10/8 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Punk vs. Sydal, Inner Circle vs. Men of the Year & Junior Dos Santos, Bunny vs. Ruby

AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
OCTOBER 15, 2021
JAMES L. KNIGHT CENTER, MIAMI, FL
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Excalibur, Taz, Ricky Starks.

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 and Ricky Starks. C.M. Punk’s music hit to kick things off.

(1) C.M. PUNK vs. MATT SYDAL

Punk and Sydal faced off from across the ring as the crowd chanted Punk’s name. The two met in the middle of the ring and shook hands in a sign of respect. Punk started things off with a headlock takedown and Sydal returned the favor with a takedown of his own. Punk knocked Sydal down to the mat, then the two locked up again. Sydal took Punk back down with a few side headlocks, then went for a pin but only managed a two count. Sydal countered Punk but was caught in a pin attempt for another two count.

The two locked up again, with Sydal gaining the upper hand as he locked Punk in a bow and arrow stretch. Sydal countered a body slam into a takeover, then kicked Punk across the face. Sydal locked Punk in a submission, then rolled into a pin attempt for a two count. As Punk rose to his feet, Sydal went for the legs and kicked Punk in the back of the knee. Sydal locked in a neck and leg submission on Punk. Punk rose out of it and tried a GTS but couldn’t lock it in. Punk was, however, able to get the better of Sydal for another close count.

Punk hit a leg lariat, but Sydal came back with one of his own. Sydal charged in with a sliding knee strike as Punk was propped in the corner. With both men on the apron, Punk slammed Sydal hard across the apron. Punk was shown laughing maniacally in the camera as he laid across the apron. With both men back inside, Punk propped Sydal upside down in the corner. Punk tied Sydal’s leg in the top rope then charged in, but Sydal moved. Sydal was on the top rope and Punk went up for a super plex. The two fought along the top rope and knocked one another down at the same time.

Both men made it back inside before the ten count. They exchanged blows as they both wobbled on their feet. Sydal countered a brain buster with a knee strike and got another close two count. Sydal went for his finish, but Punk countered into a neck breaker. Punk hit a rising knee strike in the corner, then a short-arm lariat for a two count. Punk went to the second rope, but Sydal caught him with a head scissors takeover for yet another two count. Sydal locked in a leg submission as Punk tried reaching for the ropes. Punk was about to reach them, but Sydal cut him off. Punk countered into an Anaconda Vice, but Sydal reached the rope.

The two missed a few kicks until Sydal nailed Punk with a roundhouse. Sydal hit the Lightning Spiral, but Punk barely kicked out. Sydal went to the top, but Punk got up in time. Punk caught Sydal in a GTS for the win. [c]

WINNER: C.M. Punk in 14:00

(Moynahan’s Take: For those that watched the Buy-In show prior to Rampage, this match followed the Danielson-Suzuki match, and boy was that hard to follow no matter who you are. That being said, these two lit it up. While there was no beating Danielson-Suzuki tonight (or most any night), Punk and Sydal put on a great showing. The crowd helped things too; the arena looks rather small for a normal AEW show, but the crowd has been into everything tonight – both on Rampage and the Buy-In.)

– The Dark Order were backstage celebrating the return of Hangman Adam Page. John Silver then made a challenge for the group and called out Adam Cole and the Young Bucks.

(2) RUBY SOHO vs. THE BUNNY (w/H.F.O.)

The two traded lock ups early, then Soho took control by kicking Bunny in the midsection, then throwing her across the ring with a few arm drags. Soho hit Bunny with a knee strike to the face for a two count. Bunny nailed Soho with a back elbow, then hit her with a knee lift to the face. Soho tried fighting back but was thrown face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Bunny went for cover but only managed a two count.

Soho tried regaining some momentum and climbed to the top rope. Bunny cut her off and threw her to the mat. Bunny followed up with a sliding elbow to Soho’s face as she laid across the corner turnbuckle. [c]

Bunny and Soho were both shown laid out on the floor. Soho got up first and threw Bunny back into the ring. The two traded blows as Soho got the upper hand. Soho hit a back elbow, then drove Bunny face-first into the turnbuckle. Soho hit a shoulder tackle/running kick combo on Bunny. Soho hit a back suplex then a running elbow across the back of Bunny’s head for a two count. Bunny tried a counter, but Soho hit another back elbow.

Bunny was able to knock Soho down as she was climbing the ropes. Bunny hit a German suplex off the middle rope for a close two count. Soho countered Bunny’s finish and rolled her up for the win.

WINNER: Ruby Soho in 10:00

– After the match, Penelope Ford blindsided Soho from behind. Ford and Bunny took it to Soho, with Ford pulling out the brass knuckles and taking her out.

(Moynahan’s Take: A good, not great match. The two worked well together so there was nothing offensive here. It’s just difficult to follow two great matches no matter who you are.)

– The card for tomorrow’s special Saturday night Dynamite was shown.

– Mark Henry was backstage on split screen with the competitors of tonight’s main event. Chris Jericho said it was a huge night since it was Junior Dos Santos first ever wrestling match. Jericho said there was nobody crazier than Jericho and the Inner Circle. Henry said it was time for the main event. [c]

(3) INNER CIRCLE (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara & Jake Hager) vs. MEN OF THE YEAR (Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page) & JUNIOR DOS SANTOS (w/Dan Lambert & Jorge Masvidal)

The Inner Circle made their entrance first. Dan Lambert was on the mic as he entered with the Men of the Year and Junior Dos Santos. They had major heel heat.

Guevara and Sky kicked things off. Guevara got the better of Sky as the crowd was super into him, more so than last week when I was there in person. Jericho tagged in and clotheslined Sky to the mat. Dos Santos made the tag and he and Jericho exchanged punches. Dos Santos easily won that battle but Jericho nailed him with a double stomp to the chest. Dos Santos charged back in and took Jericho down. Hager tagged in to even the odds. The two traded strikes, then Hager took Dos Santos down with a slam. Dos Santos got back up and hammered away at Hager. Sky tagged back in but Dos Santos got one last chop on Hager as he exited the ring.

Hager took Sky down then tagged Jericho back in. Jericho bailed to the outside to face off with Jorge Masvidal. Page attacked Jericho from behind which knocked him to the floor. [c]

Jericho was still down and in the opponent’s corner as we came back from break. Dos Santos hit Jericho with a powerslam for a close two count. Page tagged in but Jericho hit him with an enziguri to the back of the head. Jericho finally made the hot tag to Guevara who took out Sky with a springboard cutter, then hit a Spanish Fly on Page. Guevara then hit a standing moonsault on Sy for a two count. Jericho came back and helped Guevara take out Page. Jericho came off the top with a double sledge on Sky, then hit him with a Lionsault. Page broke it up in the nick of time. Guevara came in and took out Page as Dos Santos and Hager battled to the outside. Dos Santos tried throwing Hager into a table, but Hager countered and slammed dos Santos through it instead. The crowd was on fire here.

Inside the ring, Jericho and Sky were battling on their knees as the crowd chanted “this is awesome.” Jericho was caught by Sky who went for a TKO, but Jericho countered into the Walls of Jericho. Paige Van Zant jumped the rail to distract the ref, which allowed Masvidal to come in and hit Jericho with a flying knee strike. Sky covered for the win.

WINNERS: Men of the Year & Junior Dos Santos in 14:00

– After the match, American Top Team continued to beat Jericho down as Van Zant took a few selfies. Santana and Ortiz hit the ring to help drive American Top Team out of the ring. The show closed as Jericho was getting back to his feet with the help of the Inner Circle.

(Moynahan’s Take: Holy shit was this angle over or what!? This was awesome from start to finish. I can’t stress enough how great American Top Team is at generating true heat, and this angle just went to the next level tonight. Please go out of your way to check this out.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Between the Buy-In show and Rampage, what a great night for AEW. I was initially a bit hesitant that the smaller arena would lessen the quality of how the show came off on TV, but this crowd was on fire all night. In fact, the crowd was a huge part of why I think this episode is one of the best Rampage’s to-date. I went in thinking Rampage had an uphill battle in tonight’s competition with WWE but I’m not so sure now. Until next week, stay safe everyone!