By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 90)
Taped April 26, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida at FLA Live Arena
Aired April 28, 2023 on TNT
The Rampage opening aired and then pyro shot off on the stage. Jim Ross welcomed viewers to the show and was joined on commentary by Excalibur and Tony Schiavone… Opening match entrances took place and the participants were introduced by ring announcer Justin Roberts…
1. Jay White and Juice Robinson vs. Ricky Starks and Shawn Spears. Starks was the last man to be introduced. Starks charged the ring and Spears followed. The teams brawled to start the match. White fought with Spears at ringside and choked him with a production cable.
Back in the ring, Spears threw nine punches at Robinson while standing on the middle rope. When White approach, Spears jumped from the ropes and knocked White down. Robinson rallied and tossed Spears to ringside. White dumped Spears on the apron while Robinson distracted the referee heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Spears was isolated by the heels throughout the break. White taunted Starks by blowing him a kiss. Spears eventually took a hot tag and got the better of Robinson. White ran in and was clotheslined to ringside by Starks, who then placed Robinson on the top rope.
Spears tagged in and then Starks superplexed Robinson. Spears splashed Robinson and covered him for a near fall. Spears hoisted up Robinson, who gouged his eyes and tagged out. Spears caught White with a superkick and then hoisted him up, but White slipped out and hit a Bladerunner before scoring the pin.
Jay White and Juice Robinson beat Ricky Starks and Shawn Spears in 9:50.
Afterward, Starks worked over Robinson with punches. Starks set went for a spear, but White pulled Robinson to the floor…
Powell’s POV: It was nice to have the show open with introductions rather than just having both teams in the ring. The match was well worked and the right guy went over. That said, it feels like Robinson and Spears are bringing White and Starks down more than the stars are propping them up.
Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Hook were interviewed by Lexi Nair on the backstage interview set. She noted that Isiah Kassidy was missing. Stokely Hathaway and Lee Moriarty appeared on the screen and said they found him at Applebee’s. The pointed up. Big Bill held Kassidy on top of some shelving while Ethan Page punched him.
Page said they should meet at the Hardy Compound next Friday and if Matt agreed they would let Kassidy go. Matt agreed to it. Page said he’s a man of his word and then Big Bill chokeslammed Kassidy to the floor. “No, no, no,” Matt yelled. The Hardys left the interview set while Hook told Nair that The Firm would be deleted… [C]
Powell’s POV: Matt’s acting was just plain awful in this segment. I really thought they would do the Firm Deletion on YouTube this time around, but I guess it can’t hurt to see if it can bring in viewers to Rampage.
Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee made their entrances while their opponents were already inside the ring…
2. “Naturally Limitless” Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee vs. Brady Pierce and Charlie James. Ross pondered how much fun the late Dusty Rhodes would have had teaming with Lee. Rhodes had Lee toss him at both opponents at one point. Lee hit a Spirit Bomb on James and then pinned him.
“Naturally Limitless” Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee beat Brady Pierce and Charlie James in 2:05.
Afterward, Swerve Strickland walked out with Brian Cage, Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun, and Prince Nana. The heels stared down the two babyfaces from the stage…
Powell’s POV: Just a quick showcase match for the new team of Lee and Rhodes. The Mogul Affiliates entrance was used, so perhaps the heels have ditched The Embassy name. I dig Kaun and Liona, so hopefully they’ll get some character development and won’t just be background players.
Sammy Guevara was being interviewed by Nair when Tay Melo showed up and dismissed her. Melo told her husband that MJF was just using him. Melo said Guevara’s dream is to be a world champion and yet now he’s going to lay down for MJF for money that he doesn’t need. She said Guevara doesn’t even like MJF. Guevara started to respond, but she cut him off and told him to just listen…
Anna Jay made her entrance while her opponent was already inside the ring…
3. Anna Jay vs. Ashley D’Amboise. Jay was on the offensive heading into an early PIP break. [C] Jay applied the Queenslayer and got the submission win.
Anna Jay defeated Ashley D’Amboise.
After the match, the lights went out for a moment. When the lights turned on, Jay was looking at the stage and Julia Hart was standing behind her. Hart attacked Jay and they fought to ringside where Jay ran Hart into the ring post. Jay wrenched Hart’s back around the ring post. Once she let go, Hart went back to making her mean face…
Powell’s POV: It felt like more of the match aired during the PIP break. It was another spotlight match followed by an angle that keeps the Jay and Hart feud going.
“The Outcasts” Saraya, Ruby Soho, and Toni Storm wore t-shirts with Britt Baker sporting a black eye. Saraya said she would face Willow Nightingale on Dynamite and walk her like a dog…
Daddy Ass and “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens made their entrance. Caster rapped on the way to the ring and included a line about DeSantis abusing his power while also mocking the appearance of the three opponents who were inside the ring. One of the wrestlers ran to ringside and was dropped by a Bowens punch.
4. Billy Gunn and “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens vs. Cameron Stewart and two partners. Bowens slammed Stewart to the mat and then Caster hit the Mic Drop and pinned him. Schiavone called it “a pretty awesome win”…
Billy Gunn and “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens beat Cameron Stewart and two partners in 0:50.
Excalibur hyped the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: Another quick showcase match. The Acclaimed continue to spin their wheels since losing the tag team titles.
Mark Henry hosted a split-screen segment with Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt on one side while Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood were on the other. Wheeler said he and Harwood knew that Lethal and his crew would cheat, so they would have Mark Briscoe at ringside to help. Henry said it was time for the main event…
Excalibur announced Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in a steel cage match on the May 10 edition of Dynamite in Detroit…
The following matches and segments were advertised for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite: The Elite speak, Adam Cole, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, and Bandido vs. Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker with Chris Jericho on commentary, Ricky Starks vs. Juice Robinson, a Trios battle royale, Saraya vs. Willow Nightingale, and MJF and Sammy Guevara vs. Jack Perry and Darby Allin…
The Firm Deletion was advertised for next Friday’s Rampage, which was listed as starting at 4:30CT/5:30ET…
Mark Briscoe made his entrance and took a seat at ringside before the remainder of the entrances for the main event took place…
5. Cash Wheeler (w/Dax Harwood, Mark Briscoe) vs. Jay Lethal (w/Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, Sonjay Dutt). Ross stated the obvious about how they could have simply made all of the extras stay backstage (then again, they tried that on Wednesday and Dutt still came out and interfered right in front of the referee). Wheeler cleared Lethal to ringside heading into another PIP break a few minutes into the match. [C]
Lethal took offensive control and went for a top rope elbow drop, but Wheeler put his knees up. Lethal eventually stuffed a piledriver attempt and performed a Lethal Combination. Lethal set up for a Lethal Injection, but Wheeler caught him on his back and dropped him face first.
Wheeler covered Lethal and had the pin, but Dutt entered the ring and the referee stopped his count. Mark hopped onto the apron and bickered with Dutt while the referee pointed. Lethal shoved Wheeler into Briscoe and then hit Wheeler with the Lethal Injection and scored the pin…
Jay Lethal defeated Cash Wheeler in 12:15.
Powell’s POV: A shit finish to an otherwise solid match. Is there a secret bet amongst those who have creative stroke to see who can come up with the new and exciting ways to make the referees look as stupid as humanly possible?
Overall, the usual for Rampage in that it was fine if you saw and it’s also fine if you did not. It wasn’t a bad hour of television, it just felt inconsequential and that main event finish was atrocious. I will have more to say in my audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Join Jake Barnett for his live review of the WWE Draft edition of Smackdown.
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