Rampage
Date: August 12, 2022
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Jim Ross, Bryan Danielson, Taz

It’s still Quake By The Lake week and that means a lot of talking this time, as Bryan Danielson is back after getting beaten up by Daniel Garcia a few weeks back. Other than that, we have Orange Cassidy in action and that can oddly work. Rampage hasn’t been great in recent weeks so maybe they can pick it up tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Bryan Danielson to get things going. Tony Schiavone asks him about Daniel Garcia calling himself the Dragon Slayer. Danielson talks about how he has been wrestling for 23 years and now he needs to live to the fullest. That means he can never stop wrestling and his career is not ending next Wednesday.

Cue Garcia to interrupt and call Danielson his hero, but it sounds like his hero is ready to lose. Garcia is ready to make Danielson call him the greatest sports entertainer alive. That’s too far for Danielson, who doesn’t like what Chris Jericho is putting in Garcia’s head. Danielson talked about Garcia being a founding member of the Blackpool Combat Club because he remembers seeing Garcia wrestle for 60 minutes in front of 250 people. With a grab of Garcia’s face, Danielson asks if he wants to be a sports entertainer or a wrestler before walking out. Garcia looks a bit shaken.

We look back at CM Punk’s return and showdown with Jon Moxley on Dynamite.

AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles: Tay Melo/Sammy Guevara vs. Dante Martin/Skye Blue

Melo and Guevara, the newlyweds, are defending. It’s a brawl to start with the women brawling on the floor and Martin hammering away on Guevara inside. We settle down to Melo saving Guevara from a whip into the ropes and comes in, complete with a kiss. Said kiss takes too long though and Blue comes in with a high crossbody, setting off a beating. Melo pulls her into…some kind of a stretch on the mat but Blue is back up with a running knee into a spinning kick to the face. Guevara grabs Blue’s foot though and a pump kick drops her as we take a break.

Back with the guys coming back in to start the strike off with Martin sending Guevara outside for a dive. Melo comes back in for a distraction so Martin uses her as a launchpad into a Canadian Destroyer for two more. Back up and Melo plants Martin with a floatover DDT (Tony is WAY too impressed by that) but Skye takes out Guevara with a high crossbody. Not that it matters as the TayKO finishes for Melo at 7:18.

Rating: C+. Guevara’s dives are often worth a look and there is a bit of a history here to keep it somewhat more interesting. More importantly though, it is nice to have Martin walking after that scare a few weeks ago. The match was good enough, but you can imagine Guevara and Melo were still adjusting to their new normal.

The Lucha Bros are excited about Pac being back so the Death Triangle can be at full strength.

Parker Boudreaux vs. Sonny Kiss

Slim J is here with the debuting Boudreaux, better known as Harland in NXT. Boudreaux runs Kiss over to start and slugs away in the corner but gets caught with the handspring slap. A chokeslam drops Kiss and a belly to back slam finishes for Boudreaux at 1:01.

La Faccion Ingobernable yells at Private Party, who aren’t having it. Private Party is ready for Keith Lee/Swerve Strickland next week.

Gunn Club vs. Danhausen/Erick Redbeard

Billy Gunn is here with the Gunn Club. Redbeard shoves Colten down to start so Austin comes in, earning himself a hard shoulder down. Danhausen comes in and gets thrown into the corner as we take a break. Back with Danhausen slipping between Austin’s legs and handing it back to Redbeard for the house cleaning.

Everything breaks down and Redbeard hits a running crossbody to drop the Club on the floor. Back in and a slingshot hilo connects, setting up a spinning kick to the face for two on Austin with Colten making the save. Redbeard suplexes both Gunns but Billy low bridges him to the floor. The Fameasser gives Austin the pin at 7:00.

Rating: C. Well, the regular team beat the makeshift team by pinning someone who is usually cannon fodder, so at least they went with what makes sense. Redbeard is someone who looks good and is fine for an enforcer, but the Gunn Club should be picking up wins so they went with the right decision here.

Post match Billy yells at his kids and says he misses the Acclaimed. They need to toughen up a bit and do what he taught them. They can prove themselves next week on Dynamite, opponents unknown. Billy walks off but Stokely Hathaway pops up in the crowd with his business card, but the Club walks off.

Keith Lee/Swerve Strickland are ready for Private Party, who aren’t even in the top five. They can get a chance anyway.

Here’s Hook for a chat and he actually says something: YEP, when asked if the title is really going to be up in an open challenge on Dynamite. Cue Zack Clayton from Jersey Shore to say he’s taking the title next week.

Ari Daivari is ready for Orange Cassidy, even if Cassidy won’t join the Trustbusters. Cassidy does Mark Henry’s line so Henry cuts him off and does it properly.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ari Daivari vs. Orange Cassidy

The Trustbusters and Best Friends are here too. Hold on as Daivari gives Cassidy one more chance to join the Trustbusters and all he has to do is lay down. Cassidy does, but then rolls over before the cover. After a hug from the Best Friends, they go back inside for some grappling, including Cassidy using his hands in the pockets to knock Daivari away. The dropkick and nip up keep Daivari down but he manages a shot of his own. A Trustbusters hug on the floor sends us to an early break.

Back with Daivari holding a sleeper until Cassidy makes the rope…and gets put right back into the sleeper. That’s smarter than most wrestlers. Cassidy gets out again and they collide for a double knockdown. Back up and Cassidy’s spinning DDT is blocked and Daivari hits a running neckbreaker.

Cassidy tries the Orange Punch but gets caught in a Rock Bottom for two. Another spinning DDT works better for Cassidy, followed by the top rope DDT for a rather near fall. Everyone gets in a fight on the floor so Cassidy hits a dive to break it up. Back in and Daivari catches him on top with an Iconoclasm for two, only to get caught with the Orange Punch for the pin at 13:05.

Rating: C. This is one of the places where Cassidy can shine. Cassidy beat someone who didn’t exactly come off as a threat to become a major star and got to do his fun offense at the time. As long as AEW can avoid going too far with Cassidy, he’s one of the more consistently popular and oftentimes entertaining guys around here. Plus he beat the still mostly worthless Daivari and that’s always a good thing.

Post match Boudreaux gets to clean house but Sonny Kiss comes in and jumps Cassidy so Boudreaux can lay him out. Kiss is a Trustbuster to end the show.

So yes, the stable is actually Daivari (not even the best known Daivari in wrestling), Boudreaux (Joe Gacy’s lackey), Slim J (who looks like he would fit in great at any independent show in 2001) and Kiss (who has never won a match on Dynamite/Rampage and until tonight, hasn’t wrestled on either since September 2020). For some reason that lineup is not only in the tournament, but just got half of the matches on this show. What a great week.

Overall Rating: C-. I really wasn’t feeling this one as it continues to seem like AEW has given up on this show. Other than Danielson/Garcia, this was a bunch of lower to midcard stuff at best and that doesn’t make for the most interesting hour. I’m not sure why I’m supposed to be interested in Daivari and company, leaving the Gunn Club and the newlyweds to carry most of the night. The show wasn’t terrible, but it really wasn’t compelling and in a lot of ways that’s worse.

Results
Tay Melo/Sammy Guevara b. Skye Blue/Dante Martin – TayKO to Blue
Parker Boudreaux b. Sonny Kiss – Belly to back slam
Gunn Club b. Erick Redbeard/Danhausen – Fameasser to Danhausen
Orange Cassidy b. Ari Daivari – Orange Punch

 

 

 

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Dynamite
Date: August 10, 2022
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur, Jim Ross

It’s another themed show with Quake By The Lake, though in this case it seems to just be a name instead of anything specific. The card is pretty stacked as we have Jon Moxley defending the World Title against Chris Jericho, plus a coffin match and a tornado tag. That should be enough so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Darby Allin vs. Brody King

Coffin match. Allin pops up out of the darkness to start fast, including some thumbtacked skateboard shots. They fight around the ring with Allin getting punched out of the air and being sent over the table. King breaks the skateboard over his knee, which has Allin diving right back at him. Back in and Allin fights his way out of trouble on top and hits a super Code Red, with King being sent outside again (there is a trail of blood on the floor). This time King whips him HARD into the barricade as we take a break.

Back with King missing Allin with a middle rope splash to the floor but hitting the table clean. Allin loads up a big dive but the lights go out, meaning it’s House Of Black time. Julia Hart trips Allin down and the beating is on, allowing King to hit a running flip dive through a table in the corner.

The coffin is loaded up, but Sting is inside. House is cleaned but Sting throws Malakai Black the bat. Black thinks about it but leaves, allowing Allin to hit a big cannonball suicide dive to drop King on the floor. It’s not enough to get him into the coffin though as King drops Allin onto the steps. Allin manages to get in a few chain shots though and chokes King on the apron. King falls off the apron and falls into the coffin to give Allin the win at 13:24.

Rating: B-. That was a lot of blood from King, who was gushing by the end of the match. The good thing here is that Allin won, which is pretty overdue for him in a big match. Odds are that isn’t it for him with the House of Black as Sting and Malakai still need to have their showdown, but for now, it’s a good win for Allin.

Jon Moxley says that since we have the FTW Title, his title might as well be the FYI Title. Tonight, he is going to push the last survivor of the Hart Dungeon and the Lionheart and see what happens.

Chris Jericho promises to win the title tonight because the Lionheart, complete with the leather vest, is back. Jericho talks about how he is going to stretch Moxley tonight and tonight he is going to win the title again.

We have brackets for the Trios Titles tournament:

Death Triangle
Will Ospreay/Aussie Open

Andrade El Idolo/Dragon Lee/Rush
Young Bucks/???

House Of Black
Dark Order

Trustbusters
Best Friends

La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Lucha Bros

Tornado tag with Jose and Alex Abrahantes here too. La Faccion starts fast and Fenix is suplexed hard into the corner. Penta is back up with a Sling Blade though and Fenix hits a suicide dive to send Rush into the barricade. There’s the running flip dive to drop Andrade again, leaving Penta to hit Made In Japan for two on Rush. Back in and Rush breaks up the spike Fear Factor and drops Fenix onto Penta for a double two. La Faccion hits stereo flip dives to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with the Bros hitting their own big flipping dives, setting up Fenix’s Eddie dance and frog splash. That only hits knees (spent too much time dancing) but Penta hits a rolling cutter to drop Rush, leaving all four down. Back up and Andrade ties Penta’s mask to the ropes (JR: “NOT THE DOUBLE KNOT!”), leaving Rush to piledrive Fenix. Penta rips the mask off and makes the save, leaving Andrade to throw the mask into the crowd. As the fans chant THROW IT BACK, Rush hits the Bull’s Horns and El Idolo finishes Fenix at 13:52.

Rating: C+. In a way, I can go with the idea of just throwing up your hands and not even bothering with the tags anymore. These matches exist for nothing more than a bunch of chaos, so just throw away the tagging part and get to what everyone is waiting on. They do the style well, but my goodness, enough with the Bros losing their masks.

The Young Bucks come up to Hangman Page and the Dark Order. The Bucks praise Page for everything he has done over the years and reminisce about their great times together, saying it was the best time of their careers. One more time: they can reunite the team and win the Trios Titles. Page is grateful for their time together but turns them down for the Dark Order, because they have had his back. They’ll get together later though, with the Bucks not being overly pleased but not arguing.

Anthony Henry vs. Luchasaurus

Jungle Boy is on commentary. Henry charges at him, gets beaten up, and walks into the Fossilizer (Sean O’Haire’s Widowmaker for those O’Haire fans out there) for the pin at 37 seconds.

Post match Christian Cage pops up on screen in the back….and Jungle Boy actually goes running after him because he knows where the interviews take place (as logical as it gets around here). Security keeps Jungle Boy from Christian but Luchasaurus comes in to take them out. Christian escapes and Luchasaurus headbutts agent Pat Buck.

Miro isn’t sure what to do about the House of Black but Julia Hart comes up to tell him to embrace their gift. She isn’t the woman allowed to touch his face, but he’ll accept their help.

Powerhouse Hobbs is interrupted by QT Marshall and the Factory. They’ll take care of Ricky Starks, which seems to have Hobbs’ approval.

Here are Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt. They brag about taking out Wardlow on Saturday and Lethal wants another shot. Cue Wardlow to say he’s taking them all out right now, with FTR coming out join them. The villains bail but come back in, with Wardlow and FTR clearing the ring.

The Jericho Appreciation Society is ready for Chris Jericho’s win tonight and even have a little bit of the bubbly waiting on them. Daniel Garcia calls himself the Dragon Slayer for taking out Bryan Danielson, which sends Anna Jay off to choke someone who doesn’t seem to like that. That would be Leva Bates (formerly known as Blue Pants).

Aaron Solo vs. Ricky Starks

The Factory is here too but get ejected for trying to interfere. Starks takes Solo down but the Roshambo is countered with a hurricanrana. Starks misses the spear but then hits the spear (almost from the side) for the pin at 2:02.

Post match Nick Comoroto comes in to go after Starks but he gets away from a chair shot. Then Starks runs away into the crowd when the rest of the team comes in.

Stokely Hathaway interrupts the Gunn Club and recruits the younger generation. Billy doesn’t like it, so Stokely calls him old. Danhausen comes in and a match seems to be made for Rampage.

The Trustbusters interrupt the Best Friends because Orange Cassidy won’t answer Ari Daivari’s texts or calls. Cassidy says no, so threats are made.

TNT Title: Madison Rayne vs. Jade Cargill

Cargill is defending and misses a charge into the corner to start. A middle rope dropkick sends Cargill outside. They head outside and Madison has to counter a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. Back in and Jade hits a heck of a spear as we take a break. Back with Rayne grabbing a neckbreaker and hitting a not great enziguri. The Baddie distraction lets Jade kick her down and, after countering a counter, hit Jaded to retain at 7:34.

Rating: C. This could have been worse, but Rayne is going to hit a pretty solid ceiling of just ok most of the time. At the same time, Jade isn’t going to lose in a mostly cold match on Dynamite so there was only so much drama. Rayne is a veteran who can wrestle a competent match, but this seemed more about giving Jade a win over a name, whatever that is worth in Rayne’s case.

Post match Athena, previously disguised as a Baddie, comes in to take Jade out and clear the ring.

Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm, now #1 contender due to Kris Statlander getting hurt, are cool with each other but ready to fight. Storm wants to keep her momentum going.

Here’s what’s coming on a bunch of shows.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho, in his WCW/ECW/NJPW look as the Lionheart, is challenging and William Regal is on commentary. Feeling out process to start as Jericho (with ponytail) armdrags him down a few times. Jericho takes him down to crank on the neck but Moxley is back up with some chops and trash talk. A snapmare drops Moxley and Jericho rips out the earring, with Regal saying fair enough, as he would have done it too.

We take a break and come back with a rather bloody Moxley working on an armbar but Jericho breaks that up. Jericho grabs the Hartbreaker Figure Four around the post, which lasts as long as it can. Back in and Moxley grabs a crossface, which is reversed into the Walls. We take a break and come back with Moxley still in the hold but crawling over to the rope for the break. Jericho tries the triangle dropkick but gets sent outside, allowing Moxley to go up top, only to dive into the Codebreaker for a close two.

With that not working, Jericho takes a turnbuckle pad off for a distraction, allowing Sammy Guevara to throw in a baseball bat (overthrow that is). A heck of a shot gives Jericho two and a ram into the buckle sets up the Judas Effect for a very close two. With nothing else working, Jericho goes for the belt but misses a charge into the exposed buckle. Moxley grabs a choke but Jericho (now bleeding too) reverses that into a Liontamer. That’s reversed into another choke and Jericho finally taps at 22:34.

Rating: B. This was a good enough big match feel, though the blood was a bit excessive after the opening bloodbath from Brody King. Jericho is still a big enough win that this boosts Moxley, as he continues to be able to stop Jericho each time. Rather good TV main event here, though Moxley is going to need someone for All Out.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Jericho Appreciation Society, followed by the Blackpool Combat Club and more of the Society run in for the big dive. Cue the returning CM Punk for the ring clearing save and showdown with Moxley. A middle finger from Moxley and a brushing off leave Punk alone to pose to end the night. It was about time for Punk to be back, as the interim thing was getting a bit ridiculous after two plus months. It’s the only thing that would make sense for All Out too, so this is about as perfect as you can get.

Overall Rating: B-. The opener and main event were both good but the middle dragged pretty badly here. What matters is that they now have a big main event set for All Out, which had been sorely lacking over the last few weeks. They still need some better work in the midcard and All Out needs a bit of a better focus, but the last half hour of this show was the important part and they covered it well.

Results
Darby Allin b. Brody King – Allin knocked King into the coffin
La Faccion Ingobernable b. Lucha Bros – El Idolo to Fenix
Luchasaurus b. Anthony Henry – Fossilizer
Ricky Starks b. Aaron Solo – Spear
Jade Cargill b. Madison Rayne – Jaded
Jon Moxley b. Chris Jericho – Choke

 

 

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.