By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 100)
Taped July 5, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta at Rogers Place
Aired July 7, 2023 on TNT
The “Rampage 100” logo was shown at the end of the opening video… The broadcast team was Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho, and the ring announcer was Dasha Gonzalez…
1. Hangman Page and “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “The Dark Order” John Silver, Alex Reynolds, and Evil Uno. Late in the match, the Bucks hit the Meltzer Driver on Reynolds and had him beat, but Uno broke up the pin. The Bucks held a late superkick party. Page set up for his finisher on Uno, but Uno pulled the referee in front of him. Konokuke ran in and distracted the referee while Uno low-blowed Page. Claudio Castagnoli showed up and put Page down with an uppercut. Uno covered Page and got the pin.
“The Dark Order” John Silver, Alex Reynolds, and Evil Uno beat Hangman Page and “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson.
After the match, the Dark Order trio mockingly waved at Page and the Bucks from the apron while leaving them for Takeshita and Castagnoli, who entered the ring with chairs. Kenny Omega’s entrance theme played and he ran out with a chair, causing the heels to retreat…
Powell’s POV: I was hoping that we’d get some mic work before this match aired given that Dynamite ended with Evil Uno stopping Hangman Page from using the chair. Rather, they skipped the entrances and went straight to the match. There was good action from bell to bell. Dark Order worked as the heels and the live crowd was with Page and the Bucks.
The latest QTV segment aired with QT Marshall, Harley Cameron, Aaron Solo, and the unnamed guy in their usual setting. Solo said they had to congratulate Anthony Bowens for making the cover of a magazine. Cameron said that she and Bowens are going to be a hot couple. Cameron set up footage of Johnny TV listening to The Acclaimed’s music. TV was listening to a song on his phone at a beach. TV kicked the phone into an open trashcan and the lid closed…
Powell’s POV: I get a kick out of Cameron still thinking that she and Bowens are going to be a couple even after Bowens informed her that he’s gay. Hell, the entire arena chanted “he’s gay” and yet her character is either oblivious or thinks she’s going to turn him. It’s a cute gag, but it’s still not enough to justify the existence of QTV.
2. Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia vs. Matt Hardy and Jeff Jarrett (w/Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh) in a Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament match. Late in the match, Lethal slid a guitar to Hardy while the referee was distracted. Matt opted against using it. Guevara shoved Hardy into Lethal, which knocked him off the apron. Garcia tagged in. Guevara hit the GTH on Hardy. Garcia covered Hardy and got the three count.
Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia defeated Matt Hardy and Jeff Jarrett to advance in the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament.
After the match, Jarrett and his crew attacked Hardy. Brother Zay (Isiah Kassidy) ran out to help, but Singh chokeslammed him. Ethan Page ran out and worked over a few of the heels. Page set up for Ego’s Edge on Lethal, but Singh pulled Lethal to the floor…
Powell’s POV: Guevara acted annoyed by Garcia running in and taking the pin, which Jericho labeled great teamwork on commentary. Guevara and Garcia will face Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy in a semifinal tournament match on Dynamite.
3. Hikaru Shida vs. Marina Shafir. Both entrances were televised. Jericho acknowledged that Shafir is “one of Ronda Rousey’s Four Horsewomen.” Shida performed a late falcon arrow for a near fall. Shida followed up with the Katana kick and scored the pin…
Hikaru Shida beat Marina Shafir.
Powell’s POV: A solid match. Excalibur played up that Shida has six consecutive singles wins, so it looks like they are building her up to challenge for one of the women’s titles.
Renee Paquette interviewed TBS Champion Kris Statlander, who noted that she’s already defended her title six times. She said her title is always on the line and added, “Because Kris Stat is where it’s at”…
Powell’s POV: Is Statlander modeling her character after Beverly Goldberg? Seriously, how did that corny ass line make it on the air?
Mark Henry hosted a video to set up the final match and let us know that it was time for the main event… Entrances for the main event took place…
4. Big Bill and Brian Cage vs. Trent Beretta and Matt Sydal in a Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament match. Sydal had a late flurry of offense on both opponents, including a huracanrana into a pin for a two count on Cage. Beretta held Bill over the ropes and then Sydal performed a double stomp onto Bill’s back. Cage cut off the babyface duo’s momentum and tossed Sydal over the ringside barricade. Sydal came back by leaping off the apron and putting Bill down with a meteora.
Back in the ring, Sydal and Beretta went up top in opposite corners and dove at their opponents, who caught them. Bill put Beretta down with a Bossman Slam while Cage executed a Jackhammer on Sydal. They went for the double pin, but Sydal and Beretta both kicked out. Sydal ducked both opponents coming at him and it led to them clotheslining one another.
Sydal put Cage down with a knee strike and went for a top rope meteora, but Cage caught him. Cage placed Sydal on the top rope. Beretta ran up behind Cage and performed a German suplex from the top rope. Beretta put Cage down with a piledriver. Sydal hit Cage with the top rope meteora for a near fall. Moments later, Bill chokeslammed Beretta, and then Cage held up Sydal in powerbomb position. Bill clotheslined Sydal and then Cage powerbombed him on and pinned him…
Big Bill and Brian Cage defeated Trent Beretta and Matt Sydal to advance in the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament.
Powell’s POV: A well worked match that had the crowd invested. It was tough to buy into the possibility of Sydal and Beretta going over simply because of the team waiting for them in the next round. Bill and Cage will face MJF and Adam Cole in a semifinal tournament match on Dynamite. Nevertheless, this was an action packed main event.
One hundred episodes of Rampage. Ah, the memories. CM Punk returned. Mark Henry told us it was time for the main event roughly one hundred times. And the matches. So many matches. Most of those matches are just a blur, but there were matches, matches, and more matches!!!
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