By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 147)
Taped May 29, 2024 in Inglewood, California at Kia Forum
Aired May 31, 2024 on TBS
The Rampage opening aired… Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were on commentary… The wrestlers were already inside the ring for the opening match…
1. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Penta El Zero Miedo in a qualifier for the ladder match for the vacant TNT Championship. No one is allowed at ringside for the qualifying matches. Excalibur noted that Chris Jericho was scheduled to join them on commentary, but he was not with them at the broadcast table. Takeshita was in offensive control heading into a picture-in-picture commercial break. [C]
Penta had a nice run of offense that started with a huracanrana. Penta sent Takeshita to ringside and hit him with a flip dive. Penta seemed to have an issue with his shoulder or neck and referee Paul Turner checked on him, but Penta shook it off and seemed fine.
Back in the ring, Takeshita performed a deadlift German suplex. Penta came right back with a Made In Japan for a near fall. Penta tried to snap Takeshita’s arm, but Takeshita avoided it and then hit him with a big clothesline that led to a two count.
Penta avoided a flying knee in the corner and then hit a Canadian Destroyer on the apron. Takeshita came back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Takeshita hit a running knee strike shortly thereafter and scored the clean pin…
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Penta El Zero Miedo to qualify for the ladder match for the vacant TNT Championship at AEW Forbidden Door.
Powell’s POV: Made In Japan and the Canadian Destroyer in the same match? Penta is Mr. International. It was nice to have a Rampage match that felt like it actually mattered for a change. The qualifiers should help add stakes to some upcoming television matches. Without knowing who else is in the tournament, I’m all for Takeshita winning and finally getting the push that he deserves. By the way, I’m filling in for Don Murphy, who travelled all the way to Chicago this weekend to find out whether Mindy’s Bakery lives up to the hype (or something like that).
Backstage, Renee Paquette interviewed Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith. Jericho said he was attacked by a young man whose brain isn’t fully formed (Hook). He said he is too valuable to be attacked, so he has decided to step down from his role as a commentator on Rampage. Jericho said he will now spend more time on Dynamite and Collision and will probably be in four or five segments…
Matt Menard joined the broadcast team while Excalibur pulled the daily fantasy sports sponsor… [C]
Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong delivered a promo on the backstage ring set. Bennett said Las Vegas sucked. He said he lost money and Strong lost the AEW International Championship. Taven said they were kicked out of ringside for no good reason. Strong said he was supposed to be the tenth man in the Casino Gauntlet match (it ended after nine entrants). Strong said he wanted to go to Collision and take all of his frustration out of Lio Rush. Strong said he’s coming for Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay…
Excalibur officially announced Lio Rush vs. Roderick Strong for Collision…
Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced Satnam Singh, who came out with Sonjay Dutt to Jeff Jarrett’s “My World” entrance theme. Peter Avalon was already in the ring…
Satnam Singh (w/Sonjay Dutt) vs. Peter Avalon. Singh laid down and told an apprehensive Avalon to pin him. Avalon covered Singh, who kicked out at two. Singh slammed Avalon on the mat repeatedly and then put him in a bearhug and got a submission win…
Satnam Singh defeated Peter Avalon.
Powell’s POV: I’m watching on delay and I’m not timing the matches so I can skip through commercial breaks, but this was a roughly one minute squash match. I’m surprised they didn’t give Singh some squash wins heading into his match with Bryan Danielson.
“Cage of Agony” Brian Cage, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun delivered a backstage promo. Cage challenged any team in the world to face them in a match on Collision. Cage introduced Hechicero, who spoke in Spanish…
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm, Maria May, and Luther made their entrance. Viva Van was already in the ring…
3. AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm vs. Viva Van in an eliminator match. Excalibur hyped Mariah May vs. Saraya for Dynamite. Storm used her own ass as a battering ram by slamming it into Van’s head repeatedly. Storm followed up with a hip attack that knocked Van off the apron heading into a PIP break. [C]
Van clotheslined Storm over the middle rope and then hit her with a spinning kick that led to a two count. Storm came back with a Backstabber and followed up with a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Excalibur said Storm’s makeup was smeared and assumed it wouldn’t sit well with her (doesn’t she smear her own makeup frequently?). Storm ended up using Storm Zero to get the clean pin…
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm beat Viva Van in an eliminator match.
Powell’s POV: A showcase win for the women’s champion. The crowd popped for her entrance and was excited to see her.
Backstage, Saraya and Harley Cameron mockingly applauded Storm. Cameron said Saraya beat the real version of Toni Storm. Saraya said that if Mariah May wants to be just like Storm, then she can beat the shit out of her too…
4. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Jordan Cruz. The bell rang and O’Reilly went right after Cruz. O’Reilly eventually got Cruz down and threw various strikes at him. O’Reilly put Cruz in an armbar and got the submission win…
Kyle O’Reilly defeats Jordan Cruz.
Powell’s POV: Another brief spotlight match. O’Reilly didn’t get much of a reaction unless he worked for it by playing to the fans.
Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie delivered a backstage promo. TV claimed they are looking for the best competition and then issued a random challenge to Claudio Castagnoli for a match on Collision… [C]
Powell’s POV: Taya has really trimmed down and looks great. Granted, she looked great before the weight loss, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it affects her in-ring game. Hopefully we’ll see more of her in the ring on AEW television.
Entrances for the main event took place. Rey Fenix came out first and had hugs and kisses for what was likely family members at ringside. The usual AEW security guard worked the velvet rope for Isiah Kassidy’s entrance…
5. Rey Fenix (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Isiah Kassidy. The broadcast team hyped MJF’s return for Wednesday’s Dynamite as the match got underway.
Excalibur listed the following matches for AEW Collision: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Johnny TV, Thunder Rosa vs. Reina Dorada, Daniel Garcia and Katsuyori Shibata vs. “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake, and Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty vs. “The West Coast Wrecking Crew” Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson (they previously announced Will Ospreay vs. Kyle O’Reilly for the AEW International Championship).
Kassidy hit a Poison Rana, but Fenix no-sold it for a moment to execute a German suplex. Both men were down heading into the final PIP break. [C] Fenix pulled Kassidy from the middle rope with a huracanrana and then covered him for a two count.
Kassidy came back and hit Fenix with a flip dive on the floor. Kassidy tossed Fenix back inside the ring and performed a nice DDT for a two count. Kassidy got cocky while hovering over Fenix, who flipped him over and threw punches at him.
Kassidy performed a Canadian Destroyer for a near fall. Kassidy went for a top rope Swanton, but Fenix avoided it. Fenix ran the ropes and kicked Kassidy in the face. Fenix performed a top rope frog splash for a near fall. Fenix came back with a double underhook into a move where he slammed Kassidy down on his back before pinning him.
Rey Fenix defeated Isiah Kassidy.
Fenix celebrated his win while Excalibur admitted that even he didn’t know what to call the finishing move that Fenix used. Excalibur hyped some segments for Collision to close the show…
Powell’s POV: The main event was a well worked spot fest, but the show peaked with the opening match because it was the only match that felt like it actually mattered. The three matches in between were basic spotlight matches that helped keep the show moving at a nice pace. Overall, a pretty good show by Rampage standards.
Be the first to comment