Rampage
Date: November 4, 2022
Location: Jim Whalen Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Mike Tyson, Tony Schiavone

You might notice an interesting guest star here as Iron Mike Tyson is making another appearance for the company. I’m not sure how well that is going to go, but Tyson is likely going to bring some energy. The big match this week is a special appearance by Katsuyori Shibata as he challenges Orange Cassidy for the All-Atlantic Title. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Tyson gets a special entrance.

Video on Katsuyori Shibata, who hits people very hard and is back after what appeared to be a career ending injury.

All-Atlantic Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Cassidy is defending. They stare each other down so Shibata grabs a headlock takeover. A headscissors gets Cassidy out of trouble before cranking on the ankle. Shibata misses the big kick to the head and gets forearmed off the apron, setting up the suicide dive. Back up and Shibata sends him into the barricade a few times, allowing the sitdown pose back inside. Cassidy shrugs it off and sends him into the barricade as well but they both have to dive back inside to beat the count.

We take a break and come back with Cassidy hitting a running corner dropkick and the lazy kicks for the mind games. The lazy superkick is blocked though and now Cassidy is willing to pick up the pace. Shibata cuts him off with an STO (as called by Tyson) and hits his own lazy kicks. That makes Cassidy sit down as well, with Shibata sitting right in front of him. Cassidy gently slaps him so Shibata BLASTS HIM with a forearm before unloading in the corner.

Back up and they knock each other down, allowing us to look at Tyson watching the match. It’s Cassidy up first with a running penalty kick so Shibata tells him to do it again. That’s what Cassidy does before more kicks have no effect. A big running kick manages to knock Cassidy do but Shibata is back up with something like an Orange Punch to knock Cassidy silly. The octopus goes on and they fall to the mat, where Cassidy gets his foot on the rope.

The Stundog Millionaire gets Cassidy out of trouble and he fires off some lazy Kawada kicks. Shibata is right back with a Death Valley Driver but Cassidy counters another one into a Stunner. The Beach Break gives Cassidy two and the Orange Punch….doesn’t actually knock Shibata down. Instead Shibata is up with the choke before suplexing Cassidy back down. The Penalty kick is loaded up but Cassidy pops to his feet for the Orange Punch to retain at 11:10.

Rating: B-. This is going to be an example of “your mileage may vary” and I’m not overly surprised. The match felt like something you see at a Wrestlemania weekend independent show with the question of “wouldn’t it be cool if these two faced each other?”. It was a completely fine way to go and I’m sure Shibata’s fans are happy to see him. Cassidy is one of the most oddball people around but he did well here and it was a bit of a treat, even if not what you would expect Shibata to do.

Respect is shown post match and Cassidy gives Shibata his sunglasses, while also cracking a smile.

That’s it for Tyson, making it a rather forgettable cameo, though he did sound happy to be there.

Toni Storm thinks Britt Baker is manipulating Jamie Hayter but she’ll be ready at Full Gear.

The Blackpool Combat Club isn’t happy with Chris Jericho going too far against Ring Of Honor. Why is he going after non-wrestlers like Ian Riccaboni? If Jericho wants to go after the Ring Of Honor World Champions, come after Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson. William Regal tells Jericho to make his choice.

Jamie Hayter/Britt Baker vs. Skye Blue/Madison Rayne

Rebel is here with the villains. Rayne takes Hayter into the corner to start and Blue cuts Hayter off with a raised boot. A high crossbody gives Blue two but Hayter cuts her off with a hot shot as we take a break. Back with Hayter and Blue knocking each other down, allowing Blue to kick Baker in the head as well for the tag off to Rayne.

House is cleaned and a neckbreaker gets two on Baker, followed by a cutter for a bonus. Hayter is back in with what looked like a chokebreaker to Rayne but Blue gives her a Backstabber. Baker kicks Blue down and hits the fisherman’s neckbreaker for two on Rayne. The villains hit stereo superkicks and Hayter adds the ripcord lariat for the pin at 7:18.

Rating: C. They kept this moving and the match wound up being a nice showcase for Hayter on the way to her title match. Hayter has impressed a lot in recent weeks and that very well could continue through Full Gear. Blue and Madison are good target practice who can still do fairly well in the ring, making this a completely acceptable match.

Post match Baker mocks Toni Storm and promises Hayter is winning the title at Full Gear. Cue Storm, who drops Rebel with one hand, beats up Baker and Thesz presses Hayter to start the brawl. As you would in any fight, Storm grabs a Texas Cloverleaf but Baker comes in with a belt shot to knock her silly. Hayter gets to hold up the title.

We look at Chris Jericho calling out Lamar Jackson on Dynamite, plus the Baltimore Ravens (Jackson’s team) tweeting a response to Jericho. That’s the kind of publicity AEW can/should brag about.

Tony Schiavone talks to Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho about the Blackpool Combat Club’s challenge. Jericho is thinking about saying both, because the Club doesn’t like each other. So how about the three of them and Sammy in a four way for the title. Jericho suggest that Sammy would “do the right thing”, which doesn’t seem to sit well with him.

Here is Ricky Starks for a chat. Starks asks if you can hear the crowd reaction because he knows people are asking to see him get on TV. He has never had to ask the fans to have his back because they know he can deliver. The people like to see him do the pose and he likes them too.

There is a question that people want to know and that is about the eliminator tournament. Starks is one of those six answers, because he is officially entering. Things are crumbling around here (probably shouldn’t say that) but he is going to hold it up on his bare back. He’s ready to face Jon Moxley or MJF because he is Ricky Freaking Starks. Good stuff here, as I can always go for more of Starks, especially when he is fired up.

Sammy Guevara is ready to keep the Ring Of Honor World Title in the Jericho Appreciation Society, but for now he wants to talk about Bryan Danielson. He wants a rematch and he wants it next week on Dynamite, 2/3 falls.

Samoa Joe/Wardlow and the Gates of Agony are ready for each other. Oh and Wardlow wants Powerhouse Hobbs to come get him.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

We get the brackets for the Full Gear tournament:

Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page

Bandido
Rush

Lance Archer
Ricky Starks

Brian Cage
Dante Martin

Samoa Joe/Wardlow vs. Gates of Agony

Prince Nana is here with the Gates. Wardlow misses a clothesline to Kaun to start but is fine enough to drive him into the corner. A clothesline drops Kaun again before Wardlow opts to just hammer away at the head. Joe comes in and slugs at Loa before hitting the corner enziguri. Kaun gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and Loa runs Joe over for two.

We take a break and come back with Joe fighting out of a dropkick and Rock Bottoming him out of the corner. Wardlow comes back in for a bunch of German suplexes as everything breaks down. The wind up punch drops Kaun and Wardlow shrugs off a knee to the face. The four movement Powerbomb Symphony finishes Kaun at 9:11.

Rating: C. What am I supposed to say about this? The Gates of Agony have been around for seven months, they haven’t won a two on two tag match since July (when the other team split up mid match) and there was no reason to believe they were going to win here. This was a good example of a match where it felt like Ring Of Honor was shoehorned in and it did not help things in the slightest.

Post match Powerhouse Hobbs comes out to stare down Wardlow to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is more or less the standard Rampage: fun opener, nothing middle match, and something Ring of Honor related in the main event. While it might be a pretty good show, other than an announcement about an upcoming Ring of Honor Title match, absolutely none of this stuff felt important. Shibata vs. Cassidy was little more than a fun curiosity match, Hayter is set for the title match and the Gates of Agony have never felt important around here. Rampage has very little excitement most of the time and I can’t imagine wanting to go to one of these shows, special commentator (for one match) or not.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Katsuyori Shibata – Orange Punch
Britt Baker/Jamie Hayter b. Skye Blue/Madison Rayne – Ripcord lariat to Rayne
Samoa Joe/Wardlow b. Gates of Agony – Powerbomb Symphony to Kaun

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Cyber Sunday 2008
Date: October 26, 2008
Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 7,981
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jim Ross, Tazz, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker, Todd Grisham

The major match is another step in the rise of Jeff Hardy, who has been chasing the World Title since back in January. This time he’s chasing HHH for the Smackdown World Title and has two out of three chances to get another shot as the options are Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov (a Russian monster) or both at the same time. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: US Title: Shelton Benjamin vs. ???

R-Truth – 59%
Festus – 25%
MVP – 15%

This is a special match that aired before the show on WWE.com. Shelton is defending and is now known as the Gold Standard, meaning he has gold hair and is really arrogant. Shelton goes after the arm to start but Truth flips over him in the corner and gets two off a leg lariat. The champ comes right back with a hot shot and running kick to the face before we hit the chinlock.

Truth fights up with right hands and clotheslines but takes too long going up, allowing Shelton to jump to the top because he’s an athletic freak. Benjamin gets shoved down so Truth can hit a missile dropkick for two. A quick Paydirt (jumping Downward Spiral) retains Shelton’s title at 3:23.

Rating: D+. This match existed so Truth could do his entrance and fire up the crowd so everything worked fine on that front. To be fair this was just a quick bonus match to get things going and WWE happened to air it on their website. Shelton was pretty much done as anything interesting as soon as he took on this Gold Standard deal because it was so one note and allowed him to keep being lazy and do nothing for the next year and a half before he left the company. Truth on the other hand is still in about the same spot eight years later. Not that there’s anything wrong with that as he’s still popular and employed.

The opening video is a bunch of wrestlers saying our votes don’t matter and no one cares. Then the wrestlers realize that these votes decide their future so tonight it’s all about the fans. Apparently it’s our pay per view. Then why did we have to pay for it?

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

No Holds Barred – 39%
Falls Count Anywhere – 35%
Two Out Of Three Falls – 26%

Kane was back to being an evil monster and wanted to take Rey’s mask for reasons that weren’t exactly clear. Rey tries some fast offense early on but quickly resorts to weapons. This goes just as badly because someone nearly two feet shorter than Kane can’t do much with a stop sign, allowing Kane to kick him in the face. Well mask but you get the idea.

Kane lifts him up with one arm and rams him back first into the post for two back inside. We hit the trash talk as Kane berates Rey for hiding behind the mask. A legdrop gets two for Kane and he bends Rey’s back across his knee. It’s off to a nerve hold for a bit before we hit the backbreaker again. Rey rakes the eyes and scores with the sitout bulldog, followed by a quick enziguri.

That just earns him another boot to the face and now it’s time for a chair. Mysterio is fast enough to dropkick it back into Kane’s face, which Cole describes as “swashbuckling style.” The monster comes right back to knock Rey down, allowing him to go grab the steps. As expected, that just means Kane goes face first into the steps, setting up the springboard seated senton for two. A few chair shots set up the 619 and the springboard splash to give Rey the pin at 10:20.

Rating: D+. It was decent enough but the stipulation was barely used for the most part. This really just made Kane look more inept than monstrous, basically defeating the point of the feud. It’s also kind of an odd choice for an opener but the match wasn’t horrible and had some decent stuff from Rey. Overall though it feels flat and that’s not how you start a show.

There’s another Divas Halloween costume this year and we’ll be seeing the choices throughout the night, including Michelle McCool as a soldier, Katie Lea as a vampire (basically just her normal look with fangs), Lena Yada as a ninja and Candice Michelle as Marilyn Monroe.

Chris Jericho comes up to Legacy (Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes and Manu (son of Afa), a group of second generation wrestlers) and says he loved the way they took out CM Punk. Jericho thinks they’re on the verge of greatness and suggests they take out Batista tonight. Cody tells him to do his dirty work himself.

ECW Title: Matt Hardy vs. ???

Evan Bourne – 69%
Finlay – 25%
Mark Henry – 6%

Bourne is a high flier with a great looking shooting star press. Matt, in a rare position as the bigger man, runs Evan over a few times until Evan gets a good looking dropkick. Evan spins out of a test of strength to get two off a victory roll before reversing the Side Effect for the same result. Matt gets tired of this fast paced offense so he forearms Evan out to the floor to take over.

Back in and Bourne starts in on the arm for a change of pace. A standing shooting star press gets two on the champ and it’s right back to the arm. Hardy rolls outside for a breather and pretty easily breaks up an Asai Moonsault. Back in and Matt drops a middle rope elbow to the back for two, followed by a quickly broken abdominal stretch. Splash Mountain (Razor’s Edge into a powerbomb) is countered with a hurricanrana as the fans seem to be more behind Evan than Matt.

A pair of Side Effects gets two for Hardy but somehow Matt’s middle rope legdrop is countered by a spinwheel kick. Shouldn’t Matt have known that Evan was already up? Bourne gets two off a really fast moonsault press out of the corner as Todd says this has been going a hundred miles an hour since the opening bell. Someone needs to teach him the concept of speed. Matt grabs a rollup (and maybe some tights) for two but has to avoid the shooting star. The Twist of Fate retains Matt’s title at 11:04.

Rating: C. This picked up a lot after the halfway point but the first half with the arm work from Evan and Matt using power wasn’t the most exciting stuff. Matt never has been the best power guy/brawler so the match got better once he went back to his normal style. Bourne looked good here and would seem ready for a strong push but two days later he would dislocate his ankle and miss over four months.

Beth Phoenix is a gladiator, Jillian Hall is Batgirl, Maria is a bunny and Kelly Kelly is a sailor.

Here are the choices for the next tag match:

John Morrison/The Miz vs. Cryme Tyme – 38%
Legacy vs. Kofi Kingston/CM Punk – 35%
William Regal/Layla vs. Jamie Noble/Mickie James – 27%

John Morrison/The Miz vs. Cryme Tyme

This is a feud over who has the better internet show. The choice is a bit odd as Legacy vs. Punk/Kingston would have been for the Raw Tag Team Titles. Morrison and JTG get things going and take turns driving each other into the corner. Not exactly a thrilling start. JTG gets in a back elbow to the jaw for the first real offense before it’s off to Miz vs. Shad with the big man giving JTG something like a reverse Alabama Slam onto Miz for two.

It’s back to Morrison as the announcers talk about underwear. Miz and Morrison are both sent out to the floor before Shad throws JTG onto both of them for a cool power display. Back in and John drives Shad into the corner to take over on the knee. We hit a leg lock from Miz followed by a half crab from Morrison. Shad pretty easily kicks Miz away and makes the tag off to JTG.

Everything breaks down and JTG gets beaten down for a change as Miz questions the fans thinking he can’t wrestle. Miz hits a running corner clothesline for two and we hit the chinlock. JTG gets up and drops Miz long enough for the hot tag to Shad. Everything breaks down and Shad gets two off a spinebuster to Morrison. Miz kicks Shad in the knee though, setting up Morrison’s Midnight Drive (flip neckbreaker) for the pin at 10:22.

Rating: D+. This felt more like the opener with the match never really going anywhere after the first few minutes. Just like Mysterio vs. Kane, this started fast but never got off the ground. Maybe there wasn’t enough heat from two internet shows that most people didn’t watch to warrant a pay per view match. If only there was an option for some titles.

Tiffany is something like a nun, Brie Bella is Cleopatra, Natalya is a cop and Eve Torres is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Jericho can’t get Great Khali’s help in the main event either.

Intercontinental Title: Santino Marella vs. ???

Marella is a goofy Italian who somehow landed Beth Phoenix, a good looking blonde in great shape. He’s also been talking about how he’s going to surpass Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest Intercontinental Title reign, which included the Honk-A-Meter. Before the opponent is revealed, Santino insults various athletes who come to Phoenix and fade away. The list includes Shaquille O’Neal, who happens to be here. Here are the choices for his opponent:

Honky Tonk Man – 35%
Roddy Piper – 34%
Goldust – 31%

The word duh comes to mind though that’s WAY closer than I was expecting. Before the match, Honky Tonk Man says Santino could hold the title for ten years and it wouldn’t mean as much as his reign. Eh to be fair that’s probably not too far from the truth. A dance off ensues until Honky Tonk hits a few right hands and grabs a headlock, only to have Beth trip Honky Tonk for the DQ at 1:05.

Santino yells at Beth for a bit, followed by the other options coming out for the big beatdown and a lot of cheering.

Maryse is a French maid (of course), Layla is Princess Layla, Victoria is a banana (she has appeal) and Mickie James is Lara Croft.

We recap Undertaker vs. Big Show. Big Show knocked Undertaker out to prove that Undertaker was mortal and unable to take the big right hand. Undertaker came back and said he wasn’t done fighting yet so they’ll have another fight here.

Undertaker vs. Big Show

Last Man Standing – 49%
I Quit – 42%
Knockout Match – 9%

Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero says I Quit won in a fairly inoffensive gaffe. They slug it out to start with Big Show knocking him over the top and out to the floor. Undertaker is thrown into the timekeeper’s area so he comes back with a chair to the head. Back in and Show easily runs Undertaker over before kicking him out to the floor. Show misses a chair shot though, allowing Undertaker to drive it into his throat for an eight count. Undertaker starts hammering away but gets clotheslined for his efforts.

Show just starts pounding on Undertaker’s ribs before trying a chokeslam, which is reversed into a DDT for nine. This of course begs the question of why he didn’t just immediately throw the KO Punch since he was easily pounding on the ribs. Show takes a turnbuckle pad off but gets sent into it himself (because duh) so they can head outside. Undertaker is whipped into the steps over and over before they stop fighting to load up the announcers’ tables.

A superkick (well moderately super) puts Undertaker over the barricade and a chokeslam sends him through the table for nine. Show yells at Undertaker for not quitting but Undertaker comes back with right hands. Another DDT plants Show inside but Old School is countered into a weak chokeslam for nine more. The KO Punch gets the same so Show caves Undertaker’s head in with a chair. Show leans down to talk some trash but gets pulled into the Hell’s Gate choke, knocking him out for the ten count at 19:23.

Rating: B-. This could have been a lot worse and the good ending drags it up a bit higher. You had to expect these two to have a low and plodding match but the idea of two big guys hitting each other a lot worked well enough. This was more of an old school Undertaker match and while he’s not exactly what he used to be, this was still good enough and better than I was expecting to have to sit through.

Raw General Manager Mike Adamle (a hopeless buffoon) won’t give Jericho leniency either. Jericho gets a message on his phone that seems to give him some hope.

It’s time for the Halloween costume results with all of the Divas being brought out. Mickie James wins and they don’t even bother with percentages. A big brawl breaks out with the good ones being left to pose.

We recap the Smackdown World Title match which is really more of a question of how badly will Hardy alone dominate the other options. Hardy and HHH have been feuding for a few months though they’re both still faces. Kozlov is just there despite most people not being interested.

Smackdown World Title: HHH vs. ???

Jeff Hardy – 57%
Jeff Hardy/Vladimir Kozlov – 38%
Vladimir Kozlov – 5%

Yeah that’s not a surprise with the Hardy options totaling 95% and even the triple threat was blown out by Jeff alone. They go with some basic wrestling to start as Jeff works on a hammerlock on the mat. An armdrag sets up an armbar but Jeff can’t hit the Twist of Fate. JR thinks Hardy’s green belt means money tonight. Now you’re just stretching dude. Jeff tries to get to the top but gets sent crashing back down to the floor.

HHH sends him shoulder first into the post and it’s time for an armbar. Jeff sweeps the legs and drops a legdrop between the champ’s legs for two but the slingshot dropkick is nicely countered into a spinebuster. We hit a crossface of all things to stay on Jeff’s shoulder until Hardy rolls backwards into a rollup for the break. They head outside with HHH being sent into the steps and Jeff nailing Poetry in Motion against the barricade.

Back in and a pair of Whispers in the Wind get two on the champ as the fans are getting more into this. The Twist of Fate is countered but Jeff reverses the Pedigree into a rollup for two in a hot sequence. Now the Twist connects for two and there’s a Swanton for no cover. A second one hits knees but Jeff knocks him outside, only to completely miss a plancha. HHH goes down anyway but HHH crotches him back inside, setting up the Pedigree to retain at 15:36.

Rating: B. These two had some strong chemistry together and it was clear that Hardy was getting closer and closer every single time. HHH getting the title again wasn’t the most popular idea but he was having great matches and giving Hardy a great rub in matches like this one. There’s also the idea that Hardy never covered after hitting the Swanton, meaning there was no way of knowing if he had the pin there or not. Good stuff here and another nail in Kozlov’s main event coffin.

We recap Batista vs. Chris Jericho. Batista became #1 contender last month at No Mercy by beating John Bradshaw Layfield and gets his chance to reclaim his title here. Jericho is on a roll with his holier/more intelligent than thou heel character but Batista is just a monster. There isn’t even a gimmick here with the fans getting to vote on a guest referee.

Raw World Title: Chris Jericho vs. Batista

Steve Austin – 74%
Shawn Michaels – 22%
Randy Orton – 4%

Jericho is defending and the fans chant for Austin, much to the champ’s annoyance. For some reason Jericho decides to slap Batista in the face to start, earning himself some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. That means it’s time for a breather on the floor and a walk up the aisle but Austin says if he leaves he loses the title. I would picture Austin going up the aisle and throwing him back in but I guess Steve has mellowed a bit.

Back in and an elbow to the jaw followed by a suplex gives Batista a two count. Jericho tosses him outside for a breather and a baseball slide. Batista’s knee gets caught in the ropes so Jericho can have a target. A leglock sets up a chop block and it’s time to crank on the ankle. That’s switched over to a chinlock before Batista has to kick away a Walls of Jericho attempt.

Jericho charges into a boot to the face and Batista’s leg is fine enough for a powerslam. It bangs up his knee though and Jericho grabs the Walls which is quickly swapped for a half crab, guaranteeing that Batista doesn’t tap. Austin has to pull Jericho off when he Batista grabs the ropes, doing his first noteworthy thing in the last ten minutes. A Boss Man Slam (not a tilt-a-whirl side slam Cole) gets two on the champ but Jericho goes back to the knee to escape the Batista Bomb.

Batista misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the post but he’s still able to break up a superplex attempt. A good looking top rope shoulder gets two on Jericho but it’s time for the ref bump with Batista running Austin over by mistake. The Codebreaker drops Batista so here’s Shawn Michaels (Jericho’s big rival) for a comically slow count (as in nearly fifteen seconds to get to two).

Batista spears Jericho but JBL comes out to beat up Shawn. Here’s Randy Orton to knock Austin down so Jericho can hit Batista in the head with the belt for two. Austin gets back up with a Stunner for Orton, leaving Batista to give Jericho a spinebuster and the Batista Bomb to win the title at 17:06.

Rating: B-. This was fine and even good at times but absolutely nothing worth getting excited over. Batista winning the title sent the fans home happy but it’s really early for Jericho to lose the title less than two months after he won it. To be fair though this was just a quick reign as Batista would drop the belt back to Jericho eight days later at the 800th episode of Monday Night Raw. The referee stuff was nice for a change after last year where Austin was absolutely nothing. It also helps that this stuff made sense instead of just being there as random violence.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was perfectly fine but it was clear that the voting gimmick had outlived its usefulness, hence why this was the final year. The wrestling was a slightly downgraded version of the previous year’s as the final three matches all worked but the stuff earlier in the show wasn’t as strong. I’ll take a decent show over a mess though and that’s about all there is here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Dynamite
Date: November 2, 2022
Location: Chesapeake Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We are less than three weeks away from Full Gear and just over a month away from Ring Of Honor Final Battle so we are going to be in for some pretty important moments over the next few weeks. The big story coming into this week continues to be MJF, who seems to be teasing one heck of a face turn. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal

They start fast on the floor with Allin mounting him and hammering away despite his taped up ribs. The bell rings and they get inside, with Allin hitting a running crossbody out to the floor. Cue Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh with the latter deterring Allin from a dive, allowing Lethal to monkey flip Allin ribs first into the steps. Lethal puts him under the barricade and puts on the Figure Four before kicking at the leg on the apron. A German suplex on the apron rocks Allin and we take a break.

Back with Lethal grabbing a reverse fisherman’s suplex and flipping him face first onto the mat (that’s a new one). Hail To The King is countered into a crucifix to give Allin two before he pulls the Lethal Injection into a choke. That’s broken up and Lethal rolls outside, where Allin hits a dive onto Singh, which bounces off. The goons are ejected but here is a guy in a Sting coat to baseball bat Allin. The Lethal Injection gives Lethal the pin at 9:05.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t wild on the fake Sting ending but you are almost guaranteed to get at least one Nitro reference a month on here. Other than that, this was a fast paced back and forth match between two people who know how to work that style. Allin is going to need some backup so Sting should be around soon, but maybe someone younger will be available.

Post match Sting reveals himself as…..Cole Carter. Sting’s music plays so the villains go to the floor to wait for him. Cue….hokey smoke Jeff Jarrett to guitar Allin down. Jarrett talks about how Allin worships Sting and now Sting has become Allin’s greatest weakness. The Jarretts have been in wrestling for over 75 years and wherever he goes, greatness follows. His family’s fingerprints are all over AEW but when he is done, there will be full body bags.

Quick look at the Firm turning on MJF and beating him down.

Jon Moxley is ready to have a normal night but for Lee Moriarty, it is the biggest night of his career. The Blackpool Combat Club likes Moriarty but tonight he is backing Moriarty into a corner to see what kind of a man he is. If you have any unrequited anger, it would be a good time to bring it out because he’s going to need the help.

We see a clip of the Elite winning the inaugural Trios Titles but being erased and replaced with Death Triangle.

Lee Moriarty vs. Jon Moxley

Non-title with Stokely Hathaway and William Regal at ringside and Ethan Page on commentary. Feeling out process to start with Moriarty managing to send him into the corner for some running uppercuts. Moriarty takes him down by the arm and we take a break. Back with Moriarty grabbing a bridging single underhook DDT for two before stomping away.

Moxley fights up and strikes away, setting up the King Kong Lariat, setting up a suplex for two on Moriarty. They slug it out until Moxley grabs an armbar, only to get reversed into a Border City Stretch. That’s broken up as well so Moxley elbows away, setting up a cross armbreaker to make Moriarty tap at 10:09.

Rating: B-. Moriarty is a technical star so it is a little weird to see Moxley out technical him and make him tap. The good thing is that Moxley’s submission/grappling stuff looked passable enough that it wasn’t ridiculous. I could still go for a more serious Moriarty, but the weird colored hair isn’t going to get him very far.

Post match Ethan Page runs down and drops Moxley because he wants the World Title.

We are supposed to have a sitdown interview with Saraya and Britt Baker but there is no Baker. Saraya says Baker doesn’t have the guts to do what she does but there is something special about AEW. She wants to give more to it but won’t say where she is medically, as she’ll save that for next week and one more doctor consultation.

William Regal says MJF has all the potential in the world but it isn’t going to be enough to have him beat a real demon like Jon Moxley.

Here are the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, with the rap mainly being about it being Billy’s birthday. They’re annoyed that Swerve Strickland hurt Billy’s hands because HE CAN’T SCISSOR and scissoring is taking over the world. Billy has it covered though with the big foam scissoring fingers. Excalibur: “ShopAEW.com.”

Caster asks who has some gifts for Billy before going outside to get some big paper scissors from a kid (who gets scissored) as the official gift in a nice moment. We’re not done yet though as we hear about some of Billy’s accomplishments and Bowens gives him…..a World’s Greatest Dad trophy! Bowens suggests that there were going to be some guests from DX here but they were made that he didn’t go to their reunion so it fell through.

We get a nice moment of the Acclaimed talking about Billy being such a great mentor to them. Therefore, we have one more gift: an official adoption certificate! Billy is ready to sign and complete the deal but the Gunn Club interrupts. They think their invitation must have gotten lost in the mail but they have a gift anyway. Cue W. Morrissey to beat Billy and the Acclaimed down with the Gunns helping. FTR makes the save and has a bit of a staredown with the Acclaimed.

Britt Baker isn’t going to jump because Saraya and Renee Paquette told her to. She and Jamie Hayter just want to wrestle so get them some opponents for Rampage.

Here is Chris Jericho to recap the open challenge for the Ring Of Honor World Title.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Chris Jericho vs. ???

Jericho, with the Jericho Appreciation Society, is defending and the opponent is…..Colt Cabana. In a related story, Chicago was last seen being launched somewhere over Lake Michigan. They go face to face to start until Cabana shoulders him down and hammers away. Cabana rolls him up out of the corner for two but can’t clothesline Jericho outside. Instead he takes Jericho up top for the Chicago Skyline but they both fall out to the floor in a big crash.

We take a break and come back with Cabana striking away, setting up the middle rope falling splash for two. The Flip Flop and Fly is broken up but Cabana reverses the Judas Effect into the Billy Goat’s Curse. The Superman Pin gets two as Jake Hager makes the save, earning the Society an Asai moonsault. Back in and Jericho Codebreakers him to retain at 8:14.

Rating: C+. I’m not even going to try to figure out what kind of a message this was supposed to be to CM Punk but what matters here is that Jericho beats another Ring Of Honor name. The rampage through the company, or at least its former stars, continues and I don’t know how long this is going to last. I also don’t know who cuts him off, but it could be interesting.

Post match Jericho and company go up the ramp to go after Ian Riccaboni. The belt shot is loaded up and it’s the Blackpool Combat Club making the save for the pull apart brawl.

Rey Fenix is ready to win the All-Atlantic Title so Pac tells him to be smart and use the ring bell hammer.

All-Atlantic Title: Rey Fenix vs. Luchasaurus vs. Orange Cassidy

Cassidy is defending and Christian Cage and Alex Abrahantes are here too. Fenix and Cassidy go after Luchasaurus to start and a double dropkick puts them on the floor. That leaves Fenix to miss a kick to the face, earning himself a VERY spinning DDT for two. Luchasaurus is back in to wreck the other two, including a release suplex to Cassidy. A double clothesline leaves Luchasaurus as the only person standing so we take a break.

Back with Cassidy hitting the Stundog Millionaire on Luchasaurus and knocking him outside. Luchasaurus shrugs off a double dive though and chokeslams Fenix through the ringside table. Cassidy gets knocked up the ramp but here is Jungle Boy to chair Luchasaurus down. A big running crossbody drives Luchasaurus off the stage and through a table, leaving the other two to head back to ringside. Pac shows up with an offer of the hammer but Fenix doesn’t was it. Instead they trade rollups until Cassidy Orange Punches Fenix to retain at 9:57.

Rating: B-. This was a big brawl for the most part with Luchasaurus being the monster to slay until we got to the ending. Cassidy getting another pin is a good way to make him feel like a better deal and they are doing it well enough. Fenix can still hang in there with anyone and now we are heading towards more Luchasaurus vs. Jungle Boy.

Post match Pac comes inf or the beatdown, but here is Katsuyori Shibata (well ok) with Rocky Romero and the Best Friends for the save. Shibata points at the title and Cassidy whips out the contract for Rampage (where he gets to pick his challenger, as announced in advance). The match is made and yeah that was a pretty awesome moment.

Swerve Strickland is here with Rick Ross with the latter putting Strickland over. Keith Lee comes in and wants to know what was up with the whole breaking Billy Gunn’s fingers. And who was holding the camera??? Swerve makes a peace offering of an eight man tag next week, which Lee reluctantly accepts. I do like Lee asking the camera question as that’s a detail that is rarely brought up.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. Marina Shafir

Shafir is challenging. They stare each other down but here are Vickie Guerrero and Nyla Rose to do live commentary on the match from the stage. Jade knocks Shafir outside as Nyla starts eating chips. The distraction almost gets Jade kicked out but she comes back in, kicks Shafir in the face, and hits Jaded to retain at 2:17. Total squash.

Post match Kiera Hogan tries to steal the TBS Title back from Nyla Rose but gets dropped.

Video on Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage, setting up tonight’s ROH TV Title match.

The House of Black, complete with Malakai Black, vignette, with the theme of a funeral and suggesting that something new is coming. Well that takes care of Black’s status.

Video on Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm for the Women’s Title at Full Gear. They are old friends and even lived together in England during the pandemic. Now though? Things have changed a bit.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage

Joe is defending and Prince Nana is here with Cage. Joe’s shoulder doesn’t work to start but the second attempt works a bit better. Some more shots put Cage down until a Nana distraction lets Cage take over in the corner. Cage hits a heck of a suplex and we take a quick break.

Back with Cage posing enough that Joe can strike away, setting up a running boot to the face. The backsplash gets two and Joe needs a bit of a breather. Joe’s scoop powerslam gets two but cage is right back with a 619 and top rope elbow for two. Cage faceplants him, only to get pulled into the Koquina Clutch to retain the title at 11:15.

Rating: C+. They didn’t do anything out of the box here and Joe wasn’t going to lose the title to Cage here no matter what. Joe is going to need a big challenger to take the title from him and Cage hasn’t meant anything in a long time. With Final Battle coming up, we should know some more about his next challenger soon enough, but I’m not sure who it should be.

Post match the Gates of Agony run in for the beatdown on Joe abut Wardlow makes the save. Cue Powerhouse Hobbs to spinebuster Wardlow before he picks up the TNT Title (after having to make sure he got the right one, which tells you a lot about how many titles AEW has) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Not a classic show and there was no great match, but it flew by and there were enough moments that made me wonder where stories were going. We had some good action here and nothing was bad, which is enough to make a good use of two hours. The lack of MJF is a smart way to go too, as that is the kind of angle worth waiting on. Good show here, as AEW continues to get back in its groove.

Results
Jay Lethal b. Darby Allin – Lethal Injection
Jon Moxley b. Lee Moriarty – Cross armbreaker
Chris Jericho b. Colt Cabana – Codebreaker
Orange Cassidy b. Rey Fenix and Luchasaurus – Orange Punch to Fenix
Jade Cargill b. Marina Shafir – Jaded
Samoa Joe b. Brian Cage – Koquina Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: October 26, 2022
Location: Chartway Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

We’re well on our way to Full Gear and now it seems that we have a World Title main event. Last week saw MJF announce that he will be cashing in his chip at Full Gear, though the question is who he will be challenging. This week, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will be defending against Penta El Cero Miedo. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Jericho/Daniel Garcia vs. Wheeler Yuta/Claudio Castagnoli

The rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society is here too. Castagnoli takes Jericho down to start before handing it off to Yuta to armbar Garcia. Everything breaks down for a bit and it’s Garcia being sent into the post on the floor. A Hager distraction lets Jericho get in a cheap shot to Castagnoli though and we take a break.

Back with Castagnoli fighting out of a chinlock but Jericho knocks Yuta off the apron. Castagnoli knocks Jericho away and brings in Yuta as everything breaks down. Jericho Codebreakers Castagnoli out of the air for two but Yuta sends Garcia outside for a big flip dive onto the villains. Back in and Jericho grabs the bat but gets powerbombed. Garcia tries to break up the Swing but Castagnoli puts him in an airplane spin as he swings Jericho at the same time. The Neutralizer finishes Jericho at 11:40.

Rating: B. This was more about getting Castagnoli back in the swing of things as he gets one of the bigger wins he could have. It was also nice to see Garcia vs. Yuta again as having another big match between them would make sense. For now though, Castagnoli gets the pin and we could be in for another Jericho showdown down the line.

Bryan Danielson talks about being frustrated by everything that has been going on as of late, including Wheeler Yuta talking back to him last week. Yuta and Castagnoli come in, with the former saying it’s about time that Danielson got fired up. Yuta isn’t Danielson’s kid and doesn’t like being talked down to, earning himself a shove. Castagnoli and William Regal have to break it up.

We get a video on the Elite, showing them being erased from some of their moments in history. I can only assume this means the team is coming back, meaning I have some head shaking to do.

Chris Jericho isn’t happy with what happened and issues an open challenge for any former Ring Of Honor champion (seemingly any title is eligible) to come face him. I believe at least, as the audio was messed up.

Swerve In Our Glory vs. FTR

For a future Tag Team Title shot so the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn come out to watch while the Gunn Club is at ringside. Harwood and Swerve start things off with Swerve being wrestled down. Wheeler comes in for a headlock before handing it back to Harwood. A shot to the ribs slows him down so Lee can come in and block the Big Rig. Lee runs both of them over and we take a break.

Back with Wheeler kicking Lee in the face and handing it back to Harwood. Swerve seems to slip off the ropes and Harwood counters a middle rope high crossbody. A dragon suplex gives Wheeler two on Swerve but it’s back to Lee to crush Wheeler for two more. Harwood slingshot powerbombs swerve and Lee headbutts Wheeler for another near fall.

Back up and Harwood somehow manages to superplex Lee, with Wheeler turning it into a PowerPlex for two of his own. A rollup out of the corner gives Harwood two but Swerve hits Harwood low. The Gunn Club cuts off Wheeler and it’s the Big Bang Catastrophe to finish Harwood at 15:00.

Rating: B-. Another solid one here but it’s hard to get my head around the idea of FTR getting to fight the Gunn Club rather than for the titles. Acclaimed vs. Swerve/Lee is a feud that is set up but I don’t know if Swerve/Lee need to go over FTR (albeit with some interference) to get there. FTR is starting to not feel as special after mostly spinning their wheels for months, and if that continues, that is quite the shame.

Saraya is in the back when Britt Baker interrupts. Renee Paquette isn’t letting them fight because if they want to talk, they can do it as they are supposed to.

Here is MJF for a chat with Jon Moxley’s wife Renee Paquette. She asks what happens if MJF faces Moxley at Full Gear, sending MJF into a rather funny Moxley impression, complete with aggressive walk and discussion of breaking bones. MJF talks about how Moxley is mid, with all due respect. Renee: “Max you can’t just say “with all due respect” and then say something mean.” Max: “Renee with all due respect, shut your mouth.”

MJF is going to wrestle the main event of Full Gear….mostly clean. MJF: “I am MJF after all.” He will however promise not to use the Dynamite Diamond ring at Full Gear. At Full Gear, he isn’t fighting Regal but rather everyone who says he couldn’t do it. Cue Stokely Hathaway, but MJF slaps the microphone away from him. MJF doesn’t want the Firm’s help at Full Gear, so stay away or get fired. He’s MJF (and he has a lot of catchphrases). The slow push towards MJF’s face turn continues but I’m not sure I can imagine them pulling the trigger so easily.

The Kingdom is ready for Samoa Joe and Wardlow, with Matt Taven wanting the TNT Title. Works for Wardlow.

Sammy Guevara vs. Bryan Danielson

Tay Melo is here with Guevara. Danielson goes right after him to start but gets dropped with a shot to the face. The springboard cutter lets Guevara set up an early failed GTH attempt. Danielson ties up the legs for the surfboard before firing off the kicks to the chest in the corner. Some ripping at the hand set up a butterfly suplex into a cross armbreaker.

Guevara slips outside to avoid the stomps and manages to knee a diving Danielson out of the air. We take a break and come back with Danielson kicking the heck out of Guevara. Danielson sends him to the floor, then takes it back inside for a missile dropkick. Guevara is able to flip out of a belly to back superplex but a standing moonsault is pulled into the LeBell Lock.

Guevara makes the rope so Danielson goes up top, only to get pulled down with a super Spanish Fly. Danielson is back with a shot of his own and the running knee, but Danielson would rather stomp away than cover. The hammer and elbows and a triangle choke finish Guevara at 14:47.

Rating: B-. This was all about getting Danielson back on track after having some bad results. That is the right idea, as Danielson can instantly be reheated by having one of his good matches while making it look easy. If nothing else, this should cool down some of the heat in the Blackpool Combat Club, even though it is starting to get interesting.

Rey Fenix is ready for Penta El Cero Miedo to become the new World Champion. If that’s the case, Fenix should become the next All-Atlantic Champion. Christian Cage and Luchasaurus come in with the latter deserving the next title shot. Orange Cassidy comes in and says let’s do this next week.

Jamie Hayter vs. Riho

Britt Baker and Rebel are here with Hayter. Riho gets powered down to start but manages to send her outside for a heck of a dive. Back in and Hayter grabs a quick suplex and we take a break. We come back with Riho getting to the top for a high crossbody but Hayter rolls through into a suplex for two more.

Riho snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana for another near fall and a Code Red gets the same. A snapdragon suplex gives Riho two more but Hayter is back up with a boot to the face to take over again. Back up and the ripcord lariat knocks Riho silly for the pin at 10:52.

Rating: C+. The more I see of Hayter, the more I’m hoping that AEW does something with her. The women’s division could use someone moving up the ladder and Hayter would be a nice choice to move up. I could see that working well and it would be nice to see them do something with the Baker/Hayter tension already.

Post match Toni Storm comes out for a staredown with the villains.

Eddie Kingston, very sincerely, says he’s great and having a blast with controlling his temper. He has Pentagon in tonight’s main event.

Here’s what’s coming on various upcoming shows.

Darby Allin says Sting hasn’t been here for a bit because Allin said he hasn’t been happy in a bit. He wants to prove himself by himself.

Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt tell Darby Allin to be careful what he wishes for because he might just get it.

AEW World Title: Penta El Cero Miedo vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley is defending and Alex Abrahantes is here with Pentagon. They stare each other down to start and then slug it out. Penta busts out CERO MIEDO and gets a double middle finger in exchange. Moxley is sent outside and taken down again as we take an early break. Back with Penta hitting a Sling Blade but getting caught with a jumping cutter.

Moxley’s piledriver gets two but a Crossface sends Moxley over to the rope. Moxley stomps on the head but gets reversed into the arm snap. They head outside where Moxley’s arm is fine enough to plant Pentagon with a DDT onto the steps. Back in and Moxley hits a pair of Death Riders to retain the title at 12:15.

Rating: B. Penta is one of the most unique stars in all of AEW as he feels like he could be a top star but for some reason it never seems to come close to happening. He has the charisma and star power to him and the idea of him getting a title shot against Moxley had me curious. Instead, he was just another victim for Moxley after getting in his usual stuff. Good match, but not exactly a classic.

Post match the Firm comes in to beat Moxley down with an angry Stokely Hathaway coming out as well. Security runs in and is easily dispatched as we see the Blackpool Combat Club locker room chained shut (nice job of closing a logic hole). MJF finally comes to the stage and looks conflicted over making the save or not. He comes to the ring and shoves the Firm away (doesn’t hit them though) and fires the team.

That earns him a shot to the face from Ethan Page and MJF gets beaten down. The beating heads to the floor, where W. Morrissey chokeslams MJF through a table to end the show. They’re doing everything right to make MJF look like a good guy but I don’t know if I can imagine the trigger actually being pulled on a full fledged face turn.

Overall Rating: B+. I had more fun with this show as it felt like things moved forward a bit more. Full Gear is starting to come together and the show should be a pretty solid event if they keep moving things forward. Throw in two hours of good to rather good matches and this was a strong show. AEW seems to have settled back into their old style and that is a great thing to see. Now please just don’t have the Elite come back in and mess things up.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta b. Chris Jericho/Daniel Garcia – Neutralizer to Jericho
Swerve In Our Glory b. FTR – Big Bang Catastrophe to Harwood
Bryan Danielson b. Sammy Guevara – Triangle choke
Jamie Hayter b. Riho – Ripcord lariat
Jon Moxley b. Penta El Cero Miedo – Death Rider

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: February 11, 2008
Location: Frank Irwin Center, Austin, Texas
Attendance: 13,552
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home show for No Way Out and the second show in a double taping as the roster is are on an Asian tour. The pay per view card is all but set and I’m not sure what else we are going to see on this show that is going to make it that much better. HHH still won’t be here again this week though and that should drag things down a bit, though it could be interesting to see who picks up the slack. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Of note: a graphic says that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be airing on CNBC. As someone who was devastated when that took Raw’s place near my birthday every year, I can’t help but smile.

Vince McMahon vs. Hornswoggle

No DQ and Finlay is banned from ringside. Vince, who does look a bit intimidating in his fighting gear, shoves him down without much trouble to start. Even Vince is willing to have a heart though and he lets Hornswoggle get in a free slap. After a delay, Hornswoggle manages to do it, which is enough for Vince to pull out his belt. Cue Finlay to get in Vince’s way so Vince threatens to fire him. That’s a major threat to Finlay, who has a wife and kids of his own. Finlay goes to leave but then knocks Vince cold with the shillelagh. Hornswoggle goes to leave but drops a Tadpole Splash for the pin in a nice moment.

Rating: C. This was more or less an angle instead of a match as the only moves were a slap and a splash. The story has long since lost its luster and could use an endgame of some kind, but I’m not sure what that could be. I can’t picture Vince vs. Finlay being interesting so unless they want to pull a surprise trigger, this could be in search of a finish for a good while.

Post break Vince gets his head looked at until William Regal comes in to check on him. Tonight, Vince is going to fire Finlay.

Chris Jericho vs. John Bradshaw Layfield

Royal Rumble rematch. They fight over a lockup to start until JBL misses a big boot, allowing Jericho to slug away with forearms. Jericho kicks him in the ribs and rips at the face but it’s too early for the Walls. There’s a baseball slide to send JBL outside but he goes evil with a thumb to the eye. For some reason that doesn’t work on Jericho, who is back with a spinwheel kick for a breather.

We take a break and come back with JBL hitting a rather hard clothesline, setting up the sleeper. Jericho fights up and knocks him down, including a top rope clothesline for two. The middle dropkick gets the same and Jericho counters the fall away slam into a DDT for another near fall. Back up and Jericho charges into a boot in the corner, only to duck a clothesline and grab the Codebreaker for the pin.

Rating: C+. They kept this short enough that it didn’t overexpose JBL as being fairly boring in the ring. Jericho got the pin to probably wrap up the feud that was only so good in the first place. Other than that, it gives Jericho a boost going into the Elimination Chamber, where he is probably the third favorite for the match.

Post match, Umaga comes in and Samoan Spikes both of them.

Mike Adamle throws us to a video on John Cena vs. Randy Orton.

William Regal has a group of men ready to beat Finlay up and drag him to Vince for his firing. Vince has a better idea: a cage match with Hornswoggle next week!

Paul Burchill vs. Brian Kendrick

This is Burchill’s return after about two years away and his sister Katie Lea is with him. Before the match, the Burchill’s seem rather….fond of one another. Paul works on the arm to start as JR again plugs the dog show. Kendrick armdrags him into an armbar but a Katie distraction lets Paul take over. One heck of a stomp sets up a rolling cutter to finish Kendrick. Just a step above a squash, but Katie was more impressive than Paul.

John Cena vs. Mark Henry

Randy Orton is on commentary. Cena charges into the World’s Strongest Slam fifteen seconds in and Henry knocks him into the corner. Some rights and lefts don’t do much for Cena as Henry is right back with a full nelson. That’s broken up and Henry misses a charge into the corner, setting up a middle rope shoulder into the STFU to give Cena the fast tap.

Post match Cena tells Orton that he is 100% heading into No Way Out so Orton better be ready. Cena would never lie about an injury status.

Wrestlemania is coming, complete with Red Hot Chili Peppers theme.

Here is Mr. Kennedy to see if Ric Flair wants to forfeit their No Way Out match. Cue Flair, to tell Kennedy a story. Flair: “Before you were born….” Kennedy: “Oh here we go.” Flair talks about how he and his generation paved the road for people like Kennedy so he isn’t forfeiting. Sure Kennedy has a great future, but he wants to do once what Flair has done sixteen times. Flair is coming to No Way Out and goes to leave, but Kennedy kicks him in the bad leg and mocks the strut. This match is getting a far better build than I would have expected.

Melina vs. Maria

Jillian Hall and Santino Marella are here too, with the latte joining commentary. Maria starts fast with a scorpion kick but Melina knocks her right back down. Back up and Maria screams a lot before hitting a clothesline. Melina gets dropped throat first on the top and a bulldog makes it worse, but Jillian kisses Santino. That’s enough for Melina to grab a rollup for the cheap pin.

Post match, Santino begs forgiveness and talks about what happens to WWE women who do Playboy. Therefore, she has one week to decide between Playboy and him. Santino kisses her and leaves.

No Way Out rundown.

Video on HHH.

Candice Michelle is coming back.

Jeff Hardy vs. Shawn Michaels

Non-title and this should be good. Hardy starts fast with a backslide for two before sending him outside. The dive misses so Shawn slaps him in the face before they go back inside. A headlock takeover puts Shawn down and a belly to back suplex gives Hardy two as the fast start continues. Shawn fights up and elbows him into the corner for the chops, only to get headlock takeovered again.

Back up and Hardy gets sent over the top for some cat skinning, so Shawn hits a slightly harder than expected clothesline. Hardy is fine enough to mule kick Shawn to the floor for the baseball slide but Shawn powerslams him out of the air. We take a break and come back with Hardy favoring his back, as you might have expected. There’s a hard whip into the corner and Michaels drives some knees into the back to make it worse. The bow and arrow goes on Hardy until he elbows his way to freedom.

Back up and they slug it out until Shawn grabs a swinging neckbreaker for two. The half crab goes on to stay on Hardy’s back, sending Hardy to the rope. Hardy avoids a charge to send Shawn shoulder first into the post but Shawn is fine enough to knock him off the top. The elbow misses though and the Whisper in the Wind gives Hardy two as JR is getting WAY into this.

Shawn is back up with the forearm into the nipup and now the top rope elbow can connect. The superkick misses so Shawn goes for his weird reverse figure four, sending Hardy to the rope again. Another superkick misses and it’s the Twist of Fate into the Swanton to give Hardy the big win.

Rating: B+. That was a pay per view quality match that got the time and gave Hardy one of the biggest wins of his career. On top of that it was a completely clean finish, which you don’t see very often in a spot like this. Hardy is on a roll going into the Chamber, though he was on a roll going into the Royal Rumble match with Orton and that didn’t turn out so well for him. For now though, great match.

Overall Rating: B. This was another weird show, but the double taping thing probably explains a lot of the setup. We had a heck of a main event and another pretty good one in JBL vs. Jericho, plus the Vince stuff was short. No Way Out needs to get out of the way already so we can move on to Wrestlemania, but the go home show was an improvement over recent weeks.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Rampage
Date: October 14, 2022
Location: Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re still north of the border and that should make for a rather energized show. AEW has never gone international (at least on land) before and the crowds are often enough to carry the night. Hopefully they like Ring Of Honor stuff though, because that’s the main event this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Jon Moxley/Claudio Castagnoli vs. Butcher and the Blade

Bunny is here with Butcher and the Blade. It’s a brawl to start with the fight starting at the bell. They’re quickly on the floor with Blade being sent over a table and then chopped up against the barricade. We settle down to Moxley chopping Blade into the corner before it’s off to Castagnoli as we see Hangman Page watching in the back. A poke to the eye gets Blade out of trouble, meaning Butcher can come in to fight over a suplex with Castagnoli. Butcher gets muscled over and the running uppercuts make it even worse.

Bunny finally rolls inside to cut off the uppercut to Blade, meaning Butcher can get in a cheap shot. We take a break and come back with Castagnoli fighting out of a chinlock but Moxley has been knocked to the floor, meaning there is no one to tag. The second attempt at the tag works just fine though and Moxley comes in to clean house.

A back rake on the top sets up a piledriver for two on Blade and frustration seems to be setting in. Butcher breaks up a series of stomps to the head (JR: “Crossbody from a big tattooed hairy man.”) but Castagnoli breaks up a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination. The big showdown is on with Moxley and Castagnoli dropping them with stereo clotheslines. Blade gets Death Ridered and the Riccola Bomb finishes Butcher at 8:38.

Rating: B-. Butcher and Blade are a rather decent power team and it felt like Moxley and Castagnoli had to break a sweat to win here. This was a match where the ending wasn’t exactly in doubt but it was a hard hitting fight to get there. I could go for more of Castagnoli on his own but teaming with Moxley works too.

Post match Moxley says it doesn’t matter who they face, because it’s time to take out Hangman Page next week.

Swerve Strickland laughs about beating Billy Gunn but what’s even better is Acclaimed losing the scissoring stuff. Keith Lee doesn’t like Swerve’s attitude, or his cheating to beat Gunn on Dynamite. Maybe Swerve is swerving into the wrong lane. Swerve needs to think about that.

The Dark Order is disappointed with their loss but Jose the Assistant interrupts. 10 gets recruited again but he’s tired of this. Next week on Rampage, 10 will face Rush and when 10 wins, LEAVE HIM ALONE. That gets rid of Jose and here is the returning Stu Grayson to join in on the team huddle. Jubilation occurs.

Here is the Jericho Appreciation Society for a chat. Matt Menard: “DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MAKES DADDY MAGIC’S NIPPLES HARD?” Tony: “NO!” The team is rather pleased with Daniel Garcia making his loyalties known and Anna Jay gives him an official welcome. Garcia thanks Chris Jericho for helping him see the way and even though Bryan Danielson is his hero, he will never be a pro wrestler.

Jericho taught him how to win by hitting him in the head with a title belt, and that is how he learned sports entertainers win every time. Garcia is a sports entertainer and Jericho promises to beat every former Ring Of Honor World Champion. Cue Dalton Castle to say that as a former World Champion, he is sick to see that title around Jericho’s waist.

Castle broke his back for that title and now he’ll break Jericho’s to give the fans what they deserve. You can feel the Peacock Power in this building and his heart beating keeps the lights on. So give him a title shot next week on Dynamite! Jericho says it’s on and promises to pluck Castle’s feathers. All Honor The Ocho. Castle was a nice surprise and keeps the Jericho vs. Honor run going for another week.

Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida are ready to fight for Storm’s Interim Women’s Title on Dynamite.

Nyla Rose vs. Anna Jay

The rest of the Vicious Vixens are here with Rose, who has the TBS Title but isn’t the champion. Rose takes her down to start before grabbing some rather easy looking slams. A legdrop gets two on Jay but she avoids the Cannonball in the corner. We take a break and come back with Nyla missing a top rope knee to the back of the head and getting her throat snapped across the top. Anna grabs a chinlock but Rose fights up and hits the Beast Bomb for the pin at 6:28.

Rating: C. Pretty to the point match here as Rose beat her up, didn’t exactly stay in trouble for any significant amount of time, and then won clean with the Beast Bomb. Rose seems to have shifted face, or at least close to it, and with the sense of humor she has, that has some serious potential. Just don’t have her lose clean to Jade Cargill and preserve the bit of momentum she has here.

Post match Vickie Guerrero holds up a 1-0 sign. Cue Jade Cargill with the Baddies, with Jade clearing out security without much effort. The distraction lets the Vixens run off with the title.

Ariya Daivari is sick of Hook turning down the $50,000 offer for the FTW World Title. Next week, he’ll take it himself.

Isaiah Kassidy vs. Ethan Page

Matt Hardy and Marq Quen are here with Kassidy, who gets suplexed to start. A kick to the face lets Page do the Jeff Hardy dance but Kassidy is back with a tornado DDT. Page bails to the floor so there’s the running spinning dive. Stokely Hathaway offers a distraction though, meaning Kassidy misses the Swanton. A Twist of Fate and the Ego’s Edge gives Page the pin at 2:15.

The Best Friends want the Trios Titles.

FTR and Shawn Spears are ready for the Embassy, whose feelings are mutual.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

FTR/Shawn Spears vs. Embassy

Prince Nana is here with the Embassy and it’s almost weird to see Spears doing the 10 thing again. Spears and Kaun grapple away to start with Spears grabbing something like an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Spears is taken to the floor, where the Gates put him down as we take a break.

Back with Cage hitting the apron superplex for two on Spears but the F5 is countered into a DDT. Kaun breaks up a tag attempt but of course the diving tag goes through a few seconds later. It’s Harwood coming in to clean house and the fans are behind FTR again. There’s the spinebuster to Kaun but Cage is back up to drop FTR. A top rope elbow gets two on Harwood and there’s the F5 to Spears. FTR is back up though and stereo Sharpshooters go on, with Spears grabbing one on Nana for a bonus. Loa breaks that up but gets cleared out. The hart Attack hits Kaun and the C4 finishes for Spears at 10:31.

Rating: B-. The Embassy continue to be little more than warm bodies for other people to beat up but they’re Ring Of Honor so they have a place on this show. Other than that, FTR was FTR and Spears got to do his stuff as Tye Dillinger rather than himself. While Spears doesn’t feel like a top star, he is better this way than as the chair swinging villain so it was a nice comeback.

Post match the Kingdom (Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett/Matt Taven) debut to interrupt and ask how FTR can be the Top Guys without ever facing them. That’s enough of a distraction for the Embassy to jump FTR and Spears, with the Kingdom joining in. Samoa Joe and Wardlow make the save to end the show. I like the Kingdom, but AEW bringing in more people right now is almost hard to fathom.

Overall Rating: B-. As has been the case for a good while now with AEW, the wrestling and in-ring work bail out some pretty weak stories. This was another show with a heavy focus on Ring Of Honor and it’s still hard to find a way to care. There are only a handful of interesting stories and Chris Jericho and company trying to make Ring Of Honor into a sports entertainment company isn’t exactly great stuff. The wrestling here was good, as it almost always is, but they need to find something to draw in some interesting on the story side. Otherwise, they’ll be more like Ring Of Honor than they probably planned.

Results
Jon Moxley/Claudio Castagnoli b. Butcher and the Blade – Riccola Bomb to Butcher
Nyla Rose b. Anna Jay – Beat Bomb
Ethan Page b. Isaiah Kassidy – Ego’s Edge
FTR/Shawn Spears b. Embassy – C4 to Kaun

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