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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
JANUARY 21, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. AT THE ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho, and 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, Chris Jericho, and Ricky Starks.
(1) JON MOXLEY vs. ETHAN PAGE (w/Scorpio Sky)
The live crowd was fired up as Moxely made his way to the ring. Page made his entrance with Sky by his side, but Page asked Sky to leave so he could take on Moxley alone. Page threw Moxley down after a lockup, then played to the crowd. The two traded chops, until Moxley took Page down with a back elbow. Page hit Moxley with a shoulder tackle, which sent him to the outside. Page went out to continue the attack, and threw Moxley face-first into the guardrail, then threw him into the announcer’s table, which broke.
Moxley fought back with a series of chops, then threw Page into the guardrail. Moxley threw Page back in the ring but Page caught him with a knee to the stomach, then a kick to the knee. Page followed up with a backbreaker for a close count. Moxley missed a charge on Page and went shoulder first into the post. [c]
Page had Moxley up in his finisher but Moxley got out of it and turned it into a pin attempt for two. Moxley followed up with a few German suplexes. Moxley tried for a third and Page initially broke out of it, but Moxley caught him and was able to execute. Moxley fired in a few elbow strikes, then the two traded slaps with one another. Page hit Moxley with a knee to the stomach but Moxley fired back with a clothesline which took Page to the mat and riled up the crowd.
Moxley went for Paradigm Shift but Page kicked out and hit a brainbuster for a close count. Page locked in a half crab, but Moxley was able to reach the ropes for the break. Moxley hit a tope through the ropes, then threw Page inside and climbed to the top. Page cut him off and went for a high-risk move; an avalanche powerslam. Page covered but Moxley rolled out of it and started landing elbows and knees to Page’s face. Moxley locked in the bulldog choke as Page passed out.
WINNER: Jon Moxley in 10:00
– After the match, Moxley nailed Page with the Paradigm Shift. As Moxely left through the crowd, Bryan Danielson was shown standing there clapping sarcastically for Moxley. The two starred one another down as Moxely went to the back.
(Moynahan’s Take: Great match, great opener. It’s great to see Moxley back, who looked healthy and in great shape.) The post-match staredown between Danielson and Moxely was simple and awesome.)
– Jurassic Express were backstage and called out the Gunn Club, who recently attacked Christian Cage. Jungle Boy said they were ready to stomp them to the ground. [c]
(2) NICK JACKSON (w/Matt Jackson & Brandon Cutler) vs. TRENT BARETTA (w/Best Friends)
Excalibur noted this was the first singles match between these two, although they’ve wrestled numerous times in tag team matches. Baretta caught Nick with a kick to the face but Nick came right back by flipping off the ropes and taking Baretta down with an arm bar. Baretta landed a few vicious chops to Nick’s chest. Nick was targeting Baretta’s previously injured neck. Baretta caught Nick in a northern lights suplex, which seemed to tense up his neck in the process. Nick ducked a dive by Baretta, which landed him in the ropes. Baretta went to the outside, and Nick followed by flipping over the ropes, then kicking him back across the back. [c]
Nick came off the top with a senton but Baretta got his knees up in time. They battled in the center of the ring until Baretta nailed Nick with a clothesline. Baretta hit a German suplex as a follow up, then hit Nick with a running knee strike for a two count. Baretta battered Nick against the ropes. The two went outside, and Baretta hit Nick with a big spear on the floor. Back inside, Baretta hit a back suplex, then a swinging DDT for a very close two count. Nick used the ref as a block, which allowed him to nail Baretta with a kick to the back of the head. They traded suplexes until both men were down.
Nick was on the apron, and hit a destroyer on Baretta inside the ring for another close count. Baretta tried firing back as the two traded blows in the middle of the ring again. Nick came out of the corner with a spinning kick to the face of Baretta. Nick hit a few rising knee strikes, then a bulldog. Baretta caught a super kick attempt, then hit Nick with another suplex. Nick fired back with a super kick, but Baretta came right back with a clothesline, then a piledriver. Baretta got another close count.
The two went back to the ramp, and Nick threw Baretta down, then came off the top with a senton that hit this time. Baretta rolled inside, and Nick hit a 450 for an extremely close count. Nick set up for a super kick, and nailed Baretta. Nick missed a second attempt, and Baretta hit his finish for the win.
WINNER: Trent Baretta in 15:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Wow, what a match. I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow I am. This was a good back-and-forth, with a few close call endings that certainly fooled me.)
– Another feature on Mercedes Martinez and Thunder Rosa’s feud was shown, with comments from each woman.
(3) HOOK vs. SERPENTICO
Hook’s music hit to a noticeably strong reaction from the live crowd. Hook attacked Serpentico before the bell. Hook laid in a series of knees to Serpentico’s stomach, then took him down with a number of suplexes and takedowns. Hook locked in an arm submission but Serpentico reached the ropes for the break. Hook caught Serpentico in an over-the-head suplex, then locked in Red Rum for the win.
WINNER: HOOK in 1:00
– QT Marshall walked out on the ramp with a mic, chastising Hook. As Hook walked by QT, Marshall grabbed his arm, and Hook suplexed QT on the ramp.
(Moynahan’s Take: Great squash for Hook, who was not surprisingly very over with this crowd. That said, I’m not excited for a potential Hook-QT matchup.)
– Mark Henry was on split screen backstage with the competitors for tonight’s main event, Jade Cargill and Anna Jay. Cargill said Jay should be happy that she has a main event spot against her tonight. Jay said she has a dark side, and tonight, TBS “stands for That Bitch Slayer.” Henry proclaimed the time for talk was over and “it’s time for the main event.”
(4) JADE CARGILL (w/Mark Sterling) vs. ANNA JAY (w/John Silver) – TBS Championship Match
This was Cargill’s first TBS Championship defense. Cargill took Jay down with a shoulder block, but Jay came back with a jaw breaker. Cargill caught Jay’s crossbody attempt, and hit a fall away slam. Cargill went to the outside and went face-to face with Silver, which got a nice reaction from the crowd. Jay came from behind and nailed Cargill. [c]
Cargill missed a charge in the corner, which allowed Jay to lock in a sleeper. Cargill dropped to the mat which guillotined Jay across the top rope. Jay came right back with a back elbow, then a few kicks to Cargill. Jay hit a flatliner, but couldn’t follow up since Sterling distracted from the apron. Silver took Sterling out with a suplex on the mat.
In the ring, Jay went for a backslide for a two count, but Cargill hit a pump kick. Cargill went for her finisher, but Jay rolled it into her Queen Slayer sleeper. Cargill was able to push Jay into the corner and break the hold. Jay locked the sleeper back in but Cargill broke the grip. Cargill caught Jay and hit a one-armed powerbomb. Cargill followed it up with Jaded for the win.
WINNER: Jade Cargill in 8:00
– After the match, a graphic for Cargill’s 25-0 record was shown on the screen.
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid main event title match, which was dampered a bit by the long commercial break. The two worked hard, nonetheless, and I was happy to see this in tonight’s main event slot.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: I was eagerly awaiting tonight’s show, specifically due to the live nature of the event. While it was no typical live Dynamite, it did bring a more lively feel to it, and was an overall solid edition of Rampage. The Nick Jackson/Trent Baretta match easily stole the show, but the most intriguing takeaway for me was the stare down between Moxley and Danielson. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where that goes. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
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