By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 73)
Taped December 28, 2022 in Broomfield, Colorado at 1stBank Center
Aired December 30, 2022 on TNT
[Hour One] A memorial graphic was shown for the late Don West… The Rampage opening aired and the New Year’s Smash logo was shown. Pyro shot off on the stage… The broadcast team of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Paul Wight…
1. Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. Kip Sabian sat in on commentary for the match. Danhausen and Chuck Taylor were at ringside. Cassidy and Beretta had a comically long handshake to start the match. Beretta dumped Cassidy to ringside. Danhausen threw light kicks at Cassidy and was stopped by Taylor.
Beretta went for a suicide dive that Cassidy avoided, causing Beretta to land on his feet in front of Taylor. The Best Friends duo hugged. A short time later, the wrestlers ended up back at ringside. Beretta charged Cassidy, who leapfrogged, causing Beretta to crash into the barricade. Cassidy put his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Beretta into the barricade heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Late in the match, Cassidy hit a tornado DDT for a near fall. Beretta came back with a leaping tombstone piledriver for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Beretta pulled Cassidy out of the corner and put him down with a piledriver for a near fall.
Penelope Ford walked to ringside while Sabian acted surprised on commentary by his wife showing up. Beretta was distracted by Ford climbing on the apron. Cassidy hit the Beach Break for a near fall. Cassidy followed up with an Orange Punch and then pinned Beretta…
Orange Cassidy defeated Trent Beretta in 11:20 to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.
After the match, Ford looked up to a smiling Sabian, who was pleased by what his wife did. Sabian dismissed himself from the broadcast table and then headed down the ramp and danced his way past Cassidy. Sabian appeared to be on the verge of entering the ring, but they cut away…
Footage aired from Wednesday of Tony Schiavone interviewing Darby Allin and Sting after AEW Dynamite. Schiavone asked Allin for his reaction to Tony Khan booking him in a TNT Title match against Samoa Joe. Allin said he was happy that the match would be held in Seattle.
Allin said he was 115 pounds when he graduated from high school and told everyone that he wanted to be a pro wrestler. He said his teachers, friends, and his own father doubted him. He said he listened to them and was dead inside. “Look what I did, Tony,” Allin said.
Allin said he’s unsure whether his hometown believes in him. Allin said he doesn’t even know if Sting believes in him. Allin shoved Sting, who said if he said no, then he’d be the guy who doubted him like everyone else. Sting slapped Allin’s shoulder and said he didn’t want him to lose the chip on his shoulder.
Sting said Joe is a killer and Allin will have to dig deep down. Sting told Allin to stop the madness by not worrying about what he, his dad, the fans, or Seattle think. Sting said the only thing that matters is what Darby thinks. Sting told him to shut his mouth and go do it…
2. Kip Sabian (w/Penelope Ford) vs. a local wrestler. The wrestlers were in the ring and the bell rang to start the match moments after the backstage segment. Sabian used his own version of the Orange Punch and got the pin…
Kip Sabian defeated a local wrestler in 1:20.
Backstage, Lexi Nair interviewed Preston Vance and Jose. Vance gave himself a new Spanish name. Vance complained about being forced to wear a mask and do a stupid hand gesture while he was with the Dark Order. He wondered who he was facing next week. Nair said she didn’t know. Vance said all of the Dark Order members are the same. He said he belittled a child on national television and said he would have done it three years ago had he known that’s all it took to get attention… [C]
Powell’s POV: Damn, this show moves at a ridiculously fast pace. The opening match was well worked and had some of the cutesy comedy that one would expect from a match involving Cassidy and Beretta. The broadcast team may have mentioned the name of Sabian’s opponent, but I missed it. The highlight of the night thus far was Sting’s fiery promo. Sting and Allin’s mic work left me more interested in the TNT Title match than I already was.
Jon Moxley was interviewed by Schiavone in the ring. Schiavone noted that doctors had not cleared Hangman Page yet. Moxley spoke about how it was inevitable that there would be a showdown between him and Page one day. Moxley said he hit Page so hard during their match that he sent him to another dimension.
Moxley said Page spent the night in the hospital, whereas he slept like a baby that night. Moxley said the Blackpool Combat Club outwork everyone and don’t care about the safety of other athletes. Moxley said doctors won’t clear Page because he’s hurt. Moxley said he’s been hurting for years. He said Page should get over it because it’s a tough business and this is the major leagues.
Moxley said that if Page wants to face him in Los Angeles, then he should see a doctor because he would be waiting for him. Moxley said it’s a tough business and he’s going to show everyone just how tough it can be. “Hangman, keep your hands up, bitch,” Moxley said before dropping the mic and leaving the ring…
Powell’s POV: A good promo from Moxley. I like that he continues to blow up the idea that his character is somehow the bad guy for clotheslining Page during a pro wrestling match. By the way, I’m filling in for Colin McGuire, who is interviewing for the Twitter CEO position (or something) and will return next week.
The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal for the AEW Tag Titles was officially announced for AEW Dynamite. Jarrett, Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh had a backstage promo segment. Jarrett said he has more shower time than Max Caster has had ring time. Jarrett said there are a few things he’s done that he’s regretted. Jarrett said Caster would regret his rap because he’s coming for him on Dynamite…
Kiera Hogan made her entrance for the TBS Title match. Jade Cargill’s entrance followed and she was accompanied by her usual Baddies…
3. Jade Cargill (w/Red Velvet, Leila Grey) vs. Kiera Hogan for the TBS Title. Cargill was in offensive control heading into an early partial PIP break. [C] Cargill put Hogan down with a big boot and covered her for a two count. Hogan rolled to ringside. Grey held Hogan. When Cargill tried to slap Hogan, Velvet grabbed Cargill’s hand and stopped her.
Back inside the ring, Hogan rallied and hit a hip attack while Cargill was against the ropes. Hogan threw multiple kicks at Cargill, who ended up down in the corner. Hogan performed a sliding dropkick. Hogan went up top and performed a crossbody block for a near fall. Cargill stuffed Hogan’s next move and hit her with Jaded before pinning her…
Jade Cargill defeated Kiera Hogan in 7:30 to retain the TBS Title.
After the match, Red Velvet walked up the ramp while Leila Grey stood in the ring and celebrated with Cargill…
A video package aired with Jamie Hayter talking about her win over Hikaru Shida and her issues with Saraya. “At the end of the day, Hayter hits hard,” Hayter closed… Excalibur hyped Saraya and a mystery partner vs. Hayter and Britt Baker for the January 11 edition of AEW Dynamite. He also hyped the Rampage main event… A video aired to promote the new look of AEW Dynamite for Wednesday night… [C]
Powell’s POV: The booking of Cargill’s issues with Hogan and Red Velvet has been really disappointing. Cargill just decided that Hogan was out as a Baddie, so there was no reason to feel anything for Hogan. And now Red Velvet just decided to stop Cargill from hitting Hogan out of nowhere. Dare I ask what happened to the awful Cargill and Bow Wow feud? If nothing else, at least they are back to pushing Saraya having a mystery partner for the Los Angeles show.
Mark Sterling, Josh Woods, and Tony Nese were interviewed by Lexi Nair in the backstage area. Sterling complained about Bryan Danielson getting involved in Ethan Page’s affairs. Nese said he would beat Danielson in his hometown of Seattle on Wednesday…
Powell’s POV: Really? Nese is a talented wrestler, but no one sees his character as a threat to beat Danielson. I’m sure they’ll have a good match and yet I’m still disappointed that this is Danielson’s homecoming match.
Mark Henry hosted his interview segment with Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, and Jon Moxley on one side of the screen while Swerve Strickland and Mogul Affiliates were on the other. Yuta ended up saying he didn’t need two rejects like Strickland, so Castagnoli and Moxley would be staying in the back…
Excalibur ran through the Dynamite lineup: Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin for the TNT Title, The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal for the AEW Tag Titles, MJF must contractually appear, Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Nese, Jade Cargill and Red Velvet vs. Kiera Hogan and Skye Blue, Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks, and an update on Hangman Page’s status…
Excalibur also announced Orange Cassidy vs. Kip Sabian for the AEW All-Atlantic Title for next Friday’s AEW Battle of the Belts V, which will air live after next week’s live Rampage. Excalibur also hyped the previously advertised matches for the Los Angeles edition of Dynamite…
Entrances for the main event took place…
4. Swerve Strickland (w/Parker Boudreaux, other dude) vs. Wheeler Yuta. Excalibur noted that this was the final AEW match of the calendar year. Yuta put Strickland in an early bow and arrow stretch, which Strickland escaped. Moments later, Yuta hit a suicide dive on Strickland at ringside. Yuta threw Strickland back inside the ring. Strickland’s goons got in Yuta’s face.. Strickland took advantage of the distraction by kicking Yuta and sending him back to ringside heading into another PIP break. [C]
Yuta sold a knee injury. Strickland took advantage of the knee by draping it over the middle rope and then kicking it. Strickland went up top, but Yuta caught him with an enzuigiri. Yuta joined Strickland on the ropes and superplexed him. Moments later, Strickland escaped a submission attempt and then blasted Yuta with a kick, which led to a near fall.
Strickland picked up Yuta and went for his finisher, but Yuta elbowed his way out of it, which sent Strickland crashing into the referee. REF BUMP!!! While the referee was down, Strickland kicked Yuta in the balls and then hit his finisher before scoring the pin…
Swerve Strickland defeated Wheeler Yuta in 12:25.
Powell’s POV: I could have done without the ref bump spot. Strickland is firmly established as a heel and there’s no reason he couldn’t have beaten Yuta clean. Overall, this was a typical Rampage in that it was a mostly missable show from a storytelling perspective despite having some good in-ring action. They tried to cram so much into the episode that it just felt choppy and disjointed at times. I will have more to say in my same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons) later tonight.
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