AEW RAMPAGE RESULTS (12/6): Kazuchika Okada vs. Mark Briscoe, Garcia vs. Mortos, Ricochet vs. Komander in Continental Classic matches

AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
DECEMBER 6, 2024 (Taped Dec. 4)
FISHERS, IND. AT THE FISHERS EVENT CENTER
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho, and Matt Menard

Ring announcer: Justin Roberts

(1) KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. MARK BRISCOE – Continental Classic Blue League Match

Okada pressed Briscoe up against the ropes and gently patted him across the chest instead of striking him. The two locked up and Briscoe ended up doing the same to Okada before chopping him hard across the chest and nailing him with a forearm shot. Briscoe followed up with a suplex, then a cover for two. Briscoe continued to take it to Okada, and kicked him to the floor before hitting a dropkick through the ropes. Briscoe was about to run off the apron but Okada simply walked away to evade the move. Briscoe followed along and continued his offensive onslaught. Briscoe charged at Okada who hit a drop toe hold which brought Briscoe face-first onto a chair.

Okada made his way back into the ring for the break before making his way back toward Briscoe. Okada smashed Briscoe’s face across the steel steps before throwing him against the ring post. Okada once again broke the count before throwing Briscoe back into the ring. Okada toyed with Briscoe before dropping him with a DDT. Briscoe was opened up over his right eye. Briscoe tried fighting back but his shots seemed to have no effect as Okada fired right back with rapid forearm shots. Briscoe nailed Okada with a series of chops before getting dropped to the mat. Okada took his time as he caught his breath against the ropes. [c]

Briscoe nailed Okada with a number of strikes but was whipped across the ring and nailed with a running boot for his efforts. Okada perched Briscoe onto the top rope as Briscoe tried fighting him off. Okada fell to the mat as Briscoe came off the top. Okada moved in time but Briscoe struck Okada with a series of palm strikes and then chops. Briscoe hit a flying forearm, then a running clothesline in the corner. Briscoe followed up with an exploder. Okada hit Briscoe with a boot to the face but Briscoe immediately came back with a clothesline. Briscoe hit a fisherman’s buster for a two count.

Okada raked at Briscoe’s eyes, then dropped him with an inverted neckbreaker. Okada went to the top rope and hit a flying elbow drop. He refused to make a cover and instead flipped off the crowd. Okada went for Rainmaker but Briscoe reversed it into a DVD. Briscoe went to the top and hit Froggy Bow but Okada kicked out at two. Briscoe called for the Jay Driller but Okada flipped Briscoe over. The two traded pin attempts until Okada planted Briscoe with a tombstone. Both men were down on the mat. Both men got to their knees and exchanged elbow strikes. Briscoe seemed to get the upper hand until Okada dropped him with a perfect dropkick. Briscoe evaded the Rainmaker as Okada evaded the Jay Driller.

Briscoe went for the Jay Driller again but Okada went to his knees. Briscoe tried yet again but Okada hit a Rainmaker for the win. [c]

WINNER: Kazuchika Okada in 14:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Great opener between these two but I think we could have gotten more out of them. I think this is the first time Okada has been on Rampage, so it’s kind of wild to be covering him with what we typically get on these shows. With his win, Okada picks up his first win in the tournament as well as three points to take him to four points in the Blue League. He currently sits in second place behind Kyle Fletcher who has six points.)

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– Chris Jericho, still at the commentary table, said he had some things to say about Matt Cardona. Jericho put his cowboy hat on and entered the ring with a microphone. Jericho talked about last night’s ROH show where he was interrupted by Matt Cardona, who challenged him to an ROH title match at Final Battle. Jericho was upset that Cardona touched his hat and described it as an assault. Jericho says that if Cardona was there, Cardona would have no idea what he’d do to him. Cardona’s music hit as he walked down the ramp.

Cardona entered the ring as the crowd chanted “always ready.” Cardona said that was exactly how he lives his life, but he wasn’t the same kid Jericho met 15 years ago. Cardona called NYC his back yard, and said he wanted to prove himself right by beating Jericho for the ROH championship. Jericho said he respected Cardona for reinventing himself, then called him a way bigger star today than any time in the last 15 years. Jericho said that even after all Cardona accomplished, he’s still just Zack, then slapped Cardona across the face.

Cardona attacked Jericho as Bryan Keith ran down to help Jericho out. Jericho and Keither double teamed Cardona as Jericho whipped him with the ROH title. Keith then attacked Cardona with the same belt buckle that Martha Hart gifted to Jericho.

– A video package aired promoting the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 28.

(2) DANIEL GARCIA vs. THE BEAST MORTOS – Continental Classic Blue League Match

Garcia used his speed in the early to evade some of Mortos’s strikes. Mortos backed Garcia into the corner then nailed him with a stiff right hand. Mortos missed a charge in the corner, then took a boot to the face by Garcia. Garcia hit Mortos with a dropkick to the knees, then the face. Garcia attempted a suplex but Mortos tossed him to the floor. Mortos followed to the outside but missed a charge right into a steel chair. Garcia mounted the chair and nailed Mortos with a series of right hands. Garcia ran toward Mortos who nailed Garcia first. Back inside the ring, Mortos hit a Samoan Drop. [c]

Both men jockeyed for a suplex as Garcia came out successful in that battle. Garcia hit Mortos with a number of strikes but Mortos just absorbed them. Mortos tried blocking a back suplex but Garcia powered him up and hit it. Garcia charged toward Mortos who lifted his foot in time. Mortos went on the offense as he twisted Garcia’s neck, then hit a snap powerslam for two. Mortos went to the top but Garcia cut him off in time. Garcia hit a few right hands, then hit a superplex. Garcia covered but Mortos kicked out at two.

Mortos dropped Garcia with a shoulder breaker, then a discus lariat for a very close two count. The crowd chanted for Mortos as he came off the top with a corkscrew that Garcia moved out of the way in time. Garcia covered for two then chopped Mortos across the chest. Garcia tackled Mortos and rolled him up to pick up the pin.

WINNER: Daniel Garcia in 11:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Awesome match between these two, and it was just enough that it made me want to see more. I enjoyed this a bit more than the opener. Garcia finds himself tied with Okada in the Blue League with four points.)

– A video package promoting the Continental Classic aired.

(3) THE VENDETTA (Deonna Purazzo & Taya Valkyrie) vs. ELLA ELIZABETH & FREYA STATES

Valkyrie started things off with Elizabeth and immediately took Elizabeth to the mat. Elizabeth was then taken into The Vendetta’s corner as Purrazzo tagged in. Purrazzo took Elizabeth down and went for a quick pin attempt for two. Purrazzo nailed Elizabeth with a huge pump kick as Valkyrie tagged back in. States was knocked off the apron as The Vendetta continued their onslaught on Elizabeth in their own corner. Purrazzo tagged back in and crushed Elizabeth with a huge powerbomb. States was yanked off the apron by Valkyrie who speared States. Inside the ring, Purrazzo locked in an armbar and picked up the quick win. [c]

WINNERS: The Vendetta in 2:30

(Moynahan’s Take: A harmless squash by The Vendetta here. I Know we’ve seen them together for a couple of weeks now but I believe this is their first tag team match.)

(4) RICOCHET vs. KOMANDER – Continental Classic Gold League Match

As you can imagine, the early going in this one included a lot of speed and reversals. Ricochet and Komander ended in a stalemate and then went right back at it again. Komander hit a headscissors takedown to finally one up Ricochet, but was then met with a boot to the face after a follow-up charge. Komander tried going to the ropes but Ricochet cut him down and knocked him to the floor. Ricochet quickly flew through the ropes to take out Komander. Back inside the ring, Ricochet hit a springboard clothesline, then covered for two. [c]

Ricochet still had the advantage as we came back from the break. Komander rolled Ricochet up for two, then springboarded off the ropes to take Ricochet to the floor with a headscissors. Komander sailed off the ropes and hit Ricochet with a moonsault that looked completely effortless. Ricochet was tossed back into the ring as Komander went back to the top. Ricochet moved in time but Komander springboarded off the ropes again. This time, Ricochet caught him and dropped him with a brainbuster. Ricochet followed with a running shooting star press for two.

Komander charged Ricochet into the corner but quickly found himself perched on the top rope. Ricochet nailed Komander across the chest then went for a superplex. Komander blocked it and walked the ropes into a double springboard hurricanrana for two. The crowd chanted “this is awesome” as both men traded forearm strikes back and forth. Komander dropped Ricochet to the mat with a back heel kick. Komander ran up the ropes and hit a 450 on Ricochet for a near fall.

Komander placed Ricochet near the ropes, then proceeded to walk across and go for his moonsault. Ricochet moved in time then hit another brainbuster on the apron. Ricochet hit a springboard 450 off the ropes for a cover and a two count. Ricochet followed with an axe kick, then a huge DVD. Ricochet looked to end things as he hit the running elbow strike for the win.

WINNER: Ricochet in 12:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Wow, somehow this was even better than the last Continental Classic match, which was better than the first!? Just a great match, with tons of action. Please check this one out.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: What a show! Sadly, it only took a few years to put on such a stellar and important (storyline wise) string of matches on Rampage, but it was worth the wait after a night like this. Now, will ratings tick up at all, is the question that remains to be answered, but I digress. The tournament matches, which seem to get better as the night went on, are a must watch, but feel free to skip the tag team match and the ROH title segment. Until next week – stay safe everyone!