AEW Rampage airs live tonight from Orlando, Florida, the site of Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view.
The TNT Championship will be on the line in a three-way, with Sammy Guevara defending the title against his last two challengers in Andrade El Idolo and Darby Allin. Allin is a former TNT Champion. Andrade, Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy will take on Guevara, Allin, and Sting at Revolution in a trios bout.
The final qualifying match for Sunday’s Face of the Revolution ladder match will take place tonight, with Christian Cage facing Ethan Page. The bout will be Cage’s first match of 2022. The winner will join Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Wardlow, and Orange Cassidy in the ladder match, with Sunday’s winner earning a future TNT title shot.
Keith Lee will be in action against JD Drake, plus Serena Deeb’s five-minute rookie challenge will also continue on tonight’s show.
Our live coverage begins at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
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LIVE from Orlando on the Road to Revolution, it’s Rampage.
Excalibur, Taz, Ricky Starks and Chris Jericho were on commentary.
The entrances for the opener aired on YouTube so the match could start right away on TNT.
Sammy Guevara defeated Andrade El Idolo and Darby Allin in a Triple Threat Match for the TNT Championship by pinning El Idolo (13:13)
“Everyone” was barred from ringside for this match to ensure no interference, with Exclaibur claiming fines of “up to $25,000” could be levied against anyone who interfered.
Andrade dropped to the floor to let Guevara and Allin go at, but they decided to follow him out and chased him back in the ring. And then it’s action at 100 miles an hour. Allin got a Code Red on El Idolo for a 2 count, which was quickly broken up by Guevara going for a crucifix on Allin for another two count. Allin and Guevara then worked a side headlock for a bit. Guevara hit a picture perfect dropkick. Guevara propped up Allin on the turnbuckle and hit a gamengiri. Guevara went for a superlex, but El Idolo slipped underneath him and walked Guevara out of the corner with a powerbomb – while he was holding up Allin for a superplex in an insane spot. El Idolo had control of the match and the show went to a picture in picture break.
Back from break, El Idolo hit the Three Amigos on Guevara, with the last suplex sending Guevara into the turnbuckles. El Idolo took Allin down with an inverted backbreaker. El Idolo went for a moonsault on Allin, missed, then hit Guevara with a standing moonsault for two. All three men got to their feet and exchanged strikes. Allin and Guevara worked together for a bit to get the advantage on El Idolo, but stopped cooperating and Allin sent Guevara to the floor.
El Idolo went to the top, but Allin crotched him, hanging him upside down in the ropes. Guevara then came in out of nowhere with a coast to coast dropkick. Fantastic. Guevara set up a springboard on El Idolo on the floor, but before he could hit it, Allin dove through the middle ropes with his high speed tope for a near fall.
When Allin returned to the ring, Guevara caught him with a small package for two, which set off a rapid fire series of near falls between all three guys, including a fantastic spot where El Idolo rolled up Guevara for one, then dead-lifted him into a powerbomb for another two.
The finish was exceptional. Allin hit his flip stunner on El Idolo, who then walked right into the GTH. Before Guevara could make the cover cover, Allin threw him out of the ring, then went to the top and nailed the Coffin Drop on El Idolo. But before Allin could cover, Guevara came off the top with a senton on Allin, threw him out of the ring and covered El Idolo for the pin.
This was a fantastic match. Lots of unique three person spots made this a much better than usual three way match.
Post-match, Guevara tried to shake hands with Allin, but Darby was having none of it and left the ring.
– Alex Abrahantes cut a promo for Death Triangle flanked by Pac and Penta Oscuro. Abrahantes seemingly challenged The House of Black to a trios match, with Abrahantes as the third partner. The House of Black accepted with a promo on the video wall. Then the lights went out and when they came up, the House of Black was in the ring. But Abrahantes clarified the thrid man isn’t him; it’s Erick Redbeard! Redbeard ran in to even the odds in the ring, followed by a gaggle of security guards. They tried to keep everyone separate, but Redbeard took them all out. The House of Black retreated through the crowd. Hot angle to set up a six man for the pay-per-view.
– Scorpio Sky and Dan Lambert had a backstage promo, and Lamber has made and a deal with Tony Khan. Scorpio Sky will get a TNT title shot on Wednesday at Dynamite, and Lambert brings Paige VanZant to the pay-per-view on Sunday to sign her AEW contract.
Keith Lee defeated JD Drake (6:51)
Ring announcer Justin Roberts’s announcement of “He is Limitless…” for Keith Lee is a great piece of business. Of all the little unique touches for the ring entrances he does, that might be my new favorite.
Powerhouse Hobbs joined the commentators to observe Lee’s match.
This was a hoss fight. After a couple of chops from Drake, Lee trucked him with a pounce and the show went to a commercial.
Back from break, Drake hit a cannonball on Lee in the corner, then followed up with a moonsault for a one count. Drake came off the ropes with a crossbody, but Lee caught him, hoisted up Drake on his shoulders and then hit the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pinfall. Most of the match happened in picture and picure and during the break.
After the match, Drake’s stablemates the Wingmen ran in to interfere. Lee dispatched them easily, powerbombing Cezar Bononi and tossing Peter Avalon into a pile of bodies on floor. When it looked like Ricky Starks and Hobbs would join in, Orange Cassidy’s music played and he came out to distract Team Taz.
– CM Punk promo, taped after Wednesday’s attack. Punk’s white t-shirt was caked in blood from the angle and there was dried blood all over his face. This was an intense money promo from Punk. Punk applauded MJF. MJF can call Punk “PG Punk” all he wants to pretend Punk isn’t the same guy he once was, but on Sunday Punk is going to “walk MJF like a dog.” Punk will beat MJF until his own mother doesn’t recognize him and leave parts of him all over Florida. Punk will become a monster on Sunday, because he’s CM Punk, “and I’m better than you.” (Check out Punk’s promo here. It’s fantastic.)
– Tony Schiavone interviewed Jade Cargill and Mark Sterling. Sterling bragged about putting in the contract that Cargill couldn’t be touched until 48 hours before the match. And since Friday is less than 48 hours from Sunday, Tay Conti jumped into the screen with a pump kick (after Anna Jay provided a distraction). Conti told Cargill she has less than 48 hours to be champion.
Serena Deeb defeated Leyla Grey in the Professor’s Five Minute Challenge (0:58)
Grey tried to run out the clock, but Deeb quickly won with a Guillotine choke. Deeb beat on Grey after the match until Hikaru Shida returned and chased off Deeb with several kendo sticks shots. Deeb had to retreat through the crowd.
– Tony Schiavone interviewed Eddie Kingston. Kingston is here for a “promo” but he’s not going to kill kayfabe. But doesn’t mentioning kayfabe on the show kill it? Kingston promised to leave Jericho laying in the ring, then took Schiavone to catering for the good peanut butter pie.
Main Event Promo: Ethan Page sounded a little bitter that both he and Christian Cage debuted at last year’s Revolution, but only Cage was promoted as “Hall of Fame” talent. Cage promised that if Scorpio Sky won the TNT title on Wednesday, he would be waiting in the wings to make Sky a “transitional champion.” And now, “It’s time for the main event!”
Christian Cage defeated Ethan Page to advance to the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match (8:55)
Cage dumped Page to the floor and hit a baseball slide dropkick. A good chunk of the match took place during the split-screen break, and when the show returned Cage was battling out of a bearhug. The fight went to the floor, and Christian took Page down with a spinning DDT. Back in the ring, Christian got a near fall with a sunset flip. Cage countered a powerslam attempt with a reverse DDT for a near fall. Page came back with a cutter for a near fall. Cage came off the top with a diving headbutt for a nearfall. Dudes with bad necks shouldn’t be doing diving headbutts.
Cage went for the spear, but Page charged in with his own flying shoulder block for two. Page went for the Ego’s Edge, but Cage escaped and hit the spear for two. Cage went for the Killswitch, but Page countered and sent Cage into the post shoulder first. Page got Cage up for the Ego’s Edge, but Cage slipped out and caught Page with the Killswitch to get the pinfall. It felt like too much of the match happened during the break, but this was fine.
After the match, Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus came out to celebrate Cage’s victory. The Young Bucks and reDRagon soon followed to taunt the champs. From the floor, O’Reilly and Matt Jackson each managed to nab one of the title belts. Then reDRagon and The Young Bucks began to argue about who would win on Sunday. This allowed Luchasaurus to get the belts back, and Jungle Boy to nail all four guys on the floor with a dive. Nice little angle to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
This show was fantastic. The first 20 minutes alone had an insane match, a notable debut and the announcement of Paige Van Zant signing with AEW. Afer that frentic pace the show did settle down, but what a great hard sell show for the pay-per-view.
