AEW Rampage tonight comes to us from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO.  After last week drawing 373,000 & a 0.10 in the 18-49 demo.

So there’s yet another major announcement coming Wednesday.  We’ll see if it lives up to the billing…

*****

Konosuke Takeshita vs Sammy Guevara

Backstory: Guevara wants to prove himself worthy of a shot at MJF’s belt

For the most part, all I ask from a match is the outcome be unpredictable.  Guevara’s in the title hunt; Takeshita’s only had one televised win since vowing to return to Japan because he keeps losing.

Also helps that these two are awesome.

Sammy was still stripping as we started, right to a waistlock, Sammy ran through his series of flips into a dropkick then his spinning pose.  Crowd absolutely dead as Jungle Boy was shown watching backstage; Takeshita levelled Guevara with a forearm.

Before coming out of a cannon with a Takeshita-line, followed by the import mimicking Guevara’s pose and smiling broadly as Darby Allin too was shown watching

(Like that they’re doing this, all interested in one another’s matches/scouting the other as they compete for a title shot).

The announcers reported on Don Callis being left bloody by the BCC Wednesday, explaining his absence here.

Guevara responded by blocking an avalanche German then draping Takeshita across the ropes for a dropkick.  Takeshita answering via big boot before taking flight with a tope con hiro: nasty landing for both, Takeshita on his back but also partly on Sammy’s knee.

Break.

Takeshita fired shots to the gut, Guevara loudly announced a brainbuster; Takeshita countering into one of his own as Melo looked on in shock.  Both thought jumping knee strike, banging joints; Sammy missed a roundhouse then ate a release German with Takeshita still on his knees.  Impressive.

Elbow strike from Guevara out of the corner, Takeshita caught him into something like a Styles Clash before Sammy flipped out of a deadlift German into a Spanish fly for two.  Heading to the top, Guevara landed on his feet out of shooting star press, briefly favoring his knee but recovering to hit a destroyer.

Not learning, he headed back upstairs, paying for it when caught out of a cutter into a blue thunder bomb for another two.

Takeshita himself headed up top, Guevara raced to meet him, both stood atop the buckle, Takeshita finally hit a release German then battered Sammy with a lariat for another close count.

Until Tay grabbed the leg, Sammy hit a leaping knee then the GTH to sneak the win as Excalibur screamed that ‘this is theft!’  Backstage, Allin half-mockingly applauded; Perry shook his head.

Some very cool moves and sequences; felt like it was still getting going.  Didn’t have the time to be as good as it could.

It was Perry last week, presumably Wednesday will be Sammy’s turn to confront MJF one-on-one since whoever does so in Long Island will be booed anyway.

Winner: Sammy Guevara

Unfortunately, QTV’s not dead as the quest to make a new top heel continues.  Oh, you thought I meant Hobbs?  Nope, see this one was all about Marshall’s new finisher.

The ‘Dirt Sheet Driver’, which he ‘stole from Kobashi’.  ‘Sausage?’ enquired Solo.

‘The marks already love it cause it’s from Japan,’ QT continued.

Before it was suggested he hit it four times in a row and call it the Dirt Sheet Symphony as they all chanted ‘QTTTTTTT, QTTTTTT’ a la Wardlow.

Burnt my knuckle on a grill the other day, far less painful than watching this excruciating exercise in televised masturbation.

Hobbs, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen.  So now we’re only wasting television time rather than wasting television time and dragging down a young talent.  Progress.

*****

Lexi Nair with Matt Hardy & Ethan Page – Matt has handled all the paperwork for Ethan’s upcoming match with Hook since Stokely’s absent.  ‘You got my back? Gimme yours…’ said Page with a big smile as he used Matt’s back to sign the doc while Hardy gave a can you believe this guy? look to the camera.

This angle’s a lot of fun.

Kings of the Black Throne vs Best Friends

Backstory: None

Damn man, the HOB are neither opening or closing?  And still we don’t get Malakai’s entrance.  Been far too long.

Sparked by JR, all four commentators listed people with sleep apnea.  Not making that up.

Malakai hit a shot to the gut, Trent responded with a leaping double knee but was quickly blasted by a stiff kick.  Tag to Taylor, Malakai ducked a wild swing and hit a flurry ending with a knee to the gut.

To the corner for chops and deliberate, measured punches, Black dragged Taylor to the heels’ corner as the HOB doubled up; Taylor briefly fought back with a boot to the face but ate one from Malakai into a King lariat, Trent broke up the pin before it got dangerous.

The House then beat the Friends around ringside as the ads arrived.

Slugging it out in the middle, Trent got the tag, knocked Brody off the apron, discus shot to Black, avoided Brody in the corner, dropped Malakai with a suplex, hit a tornado ddt on Brody who rolled outside where Beretta hit a crisp tope then a shotgun dropkick on Malakai back inside for two.

Then spoiled it all with a half-and-half soul food combo before the stupid hug.  Fittingly, King smashed Chuck immediately, Trent bridged him outside but was caught and chokeslammed neck-first against the apron after being caught mid-tope.

Why on earth does Beretta keep doing these things on his surgically repaired neck?  Please stop.

Chuck prevented a Black chairshot, paying for it by being blasted through the table at ringside via King powerbomb as Trent hit King with a chair and Malakai did likewise to Trent for a rare DQ/stoppage.

The hell?

The House were beating down Taylor, readying their finish as Cassidy’s music hit.  Though he was quickly taken out by Buddy Matthews.  Excalibur insinuated that this was all part of the HOB’s plan.  See they knew Trent was itching to hit someone with a chair mid-match.

They then completed Dante’s Inferno.

That’s quite a comedown from facing the Elite & Jericho.  The HOB continue to be overlooked, even after winning back to back matches against big stars.

Winner: Kings of the Black Throne

A look at the everlasting rivalry between Swerve and Keith Lee.  Lee said Swerve was upset he took out his guys, who are apparently still gone.

Then warned Swerve that he knew what he had to do and had a nice line about burying Swerve to make him an ‘underground rapper’.

Strickland said he’ll ‘cherish the day I take you out for good’.

Look forward to that one in 2025.

Taya Valkyrie vs Marina Shafir

Backstory: Taya’s threatened with a court order courtesy of Jade Cargill if she uses Road to Valhalla/Jaded

Interesting to see Shafir used this way after Jon Moxley talked her up on Renee’s show this week.  On the subject, she very deliberately removed her shoes and socks before the match, as Moxley had suggested because he likes the way she moves barefoot in Bloodsport.

Jade etc. came out to watch.

Shafir targeted the arm, transitioning into a choke, missing a running knee, Valkyrie hit a knee and a clothesline for an unsuccessful pin attempt.

More Shafir kicks to the shins, Valkyrie struggling, Shafir looking for a body scissors, Taya blocking it, blocking a knee strike too, another lariat, up into Road to Valhalla for the win.

This was a match trying to do two things at once and achieving neither as a result.

The court processor Jade hired brought a court order to Taya.  Who smilingly took the document then hit Road to Valhalla on her too.

A furious Jade had to be held back from rushing the ring.

It’s like they just wrote Banned Move Angle next to this feud without any thought as to how to go about it.

Winner: Taya Valkyrie

Anna Jay with Lexi backstage.  Why did she attack Julia Hart Wednesday?  Apparently, Hart had irritated Jay at some point during the JAS/HOB match.

‘Pain doesn’t bother me cause I’ve got a fat ass and a bad attitude’.  (I’m at least one for two on that and pain definitely bothers me.)

Before calling Hart a ‘spooky bitch’ then doing her whole ‘unhinged’ I’m gonna choke you out thing.  Lexi ran for it.

Still no real idea why she attacked Julia.

*****

They replayed Robinson’s rasping promo advising Starks to watch what he did to Andretti.

*****

Battle of the Belts IV is next Friday.  Nothing was announced for it.

Juice Robinson vs Action Andretti

Backstory: Robinson’s vowed to do to Andretti what he wants to do to Ricky Starks, ahead of their match next Wednesday

Similar to Takeshita/Sammy this one’s somewhat tough to predict.  Presumably Juice takes the W ahead of his clash with Ricky next week.  But that’d further diminish Andretti, who already feels forgotten.

Juice got at least some reaction from the crowd.  More than can be said for Andretti.

Flying out the blocks, a rabid Juice was quickly rolled up for two after Action dodged a lariat.  The youngster continued to get the better of the vet’s aggression: slipping out of a belly to back, blocking a lariat then taking him down via springboard armdrag.

Responding, Robinson hit stiff chops in the corner, shrieking at Andretti, very loudly in a silent arena: ‘come on Ricky Starks!’ (This feud just doesn’t have near enough behind it for either to be acting the way they are.  Though at least Juice’s gimmick is that he’s unhinged.)

Andretti came back with a tejeiras, following with a tornillo off the bottom rope.

Rare break with the face on top.

A chestbreaker left Action down as a low ‘Let’s go Ricky!’ chant started.  Amused me anyway.

Continuing to work the gut via kitchen sink, Juice had Action down again before flinging him hard to the buckle and continuing to call the youngster ‘Ricky’.

Andretti fled to the apron, ducked a shot, diving elbow strike, another, Juice staggering, a smooth diving-spinning uppercut, enziguri, tope suicida, Robinson down on the outside, Andretti back to the apron, springboard moonsault, landing on his feet, springboard lariat back inside, the crowd warming up a bit at this rapid onslaught as Action finished with a ddt for two.

Following with a kick to the face but running into a leg lariat; Juice is Loose for the win.

Robinson then set up Roshambeaux, posing a la Starks as Ricky’s music hit to run off the heel.

They REALLY pushed Khan’s major announcement, including going off the air doing so.

Winner: Juice Robinson

_________________________________________________________________________

Next Dynamite:

• Ricky Starks vs Juice Robinson
• The Gunns vs FTR, Tag Titles (If FTR lose they leave AEW)
• Jamie Hayter vs Riho, Women’s Title
• MJF Day
• BCC to talk
• Tony Khan ‘Very important announcement’
• Acclaimed to answer 2.0 & JAS
• Ethan Page vs Hook, FTW Title
• House of Black vs Orange Cassidy & Best Friends, Trios Titles

Thumbs Up/Down

• Both Takeshita/Guevara & Juice/Andretti were somewhat hard to predict
• Matt Hardy ruining the Firm from the inside continues to be enjoyable

 *****

• Could be my fault for expecting too much, but Takeshita/Guevara did not live up to lofty expectations
• The same crowd who were on fire Wednesday were dead
• Nothing happened that you had to see – on the contrary most of this was spent setting things up for the real show on Weds

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the weekend & ‘Mania if you’re watching.