It’s Friday so you know what that means. Welcome to this week’s edition of AEW Rampage and we are starting things off with no DQ and no count out grudge match. Santana v Ortiz
Match 1 No DQ: Mike Santana vs. Ortiz
We start with a stare down between both men. 11 years a team these two guys and what a team they were beating some of the absolute best but now that is all in the past and we have ourselves a grudge match. Santana throws the first punch but Ortiz connects with a leg lariat and a suicide dive to the outside. We didn’t stay in the ring for very long. Ortiz goes to town on Santana with a chair, kendo sticks, and garbage cans on the outside. Ortiz focuses on the injured knee of Santana before throwing him into the guard rail. Ortiz pulls a table out from under the ring and the crowd go wild. The crowd just loves a table don’t they? Tables get the biggest pops every time.
Suplex from the apron and an assai moonsault by Santana. Santana sets up a table on the guard rail, but Ortiz counters with a back body drop before power bombing Santana through the table. Santana’s head hit hard on that one. That was incredible. We finally get the action back in the ring, Ortiz gets a two count. Both men are on the apron now and Santana suplexes Ortiz off the apron on to a bed of chairs. HOLY SMOKES. Both men are trading punches in the middle of the ring and hit identical offense and both men are down. Rolling cutter by Santana, but Ortiz counters with a power slam and a brain buster. Two count. HOCKEY FIGHT TIME. This looks like an 11 year build up just all coming out. Santana pushes Ortiz from the top rope and connects with a spinning lariat. Cannonball in the corner and a big power bomb by Santana for the win.
Here is your Winner: Mike Santana
That was everything we thought it would be. We were never expecting a pure wrestling match but more of an all-out brawl and that’s exactly what we got. The crowd chanting fight forever during the fight just summed it all up for me. What a match. After the bell Santana went for a fist bump but Ortiz was having none of it. Ortiz is met on the ramp by Sonjay Dutt. Interesting turn of events. I wonder where this is heading.
We head to a video package to build up the title match on tomorrow AEW Collision. We get a recap of MJF and Kenny Omega’s indie careers leading up to joining AEW. We then see footage of Switchblade Jay White speaking with Kenny Omega backstage. Jay wishes him luck. If Kenny wins it’s going to be epic for their 1-on-1 match. Obviously this would change the main event for Full Gear. Be interesting how AEW play this one out. Meanwhile, Don Callis is trying to convince MJF that they should join forces. MJF has no interest in this and he tells Callis to get his forehead checked out. It looks like a vagina. Ahh that got me. You can’t not love MJF sometimes.
We're back to the ring where Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford are just throwing insults at the crowd. Obviously building for someone to come and interrupt and here he is. Mark Briscoe is back after time out through injury. Crown were pretty pumped to see Briscoe which is good. Briscoe clears Kip from the ring. Good to see Mark Briscoe back.
Match 2: ABADON VS WILLOW NIGHTINGALE VS ANNA JAY VS SKYE BLUE
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how terrifying Abadon is? It’s great to have her back. She offers something completely different to any other woman on the roster.
Skye and Willow gang up on Abadon while Anna rolls out of the ring. Abadon with a German suplex on Skye while Anna gets in forearm strikes on Skye. Abadon with a jawbreaker to Anna to send her off the ropes while Willow gets in a rollup for a kick out. Willow picks her up as Skye almost kicked Willow in the face. Abadon with a double chop block followed by a double face buster. Timeless Tony Storm has arrived to watch this match unfold. She’s taken a seat at the top of the ramp. Abadon and Skye exchange strikes as Willow delivers a double dropkick on them from the top rope. Willow with the hip attack to the corner. A clothesline follows on Abadon as Anna Jay plants Willow with a forearm to the face. Willow with the pounce on her as Skye jumps off the top rope to connect with a cross body on Willow. Willow kicks out as Abadon hits Skye with a knee strike.
Willow hits Anna with the spine buster. Pin attempt is broken up by Skye. Skye tried for code blue but Willow counters. Willow is sent shoulder first into a steel post corner as Skye and Anna double team on Abadon. Abadon trying to fight both off when Anna locks on the queenslayer. Skye comes out of nowhere with a super kick to Anna’s head. That looked awesome. Skye off the ropes as Willow drags her outside the ring by her ankles. Anna tries for the queenslayer again as Abadon reverses and hits her with a modified STO for the pin.
Here is your winner: Abadon
That was actually a really fun match. All four women gave a good account of themselves. I’m glad Skye Blue didn’t eat the pin on this one. I don’t seem to ever see her win and I am still hoping for her joining House of Black. However that aside im really glad to see Abadon win this one. She will obviously lose to Shida but it’s great to see her back on TV. I’m a huge Abadon fan even if she does genuinely terrify me.
It's time for your main event! I miss Mark Henry saying that so I'll have to do it myself.
Match 3. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kyle Fletcher
Don Callis has joint the announce table for this one, with Will Hobbs right by his side. Heavy chops by Takeshita and a shoulder block. Arm drag and a head lock takeover by Fletcher. Big body slam by Fletcher as Takeshita rolls to the outside, only to get dumped into the front row. Back in the ring, Fletcher comes off the top but Takeshita ducks and catches him with a huge Blue Thunder Bomb. Two count. Flying Takeshita-line and Takeshita is in control.
Vertical suplex attempt by Takeshita but Fletcher counters into a sheer drop brain buster as both men are down. Running enziguiri by Fletcher sends Takeshita to the outside, and he follows up with a suicide dive. Diving cross body back inside the ring by Fletcher for a two count. Fletcher looks for another big body slam but Takeshita blocks and lays in some elbows in the centre of the ring. Big rolling elbow but Fletcher eats it and delivers a half and half suplex. Big boot by Takeshita and a poisonrana Lariat by Takeshita.
Another sheer drop brain buster by Fletcher for another two count. Crowd has come alive for this one with “this is awesome” chants. Fletcher goes up top but Takeshita catches him with a huge elbow. Takeshita hits an avalanche overlook tombstone from the top rope. That was absolutely wild and crazy. These two guys are incredible. How on earth did fletcher kick out of that? Furthermore how is he still alive after that? Holy cow. Powerdrive knee misses but Takeshita rolls through with a tieres, holds on, into a wheelbarrow suplex. Super kick by Fletcher. Super kick by Takeshita. It’s a super kick party on Rampage. Powerdrive knee by Takeshita and Fletcher is finished.
What. A. Match. I have no words for how bloody amazing these two guys are. The sky is the absolute limit for both these men. Absolutely incredible. Post-match Fletcher takes a steel chair to the back of Hobbs who no-sells it as he chokes the life out of Fletcher. Callis comes in to call Hobbs off. Callis tells fletcher that all is good and the hate and the aggression is exactly what he was looking for from Fletcher. Callis tells Fletcher they are family. It would appear Fletcher is part of the Don Callis family. Let's be honest tho we all want this to be heading to a Don Callis family v United Empire match. That's what I want anyway. I guess time will tell.
A really good episode of Rampage this week. Three solid matches and we built up the Kenny MJF match. Solid show. See you tomorrow guys for AEW Collision.
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