AEW Rampage (November 25, 2022) originated at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. The Black Friday afternoon show featured 10 Turning Heel on the Dark Order, Claudio Castagnoli risking his pro wrestler status for a shot at the ROH World Championship, FTR defending the ROH Tag Titles against Top Flight, and much more.
Let’s jump straight into a recap of the show, followed by reactions.
Excalibur, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone commented. Ian Riccaboni joined the team for the ROH Tag title fight. Justin Roberts assumed ring announcer duties.
ROH World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs Top Flight
Top Flight used their speed to frustrate FTR. The champions often fought defensively. FTR relied on resilience to create opportunities. Dax Harwood crushed Dante Martin with a Slingshot Powerbomb, then Cash Wheeler flew in for a splash. Darius Martin leveled the pile to break the pin. Top Flight quickly recovered for a DDT from Darius to Harwood, then Dante landed a Flying Splash. Wheeler grabbed Darius onto the stack to break the pin.
The match broke up into moves everywhere. Standing Spaniard flew from Darius to Wheeler, Brainbuster from Harwood to Darius, then Dante went into a series of roll-ups on Harwood. While Darius was still out, Dante was playing cat-and-mouse jumping over FTR like a gummy bear drinking gummy berry juice. FTR eventually caught him for a big rig to win.
FTR defeated Top Flight.
Afterwards, the Gunns came on stage with a huge bag of popcorn to get FTR’s attention.
Will Hobbs narrated Hobbs’ book as he rode his vehicle through the streets of Oakland. Just as everyone has taken everything that meant something to them, they will take everything that means something to you.
Chris Jericho was flanked by the Jericho Appreciation Society to celebrate the ocho. Claudio Castagnoli interrupted and asked for another title fight. Access denied by Le Champion. Daddy Magic jumped in with an idea. Claudio used to be a fantastic sports entertainer and he would be a great addition to JAS. This suggestion made Jericho’s nipples hard. If Claudio loses, then he joins JAS. Claudio accepted the terms. While Claudio believes he would be a tremendous asset to JAS, he thinks he’s an even better professional wrestler. This championship battle will be the main event of the ROH Final Battle PPV on December 10th.
Toni Storm seriously considered her Full Gear loss. She’s proud of Jamie Hayter, but she couldn’t look at herself in the mirror winning by cheating like that. Storm broke her face when she lost the women’s championship and she will break her face again if that’s what it takes to get it back.
Darby Allin vs. Anthony Henry
Sting and JD Drake were at ringside. Allin and Henry had a deep intimacy through matches on the indies. Henry used this to his advantage for timely counterattacks against Allin’s signature offense to gain the upper hand. Henry also had Drake on the outside for physical support. After Drake slammed Allin with an uppercut, Sting stalked Drake down for a heavy clothesline and threw him against the barricade.
Henry hit a superplex and rolled through on the mat for a second suplex. Allin countered with a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin ended the match with the coffin drop and won.
Darby Allin defeated Anthony Henry.
Athena was suspended for hitting referee Aubrey Edwards. The Fallen Goddess returned the punishment and apologized tonelessly. Athena turned her attention to Mercedes Martinez. It’s about time she showed up. When will Martinez defend the ROH Women’s World Championship? Athena is game.
Hikaru Shida vs Queen Aminata
Bunny and Penelope Ford took the stage before the opening bell. Aminata used the distraction to attack. Shida quickly recovered for a Falcon Arrow Slam and a Katana Knee for the win. Bunny and Ford folded after Shida won.
Hikaru Shida defeated Queen Aminata.
Mark Henry interviewed the main event attendees. 10 was missing and the Dark Order didn’t know where he was. Anyway, the Los Ingobernables harassment ends tonight. News flash, smooth. Blade is ready to kick ass. Butcher chimed in that the Dark Order are invited to an ass-kicking party. Rush is fed up with the chatter. He’s ready to fight. Enough talk. Henry concluded, “It’s Main Event time!”
Dax Harwood was excited to step into the ring with the best wrestlers in singles action this year. He called his shot for another challenge. Harwood vs. Bryan Danielson was booked for Dynamite.
Rush, Butcher & Blade vs. John Silver, Alex Reynolds & 10
Bunny and Jose The Assistant were at ringside. 10 was nowhere to be seen. The Dark Order fought at a disadvantage, but they didn’t back down. Unfortunately, the numbers game was too much. Whenever the Dark Order gained momentum, Los Ingobernables worked wisely to regain control.
Suddenly Evil Uno and -1 came on stage and waved 10 in to sprint to the ring. The masked man approached Rush. Words seemed to be exchanged. Rush raised his fist in the air Ingobernables style, then turned to clothesline Silver. Boos rained down.
Evil Uno rushed to the ring, but Butcher and Blade held him back. Rush hit the Bull’s Horns with a dropkick in the corner to pin Silver for the win.
Rush, Butcher & Blade def. John Silver, Alex Reynolds & 10.
The consequences were despicable. Rush sent Reynolds to a discuslariat at 10. The same goes for Evil Uno. Rush and 10 double chokes slammed Reynolds off the apron through a table. -1 stood on the stage in disbelief. 10 went and took off his mask, threw it at -1’s feet and laughed at the child’s tears.
News flash, smooth. (I love this line from Blade.) 10 is now officially a paragraph. And a runaway rundown tramp. It goes perfectly with Los Ingobernables.
The effectiveness of the heel twist is difficult for me to judge. I’ve never really cared about the Dark Order unless Hangman Page was involved. They definitely deserve a spot in AEW for the quality of roster depth. It’s just that I’ve never been interested in promoting their success. When I turned 10, I experienced no emotional reaction.
That said, I acknowledge that all the elements were there. The drama of 10 missing, the high spirits when he arrived, then the evasive twist of a bastard. 10 cemented his decision by beating up the crew after the match. There was no hesitation in his choice. 10 was all in to join Rush. If there was any doubt, 10 cleared that up by tormenting -1. This connection is well known in AEW lore. Mr. Brodie Lee selected 10 for the Dark Order and 10 became -1’s favorite wrestler. That was tantamount to spitting -1 in the eye and dumping it on his father’s grave. For any fans who deeply love the Dark Order, I could imagine this turn of events to be genuinely disturbing.
The Gunns had the right attitude on FTR vs. Top Flight, even if the Ass Boys were sarcastic. Grab the popcorn and enjoy the action. The athleticism and creativity of Top Flight never ceases to amaze. FTR treated the meat and potatoes with heaping spoonfuls of gravy. FTR used this match to present Top Flight as the future of the tag team division. Mission accomplished. Top Flight shone with a defeat.
It’s Stitch! His involvement in the Darby-Allin match was a lot of fun. The game itself highlights AEW’s common puzzle. The action was solid. The problem is that Henry is an unknown relative and has pushed Allin to the limit. The story about the past in indie matchups makes sense but needs mentioning in a hype pack. Explaining this angle on comments isn’t good enough to be invested in the game. AEW has performed the same scenario multiple times over the years and has yet to find the perfect mix. It’s often the difference between appropriate content and great content.
I’m mixed on the ROH World Championship regulations. The PPV match is going to be good, so that’s a positive. The condition feels hokey, although it fits into the realm of sports entertainment and also justifies Claudio getting another chance without deserved it. The condition gains momentum by toying with Blackpool Combat Club’s uncertain future after William Regal crossed Jon Moxley in favor of MJF. That leaves Claudio’s future at AEW a mystery. Joining JAS could very well be the next step in his career. When that happens, I hope Claudio embraces being the sports entertainer he was born to be. I am not interested in any servant/slave performing acts against their will to test their loyalty.
As for Claudio, who will ultimately dethrone Jericho, this pick doesn’t feel exactly exhilarating due to JAS versus BCC fatigue. Jericho might run out of ROH champion enemies, so this would wrap the story up in a neat little package. However, I love the Ocho story and want it to continue for as long as possible.
The best part of this promo segment was Jericho’s nipples getting hard at Daddy Magic’s suggestion. That has to be the ultimate compliment for Daddy Magic. You can tell by the reaction of the other JAS members.
Thumbs up for the Book of Hobbs vignette. I enjoy these types of outside scenes that add flavor to the show, not to mention the personality of the wrestlers. I think that was meant as a general message, but Hobbs could still have Wardlow and Samoa Joe in mind. When I mentioned a higher being, I wondered about Miro. If Miro comes back to clash with Hobbs it would be a glorious Hoss fight.
For the women’s department, the scenes with Toni Storm and Athena were good at keeping her on screen and pushing her motives forward. Shida handled the business, and it’s nice to see a potential feud between Bunny and Penelope Ford unfold. More activity for the division is always a plus.
grade B-
Typical Rampage quality. This particular episode had a bit more story development than usual. The note can swing high or low depending on how personally invested the viewer was in the story being told with the 10 heel spin.
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