one last chance to give up the belt, but this time in cash. Hook decides against it and drops Daivari with a T-Bone suplex. Daivari rolls to the outside and Hook follows, smashing his head on the announcers table. Jeeves, the butler, cuts Hook off which allows Daivari to get the upper hand and put the boots to Hook. Hook lights up Daivari to the body and flattens him with an STO. Fisherman’s suplex by Hook. Jeeves gets on the apron which distracts Hook and allows Daivari to (almost) hit the superkick before dropping Hook with the Rock Bottom. Two count. Hook evades a Pepsi Twist as Daivari rolls to the apron. Clothesline by Daivari misses and Hook locks in the Redrum over the ropes before dragging Daivari in the ring and submitting him.
Winner and STILL FTW Champion: Hook
Rating: *1/2. This too, much like the first match, existed. Hook was never going to lose, and the fans don’t care about the Trustbusters.
Stokely Hathaway and Ethan Page are in the back with Matt Hardy and Matt Hardy delivers a freestyle rap. Read that again.
Match #3. Willow Nightingale vs. Leila Grey
The fans love “The Babe with the Power”, that’s for sure. Grey backs Willow up into the corner with some strikes and a boot to the throat. Willow cartwheels out of an Irish whip and delivers a couple of short arm clotheslines. Big body slam by Willow as Grey rolls to the outside. Willow follows Grey but fellow Baddie Keria Hogan is there, and Willow gets caught with a super kick. Willow tries to fight back but misses a senton and Grey grabs a headlock. Willow gets to her feet and carries Grey on her back as we go into commercial break. Back from break as both women are down in the center of the ring. Big boot by Willow and a spinebuster follows. Grey gets out at two. Grey reveres a fireman’s carry and catches Willow with a Russian leg sweep for two. Running step-up knee in the corner by Grey as she looks to follow with a bulldog but Willow counters into a back suplex. Hogan is up on the apron and Willow seemingly throws Grey into her. Willow sets up for the pounce, but Grey is out of position, so Willow calls an audible and kicks her in the head. Doctor Bomb by Willow finishes this one.
Winner: Willow
Rating: *1/2. Willow has a connection with the audience and with the right dance partner, she can put on a heck of a match. Grey, unfortunately, is not that partner.
Tony Schiavone hits the ring and surprises Willow with a graphic, as she is now ALL ELITE. Jade Cargill and a chair follow, who gives Nyla Rose ten seconds to bring out her belt. Nyla Rose has seemingly committed grand theft auto, as she is seen on screen stealing Jade’s car and singing a variation of Four Non Blonds “What’s Going On?”
A video is shown of 10 and Rush getting into an argument yesterday, at the hotel bar. The bartender? Orange Cassidy. Cassidy offers both men a beer, but 10 doesn’t have a mouth and Rush wants the title, not a beer. Cassidy says he’ll fight em’ both.
Match #4. AEW All-Atlantic Title: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Rush vs. 10
Rush and 10 go at it as Cassidy sits on the sidelines and waits. Rush and 10 notice Cassidy and shift their focus, but both men eat Orange kicks. Rush then drops 10 with an elbow as Cassidy takes everyone out with his hands in his pockets. Suicide dive to 10. Cassidy comes off the top but Rush catches him with an elbow. Bulls Horn’s tease… boot to the face instead by Rush to Cassidy. Rush and 10 roll to the outside as Rush chokes 10 with the camera chord before whipping him in the back. Cassidy now gets the same treatment. 10 fights back as he and Rush pair off before Cassidy attempts a suicide dive. Cassidy however, gets caught, as both Rush and 10 chokeslam him on a table but the table does not break. Back in the ring, Rush delivers some heavy chops to 10 in the corner and follows up with a running clothesline. Basement dropkick to the back of the head of 10 by Rush. Rush now trying to rip the mask of 10 off as Danhausen tries to empower Cassidy on the outside. Rush charges 10 who is on the apron, but 10 dives through the ropes and connects with a spear on Rush. Orange Punch attempt by Cassidy but 10 counters with the full nelson. Cassidy is out. Stundog Millionaire by Cassidy to 10 and an around the world DDT to Rush. Orange Punch attempt by Cassidy again but 10 catches him coming in with a pump kick. Cassidy counters with the Beach Break but Jose the Assistant pulls Cassidy off before the three. Danhausen! JOSE IS CURSED. Danhausen then punches Jose in the nads. Tremendous. Rush shoves Danhausen into Cassidy. Superkick to Cassidy. Cassidy charges Rush but Rush catches him with an overhead belly to belly into the corner. Clotheslines by 10 to Rush and a Blue Thunder Bomb of sorts. Spinebuster by 10. Wheelbarrow suplex by 10 to Cassidy. Discus lariat by 10! One, two, no! Rush makes the save. Rush spins 10’s mask around and blinds him. Orange Punch to Rush. Cassidy ducks a discus lariat and rolls up Ten for the win.
Winner and STILL AEW All-Atlantic Champion: Orange Cassidy
Rating: **1/2. Best match of the night by far, and a good win for Orange Cassidy to start his AEW All-Atlantic title run. Rampage is kind of turning into Rush’s show, and I think that’s fine, as the AEW audience can better familiarize themselves with him. 10, however, stuck out like a sore thumb in this match and might be best suited in tag matches at this point in his very young, promising career.
After the match, Rush and 10 have a moment on the ramp, as -1 runs out from the back looking to fight Rush. 10 carries him to the back.
Final Thoughts: Yikes. On paper, this was not a very impressive looking show. I’ve said it before, but you are going to struggle to get people to tune into a show at 10pm on a Friday night if you’re not going to put some of your stars on it. This was a live Rampage, and there is no reason that Jericho vs. Castle or FTR vs. SOIG could not have been moved to this show, to give the fans a reason to tune in. Orange Cassidy is absolutely a star but putting him in a triple threat match with no build against two other guys that are nowhere near his level is not exactly a recipe for success. The same can be said for The Acclaimed, they need better dance partners… this isn’t Dark or Dark: Elevation. Matt Hardy rapping? Grand theft auto? Trustbusters? Where am I? 4.5/10.