Seems like it’s Ring of Honor Friday on Rampage this week and I’m here for it! Let’s get to the card:
- Eddie Kingston vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Orange Cassidy vs. Tony Nese
- Mercedes Martinez & Serena Deeb vs. Christina Marie & Kayla Sparks
- Jonathan Gresham & Lee Moriarty vs. The Gates of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona) with Tully Blanchard
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AEW Rampage 7/8/22
Coming to you from the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York!
Match #1. Eddie Kingston vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Lock up to start and is there anyone hotter than Takeshita right now? Both men trade headlock takeovers to start. Kingston calls for a test of strength and Takeshita obliges. Stalemate as Kingston delivers a knee and hits a gut wrench suplex. Heavy chops by Kingston and Takeshita responds in kind. Kingston with some machine gun chops in the corner and then Takeshita responds with some machine gun elbows of his own. Kingston drops Takeshita with a headbutt. Takeshita ducks a pair of clothesline and comes flying off with a Steinerline. Another lariat by Takeshita. Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita gets two! Kingston elbows his way out of a waist lock and hits a HUGE high angle Saito suplex followed by a Ghetto Blaster! Takeshita stumbles but responds with a rising knee and both men are down. Kingston rolls to the apron and Takeshita follows him, which doesn’t bode well for either man. Takeshita with a German suplex on the apron! Takeshita holds on and looks for a German suplex on the floor, but Eddie holds on to the ring skirt and reverses it into an exploder of his own! Back in the ring and Takeshita charges Kingston and eats a HUGE clothesline. One count! Liger Bomb by Kingston gets a long two count. Takeshita blocks the spinning back fist and delivers a rolling elbow following by a sheer drop brainbuster! One, two, no! Both men now trade elbows from their knees and the crowd is eating it up. Kingston with some reverse chops to the throat but a lariat by Kingston! Spinning back fist by Kingston but Takeshita responds with a huge jumping knee strike! Kingston eats it… spinning back fist! Kingston gets the win!
Winner: Eddie Kingston
Rating: ***3/4. This match was everything I love in pro wrestling. True professional wrestling is all about the struggle and the physicality, and that’s what these guys brought. Takeshita has a BRIGHT future, but right now, it’s Eddie’s time.
Match #2. Gates of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona) with Tully Blanchard vs. Lee Moriarty & Jonathan Gresham
Gates of Agony start hot and Kaun hits a senton on Moriarty. Big boot by Toa and Kaun comes in with a senton over the top rope. Samoan drop by Toa as Moriarty was looking for a tag but Gresham walked away to discuss things with Tully Blanchard. Big release German suplex by Toa and Moriarty is in trouble. Kaun is in now and putting the boots to him in the corner. Toa gets the tag and splashes Moriarty in the corner. Toa bars the arm as we go into a commercial break. Back from break and Moriarty hits a dropkick on Kaun and dumps Liona, clearing a path to his partner. Gresham turns his back and walks away from Moriarty! Huge discus lariat by Toa and Kaun hits a fireman’s carry into a gut buster to Moriarty. That’s it!
Winners: Gates of Agony
Rating: *3/4. More about storyline than anything else here,
Jonathan Gresham shakes hands with Tully Blanchard as Moriarty had challenged him previously for that ROH title.
Eddie Kingston is in the back and tells everyone that Takeshita is the future of the sport and to say hello to Akiyama for him. Now that Kingston has put that to bed, he promises to get Jericho’s blood. Kingston wants Jericho in the barbed wire! Every drop of blood is for sins his committed… and the last one is for his Ruby.
Match #3. Serena Deeb & Mercedes Martinez vs. Kayla Sparks & Christina Marie
Deeb is in with Marie and hits a wrist lock gut wrench suplex to start. Deeb sweeps the leg and guillotines Marie under the bottom rope. Martinez with the tag and a sliding knee strike. Deeb with a Steiner Recliner as Martinez hits a big boot. Martinez drops Marie on the top rope with a gord buster followed by a diving elbow to the back of the head. Deeb gets the tag… Serenity Lock. That’s it.
Winners: Serena Deeb & Mercedes Martinez
Rating: NR. Enhancement match here, but it got the job done.
Post-match, Deeb blindsides Martinez with an elbow and puts her in the Serenity Lock as Martinez taps.
Schiavone is here with Gresham and Tully. Gresham says he’s the foundation of Ring of Honor and he’s been sitting at home since March, when he signed his contract. That is, until, Tully called him. Blanchard says next week when Gresham defends his title that they will all be there, because Tully Blanchard Enterprises is alive and well, baby!
If Tony Nese beats OC, OC has to sign Smart Mark Sterling’s petition to remove Swerve from the roster.
Match #4. Tony Nese with Smart Mark Sterling vs. Orange Cassidy with Chuck Taylor, Trent, and Danhausen
Nese is frustrated early as OC ducks a clothesline and goes full on hands in pockets. Big shoulder block by Nese but OC stays on the mat and looks for “pocket power” as Excalibur put it. OC evades a series of attacks and delivers a dropkick to Nese. Nese cuts OC off with a big clothesline and continues to mock the freshly squeezed one. OC goes up top but Nese hits a running tiger uppercut followed by a gut buster that gets a two count. OC gets dumped to the outside in front of Sterling, who puts the boots to him. Danhausen isn’t here for that and puts a stop to the beating. Nese with a hard hammer throw into the buckle back inside the ring. Danhausen looks to give OC a pep talk but Nese comes over and it seems like Danhausen threatens a curse… but were in PIP so I can’t really tell. Nese looks to suplex OC back into the ring but OC reverses into a sunset flip that Nese blocks, and then stomps on OC’s face. Throat thrust by Nese as he runs and drops OC’s neck over the top rope to the outside, Macho Man style. Double jump moonsault by Nese gets a long two count. Nese with a classic body scissors now. Second hammer throw of the match by Nese has OC reeling. OC reverses another hammer throw and looks for the tornado DDT that Nese puts a stop to, and delivers a Northern Light’s suplex that gets two. Nese places OC on the top rope and looks for a superplex. Both men exchange fists while on the top rope but Nese falls off. Sterling distracts Cassidy but Danhausen gets involved, which allows Nese to hit Danhausen with a baseball slide on the outside. OC with a cross body off the top for two. Tornado DDT attempt but OC that gets blocked by Nese…Stundog Millionaire by OC! Michinoku Driver! One, two, no! OC looks for the Orange Punch but Nese evades and hits a super kick, roundhouse kick, and a spinning back kick in succession. Two count! Nese looks for the pumphandle driver but OC counters into a DDT. Running tornado DDT by Cassidy! OC goes up top, diving DDT! One, two, no! Sterling is on the apron again as OC delivers the kicks of doom… and Sterling sells them! Nese from behind… pumphandle driver gets a long two! “This is awesome” chant erupts from a crowd that’s already seen five hours of wrestling. Running knee in the corner by Nese but OC moves. Aubrey checks on Nese as Sterling comes in the ring but Danhausen makes the save and low blows Sterling. Nese attacks Danhausen but it’s too late, as he turns around right into the Orange Punch!
Winner: Orange Cassidy
Rating: ***1/2. Super fun match that gave Nese a chance to showcase himself against a top tier opponent. Orange Cassidy is tapping into his more serious side and the fans are buying into it.
Final Thoughts: A show that was bookended by two really strong matches but didn’t have too much in the middle. Go out of your way to see Eddie vs. Takeshita, which was a strong offering with Eddie going into the barbed wire match with Jericho with momentum. Jonathan Gresham isn’t the BEST talker in the world, so pairing him with Tully Blanchard makes a lot of sense. Orange Cassidy is gaining his momentum back after his loss to Will Ospreay. A quick sixty minutes, but could have used something in the middle. 7/10.