Big week in pro wrestling and we’re coming off of a back-to-back with Supercard of Honor, so keep up!
- Christopher Daniels vs. Malakai Black
- AEW International Championship Eliminator: Roderick Strong (c) vs. London Lightning
- Serena Deeb vs. Trish Adora
- Final Four Elimination Match: Bryan Keith vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Komander vs. Action Andretti
AEW Rampage 4/5/24
From the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada! Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, and Ian Riccaboni are on the call here and it’s time to honor… The House of Black.
Match #1. Malakai Black w/ Buddy Matthews vs. Christoper Daniels
Head lock takeover by Daniels but an arm drag by Black. Arm drag by Daniels. Black feigns a right hand and Daniels ducks, right into a vicious right knee. Black tells the referee to check him, but Daniels makes it to his feet. Front kick by Black sends Daniels to the outside, where Matthews throws him into the guardrail. Running back elbow inside the ring by Black gets a two count. Black puts the boots to Daniels as we head to commercial. Black charges but Daniels counters with a Complete Shot and both guys are down. Running forearm by Daniels on the corner and a release German suplex. STO by Daniels. Uranage by Daniels is countered but Daniels regains control and plants Black with a high angle Death Valley Driver! Two count. Angel’s Wings but Black sweeps the leg and hits a spinning back elbow to the back of the head followed by a high kick. Splade by Daniels for two. Roll up for two. Black Mass out of nowhere and Daniels is OUT. That’ll get the win for Black.
Winner: Malakai Black
Rating: **1/2. Perfectly acceptable singles match and a nice win for Malakai Black. At this point in Daniels career, he can still hang without issue and have a technically sound match with anyone.
Match #2. AEW International Championship Eliminator: Roderick Strong (c) w/ The Kingdom vs. London Lightning
Roddy has the mic and wants to know this guy’s name. London Lightning. Why did this guy’s parents name him after a place where nobody has accomplished anything… ever? Roddy wants to know what this guy thinks his chances are, and this guy thinks with the people behind him and his mother cheering for him… they’re better than Roddy’s. Here we go. Arm ringers by Strong and a big shoulder block. Strong runs into a high knee from London and Strong is kind of reeling here. Strong pokes the eye and connects with a back suplex into a face buster. Hard chops by Strong as London tries to fight back, to no avail. Uranage into a backbreaker by Strong for two. Double armbar by Strong as Lightning does get back to his feet and rolls up Strong for two. Another roll up for two. Strong misses a high knee and Lightning responds with a Manhattan drop and a lariat. Strong misses a charge and Lightning snatches a Gator Roll and a hard suplex! Lightning goes up top but Strong rolls to the outside. Taven provides a distraction but London hits a plancha to the outside. Strong rolls back in the ring but here’s Wardlow to deplete Lightning out of nowhere with a clothesline on the floor! Lightning gets rolled in the ring and Strong locks in a Cloverleaf and he taps out.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: *1/2. Nice little story here behind an enhancement match.
Leyla Hirsch wants an Open House Challenge from Julia Hart next week on Rampage. Bold, but alright.
Match #3. Serena Deeb vs. Trish Adora
Dragons screw leg whip by Deeb to start. Deeb locks Adora in the Paradise Lock and then dropkicks her out of it. Deeb catches a clothesline and rolls through for a cradle and a two count. Top wrist lock by Deeb but Adora arm drags her. Body slam over the knee by Adora as we go to commercial. Deeb looks for a back body drop but Adroa kicks her in the chest. Deeb fights back with another dragon screw leg whip and a running clothesline in the corner. Adora charges Deeb between the ropes but Deeb catches him with a hangman’s neckbreaker. Spinning neckbreaker by Deeb. Deeb charges in the corner but eats a boot or two. Deeb with yet another dragon screw leg whip across the ropes. Single leg by Deeb as both women exchange cradles. Bubba Bomb by Adora gets a long two count. European uppercuts exchanged by both women, and now clotheslines. Adora breaks a Full Nelson but gets German suplexed instead. Single leg Boston Crab by Deeb and Adora taps.
Winner: Serena Deeb
Rating: **1/2. The Professor continues her winning streak and Adora gets some more time to show what she can do in some longer matches. Good stuff.
Julia Hart says she respects Leyla Hirsch, and she accepts.
Match #4. Final Four-Way Eliminator: Bryan Keith vs. Komander vs. Action Andretti vs. Daniel Garcia
Matt Menard joins commentary for the main event here. Andretti and Komander exchange head scissors, handstands, high kicks, and we have a stalemate. Keith blasts Andretti from behind and pairs up with Komander for a double gut buster. Two count. Shotgun dropkick by Komander to Keith as Garcia returns and mounts Keith in the corner with punches. Right hands by Garcia take down everyone. Keith looks for the double underhooks but settles for a huge headbutt to Garcia instead. Two count. Komander heads up top and Keith connects with a diving headbutt. Tiger Bomb by Keith is reversed into a hurricanrana into a roll-up by Komander for the three count! Keith is out. Andretti on the attack now but Komander catches him with a running enziguiri in the corner. Komander flips out of a double powerbomb attempt and boots everyone in the mouth. Handspring by Andretti but he eats a dropkick in the back. Saito suplex by Garcia to Komander and everyone rolls up everyone for two counts. Komander runs into a pair of back elbows before Garcia turns his attention to Andretti, as both guys jockey for position on the apron. Big boot by Garcia but Andretti fights off a piledriver attempt, responding with a Death Valley Driver on the hardest part of the ring! Arabian Press by Andretti! Big boot by Komander and a springboard moonsault that takes out everyone. Double jump by Komander but Andretti catches him on his shoulders and plants him with a reverse TKO. One, two, three! Komander is gone. Andretti misses a split legged moonsault and Garcia chop blocks him. Knee whip and a knee breaker from Garcia. Lethal Combination by Andretti and he kips up on the injured leg. Running Shooting Star Press by Andretti but Garcia catches the ankle lock. Garcia pulls Andretti to the center of the ring and Andretti is forced to roll through and send Garcia to the outside. Plancha to the outside by Andretti. Diving clothesline off the top by Andretti and some elbows to the back. Andretti wants the TKO again but Garcia traps the arm and looks for a piledriver, but gets Falcon Arrowed instead. Two count. Andretti has Garcia in a fireman’s carry but Garcia escapes out the back and locks in an ankle lock! Andretti is forced to tap.
Winner: Daniel Garcia
Rating: ***1/2. All four guys in this match got their chance to shine and the right guy won. Can’t ask for much more out of a Rampage main event.
Final Thoughts: Real easy hour of wrestling tonight. The matches felt important and even the International Eliminator match had a fun little story. A singles win for Malakai Black is always a good thing, and the main event was a fun sprint. No complaints here. 7.5/10.