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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
OCTOBER 1, 2021
RECORDED AT BLUE CROSS ARENA, ROCHESTER, NY
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur and Taz.
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– The opening of Rampage aired. Excalibur welcomed us with, “It’s Friday night, and you know what that means!” Excalibur was joined by Taz.
(1) BRYAN DANIELSON vs. NICK JACKSON (w/Matt Jackson & Brandon Cutler)
The crowd chanted for Danielson as the two locked up. Jackson bailed to the corner then nailed Danielson and locked him in a headlock. Jackson kicked Danielson in the head, then went to the apron and headed to the floor. As Jackson played around on the floor, Danielson came through the ropes with a tope suicida. Jackson was thrown inside, and Danielson came off the top with a shotgun dropkick. Danielson laid in a few kicks to the chest of Jackson, then locked him in a surfboard into a Dragon Sleeper submission.
Jackson reversed an Irish whip and fired back with a clothesline on Danielson. Jackson spring boarded off the top rope, but Danielson caught him in an arm submission. Jackson broke the hold on the ropes, but Danielson came right back and focused on the arm. Danielson hit a back suplex and covered for a two count. Danielson continued to focus on Jackson’s arm. Jackson tried firing out of Danielson’s hold, but Danielson came right back and wailed away on Jackson with a series of kicks and chops.
Jackson finally took Danielson down with an arm drag, then evaded his charge in the corner, which finally gave Jackson a bit of a relief. Danielson was thrown outside to Matt Jackson, who hit him a few times as we broke for commercial. [c]
Jackson was still in control as we came back from break. He took Danielson with a bulldog, then laid in a few of his own kicks to the chest of Danielson. Danielson fired up after being kicked several times, and even asked Jackson for more. Danielson stood up and spit in Jackson’s face, then hit a series of chops and kicks on Jackson. Danielson ducked a clothesline and hit one of his own.
With Jackson back on his knees, Danielson again laid in several kicks to his chest, then ended with one to Jackson’s head. Danielson covered but could only get a two count. Danielson hit two running knee strikes, but Jackson super kicked him on the third attempt. Jackson went to the top, but Danielson raised his knees on a 450 attempt, then locked Jackson in the Lebell Lock. Jackson was able to reach the ropes to break the hold. Both men went to the apron, and Danielson yet again nailed Jackson with a series of kicks to the chest. Jackson moved on the last attempt, and Danielson kicked hard into the post. Jackson followed up with a kick to the head, then hit Danielson with a release German suplex on the apron.
With Danielson on the floor, Jackson flew over the top right onto him. Jackson threw Danielson back into the ring then locked in a Sharpshooter. Danielson reached the ropes to break the hold, then rolled back to the outside. Jackson followed and went for a kick but hit Cutler instead. Danielson hit his own German suplex on the floor, then rolled Jackson back inside. Danielson knocked Matt Jackson off the apron, which allowed Nick to roll him up for a two count. Danielson ducked a suplex, then hit a Tiger suplex for a close count. Danielson hit Jackson with a series of hammer and anvil strikes, then locked in the Cattle Mutilation for the tap out win
WINNER: Bryan Danielson in 16:00
– After the match, The Elite hit the ring, including Kenny Omega and Adam Cole. They tended to Nick as Christian Cage and Jurassic Express came out to even the odds. All eight men started brawling. Cage hit a Kill Switch, Luchasaurus hit a Tail Whip, and Jungle Boy locked in a Snare Trap on Cole. Omega charged the ring, but Danielson locked in the Lebell Lock.
(Moynahan’s Take: Taz may have said it best after this one, but “holy smokes, what a match.” This lived up to the hype and was much more hard-hitting that I would have guessed, as the two leaned toward a more Danielson style match than a Nick Jackson one. The post-match brawl was nicely done as well as a preview to Wednesday’s match)
– Powerhouse Hobbs and Hook were backstage. They said they had a special message for Brian Cage. A video aired of Ricky Starks, who said he and Cage were not the same type of person. Starks said he was sick of the narrative that since Cage was bigger, that he could beat Starks.
– Powerhouse Hobbs and Hook were backstage. They said they had a special message for Brian Cage. A video then aired of Ricky Starks, who said he and Cage were not the same type of person. Starks said he was sick of the narrative that since Cage was bigger, that he could beat Starks. [c]
– Ricky Starks joined commentary after the break.
– C.M. Punk was backstage. He said he beat Darby and survived Powerhouse Hobbs, and said his experience paid off in that match. He said eventually it’s time to get down to business and that he knows he has a target on his back. He said he wanted the best people across the ring from him. When they are ready to step up, “nap time” will be waiting for them.
(2) NYLA ROSE (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. JADE CARGILL (w/Mark Sterling) vs. THUNDER ROSA
Rosa came out last to a huge pop. Cargill went right after Rosa, as did Rose. Rosa hit Cargill with a bulldog, then went toe-to-toe with Rose. Rose whipped Rosa into the corner, but Rosa fired back, then dove off the top. Rose caught her and slammed her to the mat. Cargill broke up a pin attempt, and the two faced off.
Cargill and Rose traded blows until Cargill took Rose down with a pump kick. Cargill clotheslined Rose to the outside. Rosa came right off the top with a missile dropkick. [c]
Rosa propped a trash can against Cargill, then drove it into her face. Rosa went for a cover but Rose dove in to break it up. Rose tried to chokeslam Rosa, but Rose pushed her into Cargill who hit Rosa with a chokeslam. Rose had the upper hand and locked in a single leg crap on Cargill, but Rosa hit her with a dropkick. Rosa missed a dropkick on Rose in the corner. Rose dragged Rosa to the apron and went to powerbomb her through a setup table. Rose wasn’t unable to hit the powerbomb but propped Rosa on the corner. Rosa slipped out and power bombed Rose through the table.
Rosa tried to bring Rose back into the ring, but Cargill nailed Rosa from behind with a chair. Cargill continued to batter Rosa with the chair. Cargill covered Rosa for the win.
WINNER: Jade Cargill in 9:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Was this a no holds barred match, or did I miss something? This was fine but felt like it was just getting started, most likely due to the lengthy commercial break smack dab in the middle, unfortunately.)
– After the match, Malakai Black was shown backstage. He said Cody still wouldn’t do what was necessary, and that when hit him with the black mist, it came from his heart. He said he hoped what he did to Cody sits inside him and festers. Black said he hoped that what he did consumed the entire Nightmare Factory, then said the rest of the locker room would be next.
– Sammy Guevarra was shown talking about his TNT Championship win this past week as clips aired of the match.
– The commentators ran down this week’s Dynamite card, including the first four participants in the Casino Ladder Match, which included PAC, Andrade El Idolo, Jon Moxley, and Lance Archer.
– Mark Henry was on split screen with Matt Hardy and Jack Evans on one side and Orange Cassidy on the other. Cassidy was completely confused by the type of match this was (a hair vs. hair). Once Henry explained to him that if he lost the match, he’d lose his hair, Cassidy basically said that he guessed he just wouldn’t lose in that case.
(3) JACK EVANS (w/Matt Hardy) vs. ORANGE CASSIDY – Hair vs. Hair
Hardy ran in to distract Cassidy, which allowed Evans to roll him up for a two count. Evans missed a leaping front kick, and Cassidy hit him with some vicious, yet gentle, kicks. Cassidy grabbed Evans’s hair, then swung him around the ring. Hardy pulled Cassidy to the outside and nailed him with a right hand. Evans came off the apron with a corkscrew kick, then hit a 450 off the apron. [c]
Cassidy flew through the ropes right onto Hardy, then ran to the other side and flew through onto Evans. Evans was thrown inside, and Cassidy came off the top. Evans turned it around into a pin attempt for a two count. Evans hit a Northern Light suplex, then a Michinoku Driver for a two count. Evans hit a standing sky twister for a two count.
Evans climbed to the top but missed a corkscrew moonsault. Cassidy popped up and nailed Evans with a DDT. Cassidy went to the top rope and came off with a diving DDT for a very close two as Evans kicked out. Butcher, Blade, and Bunny made their way to the entrance ramp, but were cut off by Best Friends. The rest of H.F.O. came out, but so did the Dark Order to even the odds. In the ring, Cassidy nailed Evans with the Orange Punch for the win.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy in 10:00
– After the ring, Angelico was taken out by Evil Uno. The rest of H.F.O. stayed put, as Hardy told them to leave. Evans was left alone in the ring as Cassidy started chopping his hair off. Chuck Taylor pulled out the sheers and buzzed the top of Evans’s head as Cassidy swept up all the hair in the ring. Dark Order and Best Friends hugged -1 in the middle of the ring as the show went off the air.
– Two more participants were announced for the Casino Ladder Match; Orange Cassidy and Matt Hardy.
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid match with an obvious finish. I wasn’t too excited for this one going into it, but it was satisfying for what it is. Looks like Cassidy and Hardy will continue their feud this week as they both compete in the Casino Ladder Match.)-
FINAL THOUGHTS: Another solid one hour of wrestling this week. The opening match alone probably puts this show in the top tier of Rampage episodes to-date. Next week’s coverage may be a little different, as I will be in attendance for Dynamite and Rampage next week as they’ll both be in Philadelphia, and I hope to bring some additional in-person takes. Until then, stay safe everyone!
I’m not a fan of intergender matches, but this one turned out ok. I was there and Rosa was over huge with the fans