By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Rampage (Episode 154)
Taped July 17, 2024 in North Little Rock, Arkansas at Simmons Bank Arena
Aired July 19, 2024 on TBS
The Rampage opening aired and then Excalibur checked in on commentary with Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard. Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii. The trio made their entrance while their opponents were already inside the ring…
1. Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett vs. Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii. The babyface trio was getting the better of Bennett heading into an early picture-in-picture break. [C] Strong and Bennett teamed up for the Proton Pack on Ishii. Taven followed up with a top rope splash on Ishii for a near fall. The heel trio roughed up Cassidy heading into another PIP break. [C]
Ishii took a hot tag and performed brainbusters on Strong and Bennett. Ishii followed up with what was described as an avalanche brainbuster when it actually looked like a superplex on Taven. A short time later, Cassidy tagged in and performed a DDT on Bennett. Cassidy and O’Reilly performed a High/Low on Bennett. Cassidy hit Taven with an Orange Punch and then pinned him.
Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett in 17:25.
After the match, Don Callis entered the ring and approached Cassidy, who saw him coming. Cassidy backed Callis into a corner of the ring and then Kyle Fletcher attacked Cassidy. Mark Briscoe came out carrying the ROH Championship and cleared Fletcher from the ring. Strong hit Briscoe with a knee strike. Strong picked up the ROH Championship belt and then posed with Taven and Bennett, who had the ROH Tag Team Title belts…
Powell’s POV: An all action style trios match. I was hardly surprised and yet I still rolled my eyes when Ishii kicked out after taking a Proton Pack and a top rope splash. By the way, I’m filling in for Don Murphy, who said he needed the night off after investing his life savings in CrowdStrike on Thursday (or something like that). Don will be back on Saturday with a review of AEW Collision while I cover the TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view.
Arkady Aura interviewed Saraya and Harley Cameron on the backstage interview set. Saraya said the women in AEW are terrified of her because she’s a living legend. Saraya said all roads are leading to Wembley Stadium for her and she doesn’t care who she has to step on to get there…
Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith made their entrance while The Outrunners were already inside the ring…
2. Chris Jericho and Big Bill vs. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum. The broadcast team made a fuss over Jericho wearing jeans rather than his gear. Jericho stood on the apron wearing FTW Title belt and checked his phone while Bill fought The Outrunners by himself. Once Bill chokeslammed Floyd, Jericho tagged. Jericho put his foot over Floyd and posed while getting the pin.
Chris Jericho and Big Bill beat “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum in 3:30.
Jericho, Bill, and Keith walked to the stage after the match. Jericho waved to the crowd while Bill and Keith headed to the back. Minoru Suzuki came out of the other entrance tunnel and pointed at a smiling Jericho, who waved at him before Suzuki headed to the ring… [C]
Powell’s POV: Rampage is the perfect spot for The Learning Tree. Unfortunately, Jericho’s bad act also appears on Dynamite and Collision. Sorry, it’s just not for me. To be fair, what they did here with Bill doing all the work and Jericho taking the pin was good heel work.
3. Minoru Suzuki vs. The Butcher. The Butcher was in the ring coming out of the break and did not have a televised entrance. Suzuki held up Butcher before following through with a Gotch-style piledriver that led to the three count…
Minoru Suzuki beat The Butcher in 3:05.
Powell’s POV:
“The Conglomeration” Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomoshiro Ishii. Briscoe dubbed Ishii as “Big Time.” Briscoe said the rules of the group are that you must be down to conglomerate and you can’t be a shithead. Briscoe said the world of the day was discombobulation. O’Reilly had Briscoe use the world in a sentence. Briscoe said Ishii would face Roderick Strong on Collision with no one at ringside…
4. Kris Statlander (w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. Syndi Winnell. Statlander received a televised entrance while Winnell was already inside the ring. Winnell caught Statlander with an elbow and then threw forearm strikes. Statlander came back quickly and hit her Saturday Night Fever finisher and scored the pin…
Kris Statlander defeated Syndi Winnell in 1:25.
Powell’s POV: A quick squash style win for Statlander.
A brief vignette teased the debut of the new masked character for Saturday’s Collision… [C] Both entrances were shown for the main event…
5. Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. “Private Party” Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy. Kassidy offered Fenix a handshake. Fenix accepted the handshake and then hit Kassidy. After a series of spots, all four men were down heading into the final PIP break. [C]
Private Party had a run of offense with Quen diving onto Penta at ringside followed by Kassidy performing a Swanton on Fenix for a near fall. Penta and Fenix stuffed Private Party’s big move attempt, but they came back and hit the huracanrana into a cutter. Quen awkwardly stayed on all fours while covering Fenix. He did so because Fenix jumped off his back into a Destroyer on Kassidy. Penta and Fenix came back with Fear Factor on Quen. Fenix dove onto Kassidy on the floor while Penta pinned Quen…
Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix defeated “Private Party” Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy in 10:15.
Powell’s POV: A good spot-fest style tag team match aside from the clunky all fours cover spot that set up Penta’s Destroyer. I wish it felt like the win mattered for Penta and Fenix, but the Young Bucks and Acclaimed are feuding over the tag titles. Overall, a standard Rampage in that it was fine if you saw it, fine if you missed it.
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