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ALL ELITE WRESTLING RAMPAGE PREVIEW
JULY 1, 2022
DETROIT, MI. AT THE LITTLE CAESAR’S ARENA
AIRS ON TNT NETWORK, 10:00 p.m. EDT, 9:00 p.m. CDT
BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH.COM CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Ricky Starks, Taz, Chris Jericho (various combinations)
Writer’s Note
I compose this report with a bit of a heavy heart. I am stepping away from my duties writing the Dynamite and Rampage previews. Things in my personal have filled up my “plate” for lack of a better term and thus I need to offload some obligations.
This decision was not made easily. It has given me joy to compose these reports through the years whether or it was for Raw and Smackdown, which I did for three and a half years, or my recent duties of previewing Dynamite and Rampage. It’s also made me feel like a party of the “family” here at the Torch, where there is a great sense of community and comradery. I love the relationships I’ve developed with the staff and readers/listeners. You have no idea how much it means when I get feedback, positive or negative, on my writing or my shows. It tells me you’re reading and listening and makes doing the work worthwhile.
To feel better about things, I must remind myself that I will still be a Torch contributor! Pro Wrestling Then and Now will continue for VIP members. I have some exciting episodes coming out over the next few months and I’m always thinking of ways to make the show better. Go VIP to listen amongst the other great perks you get with being a VIP member. I will still do the occasional post show with Wade Keller or Zack Heydorn, Wrestling Night in America with Greg Parks, and assorted other shows. You’re not getting rid of me that easily!
I have communicated to Wade that when things lighten up on my end, we will negotiate something for me to do on the writing side. I already have some ideas brewing and when the time is right, I have no doubt we will figure something out that works for everyone. I am proud to be a contributor to an entity that has existed over the span of five decades and provides the readers and listeners with vast knowledge and insight on the wrestling business.
Thank you to everyone who has read my work, listened to my shows, and communicated with me on social media. Most of all, thank you Wade for allowing me to be a part of the Torch family.
Last Week
- Andrade “El Idolo” defeated Rey Fenix.
- Mercedes Martinez & Serena Deeb defeated Laynie Luck & Sierra.
- Hook defeated The DKC.
- Jeff Cobb defeated Cash Wheeler
This Week
Three matches were announced during this week’s episode of Dynamite.
DISCLAIMER: I am writing this preview having not watched Dynamite. I am going by a combination Wade and Tyler’s reports here at the Torch as well as Jason Powell’s over at prowrestling.net and listening to The Fix with Todd Martin. My Verizon service completely dropped dead Wednesday morning and it wasn’t restored until 24 hours later. It turns out service was accidentally cut off to my house. Isn’t that nice?
#AEWRampage TOMORROW at 10pm ET/9pm CT/10pm PT on @tntdrama!
–#AEWRoyalRampage: 20 men competing for first shot at #AEW Interim World Champion @JonMoxley
–@youngbucks v #NJPW’s @YOSHIHASHICHAOS/@510njpw
–@NylaRoseBeast v #ToniStorm pic.twitter.com/PMas1BR5sg— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 30, 2022
Tag Team Title “Eliminator”: AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. NJPW’s Bishamon (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto)
The forbidden door continues to remain open on this week’s episode of Rampage when the Young Bucks take on Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi of New Japan Pro Wrestling. If Goto & Yoshi-Hashi win, they will receive and AEW Tag Team Championship match.
Goto and Yoshi-Hashi are no strangers to tag team gold having held the IWGP Tag Team Champion via defeating the Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre, Jr. & Taichi) at this year’s edition of Wrestle Kingdom. They held the titles until April when they lost to Great O-Khan & Jeff Cobb of the United Empire. The Bucks recently regained the AEW titles via defeating Jurassic Express, which facilitated Christian Cage turning on Jungle Boy. FTR won the IWGP Tag Team Championships this past Sunday at Forbidden Door.
Goto & Yoshi-Hashi defeated Q.T. Marshall & Aaron Solo this past Sunday at Forbidden Door.
Frank’s Analysis: I really don’t like challengers facing champions for the right to earn a title match, especially when it’s a team that has no business beating the champs as I see in this case. Even if it’s a team that you believe could beat the Bucks, why beat the champs? Let’s just say Goto & Yoshi-Hashi are earmarked to win the titles, if they already beat the Bucks once, doesn’t that define down the Bucks and make defeating for the titles mean less? I’m not a fan of beating champions in non-title matches unless it’s done sporadically and made to feel like a big deal. I know they don’t do this all that often in AEW and yes, it’s a WWE thing. That doesn’t justify doing this.
Toni Storm vs. Nyla Rose
Toni Storm looks to get back on track as she takes on former AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose.
Toni came up short in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament, losing to eventual winner Dr. Britt Baker. She got back on track and earned an AEW Women’s Championship match against Thunder Rosa at Forbidden Door but came up short.
It’s been a minute since Nyla was the world champion. She defeated inaugural champion Riho right before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in February of 2020 but gave way to Hikaru Shida at the ensuing Double or Nothing. She has been in and out of the title picture since and most recently challenged Rosa unsuccessfully on an episode of Dynamite.
After an impressive win against @marinashafir last week on #AEWDynamite, #ToniStorm gets her hands on @nylarosebeast TOMORROW on #AEWRampage at 10pm ET/9pm CT/10pm PT on @tntdrama! pic.twitter.com/M836bNHNkP
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 30, 2022
Frank’s Analysis: The point is moot, but I’d have had Toni beat Rosa for the title at Forbidden Door. No offense to Rosa, her run has felt completely flat. Maybe they have a rematch in mind and want to build up the feud a little more but, it just felt like Toni was defined down in that match especially because she was beaten clean. I’m curious to see what was done in this match, where I think we’ll get an indication of where things are headed.
20-Man Royal Rampage
After defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door, Jon Moxley is the Interim AEW World Champion. He needs a challenger, and thus AEW has decided to have a battle royal called a Royal Rampage to determine that challenger.
Two rings were set up for Blood and Guts this week, so this will place in those two rings. According to a report over at the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online, the participants are Frankie Kazarian, John Silver, Rush, Orange Cassidy, “Hangman” Adam Page, Konosuke Takeshita, Penta Oscuro, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, Darby Allin, Dustin Rhodes, The Butcher, The Blade, Max Caster, Tony Nese, Matt Hardy, Dante Martin, and Brody King.
Frank’s Analysis: I feel like a hypocrite when I say I hate battle royals determining championship contenders when I love the WWE Royal Rumble. You have people in this match like Tony Nese, Max Caster, The Butcher, The Blade, John Silver, and Takeshita that have no business challenging for a championship. In my eyes, by putting them in this match, you are telling me the fan that they deserve to challenge for a title. I’m sorry but that’s not right. The same thing happens in the Rumble and that bothers me, but I love the Rumble and that’s why I said I feel like a hypocrite. That said, I don’t know why I feel this way, but I sense either Hobbs or Starks are earmarked for this.
Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Thank you for reading!
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