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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
AUGUST 26, 2022
RECORDED AT THE WOLSTEIN CENTER, CLEVELAND, OH
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– The opening of Rampage aired, and JR welcomed us to the show. Ross was joined by Excalibur, Chris Jericho, and Tony Schiavone.
(1) HOUSE OF BLACK (Malakai Black & Brody King & Buddy Matthews w/Julia Hart) vs. THE DARK ORDER (John Silver & Alex Reynolds & 10 w/Adam Page) – Trios Tag Team Tournament Semifinal
The match started right from the beginning of the show. 10 and King started things off for their respective teams. The two collided in the center of the ring as Best Friends were shown ringside. 10 favored his left knee as he landed awkwardly. Silver tagged in, as did Matthews. They traded some solid mat work until Silver was caught by Matthews. Silver escaped and the two met face-to-face in the center of the ring. Black tagged in and Silver immediately threw Matthews to the outside, then hit Black with a boot to the face. Reynolds tagged in and quickly ducked the Black Mast. all six men got into the ring, face-to-face, and things broke down from here. [c]
Dark Order continued working away at Reynolds as Black hit a huge back elbow as we came back from break. Matthews tagged in and hit a double foot stomp off the top on Reynolds’s shoulder. Reynolds fired back with a right hand and made the tag into 10 who took out all three opponents. 10 drove Matthews and Black to the mat as the crowd chanted his name. 10 went for a full nelson on Black, who fought it off. Matthews came off the top with a knee drop onto 10. Reynolds hit the ring, as did Silver, and they double teamed Matthews. King then hit the ring and was double teamed by Reynolds and Silver.
King fired back and took out both men. 10 came back into the ring and clotheslined King to the outside. Black and 10 were left in the ring, and 10 went for the full nelson again. Black tried to get out of it by pulling at 10’s knee brace. Black was able to lock in a knee lock as Miro’s music hit.
Miro came to the ramp and took out King and Matthews. Inside the ring, Reynolds rolled up Black for the win.
WINNERS: Dark Order in 10:00
– After the match, House of Black attacked Miro and circled around him in the ring. They continued their attack until Darby Allin’s music hit and Darby and Sting came to Miro’s aid. House of Black cowered in retreat as Miro slowly got to his feet.
(Moynahan’s Take: An okay opener, with the crowd clearly behind Dark Order. The post-match storyline was obvious but necessary, as it likely sets up another six-man match for All Out.)
– Hook was interviewed backstage. He quickly walked away after being asked about Matt Menard and Angelo Parker’s recent comments. Menard and Parker then appeared and questioned whether they should simply take the FTW title from Hook.
(2) WARDLOW vs. RYAN NEMETH – TNT Championship Match
Nemeth came and out and ran down his hometown city. Wardlow’s music cut him off as he made his way to the ring. Chris Sabin, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh came out to the ramp. Nemeth told Wardlow to focus on him, not them, then called him a loser. Wardlow head butted Nemeth as the match began, then hit him with a huge clothesline.
Wardlow hit a powerbomb, then walked around the ring as the crowd chanted for another. Wardlow obliged and hit a second powerbomb, then a third, then a fourth. Wardlow put his foot on Nemeth for the win.
WINNER: Wardlow in 1:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A total, but necessary, squash for Wardlow.)
– Private Party and Andrade el Idolo and Rush were interviewed backstage. Both teams talked about their recent losses. Andrade and Rush talked about attacking Dragon Lee as the two teams then looked to turn on one another. Andrade told “Private Party that everything in this war has consequences.”
(3) POWERHOUSE HOBBS vs. ASHTON DAY
Hobbs hit a huge clothesline right from the bell, then choked Day across the bottom rope. Hobbs hit another clothesline, then posed like Ricky Starks. Hobbs hit a spinebuster, then covered for the win.
WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs in 1:00
– After the match, The Factory were shown backstage attacking Ricky Starks. Hobbs looked satisfied while watching on from the ring.
(Moynahan’s Take: Another squash, but a good one to set up Hobbs for Starks at All Out.)
– Jade Cargill and The Baddies were interviewed backstage. Leyla Gray tried to speak but Cargill told her to go away. Cargill then spoke to Athena, who then ran up and attacked Cargill.
(4) SAMMY GUEVARA & TAY MELO vs. RUBY SOHO & ORTIZ
Tay and Ruby started things off, with Tay gaining the upper hand. Soho drove Tay into the corner, and hit her with multiple shoulder shots. Tay was able to fire back with a huge kick to Soho’s face. Soho struck back with an elbow strike. Ortiz and Sammy tagged back in and the two went back and forth. Ortiz hit Sammy with a short-arm clothesline. Soho quickly ran in and Ortiz slammed her on top of Sammy. Tay distracted Ortiz to allow Sammy to hit him from behind. [c]
Ortiz hit Sammy with a huge clothesline and finally made a tag back into Ruby. Tay also had to tag in and Ruby quickly took out Tay with a huge boot to the face in the corner. Ruby perched Tay on the top rope as Sammy took out Ortiz on the apron. Sammy put Ruby on his shoulders but Ruby hit a posionrana to take Sammy out. Tay came off the top onto Ruby.
Tay went for a DDT on Ortiz but Ruby came in and hit Tay with a knee strike. Ruby went for a cover, which was broken up by Sammy. Ortiz tagged and and went after Sammy. Parker ran down to distract the ref as Anna Jay took out Ruby. Sammy hit a cutter on Ortiz for the win.
WINNERS: Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo in 9:30
(Moynahan’s Take: A solid mixed tag match that was severely affected by a long commercial break. The JAS interference felt obvious but it also extends the feud between these two factions.)
– Footage was shown from the AEW World Title unification match between C.M. Punk and Jon Moxley on this week’s Dynamite. Post-match footage aired with Punk shown being treated by doctors. Punk said his injured foot felt similar to when he initially broke it. [c]
– Mark Henry was backstage on split screen with members of tonight’s main event. Dustin was shown with Arn and Brock Anderson and said this title match was what dreams were made of. He said he would be giving Claudio the best Dustin Rhodes anyone has ever seen. Claudio said he wants to face a legend like Rhodes, and said the BCC was all about that level of competition. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”
(5) CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI (w/Wheeler Yuta) vs. DUSTIN RHODES (w/Arn & Brock Anderson) – ROH World Championship Match
Regal joined commentary for this match. Dustin went for an early pin attempt for two. Both men hit a stalemate early on as they went back-and-forth. Claudio synched in a headlock, then took Dustin over to the mat. Claudio hit a shoulder tackle, which drove Dustin into the bottom rope, then to the outside. Dustin went for a sunset flip into a pin attempt but Claudio quickly kicked out.
Claudio hit a big uppercut, then drove Dustin shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Dustin came back with a Manhattan drop, then a pin attempt for a one count. Dustin missed a crossbody and was sent to the outside. [c]
Claudio had Dustin in a crossface submission as Dustin slowly tried to get back to his feet. Dustin fought out of it but Claudio still had the upper hand. The two went back-and forth in the center of the ring. Dustin hit a few clotheslines, then took Claudio to the outside. Dustin followed him and hit a cannonball off the apron. Back inside the ring, Dustin hit a flying clothesline, then covered for a two count. Dustin came off the middle rope with a hurricanrana, then hit a code red for two.
Claudio took Dustin down, and the crowd asked for the swing. Claudio obliged and swung Dustin around the ring, then covered for a two count. Claudio then synched in the crossface but Dustin reversed into a pin attempt for two. Dustin hit a powerslam, then a piledriver for two. Arn signaled for Dustin to finish off Claudio, and Dustin hit an inadvertent low blow on Claudio as the two hit one another in the middle of the ring. Claudio fired back with a rising European uppercut for the win.
WINNER: Claudio Castagnoli in 12:30
(Moynahan’s Take: A great main event, and I continue to be amazed at the 50+ Dustin Rhodes each and every time.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: A much much better episode of Rampage this week. Whether it had to do with All Out build up or, every segment made sense and was worthy of my time as a viewer. Go out of your way to watch the main event if nothing else. Until next week, stay safe everyone.
CATCH-UP: 8/19 AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT: Swerve in our Glory vs. Private Party, Hook vs. Clayton, more
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