The go-home edition of AEW Rampage for AEW All Out on Sunday featured a match between Darby Allin & Daniel Garcia, CM Punk on commentary, a handicap match with Kris Statlander facing Jamie Hayter & Rebel (not Reba).
AEW Rampage started with the lights going off and Malakai Black’s making his entrance. I think poor Lee Johnson is about to die.
Malakai Black vs. Lee Johnson
Lee Johnson will be a big star someday. He has a great look, and he will be a fantastic wrestler. Tonight, however, is not that night, as Malakai black is going to end him and everyone else in the Nightmare Family. Black went for a kick right away, but Johnson hung on to the ropes and avoided running into it.
Johnson caught Black with a few strikes, but it wasn’t long before Black took him down with a back elbow. Black nailed Johnson with a kick to the stomach. Black did a nice takedown and went for a kimura on Johnson, but couldn’t get it fully. Johnson hit a backdrop on Black, but Black held onto the headlock.
Johnson shoved Black into the corner, and hit a series of forearms and punches and a dropkick that sent Black to the floor before hitting a tope. Johnson hit a frog splash and went for a fisherman’s suplex, but Black countered, threw him to the mat and hit a PK right to Johnson’s face.
Black grabbed a chair and handed it to Johnson, daring Johnson to hit him with it. It looks like Black is trying to tempt him to attack, and when Johnson hesitated, Black killed him with a roundhouse kick and pinned him.
Result: Malakai Black via pinfall
I won’t rate this as it was an extended squash, but don’t let that deter you from watching it. Everything they did her had meaning, emphasizing the experience of Black over Johnson, and even the little detail of handing the chair to Johnson was great. This was very good.
Dustin Rhodes ran down to the ring to prevent further injury to Johnson, and sets up a match between Black and Rhodes down the line. This will likely lead to the return of Cody Rhodes, which should be great.
Dustin Rhodes was with Mark Henry backstage, and he announced he was going to face Black on AEW Dynamite next week, and that there was nothing that Black could do to him that he isn’t prepared for. Great promo.
Miro made his way out and cut a promo on Eddie Kingston. Miro said that Kingston took the easy way out by taking a charity contract with AEW, and he has become soft and comfortable, despite being gifted with toughness and talent from God. In Miro’s eyes, Kingston was a bag boy for Moxley.
Kingston responded by claiming Miro believed in a false god, and Kingston was going to bring the wrath of God down on Miro by dropping him on his head with suplexes and the DDT, Miro’s weakness. Kingston ran down to the ring to fight, and Miro leveled Kingston with the TNT Championship.
Kingston dodged a curb stomp with the TNT Championship, hit Backfist to the Future, and then nailed Miro with a DDT and left him laying. Kingston stood up and smiled at the camera before making his exit. Great segment here.
Jamie Hayter & Rebel (not Reba) w/ Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander w/ Orange Cassidy
Statlander was attacked early on in this match, but managed to do some great work to have Rebel and Hayter accidentally cut each other off. Statlander had Rebel on her shoulders and Hayter went for a crossbody, but Statlander caught her! Statlander hit an electric chair face drop and a World’s Strongest Slam on Hayter all at the same time. Statlander locked a Spider Crab on Rebel and she immediately tapped out.
Result: Kris Statlander
Rating: ** (2 stars)
Baker, Rebel, and Hayter went to attack Statlander, but Red Velvet made the save and drove them away. This was a solid showcase for Statlander, still protected Hayter as she was outside the ring when Rebel tapped, and minimized the actual wrestling Rebel did. A very well booked segment.
As the announcers recapped the events on Dynamite and hyped AEW All Out, we saw a confrontation between Jon Moxley and Satoshi Kojima where they started brawling.
Daniel Garcia (with 2.0) and Darby Allin were having their split-screen promo with Mark Henry, where 2.0 talked about their “son” Daniel Garcia destroying Allin and ruining the biggest match in AEW history. Allin said he wasn’t overlooking Garcia like he felt Punk was overlooking him, and he was going to make them pay before going on to face Punk at AEW All Out.
CM Punk made his way out to do commentary to a great reaction from the crowd.
Darby Allin w/ Sting vs. Daniel Garcia w/ 2.0
Both guys immediately locked up before Allin drove Garcia back to the corner, and then they started striking each other. Punk on commentary noted that Allin was the heart and soul of AEW, just like Sting was with WCW, and that was what made him want to fight him. Allin went for a charging attack on Garcia on the floor but he moved and Allin crashed over the timekeeper’s table and smashed into the guardrail. That was brutal.
Later on, 2.0 was going to get involved, but Sting beat them both up on the floor as Allin was tossed into the stairs. Back in the ring, Allin was able to lock on an armbar that forced Garcia to go back to the floor. Allin smashed Garcia’s arm into the stairs, but Garcia was able to lock on a surfboard back in the ring.
Jericho noted that he saw Punk running around the arena with a weighted vest that looked like a bulletproof vest for cardio training. Punk said that he didn’t want to get shot, and Taz chimed in, “Well it is Chicago” and they all laughed. That was great. Garcia hit a superplex on Allin that left him lying in the middle of the mat.
Garcia got the heat on Allin here, beating on him quite a bit, and then mouthed off towards Punk who stood up at the desk. Punk noted that Garcia had to do everything he could to make his name, because you don’t get many chances like this. Garcia had a rear naked choke on Allin, and Allin climbed the ropes and hit a Coffin Drop off the middle rope, crushing Garcia.
Garcia still managed to get up first, but Allin countered and hit a Pepsi Twist on Garcia. Punk smiled and said, “I think he did it better than I ever did.” Allin hit the Code Red. Allin figure foured the leg of Garcia and rolled back into a pinfall. Great out of nowhere finish.
Result: Darby Allin
Rating: *** (3 stars)
After the match, 2.0 immediately attacked Allin, but Sting made the save and dragged Garcia through the crowd. Punk came down to help and he ended up distracting 2.0 as Allin got back into the ring and hit a suicide dive into both members of 2.0 before getting up and going face to face with Punk as the show went off the air. Fantastic ending.
Show Rating: ***1/2 (3.5 stars)
Very fun edition of AEW Rampage tonight that saw some of the stories heading into AEW All Out furthered. We saw the feud build between Miro and Kingston, Black and the Rhodes family (which is more on AEW Dynamite), Baker and Statlander, and Punk and Allin, all while showcasing newer talent too, like Daniel Garcia and 2.0. This show served as a very easy-to-watch go-home show for the PPV, and now I can’t wait for AEW All Out on Sunday.