A special live edition of AEW Rampage airs immediately tonight following Dynamite due to NHL and NBA playoff coverage this Friday.
Jay White will take on Dante Martin of Top Flight. The two were the first entrants in a Casino Gauntlet match on last week’s Dynamite that determined a new number one contender for the AEW International title.
The two also faced one another on this past Saturday’s Collision as Bullet Club Gold successfully defended the Unified Trios titles, defeating Top Flight and Action Andretti.
Announced during Dynamite, TBS Champion Willow Nightingale will defend against Skye Blue in a Manitoba Massacre match. Blue is aligned with Julia Hart whom Nightingale defeated for the title at Dynasty. This will be Nightingale’s first title defense.
In a challenge match, Rocky Romero will go one-on-one with Kyle O’Reilly for the first time since June 2016 in NJPW.
The main card is rounded out by Konosuke Takeshita facing London Lightning.
***********
AEW Rampage comes on the air with doctors and FTR checking on Kenny Omega as The Elite wave to the crowd and make their way to the back as a stretcher is brought down. As Omega was taken back to an ambulance, The Elite ambushed FTR and doctors, leaving Omega all alone on the stretcher. Matthew said he loves Omega to death, but this is just business, they have to Change the World. They dump the stretcher over onto the concrete and told doctors to check on him, as Dax Harwood crawls over to Omega.
Switchblade Jay White defeated Dante Martin
Martin wasted no time showing off his athleticism with a short dive to the floor, back flipped off the apron, landed on his feet and delivered a pump knee. Back inside, Martin wanted a springboard, but White swept the legs out and Martin crash landed into commercial.
White controlled the entire break, but Martin hit a dropkick to lead to the reset. Martin flipped out of the ropes into a series a chops and used his speed to side step White into a springboard cross body for two. Martin took too long to follow up, allowing White to hit a Uranage. Both men slugged it out, as White was hung up in the ropes, with Martin connecting on a Nose Dive for a close near fall. Martin went for his spinning slam, but White countered into a Sleeper Suplex and Blade Runner, spiking Martin for the win. White was going to leave, raised the hand of Martin, but suckered him into a Bloody Sunday before bailing as Darius Martin & Action Andretti ran to the ring.
-Arkady Aura is standing by with Deonna Purrazzo who said she attacked Thunder Rosa last week because she said when is enough enough? She’s The Virtuosa and after last week, she’s starting to feel like herself and if Rosa wants to make this personal, she can do exactly that.
**********
-A video package on Rush is shown
-Renee Paquette is backstage with Big Bill who said he wants to be under The Learning Tree of Chris Jericho because he has all the tools to make it to the top, just not the proper guidance. Jericho is the one who could give him that guidance and take him to the promise land. Jericho walks in smiling and said he was able to retain his title tonight over Shibata because the fans cheered him on. Jericho said Bill is right, he’d love to take him into the Jericho Vortex. Bill said he won’t let him down. Jericho calls Bill the Big Redwood by the Learning Tree’s side.
-Swerve Strickland is in the back saying Christian Cage chose to team with Strickland at All In because he knew what he’s capable of. It seems like Cage forgot, so next week, they should have a chat so he can remind him and next week, he won’t be alone.
Kyle O’Reilly defeated Rocky Romero
Both men showing why they know each other so well with a crazy series of counters in the early going leading to multiple stalemates. O’Reilly gets the first submission attempt with an ankle lock, but Romero rose into an enzugiri to the floor, where Romero followed up with a Tope. Romero tried again, but O’Reilly caught him with a cross arm breaker on the floor, as things went to commercial.
When things returned, both men are kicking and slugging it out until O’Reilly connected with a Nigel lariat for the double down. O’Reilly sets up Romero in the corner, but Romero battled back and hit an Avalanche Sliced Bread for a close two. Romero shot for a single leg, but O’Reilly caught him with a knee strike. Romero battled back, but walked right into an O’Reilly kimura, which was escaped into an arm breaker. Both men keep trading submissions and pin attempts until Romero got a kimura of his own, but O’Reilly countered into a roll up for the flash pin.
-Arkady Aura is backstage with Saraya & Harley Cameron who trash talk Mariah May’s loss earlier tonight. Saraya runs down Toni Storm and Cameron challenges her to a match next week. Saraya scolds Cameron for rambling and said Storm doesn’t have to tell them to put their tits out, they already do and walk off.
**********
-Arkady Aura is backstage once again, this time with The Undisputed Kingdom and asks about Roderick Strong about his match with Will Ospreay at Double or Nothing. Matt Taven calls Aura “not Lexy” but she said it should be “not Renee” as he scolds her and puts over Neck Strong trending on social media the last week. Strong said the Aerial Assassin will need all the bullets in his chamber to defeat him. At Double or Nothing WILL! Ospreay will fall to the Messiah of the Backbreaker.
Willow Nightingale defeated Skye Blue in Manitoba Massacre to retain the TBS Title
Kris Statlander came to the stage with Nightingale and presented her with a trash can lid before leaving, as Nightingale hit ringside and decked Blue with the lid. Both ladies brawled into the crowd as the match is literally 20 seconds in and Tony Schiavone said he’s never seen anything like this. Nightingale exposed the guard rail, but Blue hung her up by the throat. Blue leapt off the railing, but ate a chair shot to the face. Nightingale scurried to throw weapons in from under the ring, set Blue up on a chair, wanted a tumbleweed, but Blue moved and flattened the chair to go to break.
When things returned, Blue had a trash can lid in her hand ringside and charged, but Nightingale hit a big time Pounce. Back in the ring, Blue was set up in the corner holding a chair, Nightingale charged, but Blue threw the chair to the face. Blue is bleeding from the head and we’re told by Excalibur it was from “something on the floor”. Blue brought a bag from under the ring and unlike on Dynamite, it wasn’t hockey pucks, this time it’s tacks. Nightingale backed Blue up in the corner, wanted a superplex, but Blue slid out, wanted a powerbomb, instead chucked the chair in the face. Blue wanted a superplex, but Nightingale hit an Avalanche Spinning Fisherman’s Bomb onto the tacks, but only got two.
Nightingale set a table up ringside, but ate another chair shot back inside. Nightingale avoided Code Blue, slammed Blue on the chair, tried a moonsault, but crashed and burned. After a thrust kick, Blue went under the ring and pulled out a barbed wire board, placing it on the already set up table. Blue wanted a Death Valley Driver off the apron, but Nightingale instead hit the Doctor Bomb through the barbed wire table to get the win. Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway helped Nightingale out post-match. I thought this was going to be super rushed when this match started, but these ladies went nuts during the overrun of the show and ended up having a pretty wild main event.
AEW Dynamite 5/8/24
· Adam Copeland defends the TNT Title against Brody King
· Orange Cassidy takes on Trent Beretta
