IT'S WEDNESDAY BAYBAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!!
We open with The American Dragon coming to the ring!!! Let's go!
Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero
Romero enters with new CHAOS members, The Best Friends and Orange Cassidy. Match opens with some great mat wrestling as Romero works the arm and Danielson tries to work the leg. Romero seems to have the edge early on but Danielson starts using his strikes to take over. We get some incredible counters and exchanges including a beautiful sequence with Romero going for arm submissions and Danielson going for leg submissions.
Danielson finally grabs Romero's arms and kicks his fucking head in. Goes for the LeBell Lock but can't get it so locks in a variation of the Tequila Sunrise for the tap out. Great TV match. Love Romero and he and Danielson have excellent chemistry. Danielson continues to be one of the best wrestlers in wrestling. ***1/2
Tony Schiavone in the ring and introduces the Inner Circle for a promo. As they make their entrance, Men of the Year and American Top Team jump them! Huge heat for this. Dos Santos uses a kendo stick on a few members. Men of the Year help Dan Lambert powerbomb Jericho through a table. Scorpio Sky grabs the mic and mocks Jericho. Ethan Page promises to have Lambert pin Jericho. Lambert then puts Jericho in the Walls of Jericho. He correctly says on the mic it's called a Boston Crab. That's amazing! Great way to give the heels a lot of heat before the PPV.
Britt Baker, Rebel and Jamie Hayter vs. Anna Jay, Tay Conti and Thunder Rosa
Babyfaces all in pink which I LOVE! Rosa and Baker start off and we get a teaser of that rematch one day. Rosa is super over! Anna gets attacked by all the heels to start the heat. Conti eventually gets the hot tag and runs wild. Things break down as everyone runs in. Conti hits a DDTay on Rebel to win. This was harmless. Conti gets a win while we get a teaser for Rosa vs. Baker down the road. Little too many cooks in the kitchen at times. *1/2
We get a video package of Ruby Soho vs. Kris Statlander in the TBS Championship Tournament. Not too bad. Nice that they are building up this tournament.
Jungle Boy vs. Anthony Bowens
I never get tired of Jungle Boy's theme. Max Caster raps Bowens to the ring. He mocks Jungle Boy's promo skills and how his girlfriend (Anna Jay) hangs out with 7 guys. Jungle Boy uses his speed to counter the power of Bowens. Nice moments of Bowens being able to catch Jungle Boy when he tries something fancy. Caster gets involved and allows Bowens to control. Nice back and forth into the finish with Jungle Boy locking in the Snare Trap for the tap. Very impressive match for both guys. Bowens could be moving up the roster quickly if he keeps this up. Jungle Boy is fantastic as a worker. ***
Bobby Fish attacks Jungle Boy after the match! Payback for the attack on Adam Cole? Luchasaurus and Christian Cage run out to save Jungle Boy. Is the Undisputed Era coming?
We get a promo package for Adam Page vs. Kenny Omega. They talk about Page and his struggles to win the "big one". I like this storyline a lot.
The Young Bucks and Adam Cole backstage. Cole introduces Bobby Fish to the Bucks. The play off the Undisputed Era and Cole says Bobby Fish vs. Jungle Boy on Rampage. The build-up for Era vs. Elite begins.
We get a package for Punk vs. Kingston including their AMAZING segment from Rampage (Go watch it!).
Wheeler Yuta vs. Wardlow
Wheeler tries to use his speed to get shots on Wardlow but he slips and Wardlow grabs him and slams him. Multiple powerbombs that the crowd chanted for more of. Casualty of War by Wardlow wins in a squash. Nothing wrong here. Even the botch worked in the story of the match. Crowd seems behind Wardlow when his babyface run starts. N/A
Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor check on Wheeler Yuta. Blade and Isiah Kassidy attack them. Matt Hardy joins and hits a Twist of Fate on Cassidy with the chair wrapped around his neck and Kassidy films it on his phone (nice touch there). This feud is still a thing...
During the break, we see CM Punk and Eddie Kingston trying to fight each other and half the roster and agents keep them separated. This was fantastic! Less is more in wrestling!
Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarty vs. Leo Rush and Dante Martin
Leo and Dante in matching white gear. Leo looks like a Power Ranger but in a good way. Moriarty and Dante start off and have an incredible fast pace exchange of wrestling that I lost my shit for! This is my kind of wrestling! Ends in a stand-off and the crowd give them a big ovation for it. Damn right! Sydal and Leo get in the ring and have a great exchange. Sydal and Moriarty isolate Dante and work him over. Leo gets the hit tag but Moriarty immediately cuts him off and works him over. Leo is able to get his wind back and take out both Sydal and Moriarty with some crazy fast pace offense. Both teams get big near-falls before Leo gives Dante an opening to hit a double jump Moonsault to win it! WHAT A MATCH! This was a fast paced, crazy offense match like you would see in PWG but done so well. Having veterans like Sydal and Leo in the match helped keep it together and told a great story. Fantastic stuff! ****
We get a promo package from Miro. It's phenomenal as always! I could watch 15 minutes of Miro talking about his God and his need to be champion. He's the best.
Dax Harwood vs. PAC
What a goddamn match. Lots of mat wrestling to start before both men trade strikes. Harwood's chest got busted up by the strikes! Match picked up as both men started hitting bigger and bigger moves. Lots of near-falls that the crowd was super hot for. Harwood gets frustrated as he can't put PAC away. PAC gets a crucifix on Harwood. Kick out but PAC gets the Brutalizer on! Hardwood taps out right away to prevent an injury before the PPV. Smart! This was a match I just sat back and watched and I loved it! A wrestler's wrestling match! ****
PAC keeps the hold on as Cash Wheeler runs in to break it up. Black out! Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black in the ring. They attack PAC. Lucha Brothers and Cody Rhodes run out to clear the ring.
Commentary runs down the card for Rampage and the PPV.
We get another great promo package this time for MJF and Darby Allin
Commentary announces Cody and PAC vs. Andrade and Black on the PPV.
Dark Order and The Elite are kicked out of the building before the contract signing for the World Title match. Good!
Tony Schiavone in the ring and introduces Page and Omega. Page says there is nothing left to say and he just wants to beat Omega's ass. He signs the contract. Omega talks about how The Elite helped pick Page up and keep him going. He calls Page a disappointment. Page mentions how Omega had another partner he didn't measure up to (Ibushi), but Omega might have surpassed him now. Page talks about how Omega is afraid of him. Page says he will become the AEW World Champion. Omega wants to shake his hand. They do and as Omega leaves Don Callis dressed as a cameraman attacks Page. Callis mocks Page as Omega signs the contract with Page's blood. That's a nice touch.
WHAT AN EPISODE! Every match for the PPV got a segment or video package or something. On top of that, all the matches tonight were great with Leo Rush and Dante Martin vs. Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarity as well as Harwood vs. PAC being the two highlights. If I had to nitpick, the women’s match was underwhelming to me and I am not a fan of the Hardy vs. Orange Cassidy feud still going on but that’s minor stuff. This is an episode of AEW that any wrestling fan can find something to like! Can’t wait for this weekend’s PPV!
For more thoughts and opinions, follow me on Twitter @AlexKalil
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