– Friday night’s AEW Rampage on TNT averaged 551,000 viewers for the first episode of 2023. That’s up 17.2 percent from the previous week and is Rampage’s second-highest viewership total since September 23.
In the 18-49 demo, Rampage finished 30th on the cable charts with a 0.15 rating, up 25 percent from last week. That’s tied for Rampage’s second-highest rating in the demo since October 14.
Rampage’s ratings were up in every category with the exception of females 12-34, which were down 14.3 percent. The biggest increase was with males in that same age group, which were up 66.7 percent.
As compared to the same week in 2022, Rampage’s overall viewership was down 6.3 percent and its 18-49 rating was down 37.5 percent, so this week’s show skewed much older.
– Battle of the Belts V, which immediately followed Rampage on TNT, averaged 409,000 viewers overall and drew a 0.11 rating in 18-49. The latter placed the show 58th on the cable charts.
Both numbers were up from Battle of the Belts IV, which averaged 317,000 viewers and drew a 0.10 rating in 18-49. That Battle of the Belts special also aired after Rampage.
Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for Rampage, along with a history of Battle of the Belts ratings. As compared to the 10-week averages, Rampage was up 23.5 percent in overall viewers and up 15.4 percent in 18-49.
AEW’s debut in Portland, Oregon, started with a live Rampage and will conclude with the fifth entry in the Battle of the Belts series.
The show will feature a rematch for the AEW Tag Team titles as The Acclaimed will defend against Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal in a no holds barred match.
Jarrett & Lethal thought they had the titles won on Wednesday’s Dynamite, but a reversed call by the referee led to the heels being defeated instead.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill will defend her title and undefeated streak against Skye Blue. This will be their third-ever meeting with the first two ending in two Cargill wins in a combined three minutes.
In a match that has been building for weeks, AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy will defend against Kip Sabian. Sabin has been in pursuit of a title match with injuries and backfired plans getting into his way.
Still live! and still in Portland, Oregon, and still with Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Jim Ross on commentary, it’s Battle of the Belts V.
The Acclaimed (w/ Billy Gunn) defeated Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal (w/ Sonjay Dutt & Satnam Singh) to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship in a “No Holds Barred” match (10:54)
Caster’s rap called a Jarrett victory “the new January 6th,” then said Jarrett was worse than Vince McMahon. And the brawl was on. Eventually, the match settled into a standard tag match, with guys standing on the corner waiting for tags.
The Acclaimed combined for a double suplex on Lethal. Caster slid out of the ring to hit Singh with a forearm that he no-sold. The Acclaimed tried to set up “Scissor Me Timbers” on Lethal, but Jarrett broke it up. Both members of the Acclaimed got dumped to the floor, and Lethal and Jarrett celebrated with a double Fargo Strutt in the ring.
After a split-screen break, Caster hit Jarret with a superkick, then hit Jarrett with an Angle Slam. Then in case Caster was being too subtle, Caster “pulled down his straps” (Caster wasn’t wearing straps) and locked Jarrett in an ankle lock. Lethal kept Jarrett from submitting… by coming off the top with an elbow on the referee! Gunn clotheslined Lethal out of the ring, and Singh took out Caster.
WIth the referee out, a second referee came in the ring. Jarrett tried to tag Lethal in, but Gunn pulled Lethal off the apron and threw him into the barricade. Jarrett got his guitar, so Bowens got his boom box. Dutt tripped up Bowens, and he went headfirst into his own boom box. Billy Gunn got in the ring and got the guitar, which he broke over Singh’s head when he got in the ring. Singh slumped over in the corner but didn’t go down. Jarrett hit Gunn with Stroke, and Singh chokeslammed both members of the Acclaimed at once, then chokeslammed the referee as well.
Singh then pulled one of the referee’s shirts off and gave it to Sonjay Dutt to put on. Lethal hit the Lethal Injection, but when Dutt tried to count the pin, Aubrey Edwards pulled Dutt out of the ring. Aubrey broke Dutt’s pencil and threw him out of the ring. Bowens his twisting uranage on Lethal, and Caster came off the top with the Mic Drop for the pinfall. This was stupid fun.
– Eddie Kingston and Ortiz were confused by the House of Black’s promo from Rampage, and Kingston wants to settle this on Rampage next week.
Jade Cargill (w/ Leila Grey but not Red Velvet) defeated Skye Blue to retain the TBS Championship (9:14)
Blue countered a spinning uranage attempt with a crucifix for a near fall. Cargill caught Blue with a forearm that sent her to the floor. Cargill followed her out with with a boot, then chokeslammed Blue on the entrance ramp. Cargill demanded a count-out victory, and as Aubrey Edwards made the count, Red Velvet came out to watch from the ramp. Cargill shouted at Velvet, and Sky barely made back in the ring before the ten count.
After a break, Blue started to mount a comeback but Cargill cut her off with a pump kick that sent Blue to the floor. Red Velvet came down to the ring to cheer on Blue, and she took down Grey with a forearm. Back in the ring, Cargill went for Jaded, but Blue countered with a rollup for a near fall. Blue hit a Code Red for a near fall. Blue came off the ropes to try a springboard rana, but Cargill blocked it and in an amazing spot, flipped Blue onto her shoulders, then into the Jaded for the pinfall. Great finish.
– Stokely Hathaway, flanked by Big Bill and Lee Moriarty, cut a promo on “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry and Hook ahead of their match on Dynamite Wednesday.
– Announced for Rampage next Friday, Eddie Kingston & Ortiz will take on the Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King), and Anna Jay & Tay Conti will face Willow Nightingale and Ruby Soho in a Street Fight.
Orange Cassidy (w/ Danhausen) defeated Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford) for the AEW All Atlantic Championship (16:04)
Orange Cassidy has the best entrance video.
Sabian started with mind games with Cassidy, getting his aviators and dropping to the floor. The Bunny came out to join Ford and Sabian. But it was a little too much nonsense at the start. Sabian, Ford and the Bunny mocked the Best Friends’ hug, and Sabian bit Danhausen’s finger when he tried to curse him. Sabian countered a spinning DDT attempt on the floor with a neckbreaker (almost like a one man Magic Killer) on the floor, and Cassidiy started selling his neck.
The match really got cooking after the split-screen break. Sabian hit Cassidy in the corner with a cannonball. Sabian went for it a second time, but Cassidy got out of the way. Cassidy and Sabian fought up the turnbuckles, and Cassidy perplexed him to the mat. The Bunny grabbed Cassidy’s leg to keep him from hitting the Orange Punch, which Danhausen pointed out to the referee, leading to Bunny’s ejection. Unfortunately, this brought out the Butcher and the Blade. Danhausen tried to fight them off, but they easily destroyed him. Butcher and Blade came out to ringside and pulled some chairs up from under the ring to take a seat and watch the match.
Back in the ring, Cassidy and Sabian exchanged strikes. Sabian mocked Cassidy with some “high impact” chops and kicks (a la Cassidy) who responded with rapid fire forearms. Sabian lured Cassidy in and caught him with a headbutt, then followed up with a knee strike for a near fall. Sabian hit an inverted falcon arrow into a cradle for a near fall.
Sabian tossed Cassidy to the floor, at the feet of the Butcher and the Blade. Before they could attack Cassidy, the Best Friends came out and took them out, saving Cassidy. Back in the ring, Cassidy came off the top for a diving DDT, but Sabian countered into a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall. Sabian hit the Orange Punch, but Cassidy didn’t go down. Cassidy caught Sabian a spinning DDT, hit a PK, and delivered the Beach Break for a near fall. Cassidy stomped Sabian in the corner. The ref tried to pull Cassidy off of Sabian, and Cassidy shoved him down. Cassidy’s attention diverted by the ref, Sabian went for a roll-up. Cassidy kicked out, then hit a pair of Orange Punches to get the pinfall.
Final Thoughts:
Even though the results were predictable, this was a fun night of wrestling helped by a very hot Portland crowd.
After a wild finish to Wednesday’s title match, AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed will defend the titles once more against Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal — this time in a no holds barred match at Friday’s Battle of the Belts V.
Jarrett & Lethal looked to have the titles won after Sonjay Dutt pushed Anthony Bowens’ leg off the bottom rope which referee Stephon Smith missed. Aubrey Edwards then informed Smith what happened and the match restarted with The Acclaimed picking up the win off a roll-up.
Jarrett’s crew later cut an impassioned promo in justifying the stipulation for the rematch.
The other new addition to the show will see TBS Champion Jade Cargill look to remain undefeated as she defends against Skye Blue. Cargill and Blue were on opposite ends of a tag team match Wednesday and have wrestled twice before with Cargill picking up both wins in a combined three minutes.
The new additions join the previously announced AEW All-Atlantic title match between Orange Cassidy and Kip Sabian.
Here’s the full lineup for Friday’s live show from Portland, Oregon, following AEW Rampage:
AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed defend against Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal in a no holds barred match
TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Skye Blue
AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy defends against Kip Sabian
An All-Atlantic title match has been announced for AEW Battle of the Belts V.
Orange Cassidy will defend the All-Atlantic title against Kip Sabian, which will take place on January 6. The two have been feuding in recent weeks, with Sabian expressing interest in obtaining a title match.
On Wednesday’s Dynamite, Sabian said that since he eliminated Orange Cassidy from the trios battle royal on last week’s Rampage, he should be next in line for an All-Atlantic title match. Instead, Cassidy chose Best Friends teammate Trent Beretta as the next challenger. The two had their match on Friday, with Cassidy retaining the title.
After the match, Kip Sabian emerged from commentary to defeat Atiba. At one point in the match, Penelope Ford gave Sabian Cassidy’s elbow pad that he had discarded in the previous match. Sabian then won after hitting an Orange Punch.
Battle of the Belts V will air immediately after next Friday’s live edition of Rampage.
