Rampage – October 29, 2021: The AEW Formula

Rampage
Date: October 29, 2021
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Ricky Starks, Taz

It’s another big night as we have a potential classic on our hands with Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston. If that isn’t enough, we also have Britt Baker vs. Abadon in a street fight and Dante Martin vs. Matt Sydal Part III. Rampage benefits a lot from the shorter time frame so they should be good to go again here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

World Title Eliminator Tournament Semifinals: Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston

Kingston drives him up against the ropes to start and fires off a hard chop. More chops in the corner rock Danielson but he moonsaults over Kingston to set up the running clothesline. Kingston needs a breather on the floor but comes back in and blocks a single leg. Instead it’s Danielson being taken into the corner for more hard chops and a running knee to the ribs.

Danielson staggers around with his chest getting very red until Kingston pulls him down into a chinlock. More chops have Danielson’s chest looking BAD as we take a break. Back with Danielson kicking Kingston down on the floor but walking into a Saito suplex. Danielson beats the count so Kingston suplexes him again for two more, setting up something like a dragon sleeper. Kingston puts Danielson (whose chest is somehow looking worse) on top but a top rope superplex is broken up with a headbutt.

Danielson crotches him on top and hits the belly to back superplex to put them both down. Some AFFIRMATIVE Kicks have Kingston rocked and a big kick to the head puts him down again. Danielson goes for the arm but Kingston slips out, setting up the backfist to the head. They’re both down so the fans give them a standing ovation. Kingston goes to pick him up but gets pulled into the triangle choke. Danielson elbows away so Kingston flips him off and passes out at 16:24.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a beating with Danielson’s chest alone making it worth a look. They didn’t bother with a ton of traditional wrestling here and just went with hitting each other really hard for a long time. Danielson was fighting from beneath here and Kingston continues to look like a star. You feel like he could win a big match and it would be cool to see him do so at some point. The reaction alone would be worth it.

Post match, Kingston walked away from the offer of a handshake.

CM Punk is having a good week but a ranting and raving Eddie Kingston comes in. Some wrestlers break it up and Punk offers to put Kingston to sleep again.

Matt Sydal vs. Dante Martin

It’s part three of a trilogy and Lio Rush is here with Martin. They stare each other down to start and take their time, with commentary thinking they’re off to a classic. Neither can hit a snapmare but Martin sends him outside for the middle rope moonsault to drop Sydal one more time.

We take a break and come back with Sydal kicking at the legs to slow Martin down but Martin goes after the knee as well. Sydal goes up but gets shoved off the top, only to avoid Martin coming off the top. The Lightning Spiral is blocked as well and Martin hits the double springboard moonsault press for the pin at 10:59.

Rating: B. Sometimes you find someone who can take an art form to another level and that is what Martin has been doing. Those flips are so smooth that you can’t help but watch, which can make it hard to keep track of in a match that moves so fast. Sydal kept up with him well enough, but this was about showcasing Martin and it did so rather well.

We get the face to face with Abadon and Britt Baker. Abadon can’t talk but Baker says she has some tricks for her. Then Abadon disappears so let’s move on to the main event.

Abadon vs. Britt Baker

Non-title and anything goes, with Abadon getting a title shot if she can win. Jamie Hayter and Rebel, as zombies, are here too. Feeling out process to start with Baker bailing out to the floor in a hurry. Rebel and Hayter grab a table and we take an early break. Back with Abadon putting a chair on Baker and hitting a running backsplash.

Baker sends her face first into a chair in the corner and they head to the apron. The swinging neckbreaker sends them both onto (not through) the table and a suplex doesn’t put Abadon through it either. Abadon does the zombie situp and pulls out the thumbtacks, which has Baker panicking. A Rock Bottom onto the tacks gives Abadon two but Baker pelts a chair at her head.

Baker wraps a chair around Abadon’s neck for the running stomp but Abadon gets back up. Baker puts tacks in Abadon’s mouth and superkicks her, setting up Lockjaw. Abadon bites her way to freedom so Hayter comes in to deck Abadon. That doesn’t work so Abadon grabs Rebel, allowing Baker to roll her into the tacks for the pin at 11:18.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one as much but it still told a story. Abadon continues to be the other world monster and Baker survived rather than beating her. This was all about the Halloween feeling and while some of the stuff they were doing was a bit excessive for a match in this setting, it did at least have some logic behind the setup.

Overall Rating: B+. They went with a formula that has worked well for AEW for a long time now: have some awesome matches and let the fans go nuts. That’s all you need to do sometimes and when AEW gets it right, they have something special. This was a very enjoyable show, though I have no idea how many people actually saw it with the World Series on at the same time.

Results
Bryan Danielson b. Eddie Kingston – Triangle choke
Dante Martin b. Matt Sydal – Double springboard moonsault
Britt Baker b. Abadon – Rollup into tacks

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