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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
JANUARY 5, 2024 (Taped 1/3)
NEWARK, N.J. AT THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, Tony Schiavone
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– The opening of Rampage aired as Excalibur welcomed us to the show. He was joined by Tony Schiavone and Ian Riccaboni.
(1) MARK BRISCOE & THE HARDYS (Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy) vs. KIP SABIAN & THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE
Briscoe and Sabian kicked things off as the show started with both teams already in the ring. Briscoe took the early advantage as Matt tagged in. Matt made a quick tag to Jeff so the two could double team Sabian. Jeff went for a pin attempt for two as Sabian tagged in Blade. Jeff hit a snap neckbreaker before tagging Matt back in. Blade quickly went to his corner to tag in the Butcher. The two went toe-to-toe as Matt got the upper hand and rammed Butcher’s face into each turnbuckle corner. Matt followed things up with a splash off the ropes. Butcher got to his feet and quickly took Matt down with a huge lariat.
Butcher tagged in Blade and the two quickly cut the ring off from Matt. Sabian made the tag and missed a double stomp off the top which allowed Matt to hit a neckbreaker. Briscoe tagged in and battled both Butcher and Blade. Briscoe took out Sabian from the apron, then hit a dropkick off the ropes on Sabian. Briscoe flew through the ropes with a dropkick on Sabian but got his legs swept out from under him by the Butcher. Things broke down from here on the outside as Butcher and Blade went on the attack.
Blade threw Briscoe back inside the ring as Blade and Sabian focused their efforts on Briscoe in their own corner. Butcher made the tag and hit Briscoe with a half nelson backbreaker for a close count. [c]
Blade and Briscoe battled in the center of the ring as they traded shots. Briscoe won the battle with a neckbreaker. Briscoe rolled toward his corner and tagged in a fired up Jeff who took it to Sabian before attempting a pin for two. Jeff came off the middle rope with a splash for another close count. Matt tagged in as he and Jeff took it to both Blade and Butcher. Matt hit Side Effect on Sabin for a two count.
Matt chanted “Delete” as Blade and Butcher attacked him from behind. Briscoe made the save which allowed Matt to hit Twist of Fate on Sabian as Jeff came off the top with the Swanton Bomb. Briscoe followed up with the Froggy Bow for the win.
WINNERS: Mark Briscoe & The Hardys in 11:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A fun opening tag match that got over with the crowd. Nothing too flashy here but it was fun to see Briscoe team with the Hardy’s who have been much in need of a win.)
– Renee was backstage with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. She mentioned that Sammy would face Ricky Starks next week on Dynamite and asked him how he is feeling. Sammy talked about the match being all about what AEW is about. He talked up Starks’s ability but said he wasn’t better than himself. Jericho chimed in and told Big Bill he would stop him if he tried to get involved. [c]
– Renee was backstage with Anna Jay, Matt Menard, Anglo Parker, and Jake Hager. Jay said she was feeling good going into the new year. She said she needed to be on her own tonight as Harley Cameron appeared. Cameron whispered something in Parker’s ear which got him interested. Menard said Cakeron seemed like a nice girl as Jay walked off.
– Stokely Hathaway interrupted Justin Roberts before the next match. He questioned who the two opponents for Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander were, who were already in the ring. Hathaway introduced Willow and Statlander. Hathaway hyped up Statlander as the greatest TBS champion who proceeded to smack him in the back of the head. Hathaway then passively announced Willow’s name before leaving the ring.
(2) KRIS STATLANDER & WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. NOTORIOUS MIMI & KENEDI HARDCASTLE
Statlander and Willow made quick tags early on as they took the offensive advantage. Each woman slammed their opponent multiple times before Willow tagged in and hit a senton. Mimi and Hardcastle were able to go on the attack but failed to double suplex Willow. Statlander tagged in and ran both women over with a double clothesline. Statlander power slammed Hardcastle then dropped Mimi on top of her. Statlander hit a spinebuster for the win.
WINNERS: Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale in 2:00
(Moynahan’s Take: YOUR RAMPAGE SQUASH OF THE WEEK. Also, what the hell is this Stokely Hathaway storyline? What a waste of talent.)
– Renee was backstage with Matt and Jeff Hardy who were feeling good about their win. Private Party walked in and congratulated them on their win. Matt said he was proud of them and told them they looked good. He said they learned a lot from the Hardy’s and told them they could now do their own thing. Matt called for one last chant between the two teams, then presented them with Hardy shirts before walking off and telling them they’d see one another down the road.
(3) HIKARU SHIDA vs. ANNA JAY
Jay locked in a quick sleeper that Shida was able to escape. Shida slapped Jay across the face, then landed a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Shida placed Jay across the apron then hit her with a running knee lift across the face. Shida set up a chair on the floor then but missed a running charge as Jay moved out of the way in time. Jay threw Shida into the barrier before wrapping Shida around the ring post. Both women returned to the ring as Jay continued her onslaught. Jay nailed Shida with a foot stomp and a close count for two. [c]
Both women battled in the center of the ring. Shida delivered a series of shots across the face of Jay before hitting a running elbow stroke and a brainbuster for two. Shida sent Jay into the corner but got caught by Jay who dropped her face-first to the mat for a close count. Shida hit a clothesline then the Falcon Arrow. Jay countered Shida into a pin attempt before locking in Queen Slayer. Shida rolled out and hit Jay with the running knee for two.
Shida set up Jay before coming off the top with a double knee strike. She followed up by kicking Jay across the face for the win.
WINNER: Hikaru Shida in 9:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This match picked up nicely after the commercial break with a series of close calls. Jay looked good in defeat as Shida continues to rack up wins, which was mentioned in commentary.)
– Sonjay Dutt, Karen and Jeff Jarrett, and Jay Lethal were backstage. Dutt said they needed to get back on the same page and mentioned setting up a tag match for Jarrett and Lethal. Karen mentioned needing a name for the team before Jeff and Jay started arguing about Jay’s recent losing streak. Jay said Jeff only won his own matches due to Jay’s assistance. The two started arguing more as Jeff told Jay to get the hell out and go out on his own. Karen and Sonjay tried to settle things down between the two. [c]
– A video package aired recapping the Christian Cage and Adam Copeland match from Worlds End. The package included a voice over of Cage’s comments from this week’s Dynamite. Excalibur mentioned Copeland appearing on tomorrow’s Collision.
(4) WHEELER YUTA vs. KOMANDER (w/Alex Abrahantes) – ROH Pure Championship
Justin Roberts ran down the rules for this Pure title match. Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, and Pat Buck were the judges for the bout. Both men traded holds in the early going as they jockeyed for the upper hand. Yuta locked in an armbar as he forced Komander to make it to the ropes for his first rope break. Yuta landed a stiff chop across the chest of Komander who quickly turned things around into a single leg crab. Yuta was forced to use his own rope break in the early going. Komander took Yuta down with a headscissors before getting caught by Yuta as the two went to the outside. Yuta drove Komander’s shoulder down as he planted Komander on the padded floor. [c]
Yuta had Komander in a submission as the commentators noted Komander used his second rope break during the commercial. Komander fought back with a springboard dropkick off the ropes. He followed that up with a spinning DDT off the middle rope for a two count. Komander went to the top but Yuta moved out of the way, then planted Komander to the mat for a close count. Yuta quickly synched in a wrist lock as Komander was close to tapping. Komander was able to make it to the ropes to use his final rope break of the match.
Komander rolled up Yuta for a two count. Komander hit a back heel kick but was caught with a German suplex for a two count. Yuta went for his seatbelt pin but Komander countered into his own pin attempt for two. Yuta fired back with elbow strikes, then synched in the wrist lock again. Komander got to the ropes but it didn’t count as Komander had to tap.
WINNER: Wheeler Yuta in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid main event that never really felt like it got to the next gear. It was an odd choice seeing Komander in a Pure Rules match, even with Excalibur trying to explain why it made sense with Komander’s background.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Tonight’s episode reminded me of the last couple of weeks; nothing terrible yet not exceptional at the same time. Take that for what you will as Rampage does continue to offer a fine hour of pro wrestling each and every week if nothing else. If you only have time for one match, check out the main event, as Komander and Yuta worked nicely together. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
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