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Welcome guys and girls and a very happy new year. This is our first Rampage of 2024 and we're kicking things off hot with trios action.
MATCH 1: THE HARDYS AND MARK BRISCOE VS KIP SABIAN, BUTCHER AND BLADE
Briscoe and Sabian are ready in the ring as we are straight into the action with no introductions. Hardys and Briscoe triple team on Sabian before he finally gets the tag to Blade. Jeff Hardy is tagged as Jeff connects with a snapmare followed by a dropkick and tag to Matt Hardy. Matt with a body splash from the middle ropes, followed by an attempt at the twist of fate. Butcher takes him down with a lariat as Sabian is tagged. Matt with the neckbreaker as Briscoe is tagged.
Some redneck kung-fu on display as Briscoe clears the ring. Briscoe with a flying dropkick through the ropes. Blade gains the upper hand on Briscoe as he takes it back into the ring. Blade with a chop, followed by Sabian hitting a cannonball. Butcher follows up with a spinning backbreaker. Jeff takes to the top for a diving splash/pin combo, but Sabian kicks out at 2. Matt gets the tag as Jeff launches off his brother’s back to deliver a splash onto Butcher and Sabian in the corner. Matt hits the twist of fate and Jeff follows it up with a swanton. Briscoe with the foggy splash and this one is all over.
Here is your Winner:The Hardys and Mark Briscoe
Nice opening match here. Good to see the Hardy boys get the win as they haven’t been booked too great recently. Nice little trio of Mark Briscoe and The Hardys. No doubt we will have these win some matches now then lose the title match.
MATCH 2: KRIS STATLANDER & WILLOW NIGHTINGALE V KENNEDI HARDCASTLE & NOTORIOUS MIMI
Stokley Hathaway interrupts to mock the challengers in the ring as he introduces Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale. She is thicker than a snicker and faster than a cat with whiskers, Kris Statlander! And her tag partner…Willow Nightingale. That was amusing from Stokely. His love for Kris and his hatred for Willow is actually quite fun to watch.
Mimi is getting scooped and slammed by both as they work together very well. Willow is charging in with a clothesline, as Hardcastle is tagged—nice shot to the back by Hardcastle, followed by a running uppercut. Mimi is tagged as she gets in a running boot. Both women try to back-suplex Willow, but she reverses it as Statlander is tagged—Statlander with a 2-for-1 clothesline followed by a power slam and a spinning suplex of Mimi onto Hardcastle. Willow tagged as she delivered a spinebuster to Mimi for the win.
Winner:Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale
Think this goes down as a squash with a purpose. Building up this storyline between Kris, Willow and Stokely was all this match needed to do and it worked. I’m really intrigued to see where this one goes. Stokely is also absolutely hilarious. I dream for the day him and Prince Nana share a ring.
MATCH 3: ANNA JAY VS SHIDA
This one heads straight to the outside, where Shida sets up a steel chair. Shida is looking to leap off the chair but Anna sidesteps and tosses her hard into the barricades. Shida tossed back into the ring as Anna stretched Shida between the steel posts. Shida is laying haymakers repeatedly on Anna and follows it up by hitting a delayed brain buster but Anna kicks out at 2. Anna misses a spinning kick as Shida grounds her with a lariat followed by the falcon arrow but Anna counters it and gets a rollup that’s reversed, Shida to the top and connects with the meteora and the katana and this one is all over.
Here is your Winner:Shida
Great showing by both here. I’m not really a massive Shida fan but I am fully aware of her talent. Anna Jay is improving every match I see her in. Big things for her this year I reckon. You wait and see.
MATCH 4: ROH PURE RULES CHAMPIONSHIP-WHEELER YUTA(C) VA KOMANDER
Nice flipping headlock takedown by Yuta that’s transitioned into a double wristlock. Komander manages to get to the ropes to cause a rope break. It’s Komander’s first one, and he has two remaining. Komander with a knee to the midsection and a transition into a single-leg crab. Yuta gets to the ropes to use his first rope break. Yuta takes a swing and misses as Komander hits a leapfrog. Hammer throw reverse as a lariat is blocked by Komander.
Komander, with a leg scissors takedown, sends Yuta out of the ring. Komander with a dive from the top rope. Komander tries charging at Yuta, and as clear as day, Yuta punches Komander in the face. This is in front of the ref and the judges. Remember, closed fists are banned in a Pure Rules match, as it’s an automatic disqualification and loss of the title. If you remember this is exactly what he done to Matt Sydel. Yuta has gotten away with this again. He really is living his best BCC life.
Komander rolls through and drives Yuta into the corner. An inside cradle follows but Yuta kicks out. Komander goes to the top but misses the phoenix splash. Yuta tries for a pinning combo, but there’s a kick out. Yuta with another wristlock hold to cause Komander to use his third and final rope break (he used his second one during the commercial break) Komander with a rollup as Yuta kicks out. Komander with a backheel kick as Yuta catches him with a boot. Yuta comes back with a suplex with bridge combo for a kick out. Series of reversal pin attempts. Yuta is on top with elbows to the face and another wrist lock hold. Komander gets to the ropes, but that is no use and he has to tap.
Here is your Winner:Wheeler Yuta
Not a bad main event. Never had Yuta down to lose this one and I was correct. Be interesting to see where this goes with Yuta using the closed fist every match and getting away with it. I feel this is going to keep going til we get a ROH Pure Champion legend stepping up and taking the title off Yuta. Yuta is great I will admit that but he just doesn’t convince as a heel.
Not a bad show from Rampage this week. Join me tomorrow for Collision.
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