SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
MAY 5, 2023
RECORDED AT THE CFG ARENA IN BALTIMORE, MD
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– The opening of Rampage aired, and JR welcomed us to the show. He was joined by Excalibur and Tony Schiavone.
(1) LUCHA BROTHERS (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) & EL HIJO DEL VIKINGO vs. POWERHOUSE HOBBS & Q.T. MARSHALL & AARON SOLO
Vikingo and Q.T. Marshall started things off right from the bell. QT made fun of Vikingo’s height. Both men each went for a back flip but Q.T. was attacked by a much quicker Vikingo who nailed him with a springboard dropkick off the ropes. Vikingo went to the top and hit a hurricanrana on Q.T. to the delight of the crowd. Vikingo followed up with a middle rope splash for a two count.
Fenix and Solo tagged in and Fenix immediately nailed Solo with a series of chops. Fenix missed a kick but hit an armbar takeover off the ropes. Fenix bounced off the ropes and nailed Solo with a kick to the face, then took him down with a knee bar attempt. Solo was able to tag in Hobbs, as Fenix tagged in Penta. Penta stopped Hobbs and tried to taunt him but Hobbs cut him off. Penta caught Hobbs with a thrust kick but Hobbs rocked him with a huge clothesline. Fenix came in from the top but was caught by Hobbs. Hobbs also caught Vikingo with a powerbomb. Hobbs threw Penta to the outside as Q.T. followed him outside and hit him with a few shots. Q.T. threw Penta into the post. [c]
Penta continued to get beat down by the opposing team. Q.T. made a quick tag in and double teamed Penta with Solo but Penta fought back and hit them each with a sling blade. Hobbs missed a charge in the corner, and Fenix walked the ropes and nailed Hobbs with a kick to the face. The Lucha Bros. and Vikingo flew through the ropes to take out each opponent on the outside. Vikingo hit a shooting star press on Solo as the Lucha Bros. followed up with a double team move. They went for the pin but it was broken up in time.
Vikingo caught Solo with a cross body attempt and took him to the mat. Q.T. took out Vikingo but was caught with a Destroyer by Penta. Hobbs then took out Penta as Fenix came in and nailed Hobbs with a cutter. All six men were down. Solo countered a move by Fenix on the apron as Bobbs and Q.T. took out Fenix from there. Solo came off the top with a double foot stomp for two. Vikingo hit a destroyer on Q.T. onto the apron. Q.T. fell onto a table at ringside but moved in time before Vikingo could take him out further. Vikingo hit a German suplex inside the ring on Solo.
Hobbs choked out Alex Abrahantes on the outside as the Luca Bros. hit their finish on Solo for the win.
WINNERS: Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) & El Hijo del Vikingo in 12:30
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid opening match with everyone getting their spots in. A six-man team of Lucha Bros. and Vikingo sounds scary; let’s see if we see more of these three down the road.)
– Exclusive footage from Dynamite aired showing MJF’s backstage reaction to the 4-way title match at Double or Nothing. MJF went ballistic backstage. [c]
– Lexy Nair was backstage in front of Chris Jericho’s dressing room. Jericho made sure it was Lexy at the door, then opened it. He apologized to her and the fans for not being able to commentate on tonight’s Rampage. He said it was due to Adam Cole’s recent attack and said he’ll need assurances that Cole wouldn’t be around him and that he would say more on this week’s Dynamite.
(2) JADE CARGILL vs. GIA SCOTT
Cargill attacked Scott right from the bell. Scott ducked a clothesline but was caught in a cross body then thrown across the ring. Cargill hit a pump kick then hit Jaded for the win.
WINNER: Jade Cargill in 0:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Your Rampage Squash of the Week.)
– Lexy Nair was backstage with Mark Briscoe. She asked him about the tag title challenge from Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal against FTR at Double or Nothing. Jarrett, Lethal, Singh, and Dutt appeared. Brischoe said he knew FTR weren’t ones to back down from a fight.
(3) MARK BRISCOE vs. PRESTON VANCE (w/Jose the Assistant)
Vance was sent to the outside in the early going as Briscoe played to the local crowd. Vance pulled a sign away from Briscoe’s daughter at ringside and ripped it up. Briscoe attacked Vance and hit a blockbuster off the apron. Briscoe kept the fight outside as the two battled on the floor. Briscoe grabbed a chair and sat Vance down in it. Briscoe went to the top rope but missed a move onto Vance, who moved out of the way in time. Vance sent Briscoe into the barricades around ringside. [c]
Both men were back inside the ring as Briscoe had the upper hand. Vance caught Briscoe in a full nelson but Briscoe reversed into a pin attempt for two. Briscoe followed up with a German suplex, but Vance countered with one of his own. Both men were down as they tried getting to their feet. The crowd chanted for Briscoe as he responded with a series of forearms shots to Vance. Vance fought back as the two went back-and-forth.
Briscoe hit a huge clothesline then hit Vance with another in the corner. Briscoe hit a face-first slam on Vance who kicked out at two. Briscoe went for the Jay Driller but Vance countered with a huge clothesline. Vance pulled another charo from under the ring but put it down after the ref caught him. Vance hit Briscoe with a spear from the apron for two. Jose slid the chair in the ring but the ref caught it. With the ref’s back turned, Vance hit a low blow for two.
Vance mocked the Briscoe’s but was quickly dumped to the outside. Briscoe set up the chair and flew over the top onto Vance. Both men were back inside as Briscoe hit a running boot, then the Jay Driller for the win.
WINNER: Mark Briscoe in 11:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Really good match with the local crowd not surprisingly into Briscoe the entire way. The Briscoe family joined Mark in the ring after the match to celebrate.)
– Dustin Rhodes was interviewed backstage about the upcoming Dynamite show in Austin, TX. Dustin said anything can happen in AEW just before Brian Cage attacked him. Swerve appeared and said the Mogul Embassy would see him in two weeks. Keith Lee appeared and ran them off.
– A video package of Anna Jay and Julia Hart’s feud was shown. Jay said she hated what Hart has become. The two will face off on this week’s Dynamite. Claudia will face Fenix in a Double Jeopardy match with the winner getting a future title match for the other’s championship. A video package aired previewing the Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia International title match on Dynamite.
(4) MATT HARDY & JEFF HARDY & HOOK & ISIAH KASSIDY vs. STOKELY HATHAWAY & ETHAN PAGE & LEE MORIARTY & BIG BILL – The Firm Deletion
The Firm pulled up to the Hardy compound. Page destroyed Hardy’s mailbox as the entrance gate opened. A drone was shown with Matt Hardy’s voice and likeness welcoming them. A light flashed in front of their eyes as the day turned to night. The Firm was very confused as Matt appeared with fireworks. Jeff, Kassidy, and Hook also had their own fireworks as they fired them at The Firm. Stokely ran away as the rest of the teams battled in the yard. Big Bill seemed to get an advantage on Kassidy and Jeff until Jeff ran him into a tree. Jeff was thrown into a tree before Kassidy jumped on Big Bill’s back. Bill threw him off and took out Jeff with a boot to the face. Bill slammed Kassidy against a tree, then chokeslammed him to the ground.
Matt and Page fought on the grass as Matt hit a suplex for two. Matt went for Twist of Fate but Page countered and smashed a stick across his back. Matt kicked out of the pin as we saw Jeff choke out Big Bill with a big stick. Big Bill looked to be unconscious as Stokely was shown wandering the yard. Matt’s kids nearly took him out with a small toy car. [c]
Most everyone was inside the Hardy warehouse, which housed a ring. Page went for a cover on Matt for two. Page climbed the ropes as he yelled at Matt. Matt countered with a Twist of Fate but Big Bill hit Matt from the back with a chair to break up the pin. Stokeley was shown inside Matt’s movie room. He went to watch a movie as a baby. Matt’s wife and father-in-law appeared, as did a few of his kids, and they all beat down Stokely. Outside the warehouse, The Firm was in the driver’s seat. Page poured gasoline on them and Bill was about to light a fire. Kassidy flew off the top of the warehouse and took out The Firm. Inside the warehouse, Stokely was being beaten up more by Hardy’s family. His son came off the middle rope with a swanton.
Back outside the warehouse, Kassidy put Big Bill onto a table as we saw Hook put Moriarty through a table. Kassidy took Bill out by coming off a table. Matt, Jeff, Kassidy, and Hook were inside the ring with Page. They surrounded him and took turns beating him down. Matt said they could’ve been great friends in different circumstances. Matt hit a Twist of Fate, then Jeff hit a Swanton. Matt covered for the win.
Jeff rolled outside the ring and left. He was shown in the center of the yard putting fire to the ground. The camera zoomed out to show his logo outlined in flames. Matt, Hook, and Kassidy came over as they went off the air.
WINNERS: Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy & Hook & Isiah Kassidy in 15:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This was something. I have seen a few of these in the past and they’ve never been my cup of tea. I didn’t hate it, it just was what it was.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: A very interesting episode of Rampage this week, culminating in the wacky Firm Deletion match. I think these worked better a few years ago, specifically during the no-fans era, but I’m not so sure these have their place any longer. The rest of the show was fine, with the highlight being the opening six-man. Nothing to really go out of your way to see unless you’re simply looking for a quick hour of wrestling; well 45 minutes and 15 minutes of whatever that main event was. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
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