By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Rampage (Episode 156)
Taped July 31, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina at Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Aired August 2, 2024 on TNT
The Rampage opening aired and then Excalibur checked in on commentary with Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard. The ring announcer was Justin Roberts….
1. Wheeler Yuta (w/Bryan Danielson) vs. The Butcher. Danielson sat in on commentary. The match started out with an exchange of holds which evolved into both wrestlers trading blows. The Butcher used his strength to overpower Yuta and take over on offense for several minutes.
Yuta fought back and ejected The Butcher to the floor. Yuta dove onto Butcher and continued the attack. Back in the ring, Yuta missed a cross body, allowing The Butcher to hit a back breaker as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the break, the two fought on the top rope. Yuta hit a cross body. Down the stretch, it was Yuta on offense, hitting a flying forearm for a near fall. The Butcher countered with more power moves, including a power bomb. Yuta recovered, bit the neck of The Butcher and locked in the Cattle Mutilation for the submission.
Wheeler Yuta defeated The Butcher in about 11:00.
Don’s Take: Mr. Rampage returns! Hoping he returns to his obnoxious heel gimmick in short order as it could be entertaining at times.
Mansoor and Mason Madden were backstage. They said they spent some time in the Dungeon so Private Party should be prepared to be stretched. They said they don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. Their only addiction is to shampoo and conditioner and the only body shots they do are beauty shots.
2. Brian Cage vs. Manny Lo. A quick squash match with Cage hitting Lo with his Weapon X finisher for the win. [C]
Brian Cage defeated Manny Lo in about 1:00.
Don’s Take: Cage goes to the same school as Lancer Archer. They heat him up on Rampage and ROH to have him lose to the bigger stars.
A video recapped the altercation between MJF and Kyle Fletcher.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher. Paquette asked Fletcher about his match with MJF. Fletcher said he got involved with MJF to protect his friend Will Ospreay. Callis said there are friends and then there is family. Brian Cage entered and asked Paquette why she was talking to them when he just destroyed a scrub. Cage listed his accomplishments which led to Fletcher challenging Cage to a match on Collision which Cage accepted. Callis questioned Fletcher’s decision saying “we don’t get paid by the match.”
3. Harley Cameron vs. Nyla Rose. Cameron came out with a mic and said that Saraya would not be wrestling tonight because of how AEW and the fans were treating her. She said that Rose was in a lot of trouble. Rose started out with power moves and tossed Cameron to the floor. This gave Cameron the opening to ram Rose’s head into the post and ram her back in the railing. The show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the break, the two traded offense back and forth with Cameron getting more in that would be expected. The finish saw Rose miss a cannonball in the corner. Cameron went for double knees to the chest but Rose caught her in the powerbomb for the win.
Nyla Rose defeated Harley Cameron in about 9:00.
Don’s Take: I know she’s been somewhat prominent behind the ROH paywall, but I feel like Rose is someone they can get more out of on the main AEW roster. The Cameron/Saraya act has run its course and then some. I will say that it was a nice attention to detail in explaining why Saraya wasn’t wrestling after it was set up last week.
Private Party was backstage. They said they liked MxM Collection and invited them to their “dance party” later tonight.
4. Bryan Keith (w/Chris Jericho, Big Bill) vs. Jackson Drake. This was another squash match with Keith winning with his Diamond Dust finisher.
Bryan Keith defeated Jackson Drake in about 3:00.
Don’s Take: A simple squash match for the third man on the Learning Tree depth chart.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Katsuyori Shibata. Paquette asked him about the conditions of Samoa Joe and Hook. Shibata said they are getting better and want their revenge on the Learning Tree. Paquette asked him about his match next week with Bryan Keith. Shibata said last team, Keith injured his arm and this time Shibata will injure all of him. [C]
A video recapped the issues between the Undisputed Kingdom, the Conglomeration and FTR heading into Collision.
5. “Private Party” Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen vs. “MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden. MxM held the early advantage until they taunted them on the floor [C]
During the break, MxM held the advantage over Kassidy and as they came back from commercial, Kassidy hot tagged Quen, who hit several brain busters and cleaned house. The action went to the floor as Madden caught a diving Kassidy into a sidewalk slam on the floor. Quen dove onto Madden. Back in the ring, Mansoor super kicked Kassidy out of the ring while Madden choke slammed Quen from the second rope. Madden and Mansoor hit a double brain buster maneuver on Quen for the win.
MxM Collection defeated Private Party in about 12:00.
MxM celebrated as Rampage went off the air…..
Don’s Take: Good to see the former Maximum Male Models land somewhere. I’m not sure what the ceiling is for them in AEW given the way the tag team division is booked but a job is a job right?
So, it seems like Rampage has settled in on five matches each week with decent match bookends and the middle crammed with 2-3 squash matches. That’s fine for what it is and if that’s the role they want to play, so be it.
That’s all from me for tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow for Collision at an early start time. Until then!
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