By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 46)
Taped June 22, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
Aired June 24, 2022 on TNT
The Rampage opening aired… Excalibur, Chris Jericho, and Taz were on commentary…
1. Andrade El Idolo (w/Jose) vs. Rey Fenix (w/Alex Abrahantes). Both men were already in the ring and the bell rang to start the match. Fenix performed the Three Amigos suplexes early on. Fenix went to the ropes, but Andrade rolled to the floor to avoid him. Fenix did a double jump leap into a flip dive onto Andrade on the floor. They returned to the ring where Fenix performed a suplex into a bridge for a two count.
Fenix ran up the ropes and was followed by Andrade, who shoved him to the floor heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] Andrade caught Fenix on the ropes and hit him with a double stomp and then covered him for a near fall. Fenix came back with a springboard dropkick and then a wild cutter that resulted in a near fall of his own. Fenix went for a top rope frog splash, but Andrade put his knees up and hooked him into a pin for a near fall.
Fenix tried to run across the top rope at Andrade and fell to the mat. Fenix held his knee while the broadcast team said Andrade pulled the ropes. Andrade went for a running knee on the apron. Fenix moved out of the way, causing Andrade to knee the ring post. Fenix went up top and performed a double stomp to the back of Fenix heading into a break. [C]
Fenix performed a top rope Spanish Fly. He covered Andrade, who put his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin. Jericho called Gorilla Monsoon one of the greatest commentators of all-time and said he would have pointed out that Fenix failed to hook the leg when he went for the pin. Fenix went to the corner and held his left knee.
Jose slipped a table to Andrade, but the referee stopped him from using it. Andrade ended up kicking Fenix’s bad knee. Andrade set up for a Figure Four and let out a Wooo, but Fenix stuffed it and sent Andrade to ringside. Fenix’s knee made an amazing recovering as he ran at full speed and dove onto Andrade. Jose tried to trip Fenix before the dive. Abrahantes entered the ring and bickered with Jose, which distracted the referee.
Rush showed up at ringside and kicked Fenix in the balls. Rush rolled Fenix inside the ring where Andrade hit him with his Hammerlock DDT finisher and pinned him.
Andrade El Idolo defeated Rey Fenix in 17:50.
After the match, Andrade and Rush unveiled their La Faccion Ingobernable t-shirts. Rush ripped the mask off of Fenix. Abrahantes covered Fenix’s head with a towel. Penta Oscuro ran out and chased Andrade and Rush from the ring…
Powell’s POV: A hot opening match. It didn’t set up anything for the pay-per-view. In fact, neither guy can work the Forbidden Door show due to politics between NJPW, CMLL, and AAA. Even so, it was a fun match that the crowd seemed to love. I’m filling in for Colin McGuire tonight, but he will be back on Sunday with his weekly New Japan Strong television review.
Eddie Kingston delivered a backstage promo. He told everyone to buy and enjoy Forbidden Door. He plugged his six-man tag match for the pay-per-view and then spoke about the Blood & Guts match. He said he won’t be satisfied until he tastes Chris Jericho’s blood. Kingston said he would see Jericho at Blood & Guts and said he can’t wait to taste his blood…
Excalibur hyped AEW’s daily fantasy sports partner. Jericho said Kingston wanting to taste his blood was disgusting. Jericho said Kingston would be put inside a cage where he belongs at Blood & Guts… The daily fantasy sports partner’s ad for their AEW game was shown… [C]
Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee delivered a backstage promo. Strickland got the crowd to say “Swerve’s House.” Strickland said he and Lee would face Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Desperado, and then he and Lee will get back to showing the love. Lee said that he and Strickland have not on the same page. Lee said they can get there, but they have to keep winning…
2. Mercedes Martinez and Serena Deeb vs. Sierra and Laynie Luck. Martinez and Deeb received televised entrances while their opponents were already in the ring. Deeb bridged while she had Luck in a leg lock, but Luck reached the ropes to break it. A short time later, Martinez and Deeb applied simultaneous submission holds and got the win. Martinez and Deeb jawed at one another afterward…
Mercedes Martinez and Serena Deeb defeated Sierra and Laynie Luck in 3:20.
A video package aired on Tully Blanchard Enterprises with Brian Cage, Toa, and Kaun… [C]
Powell’s POV: The match was just a showcase for Martinez and Deeb, who are apparently bickering partners. I’m not sure AEW women would form tag team when there are not AEW Tag Titles. Unless… No, not more title belts in AEW. Anyway, Tully Blanchard Enterprises made a big splash at the ROH Supercard of Honor event back in April, but I think this is the first time they’ve been mentioned on AEW television.
ROH Champion Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty were interviewed by Lexi Nair. She congratulated Moriarty on his wins on AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation. He said it was time to cash in those wins for a shot at Gresham’s championship. Tully Blanchard showed up and said his men were more deserving. Gresham proposed that he and Moriarty face members of Tully Blanchard Enterprises, which Blanchard accepted…
Powell’s POV: I’m guessing that Gresham appearing on this episode means he won’t be Bryan Danielson’s replacement on Sunday, as some have speculated. I suppose stranger things have happened, but I’m with the masses in hoping for Cesaro/Claudio Castagnoli. My total long shot dark horse is Biff Busick, who worked as Oney Lorcan in NXT.
3. Hook vs. The DKC. Hook’s entrance was televised while DKC was already in the ring. Hook was dominant to start, but DKD avoided a move in the corner and hit him with several chops. Hook eventually suplexed him. Hook grabbed DKC by the hair and then hit him with shots to the head. Hook applied the Redrum for the submission win…
Hook beat The DKC in 1:45.
Powell’s POV: Hook took a few chops, but it was another dominant win.
Mark Henry hosted the split-screen interview with Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood on one side, and Jeff Cobb and Great O Khan on the other. Wheeler said he knows Cobb is one of the most powerful men in wrestling, but he’ll never back down from a fight. Wheeler said Cobb wouldn’t walk out 100 percent and would not walk into Forbidden Door at 100 percent.
Cobb told Wheeler to put some respect on his name. He boasted that he’s a 2004 Olympian. Cobb said he respects FTR as a tag team. Cobb said one tag team would walk out with both sets of belts and that would be him and Great O Khan. “It’s time for the main event!” Henry closed…
Billy Gunn told Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens that he used his stroke to get them a match on the Forbidden Door pre-show. Austin and Colten thought they were going to Japan, but Bowens corrected them…
Excalibur did his speed reading through the Forbidden Door main card lineup… Dasha Gonzalez handled introductions for the main event took place. Both men came out without their tag team partners…
4. Jeff Cobb vs. Cash Wheeler. Caprice Coleman sat in on commentary. Jericho named Cobb as his sports entertainer of the week. Cobb dumped Wheeler on the top rope and then suplexed him. Wheeler rolled to ringside heading into a break. [C]
Cobb was dominant through out the break. He put his foot over Wheeler in a cocky cover at one point. A short time later, Cobb went for his Tour of the Islands finisher, but Wheeler hooked him into a pin for another two count. Cobb stuffed a powerbomb attempt. Cobb performed a German Suplex and then hit his Tour of the Islands finisher and scored the clean pin.
Jeff Cobb defeated Cash Wheeler in 10:50.
After the match, Great O Khan walked out in street clothes and mugged for the camera. Dax Harwood ran out and attacked Great O Khan. Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, and Mark Davis ran out and attacked Harwood.
Orange Cassidy’s entrance music played. Cassidy came out with Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero and they brawled with the United Empire members. Cassidy backdropped Ospreay on the ramp.
Suddenly, Eddie Kingston came out and attacked Chris Jericho at the broadcast table. Kingston grabbed a pen from the desk and tried to stab Jericho with it, but referees stepped in. Kingston broke free and bit the nose of Jericho. The big brawl continued with Ospreay getting the better of Cassidy with help from Fletcher.
Kingston and Jericho fought into the crowd and eventually fought to ringside where the others brawl continued to brawl. Jericho headed up the ramp, but Kingston tackled him. Cassidy choked Ospreay with his jacket. In the ring, Harwood put Fletcher down with a piledriver. Jericho returned to the desk and tried to speak into his headset while looking into the camera, but Kingston attacked him again. The United Empire started to back up the ramp while Cassidy and his partners were in the ring to close the show…
Powell’s POV: I enjoyed this show-closing brawl more than Dynamite’s show-closing brawl. Rampage was bookended with two good matches, but only only the main event played into the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. They had some promos geared toward the event too, but I’m surprised they don’t do more with their go-home shows with mic work from the wrestlers in top matches. The countdown special aired immediately after Rampage. Those specials are well produced and do push the pay-per-view, but they typically have a smaller viewership count than Rampage.
Anyway, I will be back later tonight with my audio reviews of Rampage and WWE Smackdown for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Rampage by grading the show below.
Join me Sunday night for my live review of AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door.
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