By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Rampage (Episode 140)
Taped April 10, 2024 in Charleston, West Virginia at Charleston Coliseum
Aired April 12, 2024 on TNT
The Rampage opening aired. Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho checked in on commentary. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
Don’s Take: Welcome to the 140th episode of everyone’s favorite show featuring four random matches you likely won’t remember tomorrow.
1. Orange Cassidy vs. Alex Reynolds (w/John Silver). Reynolds was already in the ring while Cassidy received a televised entrance. Silver and Reynolds hugged to mock the Best Friends. Cassidy knocked Silver off the apron and hit Reynolds with a DDT. Reynolds rolled to the outside. Cassidy dove onto both Reynolds and Silver on the floor and attacked them both. Cassidy went for the Orange Punch but Reynolds blocked it and hit Cassidy with an elbow strike for a near fall. While Reynolds distracted the referee, Silver hit a brain buster on Cassidy on the floor. Reynolds held the advantage as the show went to its first picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the commercial, Reynold still had the advantage by Cassidy began hulking up as Reynolds attacked him with knee strikes. Cassidy responded with a forearm, put his hands in his pocket and hit a dropkick. Cassidy hit a series of kicks in the corner. Cassidy hit a cross body and dove onto Silver on the floor. Reynolds trapped Cassidy in an inside cradle for a near fall. Reynolds retaliated with a knee strike and a stump piledriver for a near fall.
Down the stretch, Cassidy blocked a super plex attempt and knocked Reynolds off the ropes. Silver crotched Cassidy on the top rope, allowing Reynolds to hit a stunner off the top rope for a near fall. Silver pulled Cassidy to the outside and went for another brain buster but Cassidy hit Stun Dog Millionaire. Reynolds went to dive onto Cassidy but caught Silver instead. Cassidy hit Orange Punches on both Reynolds and Silver on the floor. Cassidy hit a second Orange Punch on Reynolds in the ring for the win.
Orange Cassidy defeated Alex Reynolds in about 10:30.
After the match, Renee Paquette entered the ring and asked Cassidy about Trent Beretta’s betrayal on last week’s Dynamite. Before he could answer, Beretta came down and looked like he was preparing to attach Cassidy. Chuck Taylor came in behind Cassidy and stepped in front of him causing Beretta to back down…
Don’s Take: This was less about the match, which was fine, and more about the story developing between Cassidy, Beretta, and Taylor. It looks like this will be drawn out a bit, though I expect Beretta and Cassidy to face off at Dynasty. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor turn heel with Beretta which, if done right, could be a reset for a team that sorely needs it.
Alex Marvez was backstage with Anna Jay. Marvez asked Jay about her attack on Mariah May on Dynamite. Jay said no one was taking things seriously and that everyone was kissing and drinking champagne. AZM from Stardom came in. From what I could gather, she called May, Shirakawa and Toni Storm stupid before challenging Storm to a match on Collision. [C]
Don’s Take: You didn’t know who AZM was? Neither did I. Google it! I did.
2. Julia Hart vs. Leyla Hirsch in an Open House match for the TBS Championship. Excalibur said that the Open House stipulation chosen by Hirsch was that Brody King was banned from ringside. Both exchanged take downs to start. Hirsch went for a dive on the floor but was met with a forearm. Hart held the advantage for several minutes. Hirsch responded with a slam and a dive onto Hart on the floor. Hart looked like she may have injured her shoulder taking the dive as referee Paul Turner was checking on her in the corner. Hirsch approached the corner and Hart rolled her up for the win.
Julia Hart defeated Leyla Hirsch to retain the TBS Championship in about 3:00
Don’s Take: Here’s hoping that Hart’s injury won’t keep her out of action for an extended length of time. As for the match itself, it had the expected outcome as Hart is scheduled to defend against Willow Nightingale at Dynasty next weekend. Like many others on the AEW roster, Hirsch has talent and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from her work in ROH. That said, she’s not a great promo so her opportunities to progress up the card are likely limited.
Don Callis was backstage with Powerhouse Hobbs and ROH TV Champion Kyle Fletcher. Callis hyped Hobbs’ and Fletcher’s match with Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli. Callis said he didn’t care who won. He just wanted Danielson hurt and taken out before his match with Will Ospreay at Dynasty.
3. Angelo Parker vs. Zak Knight (w/Saraya, Harley Cameron). Parker attacked Knight as he was approaching the ring. Saraya and Cameron stopped Parker from attacking further, allowing Knight to shove Parker into the ring post and attack him on the floor for several minutes before the bell rang. Knight climbed in the ring, shortly followed by Parker. The referee rang the bell to start the match and Parker went on the offensive, attacking Knight in the corner. Knight regained the advantage for several minutes as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the break, Parker mounted a comeback as blood streaked down his face from a cut sustained earlier in the match. Parker hit a neck breaker and some strikes. Parker hit an elevated DDT and went for the pin but Saraya and Cameron entered the ring. Referee Rick Knox ejected both women from ringside. For some reason, Parker watched Saraya leave up the aisle allowing Knight to hit a low blow and a power bomb for a near fall. Knight continued the attack while taunting Parker. Parker retaliated briefly but was met with a lariat for a near fall. Knight picked Parker up and hit him with a running forearm for the win.
Zak Knight defeated Angelo Parker in about 9:00.
Saraya and Cameron came back out and celebrated with Knight…
Don’s Take: I know movies aren’t always accurate, but as someone who saw Fighting with My Family and the story of how WWE passed up Knight for Saraya, I was curious to see how he performed on a bigger stage and if WWE missed the boat. I still haven’t decided but will say I enjoyed his aggressiveness, so the jury is still out.
Alex Marvez was backstage with Kyle O’Reilly and Rocky Romero. Each put the other over with O’Reilly saying that every time he wrestled Romero he became a better wrestler. Romero promised to defeat Roderick Strong at Battle of the Belts and then go on and beat him for the AEW International Championship. O’Reilly said when Romero does that, he’d like a title shot.
After Romero left, Strong, along with Wardlow, Mike Bennett and Matt Taven came in. Strong said it sounded like O’Reilly wanted a shot at his title. O’Reilly said they’re friends but admitted it would be cool to be champion. Strong said O’Reilly could be any champion he wanted as long as it wasn’t the International Champion. He ended by saying that O’Reilly can do whatever he wants, as long as it doesn’t involve him… [C]
A commercial previewed this weekend’s edition of Collision…
4. Jay White (w/Colten Gunn, Austin Gunn) vs. Matt Sydal. The announcers noted that if Sydal won, it would be 50th win. Sydal went after White’s leg to start before hitting two huracanranas. Sydal held the advantage for the early part of the match. Right before the last picture-in-picture break, White face planted Sydal on the apron. [C]
After the break, White still had the advantage but Sydal mounted a comeback. Down the stretch, Sydal rolled up for White a near fall. White hit a uranage for a near fall and went for a sleeper suplex. Sydal flipped through it and hit White with a poisoned rana. Sydal came off the top for a metetora, but White moved and thit Sydal with the Blade Runner for the win.
Jay White defeated Matt Sydal in about 11:00.
The show quickly went off the air…
Don’s Take: Hey, at least White doesn’t have to deal with the “grind” right? I’m not saying he would have been a main eventer in WWE, but I would wager it would have been better than feuding with Billy Gunn and wrestling on Rampage.
The 140th episode of Rampage was like the rest – four matches with some good wrestling and minor storyline advancement. And we’re not done as there are three more hours of live AEW TV coming at you this weekend! But, that’s all for me for now. As usual, I’ll be back at it next week with the Rampage review. Until then!
Hey, at least White doesn’t have to deal with the “grind” right?
Don is currently my favourite person on this site.
Thank you! All jokes aside, AEW Jay White saddens me because we’ve seen what he can be when booked properly.