By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 106)
Taped August 16, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena
Aired August 18, 2023 on TNT
The Rampage opening aired and then pyro shot off. Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were on commentary. The wrestlers were already inside the ring for the opening match…
1. Rey Fenix vs. Komander. Alex Abrhantes was at ringside and cheered for both wrestlers. Fenix has the first prolonged stretch of offense and hit a top rope double stomp for a near fall. Fenix maintained offense control heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Fenix stuck out his chest and encouraged Komander to chop him. Fenix eventually sold the chops. Komander executed a cool head-scissors takedown, but then ran into a superkick. Komander countered out of a huracanrana and into a Frankensteiner and then hooked Fenix’s legs while getting a near fall. Fenix followed up with a lung blower for a near fall.
Fenix caught a Komander with a cutter for a near fall. Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli were shown watching the match on a backstage monitor. Komander ran across the top rope and kicked Fenix. Komander came back with a crucifix bomb for a two count. Both wrestlers connected with a kicks and then stayed down a bit to sell them.
The wrestlers got to their knees and Komander threw a light elbow strike. Fenix called for more. Komander threw two more and then Fenix fired back. Fenix sent Komander to ringside and went up top, but Komander shoved him off the apron. Komander performed a springboard Destroyer. Komander walked the ropes and did a shooting star press for a close near fall.
Fenix avoided a 450 splash. Fenix threw a roundhouse kick and then executed an inverted piledriver for a close near fall. Fenix acted shocked that he didn’t get the pin. Fenix followed up by putting Komander in Muscle Buster position and then spun around and slammed him down in Michinoku Driver position and scored the pin.
Rey Fenix defeated Komander.
Moxely and Castagnoli were shown looking impressed by what they saw. Fenix got on his knees and spoke to Komander and pointed at him to put him over afterward…
Powell’s POV: A terrific high spot style match. The moves were dazzling and the crowd was engaged. I’d love to see Fenix get a meaningful singles push. Komander is a work in progress, but he really shined in this match. Go out of your way to see this one. I assume the idea is that Moxely and Castagnoli were scouting Komander for one of the three open spots they have heading into Stadium Stampede match.
Britt Baker was interviewed by Renee Paquette on the backstage interview set about challenging for the AEW Women’s Championship. Baker recalled being in a four-way at the first All In and then becoming the first woman to sign with AEW. She said she couldn’t think of a better place to win the title again than in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium… [C]
Powell’s POV: A nice, simple babyface promo. I like that Baker has toned things down and isn’t just ripping on the other wrestlers in her division. It seems like she’s realized that not every promo can be a home run. That said, I wonder how much longer we’ll be seeing babyface Baker. If Cole turns heel on MJF at All In, I could see Baker winning the AEW Women’s Championship and aligning with him as a heel couple as part of a new Kingdom.
A video package recapped QT Marshall’s recent success in AAA, which included winning the Latin American Title…
Johnny TV was shown exiting a sports car while holding a dog. He congratulated Marshall on winning the title. He acted like he was listening to the dog and then said the dog was right in saying they are the best thing on TV…
Powell’s POV: Well, that was a nothing promo.
2. ROH Tag Champs “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis vs. Brother Zay and Ethan Page in a non-title match. Both entrances were televised. Zay was jumped once the bell rang. He was isolated for a stretch and then Page tagged in. He didn’t get much of a reaction, but he played to the crowd and got them fired up a bit. Zay performed a top rope senton onto his opponents who were standing at ringside.
Fletcher and Davis picked up both opponents and sandwiched them together heading into a PIP break. [C] Zay went for a Swanton Bomb, but Fletcher put his knees up. Davis held up Zay and then Fletcher caught him with a cutter and had the pin, but Page broke it up.
Page was cleared to ringside by kicks from Fletcher and Davis. Once Zay got to his feet, they hit him with lariats from opposite sides and then hit the Coriolis and got the pin.
ROH Tag Champs “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis defeated Brother Zay and Ethan Page in a non-title match.
After the match, Davis took the mic and said they could prove they are the best at All In. Fletcher said MJF and Adam Cole will never hit a Kangaroo Kick…
Powell’s POV: I like Isiah Kassidy. I like Ethan Page. I just don’t see any chemistry between their characters, nor do I like seeing them with the Hardys. The match was fine in terms of giving Aussie Open a win heading into their match with MJF and Adam Cole.
“The Righteous” Vincent, Dutch, and Stu Grayson were featured in a video package…
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy spoke from “the Hardy Compound” and spoke about Aussie Open retaining the ROH Tag Titles. They challenged Aussie Open to defend the the ROH Tag Titles against them next week…
3. Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Cruz. Cruz’s entrance was not televised. Guevara dominated the match. He took one kick, but then came right back with a knee strike. Guevara followed up with his GTH finisher and scored the clean pin…
Sammy Guevara defeated Jon Cruz.
Powell’s POV: A quick and painless showcase win for Guevara. I continue to wonder if he’ll turn on Chris Jericho and join the Callis Family. After all, Konosuke Takeshita is the only full-time member of the Callis crew.
A Nyla Rose video aired. She said she was “here before there was Dynamite.” Rose said she’s the most dominant former champion and does what she wants to whoever she wants… [C]
Excalibur hyped Saturday’s AEW Collision. In addition to the two previously advertised matches, he said FTR, Ricky Starks, and Miro would all speak, and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in action…
Excalibur announced Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. A video package aired on the match and played up the show’s Fyter Fest theme. Excalibur also announced Jack Perry retiring the FTW Championship, Swerve Strickland and AR Fox vs. Darby Allin and Nick Wayne, Renee Paquette conducting separate interviews with MJF and Adam Cole, Aussie Open vs. The Hardys for the ROH Tag Titles, Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue, and Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn, and more for Wednesday’s show (see the listing via the main page)…
A brief video pushed the main event and included Mark Henry delivering his line… Entrances for the main event took place…
4. Toni Storm and Ruby Soho (w/Saraya) vs. Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue. Storm sent Sky to ringside where Soho slammed her onto the floor heading into a PIP break. [C] All four wrestlers were down following a sequence of moves. Saraya held the stupid spray paint can at ringside while checking on Storm.
Shida caught Soho with a knee strike and then tagged in Blue, who hit Code Blue and had Soho pinned until Storm broke it up. The referee got caught up with Shida and Storm fighting in the corner. Saraya slid the stupid spray paint can to Soho, who used it on Blue and then tossed it to the floor.
Soho slammed Blue’s face into the middle turnbuckle pad. Storm hit a running hip attack in the corner. Storm covered Blue and had her beat, but Shida broke it up. Shida pulled Blue to their corner and then tagged herself in. Shida and Storm went face to face and then traded elbow strikes. Shida got the better of it and ran the ropes, but Saraya grabbed her legs.
Storm caught Shida with a kick and then tagged out. Storm hoisted up Shida and passed her off to Storm. Blue took out Storm with a kick. Shida escaped and then blocked the No Future kick. Shida rolled onto Soho and pinned her…
Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue defeated Toni Storm and Ruby Soho.
After the match, Saraya ran in and helped Storm work over Shida while Blue got the better of Soho at ringside. Britt Baker ran out and brawled with Storm while Shida and Saraya mixed it up in a battle of the wrestlers who will be in the All In four-way. Security ran out and tried to keep the wrestlers apart while Excalibur closed the show with a plug for Saturday’s AEW Collision…
Powell’s POV: Well, at least the awful spray paint didn’t cause the pin this time around. The brawl between the four wrestlers in the AEW Women’s Championship match at All In was solid. The crowd wasn’t all that fired up, though it probably had more to do with this being held after Dynamite and at the end of the Rampage taping.
Overall, a good show by Rampage standards. The opening match was really fun, Aussie Open got a spotlight match, and the main event obviously pushed the four-way for at All In. The Guevara squash felt a little random, but even that was fine.
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