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AEW RAMPAGE TV REPORT
APRIL 20, 2024
PEORIA, IL. AT THE PEORIA CIVIC CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
Ring announcer: Bobby Cruise
– Jon Moxley opened tonight’s live Rampage by speaking backstage about his upcoming IWGP World Championship match against Powerhouse Hobbs on this week’s Dynamite. He said Hobbs winning him for the title would be like a fairy tale coming true. He said he’d give Hobbs a gift by showing him who he really was, but the gift would be a bitter pill to swallow. He tells Hobbs not to hesitate for one second because Moxley won’t
– Tony Schiavone welcomed us to the show as RVD’s music blared through the arena.
(1) ROB VAN DAM vs. LEE JOHNSON vs. ISIAH KASSIDY (w/Marq Quen) vs. KOMANDER (w/Alex Abrahantes) – High-Flying 4-20 Four-Way Elimination
Nigel made a number of 4:20 references as the competitors each made their way to the ring. RVD acknowledged the crowd as they chanted his name. RVD sat on the top rope and allowed the rest of the wrestlers to face off. Komander and Johnson took our Kassidy and quickly went at it together. RVD joined the fun as he and Komander stared one another down. Kassidy came from behind and hit RVD with a backstabber. He mocked RVD’s taunt and the crowd booed. RVD whipped Kassidy out of the corner with a monkey flip, then followed up with Rolling Thunder.
RVD was thrown to the outside, with Komander quickly getting dumped out as well. Johnson flew over the ropes and landed on both men. Johnson and Kassidy were inside the ring, as Johnson went for a pin attempt for two. Johnson got his eyes raked by Kassidy, who quickly rolled him up and eliminated Johnson. [c]
Komander nailed Kassidy with a foot to the face before he dumped Kassidy to the outside. Komander kicked RVD’s feet out from under him, then hit a running elbow in the corner. The fans chanted for RVD as Komander flew off the top rope onto Kassidy. RVD followed to the outside and tried to powerbomb Komander on the floor but it was reversed. Komander hit a springboard senton on Kassidy inside the ring for two. Komander went to the top rope and started to walk the ropes before Kassidy knocked him off.
Kassidy and RVD met in the center of the ring as Kassidy tried rolling RVD up for two. Kassidy was met with a boot to the face while RVD turned his attention to Komander to knock him to the outside. RVD was pulled from the outside by Quen, which allowed Komander to hit his rope walk moonsault on Kassidy for the elimination.
RVD and Komander were left as the final two. Komander went for a quick rollup for two as RVD tried for one of his own. The two traded moves until Komander got a near fall on RVD. RVD hit a suplex for another close count.RVD hit a back kick off the ropes before he set up for the 5-star Frog Splash to get the win. [c]
WINNER: RVD in 12:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Well, it’s 4-20, and RVD may have taken that too seriously as he looked a bit off at many moments during this match. A fun idea to have RVD and Komander as the final two, it just didn’t work out as well as I would have hoped or imagined.)
(2) YUKA SAKAZAKI vs. EMI SAKURA
Emi attacked Yuka before the bell, and quickly went for a few quick pin attempts to no avail. Emi nailed Yuka with a few chops but Yuka fought back and hit a sliding clothesline for two. Emi bit Yuka on the arm to break her momentum. As Yuka went to the top rope, she spilled to the outside, which the commentary team seemed to suggest was a mistake. Emi played to the crowd to allow Yuka to buy some time. Yuka looked to slowly walk off her injury until she began jogging around the ring. The two ran around the rung until Emi raked Yuka’s eyes to slow her down. Yuka nailed Emi with a stiff kick across the face before hitting a hurricanrana off the apron. [c]
Yuka went for a move off the ropes but was stopped by Emi who hit a crossbody that took them both through the ropes. The fans chanted for Yuka as Emi hit a backbreaker for two. Emi climbed the ropes but Yuka cut her off and hit a German suplex with aid from the ropes. Yuka covered for the win.
WINNER: Yuka Sakazaki
(Moynahan’s Take: The crowd got behind this one at times, but it was seriously hindered once Yuka took that nasty move off the apron, which seemed to seriously injure her. Yuka definitely gutted this one out and never seemed the same.)
– Angelo Parker was shown inside the ring for a “Rampage Exclusive.” He called his personal and professional life a bit of a roller coaster. He said even with all of those challenges, he gained the love of his life along the way, but he said he lost that as well due to his own actions. He called his recent match on Rampage against Zak Knight a must win, and yet he lost. Parker said all he wanted to do was make his dad proud, and thinks he has done that, even if his father is no longer with us. Parker was about to announce his retirement until Ruby Soho’s music hit and she made her way to the ring.
Soho told Parker she couldn’t let him retire because he had something very important to fight for. She told Parker that she was pregnant as the crowd cheered. Soho said she didn’t know how to tell Soho as Parker kissed her and the two embraced.
(3) KYLE O’REILLY & ROCKY ROMERO & “DADDY MAGIC” MATT MENARD vs. UNDISPUTED KINGDOM (Roderick Strong & Mike Bennett & Matt Taven)
O’Reilly called for Strong right from the start as the two faced off at first, but Strong quickly tagged out to Bennett. O’Reilly nailed Bennett with a knee to the stomach that took him down. Menard made the tag and quickly went on the attack. Taven tagged in next but Menard continued the offensive onslaught before tagging in Rocky. Rocky took Taven down with a headscissors before hitting a pair of running clotheslines. Undisputed Kingdom quickly took the upper hand to cut off the ring from Rocky. Taven covered Rocky for two. [c]
Rocky hit a spinning kick on Strong to escape an ankle lock. Rocky went for a tag but was cut off by Taven. Bennett and Taven made quick tags to continue to keep Rocky from his corner. Rocky finally took down both opponents before he made the hot tag to Menard who came in on fire. Menard took it to Bennett in the corner before getting met with a back elbow. Menard rolled through and locked in a Boston Carb that was broken up by Taven.
Taven hit a springboard moonsault for two on Menard. O’Reilly tagged in and quickly dumped Strong to the outside before he focused on Taven and Bennett. O’Reilly locked Bennett in a triangle choke, then locked Taven in an ankle lock at the same time. Strong came in to break it all up. Both men traded blows in the center of the ring. Strong caught O’Reilly in a back breaker.
O’Reilly and Bennett were the legal men as O’Reilly hit a brainbuster, then locked in an arm bar for the tap out win.
WINNERS: Kyle O’Reilly & Rocky Romero & Matt Menard in 12:30
(Moynahan’s Take: A fine main event that basically provided the only extra hype for tomorrow’s PPV; that being the International championship match between Strong and O’Reilly.)
– Tony and Nigel hyped up the Dynasty card as Rampage wrapped up.
FINAL THOUGHTS: As I’ve mentioned many times, Rampage is always more fun when it’s live. That said, tonight’s show could have aired at any time, and barely offered much in the way of a connection to tomorrow’s Dynasty PPV, aside from the short O’Reilly/Strong showdown. In addition, unfortunately the first and second match had their own unique issues as detailed in my reactions, with neither really able to kick it into another gear. Check out the main event if nothing else. On to Dynasty! Until next week, stay safe everyone!
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: McGuire’s Mondays: Sure, AEW is good for pro wrestling… but how good?
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