Arena: Kia Forum

City: Los Angeles, CA

Last Week’s Rating: 551,000 overall; 0.15 in 18-49 demo

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

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Darby Allin vs Juice Robinson, TNT Title

Backstory: Juice challenged Darby Wednesday

Another in the long line of wrestlers we – and perhaps the company themselves – might’ve forgotten they’d signed.  Robinson didn’t even get an entrance.  They shouldn’t assume everyone knows who he is; he has to be established first.

Cagey start leading to Allin snatching a headlock which Juice could not get him to relinquish until finally landing a belly to back.  Darby got the knees up on a senton – immediately back to the head lock.

A series of quick arm drags followed until Allin took the nastiest back body drop over the ropes since Shawn at the ‘98 Rumble.  Juice beat him around ringside, dropping him face-first on the steps as the ads arrived.

In the ring as we returned, Robinson was landing snapping jabs until Allin got his feet up to counter an attack in the corner then launched himself through the ropes at Juice.  Back inside once more, Robinson this time landed the senton, thrice, for a two count.

Then came off the top, Darby moved, Juice hauled him atop the shoulders, dropping him via gutbuster but missing with a senton in the corner.  Allin got two with a code red then headed up for a Coffin Drop.

Juice cut him off then hit a lariat off the top with Allin perched on the ropes, following up with a jackhammer for another two.

Then went for an avalanche edition; Allin countered into the Scorpion Death Drop – mid-flight – in a hell of a spot, then hit the Coffin Drop for the win.

Crowd quiet for this, perhaps tired but also perhaps not properly aware of who Robinson is?  Not seen anything special in him personally.  Yet.

Jericho said that ‘in a lot of ways (Juice) won because he had a great showing’.  By all means tell us he ‘won’ because he beat Darby up and dominated the match; not because he had a ‘great showing’.

They talked about Allin going to Japan to wrestle in Muta’s last match.

WINNER: Darby Allin

More Book of Hobbs.  This time he was reading from a literal book.  He broke a phoenix from the flame’s neck and is going to scatter the ashes all over everyone he hurts in AEW.

Didn’t he attack a random dude a few weeks ago?  Is this going anywhere?  Was he being literal and is going after Rey Fenix?

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The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn were with Renee.  Caster had a line about ‘blood money’ & ‘selling out’.  This was heavily edited since Caster completely screwed up the first attempt live and had to do a re-take.

They were about to leave a scissor imprint in some ‘cement’…

When the Ass Boys came out to complain that the Acclaimed had stolen their dad.  The champs lulled them then pantsed them and pushed them into the cement.  Wasn’t there a plan to one day main event a ppv with a tag?  This angle might just be the one.

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Renee with Swerve and Mogul Affiliates.  Including – I assume – Puff Daddy’s son?  Strickland said they’d be the most violent, gruesome group in AEW and he wasn’t wrestling this week since he’s tired of beating people up.  Still no name for his other backup guy.

Kings of the Black Throne vs Eddie Kingston & Ortiz

Backstory: Malakai’s been sewing dissent among the faces & appealing to Eddie’s dark side

And still we’re deprived of Black’s theme & entrance.  Though at least the HOB finally have a storyline.

Kingston got a huge pop as his music hit and a loud ‘Eddie’ chant as the match began.  Be fighting the crowd if they turn him.

Starting quickly, King & Ortiz hit hard, the latter with a dropkick to the knee then the chest after absorbing stiff chops from Brody.  Tag to an uninterested-looking Kingston who shoved King away and pointed to Black.

Right to a grapple, the pair jostled until Malakai avoided a shot in the corner, hit the ropes but was struck with a chop.  Black avoided the Uriken, Kingston ended up on his ass, Black sat down in his pose, facing Eddie.

Ads.

Brody absolutely crushed Kingston with a senton in the corner, Ortiz broke up the pin as we were shown footage of a ‘stubborn’ Eddie refusing to tag during the break.  Brody ran through him with a lariat, Eddie popped up to hit a half-&-half after an enziguri.  Both down.

Ortiz begged for the tag, Malakai interrupted, Ortiz hit a ddt through the ropes and Eddie hit an exploder for two.  Black came back with a jumping knee, Ortiz again tried to help but ate a knee himself.  Eddie took advantage again to bag two.

Buddy Matthews slid right into the ring with a chair, Julia came in and screamed, all right in front of the ref.  Ortiz, in illegally, also in front of the ref, argued with Eddie, Black hit his kick to win.

Decent action; dogs*** booking.  The House do not always win in that regard.

WINNER: Kings of the Black Throne

Lexi with Jade Cargill & Leila Gray.  Cargill pretended Red Velvet didn’t exist and talked smack about her.  That was about it.

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Renee interviewed Paul Walter Hauser & his Golden Globe award.  Speaking of inanimate objects, Jarrett & co. came out to interrupt.  You know how this ended: splinters of balsa wood everywhere.  They also stole his award.  The Best Friends & Orange chased them off.

Hauser made a comment about ‘bypass(ing) Connecticut and head(ing) straight to Jacksonville’ and was very good on the mic.

This felt like a segment absolutely jammed in to get a celeb on the show.  Sonjay Dutt makes me want to murder television.

Anna Jay & Tay Melo vs Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale, Street Fight

Backstory: Tay broke Ruby’s nose in September, they’ve been feuding since she returned

The faces attacked as the heels were making their entrance.  The four brawled down the ramp.  This main event was so important the announcers spent the first few minutes announcing matches for Dynamite so I missed what was happening in noting those.

Ruby came up bleeding from the head as the ads arrived.

The heels were well on top as we returned, Anna readying the Queenslayer with barbed-wire round her arm.  Soho broke it up with chain assisted punches, Tay hit her with a garbage can lid.  Willow dragged both heels off the top as they setup a superplex on Soho, bringing all three crashing down.

Then flung Anna into the corner.  Melo hit a very tame chair shot.  Then was drilled with a spinebuster by Willow who then got two after yet another senton in the corner.

JR kept calling one of the company’s top heels ‘Chrissy’.

Nightingale setup a dr. bomb, Tay fought her off but ate No Future courtesy of Ruby.  Then setup a table at ringside as Anna was powerbombed off the stage by Willow, completely missing the table below – hope she’s okay.

Tay hit a Gotch-style piledriver on Soho off the apron and through the table at ringside.  Crazy risky.  Before scattering thumbtacks and trying to force a blood-caked Soho face-first into them.

Soho fought her off and nailed her with Destination Unknown into the tacks to bag the win.

Excalibur said that Ruby ‘begrudgingly’ gave Willow respect.  Weren’t they partners who displayed absolutely no problems all match?

This was a wild, bloody brawl and the girls all worked really hard and took a lot of risks.  But these type of matches really aren’t my thing.  Even more so with females involved.  Call me old-fashioned or whatever – a sure way for a sentence to end badly – I don’t like seeing women being beaten and bloodied.

WINNER: Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale

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Next Dynamite:

• Hangman promo with Renee
• Young Bucks vs Top Flight
• Orange Cassidy vs Jay Lethal, All-Atlantic Title
• Kushida vs Darby Allin, TNT Title
• Bryan Danielson vs Bandido
• Jake Hager vs Ricky Starks

Next Rampage:

• Daniel Garcia vs Action Andretti

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Overall impressions

An absolute blur of rushing from one thing to the next, no time for anything or anyone to sink in, so nothing felt important or worthwhile.  In short, an overbooked mess.

Check Out

• The main event if you’re into that type of match

Thanks for reading.  Have a great weekend!