12/16 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara, Wardlow in action, more

AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
DECEMBER 16, 2022
RECORDED AT THE CURTIS CULWELL CENTER IN GARLAND, TX
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho

Ring announcer: Dasha Gonzalez

– The opening of Rampage aired, and JR welcomed us to the show. Ross was joined by Excalibur and Tony Schiavone.

(1) JON MOXLEY vs. SAMMY GUEVARA (w/Tay Melo)

Sammy started things off right from the bell by hitting a leaping knee strike. The crowd chanted “Sammy sucks” as he continued to take it to Moxley. Moxley turned things around with a few stiff chest chops, then a clothesline. Daniel Garcia was shown looking on in the back. Sammy hit a second knee strike on the outside. Moxley crotched Sammy on the metal barrier, then struck him with a clothesline. They both got back into the ring but Sammy was met with a cutter by Moxley. Moxley perched Sammy on the top rope, then superplexed him off. Moxley covered for a two count.

Moxley and Sammy went back-and-forth with a series of chest chops until Sammy hit a corkscrew dropkick to take Moxley down to the outside. As Sammy climbed to the top, Moxley cut him off. The two fought on the top until Moxley was pushed to the apron. Sammy came off with a double foot stomp. [c]

Sammy tore Moxley’s earring from his ear, which caused him to bleed. Sammy bit down hard on Moxley’s ear. Melo even got into the action and slapped Moxley across the face. Sammy had Moxley’s blood across his face and kissed Melo until Moxley flew through the ropes to take Sammy out. Moxley and Sammy were back inside the ring. Moxley battered away with a series of right hands, then went for a German suplex that Sammy countered. Sammy knocked Moxley in the back of the head, then hit a cutter off the ropes for a two count. Sammy missed a GTS, but was able to turn Moxley into the Walls of Jericho.

Moxley was able to maneuver his way out of the move, and the two proceeded to battle in the center of the ring. Sammy rolled to the outside after kicking out of a close count. Moxley followed along, and set the timekeeper’s table up. Sammy hit another knee strike, then a thrust kick, which left Moxley laying on the table. Sammy went to the top and hit a senton onto Moxley through the table.

Back inside the ring, Sammy hit a cross body from the top but Moxley rolled over and stomped away, then covered for a two. Moxley locked in the bulldog choke, but Sammy rolled into a pin attempt. Moxley fired back with a clothesline, but missed the Death Rider. Sammy hit his own Death Rider, then went to the top for another senton. Moxley kicked out of the pin attempt. Sammy hit Spanish fly off the top but Moxley rolled things into another bulldog choke for the win.

WINNER: Jon Moxley in 16:00

– Moxley took the mic after the match and called out Hangman Page. Page’s music hit as he came to the ring. Evil Uno tried stopping him but Page and Moxley went at it. Security tried stopping the fight and Page accidentally hit a security member with the Buckshot Lariat. The two were separated and taken away.

(Moynahan’s Take: Wow, yet another very good match by Moxley in back-to-back weeks, just nowhere near last week’s match against Takeshita. That’s not a slight to this match, as it built very well over the course of the action. Another good post-match Page/Moxley melee to end the segment.)

– A segment with Saraya aired, who talked about the women’s division. She talked about the tickets Britt Baker gave her for the Kia Forum in a few weeks. Saraya said she had a plethora of women to choose as her partner, and they would be coming for Baker. [c]

– The opening of Rampage aired, and JR welcomed us to the show. Ross was joined by Excalibur and Tony Schiavone.

– FTR was in the ring. Cash said last week sucked due to their recent AEW title loss, and losing the ROH titles. Cash mentioned that Dax even broke his tailbone. FTR said they felt like they let the fans down, who have made 2022 one of the best years of their careers and life. He said there were kids with daddy issues in the back, referencing the Gunn Club.

Dax talked about seeing his daughter after their ROH title loss. He said his daughter said the fans like him, and asked “why.” Dax laughed but then said he thought about it. He said he knows he’s wanted to make fans feel his passion for pro wrestling. He said the Gunn Club ruined that feeling last week at Final Battle, then challenged them to a match with Dynamite.

– A video on Jade Cargill and The Baddies aired. She mentioned Bow Wow, and noted her lawyer, Mark Sterling would be in contact with him if he continues to try to get into her business.

(2) DR. BRITT BAKER, D.M.D. (w/Jamie Hayter & Rebel) vs. SKYE BLUE

The two worked the mat in the early going as Baker hit a double underhook suplex. Baker tried for an early pin but Blue kicked out at one. Blue rolled Baker over into her own pin attempt, but Baker kicked out. [c]

Blue hit a thrust kick but Baker was able to kick out of the follow up pin attempt. Baker hit a slingblade to take down Blue, then hit a double underhook for another close count. Rebel put Baker’s black glove on but Blue came from behind and hit a running knee. Blue tried for her finish but Baker countered and hit the curb stomp for the win.

WINNER: Britt Baker in 7:00

– After the match, Baker put Blue in the Lockjaw until Shida arrived and came to her aid. Shida used her kendo stick to take out Rebel and Baker, then faced off with Hayter in advance of their title match on Dynamite.

(Moynahan’s Take: This match seemed like less than half the time it went with the commercial break. Not much else to say. The short post-match staredown was fine.)

– JR had a sit down with Preston Vance. Vance said he wasn’t the bad guy, since Dark Order aren’t his real brothers like Rush and Jose are. Vance agreed no child should have to go through what he did, but said little Brodie should grow up after turning into a spoiled brat in the last two years.

(3) WARDLOW vs. EXODUS PRIME

Excalibur mentioned the recent upset we saw this past week, but noted he didn’t expect the same thing to happen in this match. Prime went for a headbutt but Wardlow brushed it off. Wardlow nailed Prime, then hit a huge clothesline. Wardlow hit Prime with Powerbomb Symphony for the win.

WINNER: Wardlow in 2:00

– Wardlow took the mic after the match and called out Samoa Joe. He told him to come out but Joe appeared on the screen instead. Joe said he sets the conditions and says he hopes to never defend his titles in Texas ever again. He challenged Wardlow to a match on the December 28 Dynamite in Colorado.

(Moynahan’s Take: Your weekly Rampage total squash. And yet it still felt longer than the previous match.)

– Mark Henry was backstage with participants from tonight’s main event. Henry asked Trent Seven why he helped Kip Sabian attack Orange Cassidy last week. Sabian said Seven simply embraced change, unlike Cassidy. Butcher and Blade said they were ready for a fight. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”

(4) DUSTIN RHODES & ORANGE CASSIDY & BEST FRIENDS (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) (w/Danhausen) vs. KIP SABIAN & TRENT SEVEN & THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE

Trent and Sabian were going to start off but Trent asked for Seven instead. Seven tagged in and the two went at it. Seven got the initial advantage until Trent fired up and fired back. Seven nailed Trent with a right hand and the two hit a double clothesline. Butcher, Blade, and Dustin hit the ring. Sabian and Cassidy then came in and went at it, with Cassidy getting the upper hand. Bunny and Penelope Ford arrived at ringside. Sabian and Cassidy fought on the outside as Trent and Butcher went at it inside the ring. Butcher and Blade double teamed Trent. [c]

Cassidy kicked Blade away, then tagged in Dsutin who battled it out with Seven. Dustin took down Blade, then Butcher, then Sabian. Seven accidentally jumped onto Sabian, then Dustin hit Seven with a series of jabs. Blade and Butcher double teamed Cassidy until Trent flew off the top to take them out.

Trent and Chuck hugged in the ring, then flew over the top onto Seven, Blade, and Butcher. Sabian then springboarded onto Best Friends. Dustin was next, and took out the heels with a cannonball senton. Bunny came into the ring behind the ref’s back, and Cassidy pretended to get hit by her. Danhausen then came in and acted as though Ford hit him as well. The ref had no option but to throw Bunny and Ford out. Sabian hit Danhausen with a low blow, then struck Cassidy with a knee strike and a right hand.

Trent went for a move off the top but Seven revered into a pin that Dustin broke up. Dustin and Sabian each tagged in but Dustin hit him with a code red, called the Dallas Destroyer. Dustin wanted to hit the low blow kick in the corner but Cassidy came over and hit some light taps instead. Dustin ended up hitting it, then took out Seven for the win.

WINNERS: Dustin, Orange Cassidy, and Best Friends in 10:30

(Moynahan’s Take: A ridiculous fast-paced ten minutes of action. A solid TV match that must have been even better in person, as the crowd really got into this one.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Another solid hour of wrestling. It was maybe just a touch or two under the quality of last week’s show, but the show has certainly picked it up a bit more as of late. No surprise here, but go out of your way to see the opener between Moxley and Sammy. Then take a look at the main event if you have the time.

CATCH-UP: 12/9 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Moxley vs. Takeshita, Shida vs. The Bunny, more