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Iiiiits Friday so you know what that means. It's AEW Rampage and we're kicking things off with a title match.
MATCH 1: CONTINENTAL CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP-EDDIE KINGSTON(C) VS WHEELER YUTA
Both men start this by exchanging a few takedown/grapple holds before resetting. Yuta, with a nice arm takedown before going for a cover. A rope break soon follows as Kingston reaches for it in time before another lockup. Yuta finds Kingston in another pinning predicament before going for another rope break. Yuta quickly goes for a headlock as Kingston goes for a rope break. Yuta angrily kicks Kingston’s head as the action spills outside the ring. Yuta hits a suicide tope before returning to the ring to connect with a big crossbody. Kingston with the machine gun chops before Yuta focuses on Kingston’s right arm. Wheeler Yuta drives Kingston shoulder-first into the barricades.
Both men fight by the stage ramp, where Yuta stomps on Kingston’s right arm. Back inside the ring, Yuta tries for a cover as there’s another kick out. Yuta with a dropkick. Yuta going back to that right arm, trying to take away a large portion of Eddie’s offense. Yuta with a takedown followed by another lateral press for a kick out. It’s followed by kicks to the back of Kingston. Kingston with a capture suplex followed by an exploder. Kingston follows up with a spiked DDT but Yuta kicks out. Kingston sets up Yuta on the top rope and hits him with chops. Yuta with a diving DDT for a two-count. Yuta goes for an elbow strike on Eddie’s right arm. Yuta follows it up with a cross-arm breaker that transitions into a single armbar submission hold. Yuta hits a German suplex and gets a near fall. As Kingston kicks out, Yuta tries for a suplex and settles for a frog splash. Yuta with a series of kicks to the bad arm as Kingston somehow hits a back fist on his bad arm. It’s followed by a half & half suplex, and the northern lights bomb for the victory.
Here is your winner: Eddie Kingston
Great opening match here. Both guys showed just how good they are but it is going to take something special to take these titles off of Eddie. I can see him holding these for a while.
MATCH 2: SWERVE STRICKLAND VS MATT SYDAL
Swerve with a rollup but only a two-count. Sydal comes through with a bridge-pin for a two-count. Swerve to the top rope and connect with a diving elbow into the back of Sydal. Swerve with a torture rack before going for a lateral press for a kick out. Swerve tries picking up Sydal as Sydal counters with a leg scissors takedown. Swerve returns with a backbreaker as he bounces off the ropes and looks for a kick. Sydal counters with a roundhouse kick, followed by the airway crash for a near fall. Sydal misses a roundhouse kick as Swerve sets him up for the rolling flatliner and vertical suplex. Swerve climbs to the top for the stomp attempt but misses. Sydal gets stopped in his tracks as he tries to look for a rollup. Swerve plants him with the JML driver for the win.
Here is your Winner:Swerve Strickland
Glorified squash match but I just don’t feel Swerve needs these matches. This match was purely for the fans.
MATCH 3: HIKARU SHIDA VS QUEEN AMINATA
Shoulder tackle by both women goes nowhere. Shida comes through with another shoulder tackle that grounds the Queen. Shida unloads with a series of right hands to the head of Aminata. Aminata slips out of the corner and connects with a big elbow strike. A hip attack follows, as well as a boot to the side of the head. Aminata kicks Shida in the back. Shida comes back with a kick of her own as she invites Aminata to return the favor. Both women are slugging it out as Aminata unleashes a flurry of kicks to the back before bouncing off the ropes to deliver a knee to the midsection. Looks like Shida baited her there as she catches the knee and applies a great dragon screw. Shida follows up with a suplex that gets her a near fall. Both women exchange strikes as Aminata comes through with a headbutt and German suplex. Shida with a short-arm lariat. A near fall almost happens after Aminata rocks the head of Shida and tries for cover. Aminata catches a jumping knee to the face, followed by the falcon arrow for a kickout. Shida with the katana that’s on target as she picks up the victory.
Here is your Winner:Shida
Im yet to see Queen Aminata win and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. She seems to be on every show at the moment but the fans know nothing about her. Give her a little vignette and let us get to know her a bit.
MATCH 4: DADDY MAGIC, COOL HAND ANG, JAKE HAGER VS JOHN SILVER, ALEX REYNOLDS, EVIL UNO
A nice stalling suplex by Evil Uno as Silver is hitting anything that moves. Uno is tagged in, delivering clotheslines left and right. Uno lays out Parker as he follows up with a senton. Uno tries looking for the lariat as Parker dodges it before Silver is tagged. Silver with nice strong kicks to Parker before whipping out Hager outside the ring. Silver delivers a boot to the back of Parker’s head. Dark Order teams up in the ring for a big pendulum bomb on Parker as Menard breaks it up. Hager is tagged as Reynolds gets double DDT to the canvas. Hager follows up with the Hager bomb for a near fall. Hager slaps on the ankle lock as Negative 1 has Hager’s hat to cause a distraction. Hager gets it back while scolding the kid as Silver and Reynolds combine with a stunner, stun gun, suplex combo for the win. Some great double-team offense to close out the show.
Here is your Winner:Dark Order
Fun main event. This was purely in memory of the great Brodie Lee. Great respect shown here to Brodie and Dark Order were always winning this one.
No real surprises here. You could of predicted all these matches. We need some shocks and excitement on Rampage. It just isn’t working right now. Join me tomorrow for Collision guys.