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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 10, 2023
RECORDED AT THE EL PASO COUNTY COLISEUM IN EL PASO, 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) BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) vs. KIP SABIAN & THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE
Yuta and Sabian started things off as the crowd chanted for Yuta. Yuta locked in a submission but Sabian reversed out of it. Yuta went to the outside but not before tagging in Claudio who came up from behind Sabian and slammed him to the mat. Butcher tagged in. The two strongmen locked up and battled back and forth with a few shoulder blocks. Moxley tagged in and nailed Butcher with a series of kicks to take him down.
Yuta tagged in but was met with a flurry of offense by Butcher. Sabian tagged back in who quickly tagged out to Blade after hitting Yuta with a stunner and a running cannonball senton in the corner. Butcher and Blade double teamed Yuta as Butcher became the legal man. Blade made another quick tag in as Yuta had the ring cut off from his partners. Yuta was able to fight out of the triple team in the corner to take down Sabian and make his way to tag in Moxley. Moxley hit Sabian with heavy strikes in the corner, then bit Sabian across the forehead.
Moxley hit a back suplex, then another. He tried for another suplex but Sabian reversed. Moxley turned it back into his favor, then nailed hammer and elbow strikes on Sabian. Sabian hit a knee strike on Moxley, then distracted the ref to allow Blade and Butcher to attack Moxley. Claudio came over to try and even the odds. Sabian took out Moxley on the outside with a springboard moonsault. [c]
Sabian had Moxley on the top rope and was trying for a superplex. Moxley fought out of it, and hit Sabian with a top rope powerbomb. Sabian made a tag to Butcher, who tried taking out Yuta on the apron. Before he was able to take out Claudio, Moxley nailed him and tagged in Claudio. Blade also tagged in but Claudio had his way with him until Penelope Ford distracted him. Claudio hit a dropkick on Blade, then hit him with a number of uppercuts. Claudio tried for the giant swing but Sabian cut him off from behind. Claudio decided to simply put Sabian in the giant swing.
Blade came from behind and rolled up Claudio for two. Claudio locked in a sharpshooter which was broken up by Butcher. Moxley hit a cutter on Butcher as the match broke down. Butcher and Blade double teamed Claudio but Yuta broke up a pin attempt. Yuta hit a German suplex on Butcher. The two legal men, Claudio and Blade, were left in the ring. Claudio hit a DVD then covered for a broken pin attempt by Sabian.
Yuta went to the top and Claudio threw him off onto Butcher who was outside. Sabian came off the ropes but was met with a cutter by Moxley. Claudio hit a huge uppercut on Blade for the win.
WINNERS: BCC in 14:30
(Moynahan’s Take: As JR put it, that was a heck of a way to kick off Rampage. Nothing fancy, but a solid trios match with a nice pace of action.)
– A Darby Allin vignette aired. He said he would not face Samoa Joe for the TNT title as he said previously. Then Sting said the two of them would go out in a blaze of glory, which the commentary questioned the meaning of.
– A sneak preview of Adam Cole’s sit-down interview with Renee was shown. The full interview will air on Dynamite this week. [c]
– A Ricky Starks promo aired. Starks talked about his feud with Chris Jericho, and he mentioned he would start with Daniel Garcia in a one-one match next week.
– James Murray and Brian Quinn of the Impractical Jokers came to the ramp. They had Jericho’s bat, Floyd, in their possession. The two joked about how small the bat was as Jericho got mad at the commentary booth. The crowd chanted “small bat.” Jericho went back and forth with them on the mic. JAS came out to take the bat back. JAS attacked the two and took the bat back. They then took out a table and laid one of them across it. JAS powerbombed the other though his friend onto the table.
– Lexy Nair was backstage with Dustin Rhodes. Dustin talked about Swerve Strickland crossing the line when he talked about his family. Dustin said he has been through so much, that he’s not scared of Swerve and his crew. Dustin said he was coming for Swerve. Mogul Affiliates entered the picture and attacked Dustin. Swerve appeared over a fallen Dustin and challenged him to a match next week.
(2) RUBY SOHO vs. MARINA SHAFIR
Shafir backed Soho into the corner, then took her to the mat and got in her face. Shafir tried to keep things on the mat as Soho tried to turn things around. Shafir focused on Soho’s arm as the commentary team talked up her Judo background. Soho hit a shoulder charge in the corner then took her down with a charging elbow. [c]
Soho went for a pin but Shafir kicked out at two. Soho went to the top and rolled through as Shafir caught her in a leg lock. Shafir hit a headbutt from behind as Soho fired back with a few of her own. Soho hit Destination Unknown for the win.
WINNER: Ruby Soho in 7:00
– After the match, Toni Storm and Saraya came out. They were cut off by Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker as Ruby Soho looked on from the ring. Excalibur announced that Baker, Soho, and Storm would face off in a 3-way on Dynamite.
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid back and forth match with both women looking good until Soho ended things rather definitively.)
– Mark Briscoe was backstage with Lexy Nair. It was announced he would wrestle on Dynamite. Mark Sterling came up and tried to represent Briscoe, who turned him down. Sterling tried again, then called Briscoe a stupid chicken farmer. Josh Woods stepped up and also made fun of Briscoe before walking away.
(3) “JUNGLE BOY” JACK PERRY vs. RYAN NEMETH
Jungle Boy rushed the ring and took it right to Nemeth. Nemeth had Jungle Boy in the top rope who fought Nemeth off and hit him with a crossbody. Nemeth landed a big DDT as the crowd booed. Jungle Boy hit a dropkick, then an elbow strike from behind for the win.
WINNER: Jungle Boy Jack Perry in 1:30
– Brian Cage appeared on the ramp and seemed to call Jungle Boy out.
(Moynahan’s Take: Your Rampage Squash of the Week.)
– Ortiz was shown backstage talking about his disagreements with Eddie Kingston. He apologized but seemed to say they should fight if it meant trying to get through to him. [c]
– Mark Henry introduced a video package previewing tonight’s main event. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”
– Renee was backstage with Hangman Adam Page. Renee noted that Page lost two of the three matches against Moxley, which ticked Page off. Page said their last match was not the end as Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford walked up. Page walked off before claiming he was about to beat up Sabian.
– A Texas Tornado match between Jon Moxley and Claudio vs. Rush and Perro Peligroso was announced for Dynamite.
(4) ORANGE CASSIDY (w/Danhausen) vs. LEE MORIARTY (w/Stokely Hathaway) – All-Atlantic Championship
JR took a moment to wish the best for Jerry Lawler, and Chris Jericho was quick to agree and send his own well wishes. Moriarty had the early upper hand until Cassidy seemed to power up by placing his hands in his pockets. Cassidy hit a dropkick while keeping his hands in his pockets. Cassidy rocked Moriarty’s head across the top turnbuckle to the delight of the crowd. Cassidy came off the top but missed, which allowed Moriarty to take advantage. Moriarty went for a few unorthodox pin attempts for two. The two fought on the apron as Moriarty took Cassidy out by sweeping out his legs. [c]
Both men were on the top rope as Moriarty was pushed off. Cassidy hit a Michinoku driver for a near fall. They went back to the top and this time, Moriarty threw Cassidy off the top. Cassidy came right back with Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy locked in a sleeper as Moriarty tried to fight his way out. Moriarty went for a submission, then hammered away on Cassidy’s shoulder. Cassidy rolled to the floor as Stokely and Danhausen faced off. Danhausen tried to curse Stokely but Stokely blocked him with his cast.
Cassidy hit a diving DDT off the top rope. Cassidy set up for Orange Punch but Moriarty countered it with a clothesline. Cassidy came right back with Beach Break for two. Cassidy hit Orange Punch but had trouble covering. Moriarty locked in his submission but Cassidy rolled him up for the pin.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy in 11:30
– After the match, Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett attacked Orange Cassidy from behind with the Golden Globe award. Satnam Singh helped block any assistance from Best Friends and Danhausen as they were all left lying. Jarrett was about to take out Cassidy with the guitar until The Acclaimed came out to even the odds.
(Moynahan’s Take: Great main event, with Moriarty looking really good in defeat. The post-match storyline was fine for what it was but felt very ‘Rampage-esque.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: No complaints here this week, as we received yet another solid hour of pro wrestling mixed in with some good storyline progression across multiple feuds. Rampage has settled into a much better rhythm over the last couple of months; nothing stellar but nothing subpar by any means. Check out the opener and main event if nothing else.
CATCH-UP: 2/3 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: The Elite in action, Rush vs. Christopher Daniels, more
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