SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
MARCH 3, 2023
LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. AT THE COW PALACE
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Chris Jericho, and Tony Schiavone
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) TOP FLIGHT (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) vs. DARK ORDER (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) vs. AUSSIE OPEN (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta)
The BCC made their way to the ring as Dark Order attacked them from behind on the ramp. The other two teams were already in the ring as Top Flight flew through the ropes to take out Dark Order. All four teams went at it on the outside. The bell rang as Dante and Fletcher were legal men. The Kingdom looked on from the front row.
Aussie Open took it to Top Flight until Top Flight fought back to even the odds. Fletcher was double teamed, then Top Flight turned its attention to Davis on the apron. Darius and Fletcher were the legal men until Reynolds made a blind tag in to face off with Fletcher. Aussie Open took out each team, then double teamed Reynolds who was able to make it out of dodge. Claudio tagged in to face off with Reynolds. Silver tagged in and got a nice crowd reaction and took it to Claudio.
Silver went ballistic all over the outside of the ring. He made it back in but Claudio caught him in a backbreaker for a two count. BCC tried double teaming Silver who was able to make a tag to Reynolds. BCC double teamed Reynolds. [c]
Reynolds fought off Claudio but could not make a tag in time. Claudio tagged in Yuta who took out Silver on the apron. Reynolds tagged in Dante as Aussie Open hit the ring. Dante hit a crossbody onto both men off the top. Dante hit a huge senton over the top, then worked with his brother to double team Davis inside the ring. Things broke down from here as Top Flight and Aussie Open went at it inside the ring. Aussie Open hit the pendulum powerbomb on Darius for two as BCC broke things up.
Aussie Open isolated Claudio inside the ring and took him out. They then turned their attention to Darius but Davis accidentally hit Fletcher. Dark Order teamed up on Davis, then Darius. Yuta tagged in and broke up a pin attempt by Silver on Darius. Yuta made his own pin attempt and got the win.
WINNERS: BCC in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A good opener that never felt like it got to another level. Good work by all, I just came away feeling like I wanted more.)
– After the match, Dark Order attacked BCC as the two teams battled on the outside.
– A recap video aired promoting the Moxley/Page Texas Death match at Revolution. [c]
– A recap aired of the recent beating of Ricky Starks by the JAS. Jungle Boy then cut a promo backstage regarding his match with Christian Cage at Revolution. The match stipulation was referred to as the Final Burial.
(2) RIHO vs. EMI SAKURA
Sakura took the early advantage as the crowd chanted for Riho. Sakura threw Riho across the ring by the hair, then caught Riho in a crossbody attempt. Riho fought back with a running knee, then a suplex for two. Sakura whipped Riho into the corner but Riho came right back to take Sakura to the outside. Riho followed Sakura but was caught in a backbreaker. Sakura followed up by squashing Riho into the barricade. [c]
Riho was fighting her way back into the match until Sakura cut her off. Riho was able to bring Sakura to the middle rope, then hit a 619. Riho came off the top with a crossbody for a close count. The crowd was alive for Riho. Sakura came right back and took Riho down to the mat, then hit a splash in the corner. Sakura went for a number of close pin attempts but Riho was able to kick out in the nick of time. Riho hit a high knee, but Sakura took her down again and covered for two.
Sakura went to the top but missed a moonsault. Riho missed a stop off the top, but rolled Sakura up for the win.
WINNER: Riho in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Great match that was affected by the commercial break. That said, the crowd, as always, was huge into Riho as the match went on.)
– A video aired hyping the three-way Women’s World title match at Revolution.
(3) POWERHOUSE HOBBS vs. SERPENTICO
Hobbs came out to a nice reaction from his local crowd. Serpentico attacked Hobbs before the bell but didn’t have much success. Hobbs hit a spinebuster, then a reverse DVD for the win.
WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs in :30
(Moynahan’s Take: Your Rampage Squash of the Week.)
– After the match, Hobbs took the mic. He said it didn’t matter if he had to face Wardlow or Samoa Joe, because the next chapter in The Book of Hobbs was the TNT Championship.
– Renee was backstage with Takeshita. She asked him how he thought things were going so far in AEW. Takeshita has said he thinks he may need to go back to Japan since he hasn’t been winning. Don Callis appeared and gave Takeshita his card. Callis said Takeshita needs a killer instinct and told him he should consider letting Callis show him how he could help. [c]
– Mark Briscoe was shown backstage. He said he was feeling good, but said he had a weird feeling seeing the recent tag team battle royal and not having his brother with him. Briscoe said he was glad to see Lucha Bros., who then appeared. They said they’d like to settle things in the ring with the Varsity Athletes and Ari Daivari, which was then announced for the Revolution pre show.
– A video aired hyping the four-way tag team title match at Revolution.
– Mark Henry previewed the main event via a video package. Henry announced that it was “time for the main event.”
(4) DUSTIN RHODES & KEITH LEE vs. SWERVE STRICKLAND & PARKER BOUDREAUX
Swerve and Parker attacked Lee and Dustin from behind as the match kicked off. Lee took it to Parker in the corner as Dustin and Swerve fought on the outside. Parker tried to gouge Lee’s eyes but Lee turned things around, then tagged in Dustin. Dustin took it to Parker in the corner as he nailed him with a series of right hands. Swerve hit Dustin from behind which allowed Parker to gain the upper hand. [c]
Swerve still had the upper hand on Dustin, then took out Lee on the apron. Dustin fought back but couldn’t make the tag as Lee was just knocked off the apron. Lee and Parker tagged in and Lee immediately took it to him. Parker fought back but was met with a pounce. Lee threw Swerve into the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted for Lee. Swerve met Lee with a few kicks to the face but Lee came right back. Swerve tried to evade Lee but Lee caught him.
Swerve was thrown down with a one-hand slam that popped the crowd. Lee then tried to superplex Swerve but Parker made the save. Dustin came in and fought with Parker until he was thrown to the outside. Parker held Lee, which allowed Swerve to hit a moonsault off Lee onto Dustin. Parker hit a running boot to the side of Lee’s head. Swerve came off the top with the stomp on Lee. Parker covered but Lee kicked out. Dustin hit a bulldog off the ropes on Parker but Swerve kicked Dustin across the face. Lee took out Parker but Swerve took out Lee. Dustin hit the Destroyer on Swerve.
Lee picked up Dustin and threw him onto Parker. Lee picked up Parker and hit a jackhammer for the win.
WINNERS: Dustin and Lee in 11:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This was a solid main event, with three of the four looking good. Parker was the odd man out, and looked lost at times and sloppy at others.)
– As the commentary team was hyping up the Revolution PPV, Ricky Starks attacked Chris Jericho from behind as the show went off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Great live Rampage that did a great job hyping up Sunday’s Revolution PPV. For a go-home show, this did a nice job of hitting on the main feuds without overdoing things. I’m a bit more excited for Revolution than I was before watching this show, so I think it accomplished the job. Go out of your way to watch the opener as well as Riho vs. Sakura. You can probably skip the rest, although the main event was fine for what it was. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
Keith Lee looks in terrible physical shape.
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Dustin carried that match