By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 63)
Live from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place
Aired October 21, 2022 on TNT
Pyro shot off on the stage. Jim Ross introduced the show and was joined on commentary by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur…
The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn made their entrance while their opponents were in the ring. Max Caster rapped as they walked. Anthony Bowens yelled that The Acclaimed have arrived. Mark Sterling cut them off and pointed to his “scissoring” trademark. He teased scissoring with Tony Nese, but The Acclaimed attacked their challengers to start the match…
1. “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens (w/Billy Gunn) vs. Josh Woods and Tony Nese (w/Mark Sterling) for the AEW Tag Titles and the scissoring trademark. Excalibur ran through the show’s lineup. Schiavone announced that Penelope Ford was injured, so apparently she won’t face Willow Nightingale. The referee ejected Gunn for tripping one of the challengers. They cut to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Nese threw Bowens toward Woods, who hit him with a knee to the head. They followed up with a double team move and then Nese went for the cover, but it was broken up by Caster. Nese took out Caster with a kick. Bowens tossed Nese over the top rope and he landed on Caster.
Nese returned to the ring with a sunset flip that Bowens rolled through. Bowens blasted Nese with a knee to the face. Bowens took out Woods and then tagged in Caster. Bowens slammed Nese to the mat. Caster hit the Mic Drop on Nese and pinned him.
“The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens beat Josh Woods and Tony Nese in 8:00 to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles.
After the match, Sterling said the Acclaimed may have won, but he still had the trademark. Billy Gunn returned and tossed Sterling in the ring. The Acclaimed stomped Sterling’s nuts. Gunn tore up the trademark paper and then joined Caster and Bowens in a scissoring celebration…
Powell’s POV: The trademark thing was too rushed to mean anything, but the Acclaimed remain one of the most over acts in the company. By the way, I’m filling in for Colin McGuire this week and next week because he is a terrible person, er, um, he needed a couple nights off.
Tony Schiavone conducted a sit-down interview with Jade Cargill and recalled her threatening to hijack the show. Schiavone said Cargill agreed to let one of her Baddies replace the injured Penelope Ford in the match against Willow Nightingale. Cargill told Schiavone to cut the shit (it wasn’t censored) and said Leila Grey would face Nightingale. Cargill said she would get her belt back… [C]
Alex Marvez stood backstage with Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Alex Abrahantes. Ortiz held an intervention for Kingston. They all told him that he’s been out of control. Pac showed up and asked Kingston how it worked out for him when he lost in his own backyard…
Hook made his entrance. His opponent Ari Daivari was already in the ring with a mic. Daivari offered Hook one last chance to sell him the FTW Championship belt. Hook slapped the cash out of Daivari’s hand…
2. Hook vs. Ari Daivari (w/Jeeves Kay) for the FTW Championship. The referee called for the bell to start the match when Hook attacked Daivari. Kay, VSK dressed up in a butler outfit, raked the eyes of Hook at one point. Hook rallied and suplexed Daivari. Hook set up for his finisher, but the butler distracted him. Daivari rolled up Hook for a two count.
Hook knocked the butler off the apron. Daivari threw a superkick that missed. Daivari performed a uranage slam for a two count. Hook ducked a Daivari move and ended up applying his Redrum finisher for the win.
Hook defeated Ari Daivari in 2:50 to retain the FTW Championship.
After the match, the butler checked on Daivari. Hook put the butler in his Redrum submission hold and then left both men lying…
Powell’s POV: There were some rough moments in this match. They just keep adding people to The Trustbusters even though it looks like they’re going to spend most of their time on the Dark and Dark Elevation shows on YouTube. Strange.
Lexi Nair interviewed Matt Hardy, Stokely Hathaway, and Ethan Page. Hathaway said they sent Private Party to his wrestling academy so they could work on their fundamentals. Hathaway informed Matt that that he had a match on AEW Dark Elevation. Hardy went into some rap that made Hathaway and Page walk away. “See you next Monday,” Hardy said while smiling…
Powell’s POV: Even stranger.
3. Willow Nightingale vs. Leila Grey (w/Kiera Hogan). Willow took offensive control. Grey left the ring. Nightingale chased her. Grey returned to the ring and distracted the referee while Hogan superkicked Nightingale heading into a PIP break. [C]
Nightingale performed a spinebuster for a near fall. Nightingale hoisted up Grey, who slipped away and performed a side Russian leg sweep. Grey followed up with a running knee in the corner. Willow caught Grey with a suplex. Hogan climbed onto the apron. Nightingale jawed at her and was then rolled up by Grey for a two count. Willow shoved Grey into Hogan. Nightingale threw a kick at Grey and then followed up with the Doctor Bomb and scored the pin.
Willow Nightingale beat Leila Grey in roughly 8:00.
After the match, Tony Schiavone entered the ring and told the crowd that Nightingale is officially “All Elite.” A graphic listed her status on the big screen. Nightingale hugged Schiavone.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill made her entrance with a chair in hand while the broadcast team noted that she didn’t have her title belt because it was stolen by Nyla Rose. Nightingale and Schiavone left the ring. Cargill set up the chair and sat down on it. She gave Rose ten seconds to bring her belt back.
Nyla Rose was shown on the big screen in the driver’s seat of a car and the TBS Title belt in her hand. Vickie Guerrero and Marina Shafir got in the car with her. Rose drove away while the broadcast team explained that Rose stole Cargill’s car.
In the ring, Cargill said she meant what she said and wasn’t leaving. Security came out. She immediately got up and started beating them up…
Powell’s POV: Another rough match. Ross even said it might be bowling shoe ugly at times, but he added that they were kicking the hell out of one another. The post match angle felt rushed and I have no clue whether they want viewers to side with Cargill or Rose. On the bright side, Nightingale has a lot of charisma and I’m happy to see she was signed to an AEW contract.
A video package recapped the angle that led tot he main event becoming a Triple Threat for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship… [C]
Orange Cassidy stood in front of Mark Henry and welcomed viewers back to Rampage. 10 and Negative One were shown on side side of the screen, while Rush and Jose were shown in the other. Henry asked why Cassidy was getting involved in their business and putting his title on the line. Both challengers spoke briefly. Cassidy tried to steal Henry’s line, but Henry stopped him and said it was time for the main event…
Ring announcer Dasha Gonzalez handled the introductions for the main event. Negative One came out with 10 and then headed to the back. Danhausen, Trent Beretta, and Chuck Taylor came out with Cassidy, but only Danhausen ended up at ringside…
4. Orange Cassidy (w/Danhausen) vs. Rush (w/Jose) vs. Preston “10” Vance for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. Cassidy leaned against the ropes with his shades on while Rush and 10 fought. They stopped and he hit them both with light kicks. He backed up for the grand finale light kick, but Rush dropped 10 with a forearm shot. Cassidy performed offensive moves on Rush while keeping his hands in his pockets. Cassidy dove onto 10.
Cassidy returned to the ring and was hit with a Rush headbutt. Rush teased hitting his finisher and stopped for reasons that only make sense to Rush. Rush struck his pose in the ring and then went after 10 on the floor. Schiavone took a moment to acknowledge the passing of Brian Muster, a production worker who died unexpectedly this week. Schiavone said the backstage position will now be known as the Mongo Position.
Rush dominated both opponents for a stretch. Cassidy rallied and went for a dive on both men, but they caught him and tried to slam him through a table that didn’t break. The table was leaned against the barricade. Rush whipped 10 into the table and it broke during a PIP break. [C]
10 caught Cassidy with a kick. Cassidy came right back and had 10 pinned when Jose interfered. Danhausen entered the ring and teased cursing Jose, but hit him in the gut instead. Rush shoved Danhausen into Cassidy. Rush superkicked Cassidy and then suplexed him into the corner.
10 put Rush down with a couple of clotheslines and then slammed him to the mat before hitting him with a spinebuster. 10 caught Cassidy going for a move and put him down with a suplex. 10 clotheslined Cassidy and covered him, but Rush recovered and broke it up. 10 worked over Rush in the corner. Rush reversed him and then twisted his mask. Rush turned around and ate an Orange Punch from Cassidy. Cassidy went for Beach Break, but ended up sitting down on 10 instead and got the three count.
Orange Cassidy defeated Rush and 10 in a Triple Threat in 11:50 to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.
After the match, 10 looked at Cassidy, then left the ring and approached Rush. Negative One came out. 10 picked up Negative One and carried him to the back. Rush remained on the ramp and pointed at Cassidy while Excalibur hyped the matches for AEW Dynamite. Ross noted that next week’s Rampage will also be live. Cassidy and Danhausen celebrated in the ring together…
A memoriam video aired for Brian Muster, the lead video engineer who died unexpectedly. The narrater said Muster was a dedicated father, fiancee, and friend. The narrator closed by thanking Muster and saying that he will be missed…
Powell’s POV: A classy end to the show and my condolences to all of Muster’s family and friends. The main event had its moments and closed with the predictable finish of Cassidy pinning 10. I’m not sure what to make of the post match spot where 10 approached Rush. I think the idea was that he was considering the idea of joining him and then it got delayed because he had to take Negative One to the back. Overall, this absolutely felt like a B-show despite being live in the fun outdoor setting. I will be back later tonight with my audio reviews of AEW Rampage and WWE Smackdown for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Join John Moore for his live review of Saturday’s NXT Halloween Havoc.
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