9/30 AEW Rampage results: McGuire’s review of The Acclaimed vs. Private Party vs. The Butcher and The Blade for the AEW Tag Team Titles, Rush vs. John Silver, Willow Nightingale vs. Jamie Hatyer, Lee Moriarty vs. Fuego Del Sol

By Colin McGuire, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@McGMondays)

AEW Rampage (Episode 60)
Taped September 28, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Liacouras Center
Aired September 30, 2022 on TNT

Jim Ross welcomed everyone to the show and let us know he was joined by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. The challengers were already in the ring while Justin Roberts introduced them. Then the Acclaimed made their entrance. Caster’s rap included shots at the Butcher’s band, Ben Simmons and Adam Levine.

1. The Acclaimed vs. Private Party vs. The Butcher and The Blade for the AEW Tag Team Titles. Matt Hardy was shown in the back watching the match on a TV. Bowens and Kassidy began the match. The two traded a million fast pin attempts. Kassidy got the best of it before Bowens landed some chops. The two shook hands (kind of) and Caster tagged in. Caster landed a dropkick and scissored daddy ass, much to the crowd’s enjoyment. All four members of Private Party and The Acclaimed ended up in the ring and that led to Butcher and Blade running in. Blade pulled Kassidy over to their corner to tag in. From there, Bowens took on Butcher and Blade, but the heels got the best of him. We then got our first PIP [c].

Back from break, Blade was working a chin-lock on Bowens. The Blade landed a power-slam for a two-count. The Butcher tagged in and hit a leg drop for a two-count. The Blade tagged in, but Bowens landed a series of strikes that ended with a thrust kick. Butcher ran in, so Bowens couldn’t tag Caster. As a result. Mar Quen tagged himself in and took down The Blade with a cross-body. Kassidy came in and the two worked over both Butcher and Blade. Caster ran in to break up a pin attempt and The Butcher took down Caster.

Blade hit a Doctor Bomb for a two-count. With Butcher and Blade on the outside, Kassidy landed a springboard onto them. Caster dove onto that pile and rolled Blade back into the ring, where Bowens had already tagged in. They hit the Mic Drop on The Blade for the win.

The Acclaimed defeated Private Party and The Butcher and The Blade via pinfall in 9:59.

After the match, we went right backstage where The Firm was hanging out. The Gunns continued to talk trash on FTR. The Gunns called out how FTR has been the No. 1 contenders for their tag belts for a long time. They closed by saying “Top Gunns, out.”

McGuire’s Musings: The match was fine, but I couldn’t help but think about how much The Acclaimed struggled here against two mid-card tag-teams in their first tag-team title defense. The whole thing kind of made me think, “Well, shoot. How the hell are they supposed to be someone like FTR in a regular match if they can’t dominate a scenario like this?” I digress. Bowens worked a lot of the match and he’s gotten so much better since he first appeared in AEW, it’s jarring. Caster has improved, too, but Bowens sticks out to this viewer. As for The Firm, I don’t know that they want to become a joke and the Gunn stuff suggested that might be where they are going, considering how they made fun of all the tag-team belts in the world. We’ll have to see where it goes.

ack from break, we got a Jade Cargill interview. She called Lexy “Lindsey” and I laughed. Out of nowhere, Nyla Rose and her crew showed up. Cargill said she beat Rose’s ass. Cargill said she’d give Rose what she wants, but it will have to be on her time.

2. Lee Moriarty vs. Fuego Del Sol. The two locked up and Moriarty took control early. Moriarty went to whip Fuego, but Fuego countered. It didn’t matter because Moriarty landed a nice dropkick. Moriarty stomped on Fuego’s head a bunch of times. Moriarty landed a back-suplex. Moriarty then slammed Fuego and sunk in his finisher. As a result, Fuego tapped out.

Lee Moriarty defeated Fuego Del Sol via submission in 1:56.

After the match, Morrissey choke-slammed Fuego from a million feet in the air. The Firm celebrated.

We went right to the back where Hangman Adam Page was interviewed. Evil Uno was with him and said everyone would be in Hangman’s corner. Andrade made an appearance with Jose and Andrade challenged No. 10. He said yes, but if he wins, Andrade has to leave AEW. Stokely Hathaway showed up and they talked trash on Andrade’s group.

McGuire’s Musings: Let the rumors about Andrade’s imminent AEW departure commence. That’s quite the twist to a match that would otherwise be fairly irrelevant. 10’s mask vs. Andrade’s career seems a bit lopsided to me, but I’m just a guy with a laptop and very little else. A lot of eyes will be on it, though, considering that stip. Meanwhile, the Moriarty match was what it should have been and good pseudo reboot for him. We all know he’s got a lot of talent and we’ve all been waiting for that talent to be showcased more aggressively on AEW programming. Hopefully, a win like this will be the beginning of that.

3. Willow Nightingale vs. Jamie Hayter. Britt Baker and Rebel accompanied Hayter to the ring. Hayter and Nightingale brawled to open the match. Eventually, Nightingale took Hayter down and landed a Senton before hitting a low cross-body for a one-count. Willow hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count. She followed that up with chops. Nightingale went to whip Hayter, but Hayter hit a kick and a running knees to take control as we went to our next PIP [c].

Back from break, Hayter landed a back-breaker for a two-count. With the two running the ropes, Willow hit her signature Pounce, rolling Hayter to the outside. Back in the ring, Hayter stomped on Willow. Willow came back with a Death Valley Driver for a two-count. Willow went to the top rope, but Britt grabbed Willow’s boot and then hit a German Suplex into a short-arm lariat for the win.

Jamie Hayter defeated Willow Nightingale via pinfall in 8:06.

From there, we got a video package on War-Joe (Wardlow and Samoa Joe). Back in the ring, Ryan Nemeth was talking. He said Rocky isn’t real. He slammed Philly more, but nobody really responded. Hook’s music hit and Hook came out. Hook clotheslined Nemeth. Hook rag-dolled Nemeth and sunk in the Redrum until Nemeth passed out. The Trustbusters came out and left Hook a letter which Hook picked up on his way toward the back. From there, we got a Swerve video.

McGuire’s Musings: I really like Willow Nightingale and she was great here as someone who was more outnumbered than anything. She showed good fire and plays the happy-go-lucky-but-I’ll-kill-you character so well. Hayter had to get the win because she’s wildly over with all the live crowds and AEW would do itself well to push her a bit, but that seems to be a point of contention among some wrestling fans, so I’m going to go ahead and stay away from that. As for Hook … if he joins the Trustbusters, I’m quitting wrestling.

We got the Mark Henry segment. John Silver said Andrade’s group’s man crush on 10 is creepy. Silver said the meat man is going to beat Rush’s ass. Andrade said they are going to show everyone they are winners. Rush spoke and said there’s too much talk and he said Rush is there to fight. Henry said it’s time for the main event. We got a Trent video because he’s going to face Pac at Battle Of The Belts.

4. Rush vs. John Silver. The crowd chanted Johnny Hung-y. Rush had the upper-hand early, but Silver came back with an uppercut that took Rush to the outside. Silver posed in the middle of the ring. Rush rolled back into the ring and punched the hell out of Silver before posing, himself. Rush landed chops and then landed a splash in the corner. Rush hit a dropkick to the back of Silver. The two fought on the outside and Rush threw Silver into the guardrail. Rush rolled Silver back into the ring. Rush kicked Silver in the head and posed as we got our final PIP [c].

Back from break, the two traded splashes before Silver hit a pair of German Suplexes. Silver caught Rush for a power-bomb. Silver landed some kicks and Rush slapped the snot out of Silver before landing a Northern Lights Suplex for a two-count. With the two on their feet, they traded forearms and chops. Rush decapitated Silver. Silver came back with a brain-buster and then interference began. As a result, Rush hit a running forearm and the Bull’s Horns for the win.

Rush defeated John Silver via pinfall in 10:56.

After the match, Andrade attacked Alex Reynolds and Silver. Evil Uno and 10 ran down for the save. The Butcher and The Blade ran out to hop in and then Hangman’s music hit. Page and Rush squared off and Hangman teased the Buckshot Lariat, which he eventually hit on Jose The Assistant. The Dark Order posed to end the show.

McGuire’s Musings: This was a match that has become the prototypical Rampage main event: A pair of wrestlers that wouldn’t be caught in a main event on Dynamite, but for some reason are expected to carry a show that is supposed to be seen on that level? Just thinking out loud. I’m glad to see Rush in AEW full-time because during the last few months of his ROH run, I saw him in the flesh look as disinterested as ever in Baltimore. He seems re-energized now, though, and some of that bad reputation he got during that time has kind of/sort of washed away. He looked great here and Silver was a good opponent for him because for whatever reason, Silver and the rest of Dark Order can take L’s like it’s nobody’s business but never really have to work to get their popularity back. Maybe it’s the Hangman relationship or maybe they’re just that lovable. Still, the match worked and the right guy won.

In all, if we’re supposed to believe Rampage is going to be “stacked” again (or whatever vernacular TK used when he was trying to pump up the show a few weeks ago) … well, this example ain’t it. Sigh. I’ll have more to say in my audio review.