SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 16, 2024
RECORDED AT THE HEB CENTER IN CEDAR PARK, TX
AIRED ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– The opening of Rampage aired as Excalibur welcomed us to the show. He was joined by Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard.
(1) SAMMY GUEVARA vs. JEFF HARDY (w/Matt Hardy) – No DQ Match
Both men were in the ring as the show kicked off. The crowd was into both wrestlers as they locked up. Hardy got the early upper hand by driving Sammy into the corner. Jeff quickly went outside and pulled out a ladder. Sammy hit a dropkick onto the ladder as Hardy was about to place it inside the ring. Sammy set the ladder up inside the ring, then went back outside to battle with Hardy. Hardy jumped off the apron with a clothesline onto Sammy. Sammy and Hardy fought along the apron with Sammy striking Hardy with a jumping knee, then a thrust kick.
Sammy jumped off the top rope and nailed Hardy with a double foot stomp on the apron. Sammy covered for two. Both men went back inside the ring but Hardy quickly rolled back to the outside. Hardy whipped Samy hard into the ringside barricade. Hardy set up the steel steps then launched himself into Sammy which crushed him against the barricade.
Both men finally made it back inside the ring as Hardy launched a chair at Sammy. Hardy started his climb up the ladder as Sammy followed. Both men battled at the top of the ladder as the crowd cheered them on. Hardy nailed Sammy with the Twist of Fate off the top of the ladder for two. [c]
Hardy and Sammy set up a ladder and a table on the outside of the ring. Hardy placed Sammy across the table, then climbed the ladder. Sammy got up and quickly cut Hardy off then threw him back inside the ring. Sammy hung a chair around Hardy’s neck, then hit a stunner off the middle ropes. Sammy then placed Hardy on the table set on the floor, and climbed up the ladder and came crashing down onto Hardy with a swanton bomb.
Sammy rolled Hardy into the ring, then went to the top rope. Sammy hit a shooting star press on Hardy but landed awkwardly and nailed Hardy right in the face with his knee. Hardy was busted open as Sammy hit the GTH for the win.
WINNER: Sammy Guevara in 14:30
– After the match, Powerhouse Hobbs hit the ring and took out Sammy with a huge spinebuster. Don Callis appeared to cheer on Hobbs as he continued to beat down Sammy.
(Moynahan’s Take: A hella fun match here until the nasty ending where Jeff looks to have had his nose broken. I just hope he’s OK and can heal fast enough to get back in the ring, as he seems to be getting more TV time as of late and I’m hoping there is something building with both Hardys. The post-match beatdown from Hobbs could be a sign that we’ll see he and Sammy face off soon, either on TV or Revolution.)
– Renee was backstage with Brian Cage and Prince Nana. She brought the big six man match Cage is in on this coming Dynamite and asked whether Cage would be focused on Hook the entire time. Cage said the only thing that matters was Hook, and said he doesn’t below in AEW. Cage was pissed that the fans chant for Hook over himself, and added that he was what a true wrestler looked like.
– Private Party was backstage and reintroduced themselves to the audience. They called themselves the future AEW tag champions, and said all other tag teams were on notice. [c]
– Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli were backstage. Moxley said he was pissed off after being provoked by FTR. He said they couldn’t fix stupid, but they can choke it. He called FTR the benchmark of great tag team wrestling but said he and Claudio knew tag team wrestling inside and out. Claudio said they don’t play around and know they’re good because everyone tells them so.
– Renee was backstage with Ruby Soho and said that Angelo Parker requested time tonight as Saraya and Harley Cameron appeared. They both told Soho that they forgave her, which bothered Soho. Soho said she wasn’t sorry and let them both know that she knew they set up Parker. Soho said she knew the entire time that Saraya was ruining things for her, then told her she needed space and walked off.
(2) DUSTIN RHODES & THE VON ERICHS (Russ Von Erich & Marshall Von Erich) vs. HIT & ROMERO CRUZ & SHIMBASHI
Excalibur mentioned this was the first time in 40 years that the Von Erich and Rhodes families teamed together. Dustin started things off with Hit and quickly got the upperhand before tagging in Ross. Ross and Marshall double teamed Shimbashi before Dustin got the tag back in. Shimbashi cut off Dustin and took him to his corner as he and his opponents cut off the ring. Dustin fired back and hit Cross Rhodes and went for the pin before the pin was broken. The Von Erichs locked in the Claw as Dustin hit Final Reckoning. All three covered their opponents for the win.
WINNERS: Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs in 2:00
(Moynahan’s Take: YOUR RAMPAGE SQUASH OF THE WEEK.)
– Renee was backstage with Timeless Toni Storm and crew. Storm laughed in response to Renee’s question about her reaction to Deonna Purrazzo. Storm went nuts and put Mariah May in an ankle lock then looked at the camera and told Deonna to “piss off.”
– A video package narrated by Darby Allin aired talking about the Young Bucks and Darby/Sting feud.
– A preview video aired of the recent YouTube interview between Renee and Queen Aminata.
(3) QUEEN AMINATA vs. ANNA JAY
Both women traded holds in the early going, which ended in a stalemate. Aminata snapped Jay over with a headlock which took her to the mat. Jay hit a running back kick in the corner, then followed with a backstabber for a two count. [c]
Jay had most of the upper hand during the break as Aminata pushed her down with a double chop across the chest. Aminata followed up with a snapmare then a running PK. Jay avoided a hip attack but Aminata scored with an elbow strike. Jay missed another back kick which allowed Aminata to hit a clothesline. Aminata covered for two. Jay connected with a back kick then followed up quickly with a flatliner for two. Jay went for Queen Slayer but Aminata tried to break out of it.
Aminata leveled Jay with a headbutt, then covered for her first AEW win.
WINNER: Queen Aminata in 8:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Solid match and a great first win for Aminata, which was unfortunately cut down due to a long commercial break. Glad to see Aminata finally get that W after all of these weeks, now it’s time to see how, or if, anything is followed up on from here.)
– Renee was backstage with Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway. Willow was mad at Stokely for interfering in her match on last week’s Dynamite. Statlander blamed herself for not getting everyone on the same page and said it’d never happen again. [c]
– Renee was backstage again with Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho. Parker had asked for this time as Renee walked away and let them be alone. Parker gave Soho flowers and told her he thought he had lost her a few weeks ago. He was about to ask her out until Soho made the first move and told him to pick her up on Wednesday night.
(4) THE BANG BANG SCISSOR GANG (Jay White & Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn & Billy Gunn & Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) vs. DARK ORDER (Alex Reynolds & John Silver & Evil Uno) & JEFF JARRETT & JAY LETHAL & SATNAM SINGH
Lethal and White kicked things off as the two traded headlocks and worked one another on the mat. Jarrett hit White from behind which allowed Lethal to go on the attack. Uno tagged in as White regained the upper hand and chopped Uno hard across the chest in the corner. Colten tagged in and hit a splash on Uno in the corner, then nailed him with a dropkick. Caster was next but quickly tagged out to Bowens who hit Scissor Me Timbers. [c]
Lethal and Austin were in the ring as Jarrett entered and helped with a double team. Jarrett hit a Russian leg sweep, then draped his leg across the throat of Austin who was hung up in the ropes. Singh made the tag and leveled Austin with a huge chop across the back. Singh threw Austin across one side of the ring, then across the other. Billy hit the ring to defend his son as Singh egged him on. Reynolds was in next but Austin was able to fight him off enough to make the tag to Billy. Billy was on fire and hit the Fameasser on Reynolds.
Uno hit the ring and nailed Billy with a neckbreaker. Things broke down from here. Silver came in on fire and took it to Bowens as Singh went for a double chokeslam on The Acclaimed. Austin and Colten double teamed Singh from behind to take him out. Each man hit their respective finisher until Billy was pushed into White by Reynolds. Reynolds rolled up Billy for two.
Billy missed a second Fameasser but got the assist from Austin as the two hit the 3:10 to Yuma for the win.
WINNERS: The Bang Bang Scissor Gang in 12:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This felt too rushed for my taste, and I guess we already see some distrust building amongst this supergroup. The live crowds seem to dig this team but I’m already ready for it to be over.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: A middle-of-the-pack episode of Rampage tonight, with Tony Khan getting his money’s worth out of Renee, who may have had a record of backstage interviews in a one-hour AEW program. The main event felt too rushed and had little to no drama built in. Outside of Queen Aminata’s first win, the only match going out of your way to see is the opener between Jeff Hardy and Sammy. And even then, the nasty finish left me with an uneasy feeling. Until next week, stay safe everyone!
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