2/17 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: The Elite in action, Dustin Rhodes vs. Swerve Strickland, more

AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 17, 2023
RECORDED AT THE SAMES AUTO ARENA IN LAREDO, TX
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

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

Ring announcer: Dasha Gonzalez 

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

(1) THE ELITE (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) vs. AR FOX & TOP FLIGHT – AEW Trios Tag Team Championship

Nick and Dante kicked things off. Nick brought a basketball into the ring as the two threw it back to one another before the ref took it and did a jump ball for the tip off. Dante threw the ball at Nick and the match quickly broke down from there. AR Fox and Top Flight took the Elite to the outside, who had to regroup. Fox flew over the top and took out each member of the Elite.

Nick called for a timeout as the Elite regrouped again on the outside. Omega and Fox faced off next as the crowd chanted them on. Fox was taken down with a shoulder tackle as Omega then attacked Top Flight on the apron. The Elite cornered Fox then played around with the basketball again. Fox caught it but then caught a double thrust kick before Omega planted him to the mat. [c]

Nick planted Fox with a running bulldog out of the corner. Fox fired back with a kick to the face but caught another thrust kick in the corner. Fox threw Nick across the ring, then landed a cutter. Dante and Omega tagged in. Dante threw Omega to the outside then hit a running tope through the ropes. Dante followed up with a big crossbody off the top for two. Omega tried for a German suplex but Dante rolled right out of it. Top Flight double teamed Elite before Fox joined in. Dante came off the top wth a basketball in hand. He nailed Matt Jackson as he threw the ball at Omega.

Darius and Matt were the legal men. Nick pulled Dante off the apron which allowed Elite to triple team Darius. Dante came to his aid but was caught with his brother on the ropes. Nick flew from the top and hit a senton on both opponents. Fox broke up a pin attempt but was quickly thrown to the outside. Omega went for a V Trigger but Dante came off the top and hit him with a clothesline. The match broke down again as all men were taking one another down.

Matt landed right hands in the corner on Fox. Fox tried a springboard off the ropes but was hit with triple superkicks. Nick took out Top Flight on the outside as Omega went for One Winged Angel on Fox. He hit it and picked up the win.

WINNERS: The Elite in 10:00

– After the match, the lights went out as the House of Black appeared on the ramp. The lights went out again as House of Black disappeared.

(Moynahan’s Take: Good match to kick off the show. I liked their first meeting a bit better as it didn’t have the extra basketball silliness. I liked the post-match tease with House of Black appearing to be the next trios title contenders.)

– The Gunns were backstage for an interview to talk about their 4-way title defense at Revolution. The Gunns said it’s typical that The Acclaimed didn’t want to do any work by being in either of the two upcoming battle royales to get into the match. [c]

– Mark Henry interviewed Orange Cassidy about his winning streak. Wheeler Yuta walked up and said he also won recently and said BCC has taught him better than Cassidy ever could. Yuta said he’s worked so hard for his ROH Pure title and said it offended him that Cassidy didn’t care. Yuta then challenged Cassidy for his All-Atlantic title. Cassidy said he wasn’t there to teach, he was there to be his best friend but clearly they weren’t. Cassidy accepted Yuta’s challenge. The match was later made official for this week’s Dynamite.

(2) RICKY STARKS vs. DANIEL GARCIA

Garcia ticked off Starks right from the bell, which led Starks to land a series of right hands on Garcia before rocking him to the mat. Garcia fought back and landed a chop to the chest before Garcia took him down once again. Starks walked the top rope before nailing Garcia across the arm. Garcia caught the leg of Starks in the ropes and hit a dragon screw before knocking him to the floor. [c]

Starks went for a spear but collapsed in the middle of the ring as he couldn’t put any pressure on his injured leg. Garcia measured Starks but ran into a huge clothesline. Starks followed up with a belly-to-belly suplex, then went for a pin for two. Garcia went for a dragon screw but Starks stopped it. Garcia got a close count, then went for the Dragon Tamer (Sharpshooter.)

Starks slowly crawled toward the ropes but Sammy Guevara appeared and pulled the ropes away from his reach. Action Andretti appeared to even the odds. The two brawled on the outside and up the ramp. Garcia went for his submission again but Starks turned into a pin attempt for two. Starks hit the spear, then Roshambo for the win.

WINNER: Ricky Starks in 9:00

– After the match, Sammy took the mic and was livid. He challenged Action Andretti to a match.

(Moynahan’s Take: Another good match, so make that 2-2 for the night. Starks picks up the big win here, which seems to be leading to his ultimate face off with Chris Jericho.)

– A video aired building this coming week’s match on Dynamite between Jon Moxley and Evil Uno.

(3) JADE CARGILL (w/Leila Grey) vs. VERTVIXEN – TBS Championship

Cargill immediately took Vertvixen to the corner and threw her across the ring. Vertvixen looked out of it but Cargill picked her up and hit a pump kick. Cargill then hit Jaded for the win. [c]

WINNER: Jade Cargill in 1:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Your Rampage Squash of the Week.)

– Mark Henry interviewed Swerve and Dustin before their match. Swerve said Trench was nowhere to be seen and said he knew Dustin had something to do with it. Dustin said he didn’t care about Trench and said Swerve crossed the line when he talked about his family. Dustin ended by saying hell was coming for Swerve and that he was coming with it. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”

(4) DUSTIN RHODES vs. SWERVE STRICKLAND (w/Mogul Affiliates)

Parker charged Dustin on the ramp but was quickly taken out. Dustin ran into the ring and went right at Swerve. Swerve was thrown to the outside as the two brawled around the ring. Both men were back in the ring as Dustin perched on the second rope and took it to Swerve as the crowd counted Dustin’s ten punches. Swerve hit a cheap shot on Dustin, which staggered him to the ropes. Dustin hit a release German suplex. Swerve pushed Dustin back into the corner and bit him in the hand.

Dustin went to the outside, and Swerve hit him with a running pump kick off the apron, then charged him against the steel barricade. Swerve took his time as he measured Dustin who was bleeding from the forehead. [c]

Dustin fought his way out of a headlock until Swerve planted his face to the mat. Swerve hit his running pump kick across Dustin’s face, which did nothing but fire Dustin up. Swerve’s punches had no effect on Dustin, who hit a powerslam to take him down. Dustin followed up with a few lariats, then a punch to the face. Swerve hit a back kick but was caught with a kick to the face, then a code red for two. The two traded shots until colliding in midair.

Both men fought on the apron as Swerve hit a DVD. Swerve went for the cover but Dustin kicked out. Dustin pushed Swerve off the top rope then nailed him with a right hand. Dustin went for a superplex and hit it. He followed up with a piledriver then covered for two. Swerve countered the Cross Rhodes but Dustin hit it the second time. Dustin was about to get the win until Parker pulled him out of the ring and threw him into the steel steps.

WINNER: Dustin Rhodes by DQ in 8:30

– After the match, Parker and Swerve continued their beatdown on Dustin. Swerve used Parker’s chain across Dustin’s face. Security ran in to break things up but Parker took them all out. Parker went under the ring and took out a cinder block. Swerve and Parker were about to smash it across Dustin until Keith Lee’s music hit. Lee appeared from behind Swerve and Parker and easily took them out by himself. Parker took a hit for Swerve who got away.

(Moynahan’s Take: Good main event with a surprising, and rare, DQ finish. The Lee return was well received after what must have been a long night of action for the live crowd.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: The last couple of Rampage shows have not looked very appealing on paper. That said, they have recently delivered a very solid hour of wrestling each and every week. This show was no different and edged out last week’s as far as match quality with less focus on backstage storylines. Go out of your way to watch the first and last match, and save some room for the Starks/Garcia match if time allows.

CATCH-UP: 2/10 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Orange Cassidy vs. Lee Moriarty, BCC vs. Sabian & Butcher & Blade, more