Arena: Curtis Culwell Center
City: Dallas, Tx

It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means…  it’s time for our Rampage Review!

Last week the stars returned to Rampage and so did the fans.  We’ll see if a show including a world title match can continue the momentum.

BRYAN DANIELSON, WHEELER YUTA & JON MOXLEY VS GUNN CLUB

Story going in: Yuta fought his way into the Blackpool Combat Club last week

Kicking off with a bang, literally and figuratively, was extra pyro and the BCC.  (Wheeler really needs to change his entrance, that multi-colored video doesn’t fit the vibe).

Loud ‘Yuta’ chants as the youngster began against Austin Gunn, followed by ‘ass-boys’ as Yuta went after the limbs before tagging in BD who went straight for the Romero Special, Austin tagging his dad straight in after scrambling to his feet.  Danielson unloaded in the corner after Billy missed a splash, but a big right-hand from the former Outlaw floored Danielson as the break came.

Back ‘live’, the Gunns had Danielson down, until the burning hot tag to Moxley brought a loud ovation and a cacophony of clotheslines, half-and-halfs, back elbows, a superplex on Colton and a double DDT on the ass boys to cap it off.  Victory nearly arrived after a king kong lariat and a tag to Yuta, who hit a cross body from up high.

With the other four fighting on the outside, Yuta avoided a Fame-Asser to roll-up Billy Gunn for the win.

Pacy and hard-hitting, nice opener to continue the rise of Yuta.

WINNER: BCC

THE BUTCHER VS ???

Story going in: MJF is paying the AFO to protect him from Wardlow, who the Butcher will face on Wednesday

As soon as the graphic ‘The Butcher in action’ appeared, that settled it: this show will break the record set by Punk’s debut back in August.  Count-it.  Even more of a guarantee, we were graced with the presence of Shawn Spears on commentary.

A cross-body from the top failed and it was all downhill from there for whoever Butcher’s opponent was (there was no graphic and the mumbled commentary couldn’t be clearly heard).  A few blows preceded a powerbomb and the ref’s count.

WINNER: The Butcher

Dustin Rhodes cut his usual excellent promo, challenging ‘one of the greatest wrestlers’, a ‘dream match of mine’, CM Punk vs Dustin on Dynamite.

RUBY SOHO VS ROBYN RENEGADE, OWEN TOURNAMENT QUALIFIER

Story going in: Winner qualifies for Owen Hart tournament

Good to know Ruby’s still employed.

This went back and forth early, including rapid-fire headbutts to the air from Soho.  An Ultimo Dragon style kick to the face with Ruby balanced in the corner brought a two for Renegade as the ads arrived.

Slaps, strikes and kicks brought Soho back into it as Robyn rolled to the outside after raking the eyes.  As the ref checked on her, Robyn’s sister Charlette emerged from under the ring and took her place.

A senton from the top was easily countered as a result, but Ruby fought back with the No Future, leading to the twins switching again, Robyn getting a two with a roll-up from behind.  Finally, Soho hit a sort-of reverse Cross-Rhodes for the win.

A lot of the strikes looked weak, especially following the BCC.

WINNER: Ruby Soho

Next week’s Dynamite was plugged, including yet another ‘huge announcement’ from the owner.

Ahead of the main event, Hangman vowed to end Cole’s obsession with him, and maybe even his career.  Cole said he was better than Page.  Hangman got the better of this.

HANGMAN ADAM PAGE VS ADAM COLE, AEW WORLD TITLE, TEXAS DEATH MATCH

Story going in: Cole and co. have been after Page for months, incl. recently stealing his title, leading to Hangman making this challenge

Perhaps AEW are trying to make this Hangman’s ‘match’.  But it doesn’t seem all that long since the previous Texas Death Match.  Not to mention since last week’s bloody finale.

Given a good twenty minutes, this was far longer than your average Rampage main event.  The champ didn’t bother much with his entrance, striding straight down and backing Cole into the corner.

Dueling chairs started us off, quickly leading us to the outside, Page landing blows from the mount as the crowd cheered.  Continuing the abuse, Cole was flung into the steps and the announce table as ‘Cowboy S***’ played in the background.

Spilling into the crowd, Page continued to dominate as Hangman beckoned for a beer, clubbing Cole’s head before taking a swig.  The challenger fled back to the ring where the champ went topside, flipping off moonsault-style, landing a chair shot to Cole before taking a breather on said chair as a now-bloody Cole struggled to get back inside.

Solidly behind the champ, the crowd were enjoying this one as the break arrived.

We returned with Page still in control.  Not for long though, Cole clotheslining his opponent with a chain and a kick to the face.  Countering a superkick, Page dropped Cole spine-first onto a bridge made by back-to-back chairs; Taz, who knows about neck injuries, didn’t appear to be ‘selling’ as he audibly winced on commentary.

A Panama Sunrise was countered into the deadeye as both struggled to their feet, Cole using the ropes to help as he slid outside.  Ready and waiting, he blasted Page with a superkick as he came in to land from an ourihara moonsault, then, back in the ring, made good with a second Panama Sunrise attempt, the champion wobbling to his feet at nine, bleeding from the chin.

Back to the top, the two fought on the buckle, leading to Cole being hurled with what Scott Hall used to call the ‘sack of ****’ drop onto a pile of chairs.  Both were now struggling to answer the ten-count.

Placed on a chair, seated, mid-ring, Hangman sat himself down face-to-face with Cole, the two exchanging blows to the face up to their feet, upscaling into trading kicks as Cole cut-off Page readying the Buckshot, talking trash as the champion knelt on the ring apron before going to grab another chair.

Big mistake.  You don’t turn your back on Hangman when he’s on the apron, Cole treated to the BOOM himself as he was blasted with a Buckshot Lariat.

Tying him to the ropes, Page went outside for a chair wrapped in barbed-wire, but couldn’t bring himself to strike his old friend.  Cole had no such compunction, going after Hangman’s baby-maker, then landing superkicks but was cut-off by a lariat.

Pissed, the champion placed a barbed-wire crown on Cole, blasting him with a deadeye off the apron through a table.  With nothing left, Cole failed to answer and the champ retained.

WINNER: Hangman

An excellent main-event which did as much for Hangman as anything in his nearly six-month (doesn’t feel like it, does it?) reign.  Before a crowd which was solidly behind him, he dominated Adam Cole and gained a decisive win over a credible challenger.

GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO WATCH…

• Hangman vs Cole

Thanks for reading.  Have a great weekend!