Rampage
Date: January 12, 2024
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Jim Ross

We’re still in Daily’s Place and that means it’s the second half of the Homecoming special. At the same time though, it’s Rampage, which means you could be seeing almost anything. Odd are we’ll get at least one good match here, which tends to be the case with Rampage. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Continental Crown: Eddie Kingston vs. Wheeler Yuta

Only Kingston is defending and commentary does clarify that all three of his titles are on the line. They go with the grappling to start until Yuta takes him to the mat to work on the arm. Back up and Yuta sends him outside, setting up the suicide dive to knock Kingston into the barricade. They get back in so Kingston’s arm can be wrapped around the rope again.

More cranking on the arm gets two and a dropkick is good for the same. We take a break and come back with Yuta stomping on the arm. Yuta mockingly kicks him in the back, earning a heck of a chop from Kingston. A suplex drops Yuta and a DDT gives Kingston two. Kingston puts him on top or some chops but Yuta is back with a middle rope diving DDT for two of his own.

The hammer and anvil elbows set up a Disarm-Her but Kingston is right next to the rope. The spinning backfist misses for Kingston though and Yuta snaps off a German suplex for two more. An Angle Slam sets up the top rope splash for another near fall on Kingston and we hit the keylock. With that broken up, Kingston grabs the Saito suplex and a northern lights bomb retains the titles at 17:15.

Rating: B. I was surprised at how long this match got and it made things a bit better. Yuta was picking Kingston’s arm apart but Kingston fought through it and won with something other than the spinning backfist. It was a nice story and Kingston is one of the best going today at fighting from underneath. Solid stuff here, and amazingly enough the lack of Pure Rules made Yuta more interesting.

Mark Briscoe and the Hardys liked teaming together and want to do it again, with the ratings going up as a result. Maybe some Trios gold are in the cards? Jeff even gives Mark a Hardys necklace.

Swerve Strickland vs. Matt Sydal

The Mogul Embassy is here with Strickland, who starts fast with a rollup for two. The middle rope elbow to the back hits Sydal and Strickland grabs some Nikki Bella Rack Attacks to keep him in trouble. Sydal manages a quick hurricanrana and an Air Raid Crash gets two. Strickland isn’t having that though as it’s the rolling Downward Spiral but the Swerve Stomp misses. A rollup doesn’t work for Sydal as Strickland reverses into the JML Driver for the pin at 4:24.

Rating: C. That’s what this should have been. Strickland is on a roll right now and there is no need to have him take too long to beat someone on Sydal’s level. Sydal got in a bit of offense before falling to one of Strickland’s big moves. That’s exactly how this match should have played out and they didn’t do anything nuts. Nice work.

Private Party interrupt Top Flight and Action Andretti, the latter of whom aren’t happy. The challenge is made an accepted, with Andretti doing his water bottle trick.

Queen Aminata vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida starts fast and hammers away in the corner but Aminata takes her down for a running hip attack. We take a break and come back with an exchange of kicks to the back, with Shida sitting down so Aminata can kick her. Back up and Amiata knees her in the face for two, only for Shida to come back with the Falcon Arrow. The Katana finishes for Shida at 8:20.

Rating: C. Aminata has been around quite a few times in the last week or so as she seems to be the latest work in progress. So far she’s ok, though she’s roughly #179 or so on the list of women using a running hip attack at the moment. Shida feels like she has been stuck in limbo for awhile now and this isn’t going to make things much better.

We look at Daniel Garcia of all people saving FTR from a House Of Black attack on Collision.

Saraya shows Ruby Soho a soundless clip of Harley Cameron kissing Angelo Parker. Parker comes in with a birthday cake for Soho, who slams it into his face and storms off. Parker says that’s not what it looks like, even with Saraya saying she always wins. With everyone else gone, Parker unpauses the video, which shows him shoving Cameron away and looking confused.

Dark Order vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Jake Hager

-1 is here with the Order and Parker still has cake on his face as he locks up with Silver to start. Silver runs Parker, now with a gold chain around his neck, over and stops to dance. It’s off to Hager (now with chain) to take over as JR talks about Hager’s football background, with Silver getting beaten down in the corner. Uno comes in and the Order clears the ring as we take a break.

Back with Reynolds fighting out of a chinlock and diving over to Uno for the tag. Everything breaks down and the Pendulum Bomb gets two on Parker. A double DDT plants Reynolds and the Hager Bomb connects for two. The ankle lock goes on but -1 grabs Hager’s hat. That’s enough of a distraction for the Stunner/German suplex/rollup combination to pin Hager at 10:22.

Rating: C+. What else were you expecting here? It was the latest edition of bringing up Brodie Lee, which AEW has a certain fondness of doing. The match was nothing worth seeing as it was a run of the mill six man tag with the crowd favorites winning. They were playing to the live audience here, which is usually a bad idea but it’s airing at almost 11pm on a Friday so it’s a bit more acceptable.

Overall Rating: B-. The opener was rather good but the rest was the usual supplemental stuff that you don’t need to watch. Parker and Soho’s segment was a pretty big step forward for them but other than that, it’s a pretty nothing show. Then again with this much AEW content on a single weekend, there is only so much you can get out of an hour long show on a Friday night.

Results
Eddie Kingston b. Wheeler Yuta – Northern lights bomb
Swerve Strickland b. Matt Sydal – JML Driver
Hikaru Shida b. Queen Aminata – Katana
Dark Order b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Jake Hager – Rollup to Hager

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: January 10, 2024
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re back to Jacksonville for the Homecoming show, which is likely going to focus on a lot of the greatest hits. At the same time, there is still a chance that some of the regulars are going to be over in Japan, so it is hard to say who will be around for the show. We’re also less than two months away from Revolution so it might be time to start getting ready. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Hangman Page vs. Claudio Castagnoli

They start fast and slug away with the fight heading to the floor. Castagnoli gets the better of things before they head back inside. A bunch of forearms to the head rock Page and Castagnoli gets the Swing, setting up the Sharpshooter. The rope is grabbed so Castagnoli slugs away again, only to get caught with a fall away slam.

A springboard clothesline sends Castagnoli to the floor and there’s a slingshot dive to hit him again. We pause for Page to have a fan’s beer, with Castagnoli gorilla pressing him over the top and onto the ramp. Back from a break with the fight on the ramp, with Page clotheslining Castagnoli into the ring. The Buckshot Lariat is countered into Swiss Death for two and they slug it out back inside.

Page knocks him to the floor hits a moonsault, followed by another off the stage to drop Castagnoli again. A Tombstone gives Page two and they both need a breather. They trade more hard shots until the Deadeye gives Page two. Castagnoli takes him to the corner and tries a super Riccola Bomb but Page reverses into a hurricanrana. That and a pair of Buckshot Lariats finish Castagnoli at 17:05.

Rating: B. For a cold match, this was a heck of a fight with both guys laying it in as well as they could. That’s all you can ask for out of a match like this and they made it work rather well. Page needs the win as he seems primed for another match with Swerve Strickland so starting against Castagnoli is a good thing. As for Castagnoli…oh he’ll be fine as always.

We take a quick look at Brodie Lee.

Dustin Rhodes/ Preston Vance/Orange Cassidy/Adam Copeland vs. Mogul Embassy/Lance Archer

Jake Roberts and Prince Nana are here with the heels. Rhodes powerslams Toa to start and hands it off to Vance, who gets driven into the corner. Cage comes in to send Vance into the buckles but it’s off to Copeland to slug away. Cassidy gets to come in and tires his usual on the Gates of Agony, with Toa Pouncing him out to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Archer beating on Cassidy in the corner. Roberts and Jose the Assistant get in a fight on the floor, with the distraction letting Cassidy fight over to Vance. House is cleaned and everything breaks down, with Copeland Impalering Cage. The villains clear the ring but Archer and Cage hit each other, leaving Copeland to spear Cage down. Vance’s discus lariat finishes Cage at 10:21.

Rating: B-. This was a bit about Brodie Lee but more about getting some people on the show, even in something of a random fashion. The match was the usual form of chaos and it was good enough for a match that got a bit of time. That being said, Copeland being in there felt a bit off, as this kind of match seems somewhat beneath him. Anyway, nice stuff here, even with Vance feeling out of place.

Bullet Club Gold wants the Trios Titles so here are the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, who again suggest an alliance. The Club wants more time to think about it.

Here is Samoa Joe to get things going. After a THANK YOU JOE chant, it’s time to make some changes to who gets title shots. Here are the changes that we’re making: no more whining and crying here or on social media. Bring your record and your reputation and submit it to the championship committee. If you’re deemed worthy, you get the right to get beaten up. The new championship era is here and for all who want a piece of him, our champion will be waiting….and here is Swerve Strickland, flanked by the Mogul Embassy.

Swerve declares this his house and says the same thing he said to Hangman Page: this isn’t personal, but Swerve wants something Joe has. Now once he takes the title, and Joe makes it personal, Swerve can do that too. Cue Page to interrupt, saying he’s throwing his name in the title picture too. Page talks about what he did in 2023 and promises to make the title his in the new year. Swerve is about to go after him but leaves instead.

Joe and Page go face to face, with Page saying he remembers what Joe did and promises to take the title. With everyone else gone, here is Hook to confront Joe. Hook gets in his face and says one week before leaving. Even Taz sounds confused. Hook in a one off title match where he gets to showcase himself in defeat isn’t a bad idea, as it isn’t like he has anything else going on.

Toni Storm didn’t watch Mariah May’s match and is worried about Wendi Richter rather than the debuting Deonna Purrazzo. May: “She kicked me in the face.” Storm: “Darling, have a chocolate.” She wants to meet this Donna Polazzo but can’t remember the last line of her catchphrase. May tries to help her and is told she’s ruined the moment. This was absolutely hilarious.

Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara

Starks works on the wristlock to start but Guevara is back with a headlock. Guevara knocks him outside for the moonsault, with Starks coming up favoring his arm. Back up and they fight on the apron, with Starks hitting a double underhook faceplant to take over as we take a break.

We come back with Guevara knocking him down but moonsaulting onto raised boots. Starks’ sitout powerbomb gets two but he has to reverse the GTS into a rollup for two more. Back up and Guevara kicks him in the face twice and grabs a quick small package for the pin at 9:22.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure if something happened in there but Starks was looking off for a good chunk of the match. The ending came a bit out of nowhere too and made things feel all the weirder. They did the right thin by having Guevara win of course, as the Tag Team Title match is looming this weekend

Post match respect is shown but it’s a ruse for Big Bill to come in and beat up Guevara. Chris Jericho runs in from behind for the save. Jericho and Bill fight into the crowd while Guevara celebrates with fans.

Willow Nightingale/Kris Statlander/Anna Jay/Thunder Rosa vs. Saraya/Ruby Soho/Skye Blue/Julia Hart

Harley Cameron is here with Saraya and company. Anna and Soho lock up to start with the former snapping off a headscissors. Nightingale comes in for the basement crossbody before it’s off to Rosa vs. Hart. The villains get to stomp away in the corner but Rosa elbows her way out of trouble. It’s back to Nightingale to take over but Cameron shoves her off the top.

We take a break and come back with Statlander getting the tag to come in and clean house. A falcon Arrow gives Statlander two and the villains get caught in a quadruple suplex, leaving commentary trying to figure out how to call it. Everything breaks down and we get the parade of knockdowns. We get a Jay vs. Hart slugout until Blue tags herself in and superkicks Jay. That’s fine with Anna, who pulls her into the Queenslayer for the tap at 8:58.

Rating: C+. This got a hair more time than women’s matches tend to get around here and that helped things out a bit. At the same time, there is only so much you can do with eight women in a match that barely gives them a minute each. At least it got them on the show though, and in this case that feels like the main goal.

Wheeler Yuta doesn’t like Eddie Kingston and challenge him for the Continental Crown on Rampage. Of note: commentary says that if Yuta wins, he’s a quadruple champion, so apparently all of the titles are defended at once.

Bryan Keith vs. Roderick Strong

The rest of the Undisputed Kingdom is here too. Keith kicks him down to start and chops away before taking it to the apron. Strong fights back and takes him back inside for the stomps in the corner. An enziguri into the Angle Slam gives Strong two but Keith kicks him in the face again. Diamond Dust plants Strong and Keith rolls him up for two, only to get kneed in the face. End o Heartache finishes for Strong at 4:21.

Rating: C+. This was a better debut than the Kingdom had as part o the team last week. At the very least, Strong didn’t take a good while to pick up the win, which should get him closer to Orange Cassidy and the International Title. Keith feels like he is on an extended tryout and that might be better. While he is talented, the roster is heavy enough already and adding someone else doesn’t seem like the best idea, at least with someone of Keith’s status.

Post match the team gets in the ring, with Adam Cole promising that the team is going to win a lot of titles.

Deonna Purrazzo wants the Women’s Title and will debut on Collision. Red Velvet comes in and seems to accept the challenge.

Jim Ross joins commentary for the main event.

Sting/Darby Allin vs. Don Callis Family

Texas Tornado tag with Ric Flair and Don Callis here too. It’s a brawl to start with Sting chasing Hobbs into the crowd and hitting him with a chair. Takeshita and Allin follow in a different area as Hobbs is sent into some trashcans. Back at ringside, Takeshita hits a scary rolling German suplex on Allin and we take a break.

We come back with Allin being tossed into a powerslam, with Sting (looking spent) having to make a save. The Family sends Allin flying, with a nasty landing head first in the ropes. Sting gets kneed down by Takeshita….s Flair comes in to chop away at Hobbs. Sting is back up for the save and they all fight to the stage, with Allin being sent into the wall.

Takeshita’s running knee misses so Allin climbs the stage and Coffin Drops onto Takeshita, who kind of guides him down instead of catching him. Hobbs and Sting fight along the platform around ringside, with Sting hitting a Death Drop off said platform and through the announcers’ table for the in at 9:59.

Rating: B-. To call this wild would be an understatement, with Sting and Allin doing some crazy bumps that are probably not exactly safe. For now though, Sting’s retirement tour continues with another win, and now all he needs is to get through Revolution in less than two months. This was a crazy main event, but at times it was scarier than it needed to be.

Post match Sting is asked who he wants to face in his final match…..and here are the Young Bucks to interrupt. The staredown seems to say the match is on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There was a weird theme to this show as it felt like they were trying to get in as much stuff as they could. Granted that is probably due to what seems like some of the bigger names still missing, which is ok for a one off. The good thing is they still do have a lot more time before Revolution, so having more of a fun show designed to set things up for the future is hardly some terrible choice. They tried something different here and it worked well enough to get by for a week.

Results
Hangman Page b. Claudio Castagnoli – Buckshot lariat
Orange Cassidy/Preston Vance/Adam Copeland/Dustin Rhodes b. Mogul Embassy/Lance Archer – Discus lariat to Cage
Sammy Guevara b. Ricky Starks – Small package
Willow Nightingale/Anna Jay/Thunder Rosa/Kris Statlander b. Saraya/Ruby Soho/Julia Hart/Skye Blue – Queenslayer to Blue
Roderick Strong b. Bryan Keith – End Of Heartache
Sting/Darby Allin b. Don Callis Family – Scorpion Death Drop through a table to Hobbs

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: January 3, 2024
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s the show after Worlds End and Samoa Joe is the new World Champion. In what might be a bigger story though, Adam Cole was revealed as the Devil, with his henchmen (Wardlow/The Kingdom/Roderick Strong) wrecking MJF to end the show. We’re about two months from Revolution and it might be time to start the slow build. Let’s get to it.

Here is Worlds End if you need a recap.

We get a video from after Worlds End where a rather serious Samoa Joe talks about how MJF might be a scumbag but he’s a mean SOB. He’s going to take everything from anyone who tries to take the title from him. This was intense Joe and that is a great thing.

We look at the Devil/Henchmen reveal.

Here are Adam Cole and the henchmen, now with a graphic saying UNDISPUTED, for a chat. Roderick Strong tells us to shut up and listen to his best friend, ADAM. Cole finds it ironic that people were appalled and SHOCKED at him being the Devil. It means people are not only stupid but they also don’t understand right and wrong. Cole turned on MJF, who has talked bad about everyone in that locker room, but people are mad at him?

MJF only cares about himself and he’s never coming back. The second MJF felt like he didn’t need Cole anymore, he would have done the same thing. Cole never needed MJF but MJF needed him, which is why Cole sacrificed everything. No one would have cared about MJF without Cole and you can chant all you want, but MJF is dead. This is the Undisputed Kingdom, and they want gold.

Roderick Strong wants the International Title and Wardlow is after the AEW World Title. Then when the time is right, Wardlow is going to forfeit the title to Cole (Wardlow doesn’t seem opposed). That brings us to Samoa Joe, and it was nice to do business with him. This includes taking out Hangman Page for him, but it would suck to see Wardlow hurt Joe when it’s time to get there. The Devil is here to stay….bay bay.

The team poses but here is Jay White of all people to interrupt. He liked what happened to MJF, but he isn’t happy with being the catalyst to start all this. Cue the Gunns so Wardlow gets Cole to the floor so the fight can be on. Wardlow gets back in though and the Undisputed Kingdom takes over. Cue the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to chase the Kingdom off but Bullet Club Gold leaves without scissoring.

They needed to have the big speech here and that worked well, but there is something missing because Cole can’t wrestle. Granted it is a good bit less bad because MJF is out of action as well. I could have waited on someone to interrupt the team, as it took something away from the segment, but the big explanation was good enough.

We look at Eddie Kingston winning the Continental Classic.

Daniel Garcia is ready to face Swerve Strickland.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Dante Martin

Cassidy is defending and gets armdragged into the corner, leaving him a bit annoyed to start. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Cassidy but Dante kicks him away and flips over for a standoff. They go outside with Cassidy sending him into the barricade, then putting his hands in his pockets for a run around the ring and a dropkick. Dante manages a suplex though and we take a break.

Back with Martin hitting a nice high crossbody for two before they trade the slow motion strikes. Martin gets taken into the corner for more slow stomps, followed by the spinning DDT for two. The Orange Punch and Beach Break both miss so Martin loads up a powerbomb, only to drop Cassidy face first onto his knee (that was cool). Martin goes up so Cassidy rolls away…leaving Martin to jump REALLY FAR to splash him instead. Martin misses a dropkick though and the Orange Punch retains at 13:29.

Rating: B-. This was straight out of the same playbook that Cassidy has been using for the better part of a year now, though there was pretty much nothing with him being aggressive or coming close to cheating. The good thing is that he seems to have a much bigger challenger coming in Roderick Strong so things should be picking up. Martin looked solid here too, as he can do the flying stuff rather well.

Post match Action Andretti, Darius Martin, Hook and Danhausen come out to check on their friends. Respect is shown but here is the returning Private Party to interrupt. They want the titles and put the tag teams on notice. Is there a reason a two person tag team interrupted a singles champion and a trio so they could talk about winning Tag Team Titles?

Toni Storm is here for Mariah May’s debut but changes her mind because it’s off to Broadway.

The House Of Black is ready to hurt FTR and make their families sad.

Swerve Strickland is ready to ace Daniel Garcia tonight but wants gold in 2024. Like from Samoa Joe.

Mariah May vs. Queen Aminata

May strikes her up against the ropes to start and a running dropkick gets one. Another running dropkick to the back sends Aminata to the floor and us to a break. Back with Aminata striking away and hitting a dropkick, followed by a running forearm in the corner. May Sling Blades her way out of trouble and a Samoan Driver (May Day) finishes Aminata at 6:37.

Rating: C. Well that was lengthy and I’m not exactly sold on May as a big star. She did well in her debut but this felt more like it was almost about making Aminata a big deal than getting May her debut. May does look like a star though and she seemed polished enough in the ring. Not a bad match, but a strangely put together one.

Post match May says she wishes Toni Storm could have been here. And that this wasn’t in New Jersey. Cue Deonna Purrazzo (of the New Jersey Purrazzos) to say this is her home because she is All Elite. May calls her a b**** and gets kicked in the face for her efforts. Good debut, even with Purrazzo sounding rather nervous. Also, I’m not sure how smart it was to have May’s debut and Purrazzo as the surprise back to back, as it took away from May’s start.

Here is the Patriarchy for a chat. Shayna Wayne can’t believe that the people here boo her, so Christian Cage threatens them all with discipline. Cage talks about his title defense at Worlds End and we hear about how he left as champion (with no mention of the title changing hands)….but he specifically doesn’t mention Killswitch.

He talks about how Adam Copeland is out of title shots and brags about having no soul, which is why he beat Copeland. No one needs to come after this title but the fans chant LUCHASAURUS. Cage insists that his name is Killswitch to wrap things up. Shayna continues to be rather awful with a microphone. I’m not sure why they needed Wayne’s real mother there when there has to be someone better at talking who could play either that role or something close enough.

Ruby Soho admits that Harley Cameron was a success, with Cameron insisting she would do ANYTHING to help.

Darby Allin vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Don Callis joins commentary as Takeshita grabs a wheelbarrow suplex to start. Allin flips out and lands on his feet, with even Callis being impressed, only to have a heck of a backdrop put Allin down. Back up and Allin manages to send him outside for a dive, with Takeshita cutting it off with a jumping knee for a NASTY crash. Some rolling German suplexes on the ramp knock Allin even sillier and we take a break.

Back with Allin hitting the flipping Stunner out of the corner and sending Takeshita to the floor for the big running flip dive. Takeshita is sent hard into the barricade and bangs up his knee, allowing Allin to hit the top rope Coffin Drop to take him down on the floor. Back in and a Code Red gives Allin two, only to have Takeshita German suplex him down. A top rope German superplex (and Allin landed straight on the mat) sets up a running knee to give Takeshita the pin at 12:47.

Rating: B. I feel bad about watching these Allin matches as he feels like someone ready to suffer a career ending injury every time he gets in the ring. Since he doesn’t seem to care, it would be nice to have someone tell him to stop and not let him wrestle if he doesn’t listen, but that doesn’t seem likely. On the other hand you have Takeshita, who looked like a monster here. I could really go for him doing pretty much anything but being stuck with Callis and company, as he seems ready to be a breakout star (and has been so for a long time).

Post break Don Callis issues a challenge to Darby Allin and Sting next week, with promises of making the team 25-1.

Trent Beretta vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Brian Cage vs. Bryan Keith

For a Continental Crown shot against Eddie Kingston (on commentary) on Collision. Vikingo takes Trent out to start but Cage runs people over. Vikingo gets suplexed and Trent is ran over on the floor as Cage is in control on the way to the break. Back with Vikingo cleaning house until Cage catches him on top.

Trent drops Cage for two with Vikingo making the save, leaving all four of them down. Cage F5’s Keith and hits a helicopter bomb for two on Trent. This brings Danhausen out of the crowd for a curse, allowing Vikingo to dive outside onto Cage. Keith hits a running headbutt to Trent, who is right back with Strong Zero for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: B-. This was your usual wild free for all, but that’s where it’s a little weird. We just spent six weeks on these straightforward singles matches for the right to be the first champion and then it’s a four way with a bunch of midcarders fighting for a shot. On a side note, what is Trent fighting for? The new title or the Triple Crown? I would hope the latter, because having Kingston defend three separate titles is absolutely not what was being teased in the tournament.

Matt Menard is interrupted by Hangman Page, who wants to fight someone.

Daniel Garcia vs. Swerve Strickland

Matt Menard is on commentary. Feeling out process to start with Swerve taking him down without much trouble. Garcia fights back up and they head to the floor, with Swerve being sent into the barricade. That means it’s time for a dance off between Garcia and Prince Nana, but Swerve breaks it up.

We take a break and come back with Garcia dropkicking Swerve into the corner. A Saito suplex gets two on Swerve and they fight to the floor where Garcia doesn’t quite get all of a Sharpshooter the announcers’ desk. Back in and Swerve manages a suplex to put them both down, followed by a House Call for two. The Swerve Stomp gets two and, after Garcia gets a rollup for the same, Swerve finishes with the JML Driver at 11:41.

Rating: C+. That’s a weird way to end the show, as the big focal point was a dance off with a heel manager. Strickland took a good while to beat Garcia here, which isn’t the biggest stretch, but it’s a weird way to go when he’s talking about coming for the World Title. This didn’t quite feel like a big main event either, and that’s not a great sign to start the road to Revolution.

Post match respect is teased but Nana hits Garcia low. Matt Menard tries to come in but gets beaten down as well. Hangman Page comes out for the brawl with Swerve and they’re separated to end the show. So the ultra violent and bloody Texas Deathmatch was just a stop in the feud?

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t the show I was expecting but it also wasn’t a bad one. They covered the Adam Cole explanation well enough, but as tends to be the case in AEW, they tacked on more stuff right after and it took away from some of the impact. Other than that, you could definitely tell that a lot of people were gone for either Wrestle Kingdom or something else and it hurt the show a bit. This felt like a show that they ran when they had a week to burn, which is a weird feeling coming off a pay per view. Not bad whatsoever, but not one of their best.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Dante Martin – Orange Punch
Mariah May b. Queen Aminata – May Day
Konosuke Takeshita b. Darby Allin – Running knee
Trent Beretta b. Bryan Keith, Brian Cage and El Hijo del Vikingo – Strong Zero to Keith
Swerve Strickland b. Daniel Garcia – JML Driver

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.

Rampage
Date: December 29, 2023
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s the final show before Worlds End and the card should be mostly set. While AEW likes to add in a good bit more at the last minute, the Continental Classic and likely most of the title matches are ready to go. This show could include some hard pushes towards some of those matches, which AEW tends to do well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Chris Jericho to get things going. Jericho welcomes us to the show and talks about Sammy Guevara quitting the Don Callis Family on Dynamite. He made the save and now we have an eight man tag at Worlds End. After their no holds barred tag match a few months ago, Sting called Jericho and now they’re cool. For now though, Jericho wants Guevara out here right now. Cue Guevara to a strong reaction and Jericho praises him for his abilities.

But why did Guevara turn on him for Don Callis? Guevara talks about how it’s hard to be in Jericho’s shadow and maybe he thought he needed more. It’s time to stop blaming everyone else though and now he knows he’s the man that he should have been the whole time. Guevara offers an apology, which Jericho accepts and offers one of his own. They have the eight man tag tomorrow, but after that, Jericho still needs a partner for the Tag Team Title shot. The big hug seems to seal the deal. This was a nice way to make it clear that everything was ok and explain the rushed turn for Guevara.

We recap the House of Black attacking Daniel Garcia after he beat Brody King on Collision.

Garcia, with Matt Menard, says he’s sick of people like the House of Black and promises vengeance.

Ruby Soho vs. Marina Shafir

Soho has Saraya and Harley Cameron with her while Shafir has Nyla Rose. They both miss clotheslines in the corner to start until Shafir kicks her down to take over. Cameron offers a distraction though and Soho knocks Shafir outside as we take an early break. Back with Shafir not quite being able to hit a backbreaker and grabbing a chinlock instead. With that keeping Soho down, Rose beats up Cameron and chases Saraya off, leaving Shafir to slam Soho for two. Cameron is back up for a distraction though and Soho’s rollup with tights gets the pin at 5:15.

Rating: C-. A match that is only running a little over five minutes probably shouldn’t have a break in the middle, but Shafir’s stuff can be a bit rough to watch. She doesn’t feel natural or smooth in the ring and that was the case again here. Rose chasing off Soho’s friends felt more important, as the match barely got enough time to do anything.

The Don Callis Family and Big Bill/Ricky Starks promise to take out Sting, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. Powerhouse Hobbs promises to show why he’s big, Black and jacked.

Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale make sure that they’re ok but they should fight at Worlds End anyway. Cue Stokely Hathaway to ask if Willow was busy watching Rugrats when she took so long to make the save on Dynamite. Statlander shrugs it off and the match is on.

Ring Of Honor Pure Rules Title: Wheeler Yuta vs. Matt Sydal

Yuta is defending. They fight over wrist control to start until Sydal rolls him up for a close two. Another exchange of rollups get two each until Sydal hits a flipping backsplash for two more. Yuta kicks him down and forearms away in the corner as we take an early break. Back with Yuta getting two off a dropkick but getting kicked in the face.

Sydal hits some running knees and an Air Raid Crash gets two. Some more strikes to the face don’t do much to Yuta, who grabs a bridging German suplex for another near fall. Something like a crossface sends Sydal to the rope for the first time so Yuta elbows him in the face. The seat belt retains the title at 9:34.

Rating: C+. As usual, there is only so much to be gotten out of the Pure Rules matches. Yuta isn’t overly interested in these things and that was the case again here, as he’s just a villain who does his thing and wins. It doesn’t help that this was a cold match with nothing to make it more intriguing, but that’s the case with a lot of the Pure Title stuff. It really is a title that doesn’t need to be around but that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

Post match Danhausen comes out to say he’s the fourth judge and since Yuta cheated with a clenched fist, Yuta is disqualified. Yuta beats him up but Hook makes the save.

We recap Samoa Joe taking an injury and taking out MJF on Dynamite.

Orange Cassidy/Rocky Romero/Trent Beretta vs. Action Andretti/Top Flight

Cassidy and Andretti start things off with Cassidy taking him down to start and getting in a quick thumbs up. Andretti gets to his feet and flips into a standoff, only to have Cassidy take him into the corner. Trent comes in and drops Andretti with a shot to the face so it’s off to Darius.

That’s enough for commentary to ignore the match and talk about Worlds End as Trent is dropkicked into the wrong corner. Top Flight comes in to clean house and the triple dive takes down Cassidy and company as we take a break. Back with Andretti enziguring Romero into the corner and the tag brings Dante back in. A springboard high crossbody gets two on Romero as everything breaks down.

Dante hits a half nelson Skull Crushing Finale on Romero, followed by a big save to leave everyone down. We get the double tag to Dante vs. Cassidy but they’re both sent to the floor, leaving Dante to hit an Arabian moonsault onto Romero. Back in and Romero’s release German superplex drops Darius on his face, followed by a rollup for two on Cassidy. The Orange Punch is countered with a superkick and the swinging half nelson slam finishes Romero at 12:55.

Rating: B-. Top Flight and Andretti are turning into a thing and they should probably be winning some of the Six Man Tag Team Titles sooner than later. It’s not like the Mogul Embassy needs the titles so give them to a team that might get something out of them. Good main event here, as the six man matches continue to be fun.

Overall Rating: C+. I’ve been saying this for a few weeks now but this was another very typical Rampage episode, with one segment that felt like it mattered with the bigger stories, an entertaining main event and not much more. That being said, this show at least felt more important with the lack of a Collision this week and now we get to see where everything heads on Saturday. Not a must see show, but there are worse things to watch.

Results
Ruby Soho b. Marina Shafir – Rollup with tights
Wheeler Yuta b. Matt Sydal – Seat belt
Action Andretti/Top Flight b. Orange Cassidy/Trent Beretta/Rocky Romero – Spinning half nelson slam to Romero

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Dynamite
Date: December 27, 2023
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite of the year and the last one before Worlds End. That means we have the semifinals of the Continental Classic so we can find out who fights for the title on Saturday. On top of that, MJF and Samoa Joe are defending the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles against the Devil’s Henchmen so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Continental Classic Gold League Finals: Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Jay White

Moxley and Swerve waste no time in fighting to the floor, with White being smart enough to let them fight. They go into the crowd with White following and staying behind for the most part, instead getting in some cheap shots. Moxley drops Swerve and takes it back to ringside, where White takes out Moxley’s knee. White takes them both down but Swerve kicks him off the apron. The flip dive misses for Swerve but he mostly sticks the landing and hits a knee from the apron to White’s jaw.

Moxley gets back in so Swerve bites his finger and hits a clothesline. Swerve knocks them both to the floor and hits a big high crossbody as we take a break. Back with Swerve being knocked off the apron, leaving White to blast Moxley in the knee with a chair. The distraction lets Swerve hit a powerslam on White into a 450 but Moxley makes the save with a Stomp.

We take another break and come back with Moxley grabbing the bulldog choke on White but Swerve breaks it up. A Blade Runner gets two on Moxley with Swerve breaking it up. Back in and White chairs them both down before wedging the chair in the corner. Swerve obeys the laws of wrestling by sending White into the chair before reversing Moxley’s choke into a rollup for two more. The Swerve Stomp is broken up by White, who gets taken down by the King Kong Lariat. The Death Rider gives Moxley the pin at 23:11.

Rating: B. Yeah it was really good and that’s not exactly shocking. What matters here is that Swerve, the hottest star in the match at the moment, didn’t take the pin, which leaves him strong coming out. Moxley winning is more of the safe pick than anything else, as he is able to either win the title or make someone look good in defeat. Heck of an opener here and the extra time helped, even if Moxley forgot about that knee injury pretty quickly.

We recap the Blue League finals being set up on Collision.

Swerve Strickland isn’t happy with being interviewed so soon after the match but if Keith Lee is looking for him, come see him at Worlds End. Tony Schiavone happens to have a contract for the match on him, so everything seems set.

Renee Paquette brings out Mariah May for a chat. May knows people have been waiting for her debut, which will be next week. Cue Riho to chase May off but Toni Storm comes in for the brawl, with Riho getting the better of things.

Top Flight and Action Andretti issue a challenge for…well we don’t know, because Orange Cassidy comes in to say he knows what’s going on here. Cassidy and the Rocky Romero/Trent Beretta will see them on Rampage. Cassidy and Trent leave, with Romero accusing Cassidy of being a bit out there lately. Then Andretti takes a bottle of water and crushes all of it into his mouth in one gulp.

Now that Andrade El Idolo is out of the Continental Classic, Miro is ready to hurt him.

Here is the Don Callis Family for a Boxing Week celebration. Callis gets to the point, by unveiling custom paintings of each member of the family (with Callis in each, including punching a kangaroo with Kyle Fletcher). He says the Family is complete but here is the returning Sammy Guevara, who hasn’t heard from Callis in a long time.

Callis is surprised that Sammy didn’t get the gift he sent for the new baby and blames the Canadian Postal Service. We get the final picture, with the Family surrounding Sammy as he holds his baby. Sammy DOES NOT like his baby being in the picture, but Callis suggests that Sammy isn’t smart enough to be a father. Sammy says Callis didn’t call when he was injured so Callis complains about Sammy being gone so often.

Callis wants him to pick a family and suggests Sammy will be a bad father, so Callis gets shoved down. The beating is on but Chris Jericho makes the save. Jericho breaks the first three pictures with the bat but lets Sammy break the last one. They do the big handshake but Big Bill and Ricky Starks run in for the beatdown. Then the lights go out and Sting/Darby Allin make the save. So that was….four or so segments packed into one? And likely setting up an eight man tag (or so) at the pay per view?

Roderick Strong and the Kingdom have a chart to prove that MJF is the Devil.

Worlds End rundown.

Continental Classic Blue League Final: Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson tries to hide in the ropes a bit to start but Kingston sends him outside for a suicide dive. Kingston chops him around ringside but comes back in and gets chopped in the corner. They fight to the apron where Danielson gets in a DDT, followed by the running knee off the apron to send us to a break.

Back with Danielson striking away but Kingston suplexes him down. The rapid fire chops in the corner have Danielson spitting at Kingston, who unloads with even harder chops. Danielson pulls him into the LeBell Lock to send Kingston bailing to the ropes, meaning Danielson can go up top. Kingston chops away again but gets caught on top as well. A belly to back superplex attempt is countered int a crossbody onto Danielson and we take another break.

Back again with Kingston firing off more chops but Danielson suplexes his way out of trouble. A northern lights bomb gives Kingston two but the running knee gives Danielson two of his own. Danielson stomps away so Kingston flips him off, leaving Danielson to load up another knee. That’s cut off with a spinning backfist and a half and half, followed by two more spinning backfists. The powerbomb gives Kingston the pin at 22:33.

Rating: B+. I was getting into this one as it was Kingston fighting for everything he had because he wants to win the while thing. While Danielson can use it to put another line on an already complete resume, Kingston needs it to prove himself in the first place. The fact that it was a heck of a fight that had me wondering who was going to win made it even better. Awesome stuff here.

Post match Jon Moxley comes out to say that despite his faults, Kingston has a lot of fans who love him. Moxley is ready to take him apart but Kingston cuts him off, saying he’s not some young boy. Kingston promises to take him out on Saturday and wants his music played. That helped to give the match some spice.

Christian Cage is ready for a sitdown interview with Adam Copeland when Copeland jumps him for the big brawl. The locker room (seemingly a lot of ROH people) breaks it up.

Skye Blue vs. Kris Statlander

Stokely Hathaway is on commentary. Statlander powers her into the corner to start but gets taken down by the hair. Some stomping in the corner has Statlander down but she reverses a suplex. They go to the apron where Blue hits a reverse Sling Blade as we take a break. We come back with Statlander grabbing a rolling suplex out of the corner for two. Code Blue gives Blue two of her own but Statlander hits a powerbomb for the same. Statlander takes her to the top, only to have Blue slip out. Cue Julia Hart for a cheap shot though, allowing Blue to hit a heck of a super Code Blue for the pin at 9:11.

Rating: C. Another women’s match where a good chunk of it is cut out, meaning there is only so much that can be done. It also doesn’t help that it feels like the same group of women have been in the middle of a really long feud for months without it really going anywhere. That was the case here, and it’s kind of hard to get invested in it happening every week without much really changing.

Post match the beatdown is on but Willow Nightingale makes the save. Abadon comes out for the staredown with Hart.

Ruby Soho is ready for Marina Shafir on Rampage but Saraya offers her the help of….Harley Cameron, who whips out a butcher knife and laughs a lot.

Another Worlds End rundown.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Samoa Joe vs. Devil’s Henchmen

MJF and Joe are defending and the Henchmen come through the crowd for their entrance at 9:59. And Joe has been attacked in the back and is holding his knee. MJF says he’s doing this himself and the bell rings, with MJF throwing his jacket at the taller one to start. MJF sends him into the corner before taking the other one to the floor. It’s time to go for the mask but a third masked man comes out from under the ring with a pipe shot. The smaller masked man hits a Heatseeker for the pin (with feet on the ropes) at 1:43.

Post match more masked men come in to beat on MJF until Samoa Joe makes the save with a chair. The Devil appears on screen and text says “Pleasure doing business with you.” Then Joe chairs MJF down and says he did this to MJF. Commentary says Joe is in league with the Devil, as MJF is left laying and Joe poses with the title to end the show. This felt like Joe having a short term arrangement with the Devil rather than actually working with him full time.

Overall Rating: B. As has been the case in recent weeks, this was mainly about the tournament and the Devil stuff, though they did add a good bit of content to the pay per view card. Things are going to get interesting next week when there is no tournament to lean on, but above all else, AEW needs something fresh coming out of Worlds End. Things are still good because of the action, but the storylines are feeling rather stale in a lot of areas. That being said, the action tonight was more than enough to carry the show and they set things up for the future, so this was another good week for Dynamite.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Jay White and Swerve Strickland – Death Rider to White
Eddie Kingston b. Bryan Danielson – Powerbomb
Skye Blue b. Kris Statlander – Super Code Blue
Devil’s Henchmen b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Samoa Joe – Heatseeker to Friedman

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: December 22, 2023
Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho, Excalibur

We’re just over a week away from Worlds End and that means things are starting to come together. This week’s show is a bit different though as we are in between the Continental Classic shows, meaning some other things should be getting some focus. That could make for an interesting show so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

International Title: Rocky Romero vs. Orange Cassidy

Cassidy is defending. They start fast to start with Cassidy taking him down and doing Romero’s dance. Cassidy teases a big wind up punch but puts his hands in his pockets instead, only to get taken down by a hurricanrana. Back in and Cassidy rolls away, only to get taken down by another hurricanrana on the floor. The Forever Clotheslines have Cassidy in more trouble and a backbreaker gives Romero two.

Cassidy manages the tornado DDT but Romero drapes him over the top. The jumping knee misses but Romero settles for a suplex on the apron. We take a break and come back with the exchange of forearms until Cassidy hits the Orange Punch. Cassidy stomps away but has to counter Strong Zero into a sunset flip. Romero knees him out of the air and Strong Zero gets two. Cassidy is right back with the Orange Punch into the Beach Break to retain at 10:54.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what you would have expected from Cassidy against a perennial midcarder in a Rampage title defense. Cassidy has done this match more times than I can count during his reigns as champion and it only has so much impact here. Decent match, but it was only going to be so good.

Hugging ensues post match.

Kris Statlander is happy about the win in a tag team street fight on Collision. Cue Stokely Hathaway, who comes in to recruit her, though he incorrectly calls her Kristen.

Brian Cage is ready to beat Keith Lee up on Collision.

Hardys vs. Kingdom

Roderick Strong is here with the Kingdom and calls some fans stupid on the way to the ring. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only refer to Matt Hardy as Matt and Matt Taven as Taven. Matt takes Taven into the corner to start and hammers away before Jeff comes in for the flip splash/fist drop combination for two. Bennett comes in to punch Matt down but it’s right back to Jeff for Poetry In Motion.

A cheap shot sends Jeff outside though and we take a break. Back with Matt Side Effecting Bennett onto the apron, allowing Jeff to bring Matt back in. House is cleaned and the Side Effect gets two on Taven. The Twist Of Fate is broken up though and the fight heads outside. Jeff takes off his boot to beat on Bennett but Taven gets a rollup to pin Matt at 9:24.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to have the Hardys back in the ring here as they haven’t gotten to do much in recent months. They’re only doing so much here and the Kingdom needs some wins to go anywhere in the future. I’m not sure how far either team is going to be going anytime soon, but at least the Kingdom has Strong around to keep them active.

Angelo Parker interrupts Ruby Soho and invites her out for a drink tonight. Saraya comes in to say she supports this before sending Soho and Renee Paquette away. With the two of them gone, Saraya says she hates Parker and Soho is all hers. Soho pops back in and Saraya says she loves Parker.

Skye Blue vs. Prince Aminata

The much larger Aminata sends her outside to start but Blue gets in a knockdown on the apron to take over. Back in and Aminata hits a suplex into a running hip attack in the corner for two. Blue superkicks her way out of trouble though and it’s a TKO into a dragon sleeper for the tap at 3:42.

Rating: C. Aminata wasn’t bad here, especially for someone coming back after a bad knee injury. Blue wasn’t about to lose after her big official turn last week though and it’s not like it took her long to pick up the win. These women’s matches going short aren’t really helping anyone, but at least Blue got a quick win to boost her up a bit.

AAA Mega Title: Black Taurus vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

Vikingo is defending and slips out of a powerbomb attempt to start. Taurus shoulders him down so Vikingo snaps off some armdrags. Back up and we get a standoff, as the fans are declaring this awesome about two weeks in. The pop up Samoan drop gives Taurus two and we take a break.

Back with Taurus blocking a poisonrana but missing a charge to crash out to the floor. Taurus is right back up for a dive, only to get posted by Vikingo. Somehow Vikingo manages a powerslam and the rope walk twisting flip dive drops Taurus again. Back in and a rope walk running poisonrana plants Taurus, who is back up to run Vikingo over. Taurus sends him crashing down with the super gorilla press and a discus lariat gets two. Vikingo flips over him into a sunset bomb, followed by the running knees. More running knees set up a 630 to retain the title at 14:10.

Rating: B-. It was a good back and forth match but I just saw these two have a better, longer match on a bigger stage just a week ago. Now that being said, these two could seemingly have a solid match in their sleep as it’s a pretty easy dynamic to make work no matter what. Vikingo feels like a mega star despite his smaller stature and having Taurus there to bounce off of makes it even easier.

Overall Rating: B-. That’s as Rampagey of a Rampage as Rampage could be. Very little happened in the way of advancing any stories and it was more “here are some AEW wrestlers doing things” for forty five minutes before a good main event helped it out a lot. Rampage is an entertaining hour most of the time but it’s a show that could disappear without much being lost. Good enough show this week, but don’t expect much of anything that matters in the bigger pictures.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Roocky Romero – Beach Break
The Kingdom b. The Hardys – Rollup to Matt
Skye Blue b. Prince Aminata – Dragon sleeper
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Black Taurus – 630

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: December 15, 2023
Location: College Park Center, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

Rampage has been on a bit of a roll in recent weeks and that could make things all the more interesting this week. While we probably won’t be having a Continental Classic match this week, we do have the Von Erichs near Dallas and that should be enough for a change of pace. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Orange Cassidy/Von Erichs vs. Matt Menard/Jake Hager/Angelo Parker

Danhausen is here with Cassidy and company. Parker takes Ross up to the ropes to start but Ross cranks on the wrist. A dropkick and running boot to the face stagger Parker and it’s quickly off to Hager vs. Cassidy. Hager sends him hard into the corner but Cassidy rolls away and puts his hands in his pockets, setting up the tornado DDT.

Menard gets in a running knee to the head though and we take a break. Back with Cassidy rolling away and diving over to bring in Marshall to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Von Erichs dropkick Hager to the floor. Parker rolls Marshall up for two but Marshall rolls him up for the pin at 7:22.

Rating: C. Much like they did at Final Battle, the Von Erichs being in a match near Dallas is as much of a layup as you can get. They didn’t try anything screwy here and had a quick match to let the fans have a fun moment. I’m not sure if the Von Erichs are ready to be around here full time, but at least they did the basics well here.

Post match the villains jump the Von Erichs but Danhausen (with purple hat) comes in but Kevin Von Erich comes in to Claw Hager. Again: give the fans something to cheer about.

Mark Briscoe is out of the Continental Classic but this is like his rookie season as a singles wrestler. Jay Lethal and company come up, with Briscoe saying he and Lethal face off next week. They agree to fight for honor and everything is cool.

Don Callis Family vs. Hunter Grey/Paul Titan

Grey and Titan look like crosses between the Barbarian and the Missing Link. Hobbs hits the World’s Most Dangerous Slam to pin Grey at 47 seconds.

Post match Don Callis rants about the Golden Jets, who came together out of fear of the Don Callis Family. Callis introduces the Don Callis Family Rules, which mean…any members of his Family can come after the Golden Jets. That needed a rule?

Ruby Soho is upset by her loss when Saraya comes in to yell at her. Saraya says Soho needs her, but Soho tells her to go beat Riho by herself.

Anna Jay vs. Red Velvet

Jay offers her a left handshake to start before they trade rollups for two each. Jay bows in front of her and gets kicked in the face for her efforts, only to send Velvet to the apron. A running hip attack puts Velvet on the floor as we take a break. Back with Jay cranking on both arms and snapping of a suplex. Velvet blocks another suplex though and strikes away before checking her watch. The running knees to the back rock Jay again but she’s right back with a Gory Bomb for two. Cue Matt Menard to distract Jay though and a discus lariat gives Velvet two. Not that it matters as the Queenslayer finishes Velvet at 8:34.

Rating: C. Jay continues to feel like someone that AEW wants to push and if she can take it to just one level higher, that could very easily take place. For now, she is doing well enough and getting in more and more reps should only help her. Velvet is doing well enough too, but she is only going to be able to go so far with the whole cooking deal.

We recap all of the Devil stuff from Dynamite, capped of by Hangman Page being laid out.

Top Flight/Action Andretti vs. Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo/El Hijo del Vikingo

Dante and Komader fight over arm control to start until Komander pulls him into something like an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up so Dante is sent to the apron, where he avoids a running dive from Komander, who of course sticks the landing on the floor. Back in and it’s off to Vikingo and Andretti to flip around each other, with Andretti flipping out of a headscissors.

Vikingo misses a kick to the face and we have a standoff, with even Jericho applauding. Penta and Darius come in to chop it out until Penta scores with some Sling Blades. Everything breaks down (you knew that was coming) and the triple dives drop Andretti and Top Flight as we take a break.

Back with Vikingo caught in the wrong corner but he gets in a springboard armdrag to both Martins. Penta comes back in to clean house as everything breaks down again. Komander hits a springboard Swanton but Dante knees him in the face. Vikingo is back in with a very springboardy legdrop to Dante in the ropes. Penta hits a Big Bang Catastrophe of all things on Darius but Dante is back in to run Komander over.

Penta Codebreakers Dante, only to get hit with an AA onto the apron. Back up and Komander hits a running dive, followed by a monkey flip to send Vikingo onto the apron. Everyone needs a breather until Penta and Andretti chop it out back inside. The other four join them in the chop off until Andretti and Top Flight hit stereo superkicks.

The other three hit superkicks of their own and a triple clothesline puts everyone down. All six nip up and hit kicks to the face to put them all down again. Back up and Darius and Andretti cut off Penta and Vikingo with Spanish Flys, followed by a spinning half nelson slam to pin Komander at 16:06. Justin Roberts refers to it as a “spectacular match” because he has to be different.

Rating: A-. Yeah that was awesome, with all six of them going nuts for a long time and never really slowing down for more than a bit at a time. I had a great time with this and they didn’t bother trying to do anything but tear the house down. It’s a bunch of flips and dives and everything is all over the place, but dang it was a fun ride. It isn’t some technical masterpiece full of psychology and logic and it’s not supposed to be. Incredibly entertaining match that will probably make your eyes pop more than once.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event alone carries the show, even with the rest of it just being ok. This was a show built around one match and little else, which works rather well for an hour long show. Obviously check out the main event, but there isn’t much else to see on here. Nothing is bad, but one match blew away the rest without looking back.

Results
Orange Cassidy/Von Erichs b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Jake Hager – Rollup to Parker
Don Callis Family b. Hunter Grey/Paul Titan – World’s Most Dangerous Slam to Grey
Anna Jay b. Red Velvet – Queenslayer
Action Andretti/Top Flight b. Penta El Zero Miedo/Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo – Hal nelson slam to Komander

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: December 13, 2023
Location: College Park Station, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re about two and a half weeks away from Worlds End and that means the card should start coming together tonight. We have whatever the finals of the Continental Classic will be, plus MJF defending the World Title against Samoa Joe and nothing more at the moment. Now we need to get something else added and maybe that is the case this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is Samoa Joe to get things going. After last week with the Devil and his henchmen, Joe wants answers on his way to becoming the AEW World Champion. First up, he wants an answer about the broken beer bottle near MJF’s head last week. He went looking for answers last week and a certain Hangman was missing.

Cue Hangman Page to interrupt, saying he doesn’t care about the Devil and asking Joe to accuse him to his face. Joe says he might be out here as an executioner but here are Roderick Strong and the Kingdom to interrupt. Strong brings up a bunch of recent attacks by the Devil and his henchmen…but we’ve never seen MJF being attacked. Strong insists that it’s MJF but Page decks him.

Hangman Page vs. Roderick Strong

Page punches him into the corner and hits the all away slam as Excalibur runs down the rest of the card. A running shooting star press gives Page two but Strong is back up with some stomps in the corner. That’s broken up and Page starts the comeback, including clotheslining him to the floor for the slingshot dive.

Back in and the Kingdom distraction lets Strong get in a backbreaker onto the turnbuckle as we take a break. We come back with Strong working on the arm until Page fights up for stereo discus forearms. Page is up first and gets two off a Death Valley Driver before biting away at the head.

The moonsault press misses for Page, who sticks the landing and grabs a pop up sitout powerbomb for two more. Strong’s flapjack into an Angle Slam gets the same but Page is back up again. The Kingdom’s distraction earns them a big moonsault to the floor, followed by the Deadeye to finish Strong at 14:47.

Rating: B. This was a rather solid match with Strong putting in his usual good performance. Page is a lot more interesting in this more serious style and the promo before the match was the same. Having matches like this as a tie in to the Devil stuff is a nice benefit and this was a rather impressive opener.

Continental Classic Blue League: Brody King vs. Andrade El Idolo

Andrade grabs a headlock to start and King actually can’t power out. That’s broken up so King hammers away, only to get knocked back again. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault to send King outside, followed by another one out to the floor. Back in and King knocks him hard out to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with El Idolo fighting out of a chinlock and chopping away. Andrade knocks him into the corner and manages a slam of all things, setting up a split legged moonsault for two. The running knees misses in the corner though and King blasts him with a clothesline for two.

King’s cannonball gets two and they strike it out until Andrade hits a spinning back elbow. Andrade goes up but King catches him on top. Andrade manages to expose part of the turnbuckle though and King is dropped face first, setting up El Idolo (the hammerlock DDT) for the pin at 14:45.

Rating: B-. King’s winning streak wasn’t going to go through the entire tournament but Andrade is on a heck of a roll. That’s more than a bit of a surprise but at least he is getting tot he top of the Blue League. They beat the fire out of each other here and it was a good showdown, though I’m still trying to get my mind around the idea of Andrade as a hero.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 9 points (2 matches left)
Brody King – 6 points (2 matches left)
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (2 matches left)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (3 matches left)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 points (2 matches left)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (3 matches left, Eliminated)

The Von Erichs are here when Orange Cassidy, Danhausen and Trent Beretta interrupt. Cassidy asks the Von Erichs to team with him on Rampage and of course they’re in. Danhausen is also assured that Cassidy isn’t turning on him.

Here are Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, who want Big Bill and Ricky Starks out here right now. Cue Starks and Bill, with the latter suggesting that Jericho is going to turn on Omega….who wouldn’t be surprised. Omega brings up Bill being part of the Firm, which was rather, uh, sawft.

The title match is set for Worlds End, with Starks and Bill bringing up Starks beating Jericho twice. Jericho thinks Bill and Starks need a name, so Jericho suggests….some things that have to be censored. The eventual solution is Big Billy Starks, which doesn’t go over that well either. Jericho calls Starks a better dressed Enzo Amore, with Omega saying Enzo wouldn’t take all of Bill’s spotlight. Omega gives his catchphrase to wrap up a really, really bad segment which involved some people who know how to talk.

Riho vs. Ruby Soho

Toni Storm is on commentary, but isn’t sure about doing color. Soho stomps away in the corner but Riho is back with a suplex for two. They go up top with Riho hitting a top rope double stomp and we take a break. Back with Riho hitting a high crossbody for two, setting up a pinfall reversal sequence for two each. A crucifix bomb gives Riho two, followed by No Future to give Soho the same. Riho suplexes her down and hits some running knees for the pin at 8:28.

Rating: C. This is a match that happened as Riho is being slotted into the title picture out of almost nowhere. I know she has a history of success in AEW but having her run in and get a title match after months of not being around is a bit much. Riho vs. Storm doesn’t feel like a pay per view title match but odds are that is where this is heading, even as several other women have been running in circles in AEW as of late.

Video on Wardlow, who needs a haircut.

Continental Classic Gold League: Rush vs. Jay Lethal

Lethal picks up the pace to start and knocks Rush to the mat, setting up the basement dropkick. There’s the strut, allowing Rush to come back with a snap German suplex. They head outside with Rush beating him up again, followed by some chops back inside. The tranquilo pose lets Lethal get a breather before he charges into a powerslam for two. Lethal is back with the Lethal Combination but Rush runs him over again. A superkick cuts off the Bull’s Horns but Rush blocks the Lethal Injection. Rush chokes Lethal out for the win at 4:18.

Rating: C+. That’s pretty much exactly what it should have been. There was no reason to believe that Lethal was going to be a threat here so they kept it short and to the point. It’s ok to have some of these tournament matches go short as not everything needs to be some epic showdown. That ending almost has to be setting up another Rush vs. Moxley match and I’m really not sure how much I need to see that happen.

Gold League Standings
Jon Moxley – 9 points (2 matches remaining)
Swerve Strickland – 9 points (2 matches remaining)
Jay White – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Rush – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Mark Briscoe – 0 points (2 matches remaining, Eliminated)
Jay Lethal – 0 points (1 match remaining, Eliminated)

Post match Jeff Jarrett and company come out but Lethal is annoyed.

Video on Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland.

Continental Classic Gold League: Jay White vs. Mark Briscoe

They start fast with Briscoe getting the better of things and hitting a Death Valley Driver. The Froggy Bow sends White rolling to the barricade but he’s back in with a shot of his own. Briscoe is knocked outside for a ram into the barricade but Red Neck Kung Fu breaks up the Blade Runner. White knocks him down again though and we take a break.

Back with Briscoe fighting out of trouble with a heck of a clothesline. Briscoe sends him outside for the Bang Bang Elbow and puts White on top for some shots to the back. The belly to back superplex brings White back down but he grabs a sleeper suplex. The Blade Runner is countered into a heck of a suplex but another Froggy Bow hits raised knees. White hits the Blade Runner for the pin at 11:40. As a result, Rush is officially eliminated.

Rating: B-. I’m really not sure I get why Briscoe needed to be this League’s designated jobber as there should be some more options out there given the size of AEW’s roster. White is still in play to win the League though and it makes good sense to move him forward. The match was quite good, but Briscoe losing so much is more than a bit deflating.

Gold League Standings
Jon Moxley – 9 points (2 matches remaining)
Swerve Strickland – 9 points (2 matches remaining)
Jay White – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Rush – 6 points (1 match remaining – Eliminated)
Mark Briscoe – 0 points (1 remaining, Eliminated)
Jay Lethal – 0 points (1 match remaining, Eliminated)

Video on the Blackpool Combat Club vs. FTR/Mark Briscoe this Friday at Ring Of Honor Final Battle. The only match at a Ring Of Honor show is the one featuring all AEW stars.

Continental Classic Gold League: Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland

The fans are very interested in this to start as things start off slowly. Moxley gets taken into the ropes and kissed on the head, allowing Swerve to knock him outside. Back in and Swerve knocks him down again, setting up a middle rope DDT for a nasty crash. Moxley gets up and is knocked to the apron, where he manages to crotch Swerve onto the ring skirt.

Swerve goes arm first into the steps and we take a break. Back with Swerve hitting an elbow to the back and dancing. Swerve goes up but dives into a cutter, allowing Moxley to hit a Gotch style piledriver for two. A suplex drops Moxley, who pops right back up, earning himself a running boot to the face to give Swerve two more.

Swerve hits his own hammer and anvil elbows before going up goes up top but gets shoved down hard to the floor. The count is beaten so Moxley goes for a cross armbreaker, sending Swerve to the ropes. Swerve fights back and his the Swerve Stomp for a rather near fall, only to have Moxley roll him up for the pin at 16:25, complete with a handful of tights.

Rating: B. That ending is likely setting up a rematch in the League semifinals where Swerve gets his win back and that’s not the worst thing. While Swerve losing doesn’t feel like the best result, they did seem to leave a door open or him to make a comeback later. It felt like a main event though, which is a very positive sign for Swerve’s future.

Gold League Standings
Jon Moxley – 12 points (1 match remaining)
Swerve Strickland – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Jay White – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Rush – 6 points (1 match remaining – Eliminated)
Mark Briscoe – 0 points (2 matches remaining, Eliminated)
Jay Lethal – 0 points (1 match remaining, Eliminated)

The Devil’s Henchmen attack Hangman Page in the parking lot and put him through the windshield of a car driven by the Devil.

Overall Rating: B. If you like the Continental Classic run out and….well there is nothing to buy here so come back home and watch the show on repeat until Collision. The action ranged from good to rather good, with only the women’s match not being a hit. I could go for having more than just the Devil stuff and the tournament getting so much focus, but if I have to live with two hours of strong wrestling, I think I’ll be fine.

Results
Hangman Page b. Roderick Strong – Deadeye
Andrade El Idolo b. Brody King – El Idolo
Riho b. Ruby Soho – Running knees
Rush b. Jay Lethal – Rear naked choke
Jay White b. Mark Briscoe – Blade Runner
Jon Moxley b. Swerve Strickland – Rollup with a handful of tights

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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Collision
Date: December 9, 2023
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

The road to Worlds End continues as we have more Continental Classic matches to cover. That should be enough to carry things through the week but some other things need to be set up for the pay per view aside from just one title match. There is a chance we could see something like that covered this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite you need a recap.

Ethan Page, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo, Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Continental Classic Blue League: Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Kingston hits the spinning backfist and Saito suplex to send Castagnoli to the floor early. Back in and a northern lights bomb gives Kingston two but Castagnoli is right back with the Neutralizer for two of his own. A running double stomp hits Kingston and it’s the Swing into a Sharpshooter. With that broken up, Castagnoli unloads with some forearms in the corner for two before cutting off a comeback with a clothesline.

Boots to the face in the corner keep Kingston in trouble as the beating continues. A top rope superplex gives Castagnoli two as we take a break. Back with Castagnoli grabbing a suplex for two and telling Kingston to do more. Kingston does just that by nailing some suplexes for two. The rapid fire chops in the corner and a lariat give Kingston two more but he can’t get the stretch plum.

Something like a powerbomb gives Castagnoli two and we hit the crossface. Kingston makes the rope and escapes the Riccola Bomb as well, only to get blasted by an uppercut for two. Kingston gets in a hard shot of his own for a very close two with three minutes left in the time limit. The spinning backfist looks to set up a powerbomb but Castagnoli reverses into a hurricanrana, which is reversed into a sunset flip to give Kingston the upset pin at 18:03. Castagnoli’s stunned face is great.

Rating: B. These two work well together and that was on display again here, as they had a hard hitting match. The rollup finish makes sense as Castagnoli tried to use his better skills to escape, only to get caught by Kingston’s wrestling for once. That’s not something I would have expected and we wound up with a good ending to a very awesome match.

Blue League Standings
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Andrade El Idolo – 3 points (5 matches remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Jon Moxley says he wasn’t scared of Rush. It was a hard match but no, he wasn’t scared. Swerve Strickland is going to be a hard match too but Strickland is going to be in over his head. Pack a lunch.

Hook is interrupted by Wheeler Yuta, who brags about beating Hook last week. Yuta says he can beat Hook under either set of rules so we’ll do it under FTW rules. Works for Hook.

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez

Martinez has Diamante with her. They take turns powering the others into the corner until Martinez stomps her down. Nightingale is back up for some clotheslines against the ropes and a backsplash sends Martinez outside. Diamante offers a distraction though, allowing Martinez to send Nightingale into the barricade. A DDT off the barricade plants Nightingale and takes us to a break.

Back with Nightingale rolling some suplexes and getting two off a bulldog. The cannonball gives Nightingale two but another Diamante distraction lets Martinez grab a fisherman’s buster for her own near falls. Some Saito suplexes plant Nightingale again and Martinez hits something like a Razor’s Edge Dominator…and is quickly small packaged to give Nightingale the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Slightly ridiculous ending aside, Nightingale winning here was the right call. She needs a win to get her back to some prominence and Martinez can help make anyone look good. It might not have been a classic, but it did what it needed to accomplish with some good action at the same time. What more could you need?

Post match Martinez and Diamante stomp Nightingale down and it’s time for a small ladder. Diamante grabs a lead pipe but Kris Statlander makes the save with a chain.

Jake Hager interrupts Matt Menard and Angelo Parker (hometown boys) to rant about Danhausen putting Hager’s hat down his pants. With Hager gone, Parker and Menard go off about how they have always wanted to be here. Saraya, Anna Jay and Ruby Soho come in to yell at the guys, though Soho seems pleased with Parker. The guys leave so Saraya yells at Soho, who faces Riho next week.

Swerve Strickland says he is the leader of this company no matter what and he’ll be World Champion. First up though it’s the Continental Classic so he hopes Jon Moxley is ready. The level of confidence is rising and it’s pretty awesome.

Wardlow vs. Willie Mack

Mack goes for a double leg to start and is easily powered away. A dropkick staggers Mack but a missed charge puts him on the floor. Mack’s dive only bounces off of him but Mack trips him down inside. The standing moonsault gets two but Mack’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb. The wind up clothesline sets up the powerbomb for the referee stoppage at 3:14.

Rating: C+. This is how you bring Wardlow up to the top level again, as he is still smashing people but he’s moving up the ladder with better competition. That is a story that has worked for years, but at the end of the day, it isn’t going to matter if AEW cuts his legs out again. For now, things are working, but we’ll have to see where it goes.

Video on the House of Black wanting FTR to join the team.

We look at Ricky Starks and Big Bill hurting Chris Jericho’s arm.

Kenny Omega vs. Ethan Page

Page has a banged up arm coming in. They shake hands to start with Omega hitting a running shoulder, only to have Page come back with some right hands in the corner. Omega knocks him to the floor but the dive takes way too long, allowing Page to come back in with a springboard cutter. They go outside again with Omega being whipped into the barricade, only to moonsault off of some barricade to take Page down.

The Kitaro Crusher gets two on Page back inside but he’s fine enough for a suplex over the top and out to the floor in a nasty crash. We take a break and come back with Omega hitting a powerbomb into the V Trigger for two. Page manages an Iconoclasm into a DDT for two of his own and they both need a breather.

Omega can’t quite hit You Can’t Escape but he can hit a pair of snapdragons (Schiavone: “Man he snaps those off.”). They head up top, where Page grabs a super powerslam for two more as things slow down a bit. The One Winged Angel is broken up and an exchange of rolls ups gets two each. Some V Triggers rock Page and the One Winged Angel gives Omega the pin at 12:38.

Rating: B-. Here’s a good example of Tony Khan doing self-inflicted damage (no this isn’t some game changer). One of the biggest matches at Final Battle is Ethan Page vs. Tony Nese. Page faces Kenny Omega six days prior on Collision and loses clean. Why did that need to happen? Of course Page shouldn’t be beating Omega, but why book someone set for a big pay per view match in a meaningless match here? Is a battle of two Canadians in Montreal that important? The match was good, but it had almost no build and just came and went, with Page’s status taking a hit on the way to Final Battle.

Post match here is Big Bill to boot Omega in the face. Page chases him off.

CJ Perry hypes up Andrade El Idolo against Bryan Danielson tonight. Miro comes in to ask when Perry last said so many good things about him. He is the breadwinner and she stays at home. When his father caught the fish, his mother cleaned them! Once the tournament is over, El Idolo is done. So Miro is now a full on heel and rather misogynistic. Got it.

Julia Hart is ready for Abadon.

Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker

The fans go nuts for Menard and Parker in a nice moment. We get a DADDY MAGIC chant as he waits for Penta to take off his glove. Instead Penta takes him into the corner for a kick to the head and it’s off to Parker, who kicks Komander in the face. Komander fights up with the kicks to the face and it’s an assisted dropkick in the corner. The double dives are broken up though and we take a break.

Back with Penta cleaning house and sliding to the floor for stereo superkicks. Parker slugs away at Penta, who knocks him right back down. Menard is back in with a Boston crab but Penta makes the save. An assisted Codebreaker gets two on Komander but a shooting star spike Fear Factor finishes Parker at 10:01.

Rating: C+. The result doesn’t quite matter here as Menard and Parker just getting to show up at an event like this is a cool moment. Seeing them get that kind of a reaction was awesome and you could see how much it meant to them. I’m not quite sure how much Komander and Penta needed the win, but it’s hardly some terrible result.

Video on Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor at Final Battle.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on the upcoming Continental Classic matches.

Continental Classic Blue League: Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo

We get a handshake to start before they fight over a wristlock. A test of strength results in Danielson getting a monkey flip so Andrade grabs a headlock. Commentary points out that the forearm is going around the eye in a nice touch, even as Danielson fights up with some kicks. A few dragon screw legwhips take Danielson down but he sends Andrade to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Andrade hammering away at the eye but getting backdropped to the floor. Andrade is right back in with a Figure our. That’s broken up so Andrade puts Danielson (bleeding from the eye) on the top for a superplex. Danielson cuts it off with some headbutts (the man isn’t that bright) and a missile dropkick drops Andrade again. The YES Kicks rock Andrade but the LeBell Lock is broken up. Danielson blocks the Figure Four attempt and knocks Andrade down again for a needed breather.

They slug it out until Andrade gets him in an inverted Gory Stretch and drives Danielson into the corner. Danielson crotches him on top and grabs a belly to back superplex. The LeBell Lock sends Andrade to the ropes and the spinning back elbow gives Andrade two. They slug it out again with three minutes left and Andrade knocks him into the corner. The running knees to the back connect and Danielson is mostly out. The hammerlock DDT finishes clean for Andrade at 18:23.

Rating: B+. These guys beat the fire out of each other and the eye injury played into everything as well. Danielson is still the major star around here and the key player in the whole tournament but he had to lose at some point. Andrade continues his recent roll, which is likely going to come to a crashing end at the hands of Miro. For now though, heck of a match and the clean win is a big deal for Andrade.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 6 points (4 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Medics come out to check on Danielson, with the Blackpool Combat Club coming in to get rid of Andrade (who was concerned) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was one of the better AEW TV shows in a good while with a pair of rather awesome matches. You don’t get that kind of thing on free TV very often and the effort was clearly a bit higher tonight. The tournament matches are still holding strong and I want to see how they go, though having some other things get a bit more time would be nice. For now though, one of the best Collisions yet and a rather good night.

Results
Eddie Kingston b. Claudio Castagnoli – Sunset flip
Willow Nightingale b. Mercedes Martinez – Small package
Wardlow b. Willie Mack via referee stoppage
Kenny Omega b. Ethan Page – One Winged Angel
Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker – Spike Fear Factor to Parker
Andrade El Idolo b. Bryan Danielson – Hammerlock DDT

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.

Rampage
Date: December 1, 2023
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We’re back to the normal time slot this week and that probably won’t make much of a difference here. What matters here is having something interesting, as the show has a tendency to be an odd collection of matches rather than anything big. Maybe they can change it here though so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Dark Order vs. Danhausen/Trent Beretta/Orange Cassidy/Hook

The villains start fast and the brawl heads outside. Back in and Danhausen snaps off a hurricanrana to Uno before all eight get inside for a big brawl. The good guys clear the ring and of course we get the big hug. Back in and Parker sets up Menard’s running knee to Cassidy’s head. Danhausen comes in for a release German suplex to Uno, followed by Hook’s series of suplexes.

Cue Wheeler Yuta to join commentary, with the distraction letting Hook get jumped from behind. We settle down to Reynolds stomping on Hook and getting to pose a bit as we take a break. Back with Trent getting the tag to clean house in a hurry. Cassidy comes back in to kick away, at least until Uno plants him with a piledriver. We get a staredown between Danhausen and Garcia, meaning curse vs. dancing. Danhausen pulls out Jake Hager’s hat though and the distraction lets Hook Redrum Parker. That distraction is enough of a distraction that Danhausen can roll Menard up for the pin at 10:11.

Rating: C+. Not much of a match, but the whole point of this was just to have a good time. Danhausen is the definition of goofy fun and we even moved Cassidy vs. Hook forward a little bit more. It’s not a great match or even very good, but they started the show fast and that is nice to see.

Ruby Soho (not looking happy), Saraya and Anna Jay are teaming up tonight, with Saraya praising Anna for being beautiful. For now though, they need to deal with Ruby Soho’s thing about Angelo Parker…who shows up. Saraya breaks up the whole meeting.

Here is Tony Schiavone to introduce two men who were in the main event of the very first wrestling match (yes match rather than show) on TNT. If by that you mean the second of three matches that night then yeah sure. In case that’s not enough, Schiavone says that the very last match on TNT was Sting vs. Ric Flair. Well, if you ignore every AEW match to air on there, sure.

Anyway, here are Sting and Ric Flair for a chat. Sting talks about being in the first and last match on TNT (apparently Sting is rather dense too) before mentioning Lex Luger and Bam Bam Bigelow. Flair talks about being in wrestling since 1972 and there are always some people who will be special in his life: Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat and Sting.

Flair promises to be there with Sting from the beginning until the end and (after a pretty clear camera cut, possibly due to some questionable comments being edited out) says they’ll dance all night and a little longer. This was the latest edition of “Ric Flair and Sting are so awesome that we have no concept of history” theater.

Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue are ready to get their momentum back starting tonight. Statlander seems to blame Blue for losing the TBS Title but Blue isn’t having that. Shida tells them to calm down and focus.

Don Callis Family vs. Jah-C/???/???

Jah slugs away at Hobbs to no avail and it’s a triple finisher, with Hobbs hitting the World’s Strongest Slam for the pin at 1:00.

Post match, Don Callis praises his team’s dominance and wants the Golden Jets.

Prince Nana wants the Workhorsemen to join the Mogul Embassy for tonight. Brian Cage isn’t sure.

Anna Jay/Ruby Soho/Saraya vs. Skye Blue/Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida

Statlander and Jay start things off but it’s quickly off to Shida for a running elbow. Blue comes in for a shot of her own but Statlander tags herself in, meaning it’s time to argue. Shida finally tags herself in to beat up Saraya and Soho in back to back shots. We take a break and come back with Statlander planting Saraya. Jay makes a save and gets the tag to choke Statlander. With that broken up, Statlander pulls Jay into the path of Soho’s superkick, allowing Blue to grab Code Blue for the pin at 7:21.

Rating: C. It’s another women’s match where so much of the match was stuck in the break that there wasn’t much to be seen otherwise. They’re playing up the issues between Saraya and Soho, along with Statlander and Blue, which should make for something going forward. As usual, Blue gets a win, though she still needs to win a championship at some point for it to really matter.

We look at the Continental Classic matches from Dynamite and preview the matches on Collision.

Brian Cage/Workhorsemen vs. Penta El Zero Miedo/Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo

Komander tries to flip over Cage to start but gets tossed into the corner for his efforts. Commentary ignores this match for the rapid fire preview for Collision and more, because the main event doesn’t matter to AEW either. Vikingo comes in and chops away at Drake, who suplexes Vikingo down to even things up. Everything breaks down and the luchadors clean house, setting up the triple dives.

We take a break and come back with Penta cleaning house, including a double DDT. Komander missile dropkicks Drake, setting up a running corner dropkick. A backstabber into a double stomp into a top rope double stomp gets two on Cage but he’s right back up. Komander is monkey flipped into Drake’s powerbomb as everything breaks down. Vikingo hits a springboard Canadian Destroyer but gets piledriven by Henry. Made In Japan drops Henry, who is right back up to nail Cage by mistake. Cage drops Henry and walks out, leaving Vikingo to hit a 630 for the pin on Henry at 11:12.

Rating: C+. The match had all of the usual insane athleticism and fun stuff, but it’s the same thing that has been a problem for Rampage for most of the last few months: how is this supposed to feel like a main event? This could have been on any given Ring Of Honor in the middle of the show but it’s the featured match here. The time slot doesn’t help things, but man this felt like a nothing way to wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to think here, as stuff did happen and some stories were moved forward, but it felt like a beefed up edition of Dark. Who was the biggest star on this show other than Cassidy? Statlander maybe? Saraya? The action was good enough, but it was a bunch of multi-person tags and the latest chance for Flair and Sting to reminisce about one or two matches. The show wasn’t bad, but it’s definitely not worth the time to watch.

Results
Danhausen/Trent Beretta/Orange Cassidy/Hook b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Dark Order – Rollup to Menard
Don Callis Family b. Jah-C/???/??? – World’s Strongest Slam to Jah-C
Skye Blue/Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida b. Anna Jay/Ruby Soho/Saraya – Code Blue to Soho
El Hijo del Vikingo/Penta El Zero Miedo/Komander b. Brian Cage/Workhorsemen – 630 to Henry

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.