By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Rampage (Episode 176)
Taped December 22, 2024 in New York, New York at Hammerstein Ballroom
Aired December 27, 2024 on TNT
Ian Riccaboni welcomed viewers to the show and was joined on commentary by Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer as we went to the ring for the opening match…
1. ROH Champion Chris Jericho (w/Big Bill) vs. Anthony Bowens (w/Max Caster) in a non-title match. Caster rapped about Jericho smoking trees and then refereed to himself as the greatest wrestler alive which got a look from Bowens. Bowens went on the early offense with chops and elbows to the neck. Jericho retaliated with a poke to the eyes and chops of his own. The two exchanged chops with Bowens regaining the advantage with a knee strike for a near fall. Jericho locked in the Lion Tamer as the show headed into its first picture-in-picture break of the night. [C]
Coming out of the break, Bowens was still in the Lion Tamer but managed to reach the ropes. Bowens went to the eyes and hit a Fameasser for a near fall. Bowens sent Jericho to the floor and dove on to both Jericho and Big Bill. Bowens began to climb the ropes but Bryan Keith came out to distract referee Aubrey Edwards. The plan backfired as this allowed Caster to enter the ring and slam Jericho. Caster held Jericho’s legs while Bowens hit Scissor Me Timbers for a near fall. Jericho hit the Code Breaker for a near fall. Bryan Keith grabbed the ROH title at ringside.
The finish saw Big Bill climb up on the apron to distract Edwards. This allowed Keith to come into the ring to attempt to hit Bowens with the ROH title. Caster prevented him from doing so and both began a tug of war for the belt. Caster won the battle but as he pulled the belt away he in inadvertently hit Bowens. Jericho covered a knocked-out Bowens for the win. [C]
ROH Champion Chris Jericho defeated Anthony Bowens in 9:39 in a non-title match.
Don’s Take: A decent opener with an expected finish as a way to continue the eventual split between Caster and Bowens. I echo others who said that the Hammerstein Ballroom is a great venue for wrestling. The place looked pack and the crowd was hot for all three nights that AEW/ROH was there. My hope is that Tony Khan takes this as a cue to book some smaller venues in 2025. There’s no shame in downsizing to make a good TV presentation.
A video showed Private Party walking around New York City with the AEW Tag Team Titles. Isiah Kassidy looked in the camera and said, “NYC – the champs are home.”
2. AEW Tag Team Champions “Private Party” Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy vs. Leo Sparrow and Alec Price in a non-title match. Private Party hitting Gin & Juice on Price for the win.
AEW Tag Team Champions “Private Party” Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy defeated Leo Sparrow and Alec Price in 1:03 in a non-title match.
After the match, Action Andretti and Lio Rush came out to brawl with Private Party. Dante and Darius Martin of Top Flight joined the brawl before it was broken up by security.
Powerhouse Hobbs cut a generic backstage promo about how he will defeat Konosuke Takeshita at Worlds End for the AEW International Championship…
Renee Paquette was backstage with Harley Cameron. Paquette noted that Cameron hadn’t won a match in AEW yet. Penelope Ford entered and said that she and Cameron had a lot of the same assets. Cameron asked how much hers cost. Ford said she’ll watch Cameron’s back in Cameron watches hers. Cameron asked what was on her back.
3. Thunder Rosa vs. Leila Grey. Grey did not get a televised entrance and was already in the ring. For the first several minutes, this match was fairly even with Rosa having the slight advantage as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, Grey was on offense hitting a suplex and a face plant. Rosa mounted a hot comeback before the two exchanged blows. Grey went for a butterfly face buster but Rosa turned it into a back drop. Rosa hit a double stomp to Grey’s back before locking in the Cobra Clutch for the submission.
Thunder Rosa defeated Leila Grey in about 7:58.
Don’s Take: This one didn’t overstay its welcome too much but still was a bit too competitive given that Rosa is challenging Mariah May for the AEW Women’s Title at Worlds End.
Tony Schiavone ran down the Worlds End lineup…
4. Nick Wayne (w/Christian Cage, Mother Wayne, Kip Sabian) vs. Hook. Wayne attacked Hook right out of the box. It was back and forth action for the early part of the match which eventually spilled to the floor. Wayne threw Hook into the ring steps and distracted referee Bryce Remsburg. This allowed Sabian to place Hook’s arm over the top ring step so that Cage could smash it with his briefcase. Remsburg caught Cage in the act and ejected the entire faction from ringside as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the break, Wanye removed Hook’s arm cast and went to work on the injured arm. Hook mounted a comeback and hit a fishermen’s suplex for a near fall.
Jeff Jarrett vs. QT Marshall, Leila Grey vs. Toni Storm, and The Outrunners and Top Flight vs. Lio Rush, Action Andretti, and the Murder Machines in an eight-man tag match were announced for the Worlds End Zero Hour pre-show.
Don’s Take: Don predicts Jeff Jarrett, Toni Storm, and the foursome of The Outrunners and Top Flight all being victorious.
Hook hit a German suplex on Wayne on the ring apron to the floor. Wayne retaliated and hit a frog splash for a near fall. Hook no sold a Wayne suplex and hit a clothesline. Cage and Sabian returned to ringside but were chased off by Katsuyori Shibata wielding a two-by-four. Hook went for the Redrum submission but Wayne rolled him up for a near fall.
In the end, Wayne went for Wayne’s World but jumped right into a Red Rum submission. Wayne passed out in the hold and the referee called for the bell.
Hook defeated Nick Wayne in about 12:29.
Don’s Take: A fine match. Wayne is on my list of talent to watch in 2025. He’s not booked great right now but there’s definitely potential there.
Backstage, Jon Moxley and the Death Riders were attacking Darby Allin. Moxley said that Allin had left him no choice. He placed a chair around Allin’s neck and Claudio Castagnoli stomped on the chair. Moxley then kicked Allin down a flight of stairs. [C]
After the break, Moxley and Marina Shafir were in the ring. Moxley said he forgave any of the fans that hated him and challenged anyone in the back who had a problem with him to come out and face him. This brought out Komander and Top Flight who were immediately intercepted by Pac, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta. Orange Cassidy came out and was joined by Willow Nightingale who brawled with Shafir.
Cassidy was joined by Jay White and Hangman Adam Page, who went after Moxley and the Death Riders. The locker room emptied and a wild brawl ensued. Pac and Yuta cut the lights to the arena allowing Moxley and Shafir to escape. Moxley entered the production truck and said he would put an end to the chaos at Worlds End. He then said he was ending Rampage and cut the feed, thus ending the show for the final time, for now.
Don’s Take: I’m not sure they sold any additional pay-per-views with this as a go-home angle, but I thought it was a fun way to turn the end of Rampage into a storyline. I would have featured those in the main event but the live crowd ate this up.
And so, Rampage comes to an end “for the foreseeable future.” I’m not sure when it could potentially return but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the show come back in some way shape or form down the road. Everyone will have their own opinion on that, but for now this will be my final Rampage review. It’s been a chore at times given the throwaway nature of the show, but I’ve always enjoyed sharing my opinions on the shows and the storylines. And for anyone that’s ever commented on these reviews – good or bad – I thank you. Heck, you can always look these up in the archives and follow along as old episodes surface on Max.
Don’t fret, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be doing predictions for the site and will be subbing on Collision reviews throughout the new year. I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year’s celebration and I’ll be back at it in 2025. Until then!
I hardly ever comment on the reviews Don, because I never watch Rampage, but I always read them. Thanks for the coverage!
Thanks Jon Moxley for killing off Rampage for atleast awhile.
You just moved up a couple notches in my power rankings!