By Colin McGuire, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@McGMondays)
AEW Rampage (Episode 69)
Taped November 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
Aired December 2, 2022 on TNT
The commentary team of Jim Ross, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone checked in. Cole Karter was in the ring and Darby Allin made his entrance in to kick the thing off.
1. Darby Allin vs. Cole Karter. Before the bell rang, Darby beat the hell out of Nick Comoroto with a bat. Darby then attacked Karter. The bell rang and Darby had control with a dropkick, which pushed Karter to the outside. Darby went to the top and Karter pushed Darby off to the outside, where Karter power-bombed Darby on the apron. Back inside the ring, Karter threw Darby from corner to corner. Karter landed a dropkick and the action spilled to the outside. Karter threw Darby into the steps and rolled Darby back into the ring. Back inside the ring, Karter drove some knees into Darby. From there, we got our first PIP [c].
Back from break, Karter ran at Darby, but Darby moved and eventually chop-blocked Karter, who came right back with an elbow to regain control. Darby tried to work Karter’s fingers, but Karter hit Darby back before landing a Code Red for a two-count. Darby went to the top, but Karter cut him off to land a Falcon Arrow from the top for a two-count. Karter went to the top and trie da 450, but Darby moved and and hit the Scorpio Death Drop. Darby then landed the Coffin Drop for the win.
Darby Allin defeated Cole Karter via pinfall in 7:40.
After the match, Renee interviewed Keith Lee and and Lee was cut off by Shane Taylor. Taylor said Lee left him six years ago. Shane Taylor challenged Keith Lee to a match at Final Battle. Swerve then walked into the Fram and Lee asked Serve if he could count on Swerve. Lee then walked away after silence.
McGuire’s Musings: The Darby/Cole match was what it should be. I do feel bad that Darby appeared to lose a fingernail and that may have been the cause of the blood we saw at the end, which only makes me cringe more. Meanwhile, Karter looked better than he’s ever looked in AEW, so kudos to him for that. I just don’t buy into a lot of it. The Taylor/Lee interaction was so much fun and I cannot wait for that match at Final Battle. To anyone who knows the history, this could very well mean something. To those who don’t, be prepared for a very good match.
Back from break, we got a LFI/Dark Order video. Renee Paquette was in the ring and welcomed The Acclaimed. Caster referenced the World Cup and said “This ain’t TNA.” So, there’s that. “Oh, scissor me daddy” chants broke out. Renee asked what’s next for The Acclaimed. Anthony Bowens said JJ interrupted their scissoring. Bowens said other people have to get to the back of the line because there’s another team that’s been waiting. “FTR” chants broke out. The Gunns broke up the promo. The Gunns said they were th best tag-team in the world. Jeff Jarrett’s music hit and Sonjay said the greatest tag-team alive is JJ and Jay Lethal. Billy Gunn then got the mic and said The Acclaimed wants the best and with as much, FTR’s music hit. FTR made their way to the ring. The Acclaimed and FTR shook hands.
From there, we got a video package on Shida vs. Penelope Ford. The Bunny talked a lot. We went back to the ring, where Private Party made their way to it.
2. Private Party vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. Lethal and Queen began the match. Lethal had control before he tagged in Jarrett. Quen mocked Jarrett, but and that led to Jarrett and Lethal taking control. The action spilled to the outside and we got our next PIP [c].
Back from break, Quen essentially took over the entire match. Private Party went for the Silly String and got it. Quen then went tot he top for a 450, but landed on nothing. Quen was the victim of a Lethal Injection that was insisted by Jarrett and that was enough for the win.
Jeff Jarrett and Jay Letha defeated Private Party via pinfall in 7:04.
From the end of the match, we got a backstage interview with Saraya. Saraya talked about her brother, who was with her since Day One. Saraya said Full Gear was a special moment for all the women in AEW. Saraya said she was proud of Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter. Saraya said she wants Hayter for the title. We then went back to the ring, where Athena was making her entrance.
3. Athena vs. Dani Mo. Athena hit the hell out of Mo and then landed rolling suplexes. Athena went for the pin and it looked like she was going to win, but Athena pulled Mo up. Mo hit a kick, but Athena responded by beating the hell out of Mo. Athena hit her finisher and that was it.
Athena defeats Dani Mo via pinfall in 1:27.
After the match, Athena threw Mo to the outside and rammed her into the guardrail and then the steps. We then got a promo from Juice Robinson. Juice challenged Samoa Joe.
McGuire’s Musings: A lot here that I missed. First, It appears (thanks to the eagle eyes and ears of Jason Powell) that Shane Taylor will team with JD Griffey to wrestle Swerve and Lee. Why we have to stretch this Lee/Swerve stuff out, I don’t know. TK loves his poetry, but sometimes poetry sucks, so maybe just be simple? Sorry. Anyway, The Athena match was exactly what it should have been and I’m very much liking this edge she’s found. Saraya, meanwhile, was good in her mission statement, but it felt too nice. The whole thing reeked of “Well, ha, I beat Britt, ha, Jamie is great, ha, I want the title, ha.” On top of that … great. Let’s allow Double J and Jay Lethal to just run the gamut and get all the tag titles. Not like FTR matters.
We got the Mark Henry segment and it was kind of funny because Danhausen wielded an axe. But that was about it. Darby cut a promo, calling out Samoa Joe. Turns out, Sting and Wardlow will be banned from ringside for the TNT title match.
4. Orange Cassidy vs. QT Marshall in a lumberjack match for the AEW All-Atlantic Title. Cassidy wrestled the first few seconds of the match with his hands in his pockets. Marshall hit a back-breaker and threw Cassidy to the outside. Instead of beating up Cassidy, Matt Hardy kindly rolled Cassidy back into the ring. Ethan Page kicked Matt Hardy out of ringside and that took us to our final PIP [c].
Back from break, a lot of the lumberjacks fought before Cassidy hit the Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy tried to lift Marshall, but Cassidy couldn’t get him over because he was hurt. Cassidy then hit the DDT. Cassidy was going to run at Marshall, but the lumberjacks pulled Marshall to the outside. On the apron, Marshall said he’d break Cassidy’s neck, but Danhausen got on the apron to stop it. As a result, Cassidy hit a leap onto everyone on the outside. Cassidy went to the top rope, but Penelope Ford distracted Cassidy. Kip Sabian then pushed Cassidy off the top onto a cutter from Marshall. Still, Cassidy hit the Orange Punch and the Beach Break for the win.
Orange Cassidy defeated QT Marshall via pinfall in 9:31.
After the match, Cassidy and Sabian brawled while everyone else brawled. But then, the lights went out and the House of Black were in the ring. The House of Black beat everyone up. They hit Dante’s Inferno on Serpentico. The House Of Black beat everyone up to end the show.
McGuire’s Musings: The match was fun for what it was. Of course Best Friends are going to play off the lumberjack thing and of course it was funny. The same goes for Danhausen. There isn’t really anything bad to say about any of that. The fact that QT Marshall can continue to find a way into main events and/or programs on AEW programming as well as NJPW programming means he knows something we don’t. So hat’s off to him for that. And I don’t say that ironically even a little bit. I very much liked the post-match angle because House Of Black really should just be a group of people who show up to beat people up, and it feels like AEW is getting it right this time around with them. I guess we’ll get Cassidy vs. Sabian, which should very, very, very much be very, very, very good. For now, though, this was one of the best Rampages of the last few months. Cheers. I’ll have more to say in my audio review, as always.
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