SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ALL ELITE WRESTLING RAMPAGE PRIMER
JANUARY 14, 2022
RALEIGH, N.C. AT THE PNC ARENA
AIRS ON TNT NETWORK, 10:00 p.m. EDT, 9:00 p.m. CDT
BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH.COM CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Taz, Ricky Starks (various combinations)
Match Results and Key Segments from Last Week
- Adam Cole defeated Jake Atlas. Atlas injured his knee in the match.
- Hook defeated Aaron Solo (w/Q.T. Marshall)
- Ruby Soho & Riho defeated AEW Women’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter.
- Santana & Ortiz and Eddie Kingston defeated 2point0 and Daniel Garcia.
Arena
Tonight’s episode of Rampage was recorded following this week’s episode of Dynamite in the PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. In what appears to be a more loaded show than normal, four matches were announced in addition to a look at a rivalry.
It’s Thursday, you know what that means: tomorrow night on TNT Friday Night #AEWRampage @ 10pm ET/9pm CT with some great wrestlers on a great hour of wrestling! We’ve had a great run of ratings, last week being our best Friday rating since October, thanks to you fans stepping up! pic.twitter.com/H1rMzTjPKV
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) January 13, 2022
Adam Cole vs. Trent Beretta
Adam Cole goes one-on-one with Trent Beretta of the Best Friends tonight.
You have to go back to April of 2021 to see Trent in a one-on-one matchup, where he lost to Penta El Zero Miedo on Dynamite. If profightdb.com is accurate, Trent’s only singles victory under the AEW banner came on a Dark taping in November when he defeated Michael Nakazawa.
Cole has been feuding with the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy for a while, alongside the Young Bucks and more recently Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly. The latest chapter came this past Wednesday on Dynamite when Cassidy and the Best Friends interrupted Cole, the Bucks, and Fish & O’Reilly’s show-opening promo which teased issues. Trent returned to AEW television on the December 8 edition of Dynamite on Long Island. He is from Mt. Sinai, N.Y., which is towards the northeastern end of Long Island.
adam cole versus the hairless boy#aewrampage pic.twitter.com/kzjZb8q1YN
— TRENT? (@trentylocks) January 13, 2022
Frank’s Analysis: I don’t have much to say about this match, as it just furthers the story between Adam Cole and the Best Friends. They’d be smart to move on from this soon and move Cole into bigger and better things. The Young Bucks and Fish & O’Reilly will most certainly have a feud at some point in 2022, which isn’t breaking any news.
Kris Statlander & Red Velvet & Leyla Hirsh vs. The Bunny & Penelope Ford & Nyla Rose
The aforementioned women will square off in a Trios match tonight. This was set up during a backstage segment on Dynamite.
Hirsh and Statlander have had issues lately, which became apparent during their one-on-one match on Rampage back in December. It was announced that Statlander would be part of a mixed tag match on Dynamite next week. Hirsh took issue with that, saying Statlander was selfish, and she should be focused on the upcoming Trios match. Red Velvet they needed to get their act together.
Hirsh & Statlander & Velvet won a Trios match at a Dark taping in December. Ford & The Bunny were on the losing end of a Street Fight several weeks ago on Rampage.
Frank’s Analysis: I probably shouldn’t admit this publicly, but I don’t watch Dark and Dark Elevation. I don’t think I’m in a minority. If I did, I’d probably know more about the issues between these women. AEW from the get-go said we’d be able to watch the television and be able to keep up with the product. Even though this feud is on the lower end of the card, I’d like to understand it more, but I don’t.
Shawn Spears vs. Andrew Everett
Next week on Dynamite, Shawn Spears of the Pinnacle has a date with CM Punk after Punk defeated Wardlow. MJF continues to avoid having a match with Punk by throwing his “cronies” in Punk’s way. Tonight, in advance of the match with Punk, Spears takes on Andrew Everett.
Everett, of North Carolina, is making his first appearance for AEW in his home state. At one time he was one half of the Impact World Tag Team Champions with DJZ (the current Joaquin Wilde of NXT). He fancies himself Andrew “The Giant” Everett on Twitter.
Frank’s Analysis: There’s not much to say here other than this gives a chance to get Spears a win in advance of his match with Punk. It’s fine to do this against a local talent, and one that has somewhat of a name.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (champs) vs. Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds)
On the heels of winning the AEW Tag Team Championship, Jurassic Express gets right to work as they will defend the championships against John Silver and Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order. They said they would defend their titles against any team in the top five, to which Silver and Reynolds pointed put they are in said top five.
Matt Sydal oddly tweeted about this:
https://twitter.com/MattSydal/status/1481857534034075648?s=20
Frank’s Analysis: Wouldn’t you know it, but Silver & Reynolds do rank in the top five with their 1-0 record in 2022! All jokes aside, this is fine. It gives Jurassic Express a win early in their reign and Dark Order is fine for that. I don’t know what to make of the Sydal tweet, and for all intents and purposes it’s nothing, but you never know.
A Special Look: The Rivalry Between Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez
This past Wednesday on Dynamite, we were told that there would be a “special look” at the rivalry between Mercedes Martinez and Thunder Rosa. Martinez debuted on AEW on December 29, 2021, and cost Rosa a chance to advance to the finals of the TBS Championship in her match against eventual champion Jade Cargill. It was announced the same night that Martinez was #AllElite in their typical way of tweeting those things out. She was released by WWE in one of their many waves of releases in 2021.
They have worked against either each on the independent scene, including here at the Queens of the Ring event for Title Match Wrestling back in 2019:
Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Thank you for reading!
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