REVIEW — AEW RAMPAGE (JAN 21, 2022)

A live Rampage has been a rarity since the show debuted in August. Other than the second episode when CM Punk took Chicago by storm, and a few other random Fridays, Rampage is almost solely taped on Wednesdays after Dynamite. So it certainly is nice for a change to get a fresh live crowd for a great event, rather than a tired live crowd after a 2 hour Dynamite and some Dark Elevation matches.

The night on a whole was a pretty great show, While Dynamite has been a little hit and miss lately (this week was a hit for sure), Rampage has been more consistent for me, and I truly think that is a benefit of the 60 minute format. You don’t really have the time for throw away segments when your time is so limited, and Tony Khan certainly keeps that in mind. So without further ado, lets get into it.

COMMENTATORS: Excalibur, Taz, Ricky Starks, Chris Jericho

Match — JON MOXLEY vs ETHAN PAGE (w. Scorpio Sky)

Damn is it nice to have Mox back. His promo to open Dynamite on Wednesday was pure flames (including telling some asshole fan to ‘Go fuck himself’) but I was resigned to the fact that his first post-rehab match was going to be in GCW at the Hammerstein for the GCW World Championship against Homicide (keep an eye out for my WRLD on GCW preview sometime tomorrow). But by the end of Dynamite we knew that wasn’t going to be the case, and All-Ego Ethan Page had stepped up to take the first bullet on Moxley’s return tour. Ethan Page really doesn’t get enough respect in the wider wrestling world. His in ring work is stellar, his on screen character could not be a better scumbag, and if you watch his V-log on Youtube then you know he seems like the nicest guy in the world (he’s a fellow Canadian, so duh). So a Mox v Page match was a total win for me before the show even started.

Now this isn’t going to be the kind of website that does shot for shot, hit for hit recaps of every match but I will give my general impressions, and my impression of this match was that it was the exact match that Mox needed to have. Sunday in GCW is going to be intense, so this was the best way to shake off some of that ring rust before getting into with Homicide in New York. Now that’s not to say that it was a walk in the park for Moxley; All-Ego definitely got his shots in, but there was no way Mox wasn’t walking out with the W on this night. Moxley put Page to sleep and the Ref had no choice but to call for the bell. But when Page woke up, and realised what had happened, he made his biggest mistake of the night, getting in Moxley’s face and trying to pick another fight. For his troubles Page was treated to a Paradigm Shift before Mox hit the crowd and marched out to the sounds of Wild Thing blaring through the arena.

But the most interesting part of the match, was the brief confrontation with Bryan Danielson, who stood golf clapping as Mox stared him down before leaving the venue. I am so there for Danielson and Mox getting into some shenanigans. They were being set up to face each other in the finals of the eliminator tournament at Full Gear but Miro had to sub in when Moxley left for rehab. So now that Danielson is done with Hangman (for the time being), a date with Moxley for Revolution might be just what the doctor ordered.

Winner — Jon Moxley

Rating: 4 Stars

Segment — JURASSIC EXPRESS talk about the GUNN CLUB

This segment was fine. Jurassic Express need to get some wins under their belt before fighting their first serious contenders. The Glunn Club certainly are talented and anything that gets more Billy Gunn on my TV is fine. Austin Gunn definitely has something special (if you have watched him on Ethan Page’s V-log then you know what I’m talking about) so getting these kids some TV time will help their development. Now the question is who is around the corner waiting for Jurassic Express after they deal with the Gunn Club. My money is on FTR, unless the Briscoes show up before then.

Match — NICK JACKSON (w. Matt Jackson) vs TRENT BERETTA (w. Best Friends)

As great as this match was, it was also a little bittersweet. I was very much looking forward to a reunion of Roppongi Vice and a match with the Young Bucks made it all the better. However, as fate would have it, Rocky Romero would test positive for COVID-19 in the brief time between Dynamite and Rampage this week, so he was unable to perform. Tony Khan decided to change things to singles match, featuring Trent vs Nick Jackson (in a rare singles appearance) and the boys put on a banger. Certainly worth your time to go back and watch, Trent picked up a much needed victory here, cementing his return from injury, and showing his surgically repaired neck is up to the task of getting suplexed multiple times.

Trent has looked great since returning and with the Beretta moniker back in his name, and some apparent diffusion with Wheeler Yuta on the ramp before the match, I wonder if there are plans to get Trent into some kind of singles run in 2022.

Winner — Trent Beretta

Rating: 4 Stars

Segment — MERCEDES MARTINEZ

In a pre-taped promo segment, Mercedes Martinez made it clear that her number one priority in AEW right now is to take out Thunder Rosa. This match should be an absolute banger when it happens, should be sooner rather than later.

Match — HOOK vs SERPENTICO

One of the hottest young stars in all of professional wrestling showed once again why he needs to be taken seriously. From the minute his theme hits, the fans go nuts for HOOK and this night was no different. Serpentico was no match for the son of Taz, in fact Hook didn’t even wait for the bell and had his opponent reeling as the ref signalled for the start of the match. Making short work of Serpentico in what was basically a squash match, Hook finished him off with a standing Redrum before marching back up the ramp.

However, QT Marshall decided it was a good idea to come out of the tunnel and criticise the young phenom for attacking Serpentico before the bell. For his troubles, QT had to eat a suplex and watch Hook step over him to exit the stage. An impressive victory for the young superstar, but I’m not really sure about the QT Marshall stuff. Maybe it’s time to test the metal of Hook against someone a little further up the card.

Winner — Hook

Rating: 3 stars

Segment — BACKSTAGE WITH MARK HENRY

The two women fighting in the main event, Anna Jay (w. John Silver) and Jade Cargill (w. Mark Sterling) were split screen interviewed by Mark Henry, as is the traditional on Rampage. Jade was confident, with her 24–0 record speaking for itself. Anna Jay made it clear that her recent street fight has changed her and that tonight TBS stands for That Bitch Slayer.

MAIN EVENT — © JADE CARGILL (w. Mark Sterling) vs Anna Jay (w. John Silver)

I have to admit, I haven’t been a big fan of Jade Cargill up to this point. It’s not a personal thing, i just have found that her in ring work has really showed her lack of experience, and her mic skills make a Smart Mark Sterling a very necessary part of her gimmick. Now I understand that she is very new, and that this will all come with time. I also understand that she has that IT factor that will help her become a very important member of the AEW roster as she continues to develop. I personally felt that it was too soon to put a title on her. Ruby Soho (who has never held a pro wrestling title in a major promotion) probably could have brought a little more legitimacy to the TBS Championship out of the gate, but I do understand the decision to go with Jade. However he match with Ruby was a dumpster fire and really showed that she needs more work in the ring.

That being said, this match was actually pretty good. The two women involved are both very new to the wrestling business, and that peaked through a couple of times. But this was by far Jade’s best match in AEW, and with the exception of the Street Fight against Penelope Ford and The Bunny, this was probably also Anna Jay’s best match. Both of these woman are the future of the women’s division in AEW, and while Jade was always going to get the win on this night, it showed me that my criticism of Jade might not stand much longer.

WInner — Jade Cargill retains the TBS Championship

Rating: 3.5 stars

Wrap-Up

Overall this was a very solid Rampage, and coming off of a great Dynamite on Wednesday, it has been a very good week for AEW. Hopefully that momentum carries into Beach Break next week. Stayed tuned for our Beach Break Preview coming this week on The Heavyweight Wrestling Review.

Show Rating: 7 out of 10

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