1/6 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Darby Allin vs. Mike Bennett, BCC vs. Top Flight, more

AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
JANUARY 6, 2022
RECORDED AT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM IN PORTLAND, OR
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. He was joined by Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho.

(1) JON MOXLEY & BRYAN DANIELSON vs. TOP FLIGHT (Dante & Darius Martin)

Top Flight attacked Moxley as he was making his way to the ring. Danielson came out to Moxley’s defense as the match kicked off. Moxley and Darius were the legal men to start as Darius hit a dropkick, then covered for a quick kick out. Dante tagged in and hit a standing moonsault for a one count. Moxley tagged in Danielson as he hammered away with stiff kicks to Dante’s back. Danielson chopped away on Dante in the corner as the crowd cheered on. Danielson went to the top with Dante and hammered away, then took him off the top but Dante landed on his feet.

Darius tagged in and hit a top rope dropkick on Danielson, who quickly tagged out to Moxley. All four men faced off in the middle of the ring, with Danielson and Moxley caught in the middle. Things broke down from there as Moxley and Dante went outside. Danielson threw Darius to the floor, then followed him out. Danielson and Moxley double teamed Darius in the corner by the barricade. Danielson threw Dante back into the ring and synched in a surfboard, then a dragon sleeper.

Moxley tagged back in and immediately kicked away at Dante before perching him on the top rope. Moxley hit a superplex and covered for two. He quickly locked in an armbar. then tagged in Danielson as he kept the move locked on. [c]

Moxley and Danielson continued their focus on Dante as they cut off the ring and double teamed him. Dante moved out of the way of a double kick and tagged in his brother Darius. Darius took it to both Danielson and Moxley by himself until Danielson cut him off and slapped him across the face. Darius hit a standing Spanish Fly on Danielson, then took down Moxley before tagging Dante. Dante quickly went for a pin attempt for two.

All four men were back in the ring. Dante went for a cover on Moxley, then went to the top and hit a frog splash. Moxley quickly rolled it into the hammer elbows, until Dante rolled him into a pin attempt. Moxley fired back with a huge clothesline for a close two count. Danielson hit his running knee on Darius until Dante broke it up at the last second. Dante was thrown to the outside, and Moxley flew off the top to take him out for good. Inside the ring, Danielson stomped Darius, then locked in a submission for the quick tap out win.

WINNERS: Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson in 14:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Awesome awesome match to start this live two-hour night off. Top Flight was over with this crowd, even though they were going up against the more popular BCC team. That said, Top Flight has grown so much in the last few weeks after feuding with BCC.)

– Adam Page was backstage with his medical clearance papers. He said whether or not he would’ve been cleared, he would beat Jon Moxley anywhere. He said he hopes Moxley stays healthy because he wants him to remember every second of their match. He said he would be wiping Moxley’s blood off his hands, and would see him at the Forum. Excalibur said Page was officially cleared and the match was official for Wednesday’s Dynamite.

(2) JAMIE HAYTER & BRITT BAKER (w/Rebel) vs. THE RENEGADES (Charlette & Robyn)

Hayter and Baker attacked the Renegades before the bell. Hayter got a huge crowd reaction but was hit with a dropkick in the corner, then a running knee to the face. Robyn hit a dropkick and covered for two. Charlette tagged in as the Renegades cut off the ring. Hayter tried fighting out of the corner but was cut off. Robyn made the quick tag back in and reversed a double suplex attempt on her own before tagging Baker in. The crowd chanted “D.M.D.” as Baker fired away at Robyn. The two traded shots until Baker hit a sling blade. [c]

Hayter and Baker continued to overwhelm the Renegades. Robyn hit an enziguri as she tagged her sister into the match. Charlette took out both Baker and Hayter, then hit Baker with a fisherman’s suplex for a close count. Baker hit a messy looking double underhook. Hayter hit her Hate Breaker on Robyn as Charlette tried fighting off Hayter and Baker. Hayter hit a neckbreaker and running clothesline before Baker hit the stomp for the win.

WINNERS: Jamie Hayter & Britt Baker in 8:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A competitive match, with the Renegades getting some solid offense. That said, there was never a doubt that Baker and Hayter would seal the win.)

– A House of Black vignette aired. Malakai directed his rhetoric to Eddie Kingston before Brodie King spoke. Julia Hart ended the vignette by telling Kingston they were there to help him.

(3) PERRO PELIGROSO (the former Preston Vance w/Jose the Assistant) vs. SONICO

Peligroso made quick work of Sonico with a discuss lariat in less than a minute for the win.

WINNER: Perro Peligroso in 0:30

– After the match, Peligroso removed Sonico’s mask as Excalibur said he was showing disrespect for the Lucha Libre culture.

(Moynahan’s Take: Typical squash of the week.)

– Renee was shown after Dynamite speaking with Darby Allin. Mike Bennet and The Kingdom cut him off before he could speak. Bennett said he was happy for Darby and said AEW had an entitlement issue. Bennett said he’s worked everywhere in pro wrestling and said Darby liked open challenges, then challenged him to tonight’s match. Darby accepted.

– Mark Henry was backstage with participants from tonight’s main event. Henry talked about Darby’s savage beating on Dynamite just a few days ago, then asked why he’d want to take this match tonight. Bennett said Darby would meet who he really was and introduce the real Mike Bennett. Darby said Portland was where he had his first wrestling match and said people didn’t think he’d last in the business. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”

– Excalibur hyped Battle of the Belts V coming up next. Moxley vs. Page was confirmed for Dynamite as well as a segment with JAS.

(4) DARBY ALLIN VS. MIKE BENNETT (w/The Kingdom) – TNT Championship

Darby sat in the corner as the bell rang. The fans chanted his name as he slowly rose and removed his jacket. The two locked up and they jockeyed for the upper hand. Darby was perched on the top rope and both he and Bennett traded slaps to the face. Darby hobbled to the outside as Bennett followed. Bennett threw Darby spine-first into the metal barrier, then hit him with a few boots to the face. Bennett missed a third attempt but fired away with a huge elbow strike on Darby. Darby came back by flying through the ropes onto Taven, who pushed Bennett out of the way. Bennett hit a Russian leg sweep on Darby off the apron onto the floor. [c]

Darby fired away at Bennett as the two stood toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. Bennett hit a huge right hand that rocked Darby, then hit him with a DVD for a close count. Bennett took Darby down by kicking out his legs, then immediately locked in an armbar. Darby got to the ropes for the break. The two battled back to the outside as Darby threw Bennett into the barrier. Darby fended off Taven with a steel chair before sitting Bennett onto the chair. Darby climbed to the top and hit a shotgun dropkick onto Bennett on the floor.

Darby rolled Bennett back inside, then went to the top for the Coffin Drop. Maria came in to protect Bennett but Darby decided to go for the move anyway before getting cut off by Taven. Bennett hit a piledriver for a very close count. The crowd chanted for Darby as Bennett placed him on the top rope. Bennett hit a chop, then went for an avalanche piledriver off the top. Darby fought out of it and hit code red off the top. He then hit a Coffin Drop off the top for the win.

WINNER: Darby Allin in 12:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Great main event, with the crowd coming alive toward the end to make it that much better. Darby is surely on fire this week as he continues the tradition of the TNT Championship open challenge.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Can we have a live AEW Rampage episode every week? These shows always come off better, and tonight’s crowd made sure that was the case tonight. I’m sure it being earlier on the west coast helped the crowd maintain its energy, unless that’s the old man in me speaking. Go out of your way to watch the opener and the main event, if nothing else. Until next week, stay safe everyone!

CATCH-UP: 12/30 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta, Jade Cargill in action, more