AEW Rampage tonight comes to us from the Ryan Center on Rhode Island, NY.  After last week drawing 340,000 & a 0.10 in the 18-49 demo.

Against a lot of competition, that’s the lowest audience ever in the regular timeslot and ties the lowest demo.  Tonight’s show doesn’t suggest much improvement in these areas but who knows…

*****

Hook vs Ethan Page, FTW Rules, FTW Title

Backstory: A rematch from Weds when Hook beat Page quickly after Hardy hit Page with the belt

This is anything goes per Page’s request.

Ethan jumped Hook early but was easily fought off as Hook grabbed a table.  Shots to the gut followed, the youngster pursuing Page into the crowd, the two brawling up the stairs.

Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy were shown watching backstage.

The brawl continued for several minutes, this crowd already showing more energy than Wednesday’s did all night.

Still among the crowd, holding Page by the hair, Hook fired crossface shots, the fans counting along enthusiastically with every one; Hook seeming like a big star.

Break.

Just about back to ringside with Page well on top, the Canadian had time for an exchange with a front row fan.  Really like this about Page, he often jaws with the fans at ringside, getting them involved.

The pause resulting in a T-Bone on the outside, Hook pulling more toys from beneath the ring.  Page fired back, hoisting the youngster up for an Ego’s Edge through the table at ringside, Hook managed to slip out and drop Page via clothesline.

Page too saved himself from being tabled before hoisting Hook up atop his shoulders and giving the youngster wood via powerslam.  The first pin of the match buying Page a two count.

Finally back in the ring, after propping another table against the buckle, Page hit a chairshot to the gut.  But another backfired, Hook ducking and Page knocking himself loopy after the chair rebounded off the top rope.  That’s just spectacular heel work.

Wobbling into a Twist of Fate onto the chair, allowing Hook a two count.  But firing back with a pump kick, looking for the Ego’s Edge again, Hook clambering round into the Redrum to bag the win.

But he wasn’t done, pointing to the still-propped table and sending Page through it via T-Bone.

A fun opener very much made by a great crowd.  Page was an excellent heel here, the beers should be on Hook tonight.

Winner: Hook

It’s time.  Deep breath.

QT Marshall bought Hobbs a car because Wardlow’s too stupid to freeze his credit card.  They then talked about the Lucha Bros, making fun of their style and ‘that flippy crap’.

Harley told them to ‘break a leg’.  Marshall responded with ‘Who am I, Dante Martin?’

At least Dante doesn’t have to watch this garbage.  It’s the mental scars that stay with us folks.

The Acclaimed & 2.0 vs the Infantry, Bobby Orlando & LSG

Backstory: 2.0 ignored the Acclaimed turning them down on Weds, is that because they’re dumb or do they have a plan?

An ‘interesting’ match was up next, per Excalibur.  2.0 got a full entrance and promo time on a show where few get either.

‘I don’t even know why we’re a team’ was Caster’s verdict in his rap.

This crowd is so much better than Wednesday’s.  There’s actually energy and atmosphere.

A very quick Scissor Me Timbers looked set to lead to 4-way scissoring but the Acclaimed left 2.0 hanging.  The Arrival & Mic Drop got the win.

Post-match, Hager took out Gunn & 2.0 clocked the Acclaimed.  One of these teams was going to look dumb tonight, shame it was the babyfaces: the bottom-card heels getting the better of one of the hottest acts in the company.

Winner: The Acclaimed & 2.0

Swerve Strickland with a PSA.  Mogul Affiliates has merged with someone, have to watch later to find out who.  This better be good because Strickland’s too talented to be used this infrequently.

Darby Allin vs Lee Moriarty

Backstory: None

JR made fun of the name ‘Big Bill’ as the big man accompanied Moriarty.  Then informed us Allin got run over by a car yesterday.  Seriously.  And is entering with an injured back.

Might not want to admit you’re letting him wrestle given the recent CM Punk revelation about working hurt.

Beginning with mat-work as Jungle Boy & Sammy were shown watching backstage, Moriarty bridged out of a choke before Darby bagged an early two via roll-up.

Fans very into Darby.

Re-setting, they locked up once more, Moriarty’s height and strength bringing the advantage until stomping-in Allin’s chest.  Then sending him outside, going to work on the injured back until missing a running boot and colliding with the barricade.

After hurling Moriarty back inside, Allin was nailed by a Sizeable William big boot behind the ref’s back as the latter checked on Moriarty.  For once, the interference was timed perfectly so as not to make the ref look a moron.

Break.

Blasting Moriarty with a shotgun dropkick, Allin stumbled to the top, being caught half-way and dragged back down after further distraction from BB prevented a Coffin Drop.  Continuing to assault the back, Moriarty locked in a full nelson, transitioning into a release German then launching shots to the face.

Before dropping Darby gut-first across the ropes then booting him in the head.  A superplex followed, Allin got a couple quick twos with flash pins but was snatched into an abdominal stretch, the two jostled in and out of holds, Allin got a backslide for two, code red, best tope in the biz to BB, to the top, Coffin Drop, victory.

Very nice finishing sequence as all four Pillars keep winning.  Crowd here loved Darby.

*****

Following up on his promise, Swerve’s music hit with Darby on the ramp, distracting Allin long enough for Brian Cage to blast him with an F5 on the ramp.  Prince Nana followed, shaking hands with Swerve.  Don’t know why he has to be involved frankly.  Like the idea of Cage as Strickland’s muscle and he as Cage’s mouthpiece.

A big – literally and figuratively – improvement on Trench & Wannabee Brock anyway.

Winner: Darby Allin

RJ City annoyingly recapped the Jade/Taya situation while sitting between the pair.  Showing presence and charisma, Taya talked really well about legends using Jaded for years; Jade said bitch.  Then stormed off.  Taya said she’d be watching her match on BotB.

That’s one viewer anyway…

AEW must stop dressing up these glorified squabbles as ‘sit-downs’.  They inevitably contain one question, then bickering, then they end.

*****

They played a video package highlighting the main event as if it were months in making.

After missing the first part due to technical issues (drink at home), Julia was really good here.  Anna repeated what she said last week about having a ‘fat ass & a bad attitude’, calling Hart a ‘spooky bitch’ and threatening to choke people out.

Anna Jay vs Julia Hart

Backstory: Anna doesn’t like Julia for some reason, it wasn’t clear what that reason is

Julia also has one of the better entrances in AEW: her look, the music and lighting work perfectly to create a nice aura.

Anna attacked from behind before the bell so presumably she’s the heel here.  It didn’t work – Hart beat her around ringside, introducing Jay to the barricade.

Jay threw an elbow strike then ran away, catching Julia re-entering.  Hart quickly shook this off, hitting punches in the corner until being dropped neck-first across the top rope then dragged outside.  The favor returned as Anna flung her into the barricade, bringing the break.

Back on top as we returned, Hart smashed Jay’s head into every turnbuckle, thrust kick to the knee, another to the face, then a sledgehammer buying a count of two.  Standing moonsault for another.

But Anna caught her out of a handspring, up into the Queenslayer.  Freeing herself by backing Anna to the buckle, Julia hit a handspring then a back elbow in the corner, setting Jay atop the buckle.

Jay fought back, leaving Hart upside down in a tree of woe position.  From which she performed a sit-up to drag Anna off and hit a moonsault from the top for nearly three, screaming in frustration.

The two then looked for finishing holds: Julia for Hartless, Jay the Queenslayer, both blocking the other, ending when Hart ‘ran’ (slow motion would be too fast) them both out through the ropes as they spilled to the floor.

Hart threw a chair in, the ref stooping to remove it as she spat the black mist at Anna.  An inside cradle followed for the win.  Eerily, she sang along to her theme and smiled.

The right woman won here.

If I’ve seen Julia wrestle before, I don’t remember it.  But considering her age she’s very impressive – athletic with a nice presence.  The affiliation with the HOB and the entrance all helps.  She just needs more seasoning in the ring, particularly where character’s concerned: as she wrestles like any other wrestler despite an unhinged, almost supernatural character in everything else she does.

Before she was finished celebrating, Orange Cassidy’s music hit to begin Battle of the Belts.  Hart looked daggers at Cassidy: nice way to continue the feud with House of Black.

Winner: Julia Hart

_________________________________________________________________________

Next Dynamite:

• Chris Jericho vs Keith Lee
• Swerve Strickland vs Darby Allin – that’s an interesting one, neither can really afford to lose

Thumbs Up/Down

• Great crowd making for a lively environment
• Nice variation – crowd brawl, squash, technical match, grudge match
• Taya continues to come across well
• Julia Hart’s whole act, entrance etc
• Darby vs Moriarty, partic. the finishing sequence
• Swerve’s crew-upgrade

*****

• Bored of Jade, her finish is aptly named
• 2.0 vs Acclaimed should’ve long been finished

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the weekend!