A look at the results from the Feb. 16 episode of AEW Rampage.
For years, Texas has been a cornerstone of the professional wrestling scene. This week, AEW has taken it over with Dynamite on Wednesday and now Friday night with Rampage.
AEW added a Texan touch, featuring Marshall and Ross Von Erich in action alongside Dustin Rhodes. Otherwise, the rest of the card featured a No Disqualification match between Sammy Guevara and Jeff Hardy that goes off the rails. Queen Aminata in action, and the Bang Bang Scissor Gang making their in-ring debut, promising an eventful night.
AEW Rampage results
Sammy Guevara def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a No Disqualification match; Guevara busts Hardy’s nose during a blocked Shooting Star Press, and the match awkwardly ends shortly after from what F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez reports is a broken nose; Powerhouse Hobbs attacks Guevara after the match
Brian Cage says in a backstage interview that Hook “doesn’t belong here” and calls him the flavor of the month; Cage says everyone who cheers for Hook should cheer for him
Private Party, with their security guard named Cheesecake, reintroduce themselves backstage; they tout their spot on the AEW power rankings and say it’s “litty in the city”
Jon Moxley, referring to FTR, says it’s never a good idea to provoke the Blackpool Combat Club; Moxley puts over FTR’s tag team wrestling, but questions anyone doubting he and Claudio Castagnoli’s ability as a team; Castagnoli says if you’re great, people tell you and that they take pride in what they do
Ruby Soho learns Angelo Parker has requested time with her tonight; Saraya, with Harley Cameron, tells Soho they forgive her; Soho says she knows Saraya has been behind every bad thing happening to her, and now, she just wants space
Dustin Rhodes, Ross and Marshall Von Erich def. Romero Crews, Hitt and Simbashi by pinfall; Commentary says it’s the first time the Rhodes and Von Erich families have teamed in over 40 years
Toni Storm laughs at Deonna Purazzo’s threat to break her arm; Storm enacts what she would do to Purazzo by putting Mariah May in an armbar and an ankle lock
A video package hypes Sting’s last match at Revolution
Bits from Queen Aminata’s “Close Up” interview plays
Queen Aminata def. Anna Jay by pinfall for her first AEW win; Aminata and Jay embrace after the match
Willow Nightingale questions Stokely Hathaway for not trusting her during her match on Dynamite against Skye Blue; Kris Statlander says Hathaway hasn’t cheated like that, and they’ll try this partnership again one more time
Angelo Parker gives Ruby Soho a Valentine’s Day gift; Parker says he thought he lost Soho; Soho asks Parker out for a drink next week, and he says yes
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster and Billy Gunn) and Bullet Club (Jay White, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) Gold def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, & John Silver) by pinfall
After Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page won again, they’ll fight for a title shot next week on AEW Dynamite.
What wrestling fan doesn’t love them some mystery opponent? We’d say none, which is why the Dealer’s Choice matches on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from New Orleans should be a lot of fun.
In fairness, Swerve Strickland already took some of the surprise away by revealing he’s going to send fellow Mogul Embassy member Toa Liona to fight Hangman Adam Page. A perfectly defensible selection, that, given that Liona is a beast who should benefit from the additional spotlight.
But Hangman hasn’t revealed his choice to be Swerve’s opponent, and that has us hoping that everyone’s favorite cowboy really gets creative. And yes, that actually means Tony Khan getting creative, but let’s not lose ourselves in the space between kayfabe and real life.
Strickland and Page are having the kind of long-term feud that just satisfies that place in a wrestling fan’s heart, because even when they branch off and do other things, they can’t seem to help but cross paths again. Long may it continue.
Beyond that, we’ll see the first ever singles match between Jon Moxley and Jeff Hardy. And Deonna Purrazzo will take on her toughest foe since joining AEW, Taya Valkyrie. “Timeless” Toni Storm will once again be on guest commentary, which is pretty close to guaranteed entertainment value.
So yeah, looks like a decent enough two hours. Let’s run it all down as it happens.
AEW Dynamite results from New Orleans:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Jon Moxley def. Jeff Hardy by submission
After the match, Mistico and the other three CMLL wrestlers who were watching the opening match attack Moxley after the bell, but Matt Sydal, Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang eventually come to the rescue and drive the luchadores off
Hangman Adam Page def. Toa Liona by pinfall
Nicholas Jackson fines a staffer for not using the Young Bucks’ full names, and Matthew apologizes but still expects the fine to be paid by end of day
That's Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson to you.
Wardlow def. Komander; after the match, Orange Cassidy and Best Friends come to prevent Roderick Strong and The Kingdom from administering a post-match beating, and the heels want no part of a scuffle tonight
Tony Schiavone mediates a sitdown interview with Big Bill and Ricky Starks on one side and Darby Allin and Sting on the other; Starks seems upset that Sting got his first ever AEW victory over him, and Ricky and Darby start yelling at each other while Sting wonders if Bill is a killer like other big men he’s fought; Starks throws a drink on Darby, who has to be restrained by The Icon
#AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill sit down with Sting and Darby Allin, and things get heated quickly!
Chris Jericho def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall; Konosuke Takeshita appears on the stage afterward to taunt Jericho
Deonna Purrazzo explains the meanings behind her tattoos, including the identical ink she and Toni Storm got, wondering if it means the same thing to Timeless Toni
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang does some good natured guns up and scissoring along with Rock Card Juiceboard
The first official meeting of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang is called to order on Dynamite!
Deonna Purrazzo def. Taya Valkyrie by submission with Toni Storm watching closely from the commentary desk
Allin is being interviewed by Renee Paquette when the Young Bucks stop by to propose becoming a trio with Darby, but jokes aside, they also accuse him of ducking them
Darby Allin is heated after a recent altercation with Ricky Starks and Big Bill, but gets interrupted by Nicholas & Matthew Jackson!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joins the announcers for the main event
Swerve Strickland def. Rob Van Dam by pinfall in a Hardcore match that also sees Brian Cage and Hook briefly get involved
Hangman comes down to mock congratulate Swerve, noting that both of them are likely to top the rankings when they come out tonight before vowing to never let Strickland become world champion; Swerve yells back that he has two victories over Page and says Hangman is obsessed with the idea that he can’t win … but Page says it took the whole Mogul Embassy to beat him, and Strickland says they can fight one more time before he leaves this feud behind him to focus on the AEW World Championship
Lee South
Jon Moxley vs Jeff Hardy
New Orleans, LA
AEW Dynamite
January 31, 2024
Jon Moxley grinds out a victory over Jeff Hardy
Hardy wastes no time taking to the air, diving onto Moxley from the apron. The announce team suggests the rules for this one are “lax,” so they can do some extreme stuff without fear of DQ and probably won’t be counted out either. Moxley takes flight with a tope suicida, not something he always does.
Back in the ring, Moxley stomps on Hardy’s left arm. Jeff gets flipped over with a suplex of sorts and has to kick out of the ensuing cover.
Mox goes right to a submission attempt, scissoring Hardy’s neck with his legs. Their battle eventually goes back outside the ring, where Moxley end up over the barricade among the CMLL talent that is here for tonight’s show. A right hand from Mox smashes Hardy in mid-flight right as the side-by-side pics arrive.
Th full picture returns to find Hardy running through a bunch of offense, leading to a near fall Tony Schiavone believes Jeff will need to keep Mox on the mat, but he doesn’t and pays for it as he takes a piledriver.
Moxley wants another piledriver on the apron, but Hardy counters with a Twist of Fate. He follows with the Whisper in the Wind, and he’s back up top but met by Moxley, who treats him to a superplex.
They both rise to trade right hands until Hardy’s Twist of Fate attempt is countered with a cutter. Jeff comes right back with a Russian leg sweep, then uses a legdrop right into a pinning predicament that comes oh so close to winning it.
Hardy connects on another Twist of Fate but finds no one home for the Swanton Bomb. Moxley drops to the mat and locks on his bulldog choke, and Hardy eventually goes to sleep.
Lee South
Adam Page vs Toa Liona
New Orleans, LA
AEW Dynamite
January 31, 2024
Hangman Adam Page pulls off an AEW first, pinning Toa Liona
Page notes during a quick pre-match promo shown during his entrance that Liona has never been pinned or submitted in AEW. Did not know that. Early on, Hangman is able to stay one step ahead of the bigger man, at least until Liona can slow the pace.
Two springboard lariats aren’t sufficient to knock Liona off the apron, though he has no such trouble hurling Page over the top rope and out to the floor. Liona hits a diving cross body to the floor, looking very confident.
Liona sits on Page’s chest back in the ring, good for a near fall. A series of right hands from Hangman leads to Liona chucking him back out to the floor as boos rain down.
After more commercials, it’s not looking much better for Page until he’s able to get Liona to miss and land hard on his back. Hangman steps on the gas, leading to a high cross body off the top for a near fall.
Page tries but can’t get Liona hoisted for the Deadeye. A thrust kick comes back and leads to a near fall for Liona.
What will it take to get Liona off his feet? Three lariats finally do the trick. This time Page is able to get the Deadeye on target too, but Liona pops right back up for a headbutt.
A discus lariat smashes Page back down, and though he’s able to kick out again, he takes a senton on the apron right after that. Liona tries and misses on a moonsault, but Hangman doesn’t miss his off the top rope.
The Buckshot looks like it’s next, but even though Liona evades it and hits a Samoan drop, Page is able to roll up his shoulders and hold on for a pin.
Lee South
Deonna Purrazzo vs Taya Valkyrie
New Orleans, LA
AEW Dynamite
January 31, 2024
Deonna Purrazzo keeps rolling by tapping out Taya Valkyrie
AEW Women’s World Champion Taya Valkyrie joins the announcers for this one, claiming she has no knowledge of the matching tattoos that Purrazzo has been talking about. The Virtuosa gets off to a strong start, controlling Valkyrie with a variety of holds until a leg sweep tilts the momentum.
Purrazzo goes hard into the steps on the outside, giving Valkyrie a chance to do some making out with Johnny TV as commercials slide in. They battle back to the ring during the half-break, with Purrazzo using knees and kicks to set up a Russian leg sweep. A pump kick leads to the second of two quick two counts.
Valkyrie’s Blue Thunder Bomb gets her a two count right back. A sliding lariat makes Purrazzo kick out again as Storm mugs for the camera.
A baseball slide drop kick is on target for Purrazzo, who ends up flinging Valkyrie into the champ. Back in the ring, Deonna gets both of Taya’s arms pulled up behind her while sitting on Valkyrie’s back, and that’s enough to get the submission.
Lee South
Swerve Strickland vs Rob Van Dam
New Orleans, LA
AEW Dynamite
January 31, 2024
Swerve Strickland outdoes Rob Van Dam in his own game: a Hardcore match
Hangman Page appears on the screen after RVD heads to the ring to reveal one more twist: Dealer’s Choice means they get to pick the match, not just the opponent, so this is a Hardcore match.
Van Dam wastes no time putting chairs to good use once the bell rings thanks to that stipulation. He sends Strickland into and over the ringside barricade, and the fans are already happily chanting “we want tables.”
After some picture-in-picture, Swerve has taken control, using a chair to assist him. He sets that across one corner but ends up getting an Irish whip right into it.
Rolling Thunder is on target by RVD, and he picks up another chair to use for a Van Terminator in the corner. A cover follows but Swerve kicks out at two.
Van Dam wants a monkey flip but sees it countered into a sitout powerbomb onto the chair, somehow managing to kick out. Brian Cage arrives to lend a hand to Swerve, but he’s neutralized by a chair-wielding Hook. They fight out of the ring and up the ramp.
RVD is distracted but manages to counter into a pinning predicament and a near fall. Strickland comes right back with a near fall of his own, and now it’s reaching “what will it take to win it?” territory as the crowd calls for tables again.
There is one set up on one side of the ring, but the two combatants fight to a chair on the opposite side. RVD takes a Swerve Stomp and falls back into the steps.
With Van Dam rolled into the ring, Strickland climbs up top but takes a thrown chair to the face and crashes down from the top rope through the table. Rob tries to follow with a Five Star Frog Splash but finds no one home and eats a chair to the face before kicking out at two.
Both men head to the top rope again, though Van Dam is knocked to the mat. He flips Strickland the double bird but takes a Swerve Stomp, and that’s it for the legend as Swerve is victorious.
Deonna Purrazzo will also look to continue her winning ways against Taya Valkyrie on AEW Dynamite from New Orleans.
It’s been two years since AEW Dynamite last paid a visit to New Orleans, but that changes tonight. UNO Lakefront Arena, which we assume is actually right by a lake, is set to light the fuse.
Jeff Hardy vs. Jon Moxley, first time ever
When The Hardys mentioned a few weeks ago that they’d prefer to be used differently, Tony Khan apparently took notice … for Jeff Hardy, anyway. He’s been more active on TV as of late, and he’s in for it tonight as he has his first ever singles match against Jon Moxley.
AEW has noted that with the wrestler rankings returning soon, this would be a big win for Mox. We’d argue it would have a bigger impact on him if he lost, but either way, you’d assume he comes out of this with a dub and is high up on said rankings early on.
What opponent will Hangman choose for Swerve?
Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland can’t seem to let go of the beef they have with each other, and AEW is helpfully facilitating its continuation by allowing them to pick the other’s opponent in a pair of Dealer’s Choice matches on Dynamite.
Since Swerve rolls with a crew, it’s only natural he selected a member of the Mogul Embassy, Gates of Agony’s Toa Liona, to face Hangman. But Page is a more solitary type these days, so who will he tap to step in against Swerve? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Can the Virtuosa keep conducting victories?
It’s obvious by now that Toni Storm perceives Deonna Purrazzo as a threat, even in her eccentric state. The question is whether anything can stop Purrazzo before she gets a title shot, whether Storm likes it or not.
So far no one has been able to defeat Purrazzo, and while Taya Valkyrie figures to be her biggest test since joining AEW, the chances are high that Storm will be on guest commentary again watching Purrazzo’s hand get raised, maybe she’ll think of something to change the script.
Also advertised for tonight’s Dynamite from New Orleans:
Chris Jericho battles Kyle Fletcher in his latest showdown with a member of The Don Callis Family
AEW Dynamite hits the airwaves at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, and we’ll be set with live results and updates all throughout the show.
AEW Dynamite also set up a tag team title match and new challenges for Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page.
It’s time to light the fuse for a dream match kind of night on AEW Dynamite from Savannah.
Actually, no, scratch that. Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki is more like a fever dream, the product of some random half-awake ranting at some point. It’s not a pairing we ever thought to even ask for at any point, honestly.
Yet it should be great. The Rated-R Superstar taking on Murder Grandpa is not the kind of thing Copeland’s “Cope Open” matches have typically been to this point, which is him working with talent that doesn’t always get enough exposure.
Suzuki is pretty much the exact opposite of that. But Copeland has also said he wanted the Cope Open to be unpredictable, and tonight’s showdown definitely qualifies in that respect.
Speaking of unpredictable, that term should also apply to Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo having a face-to-face interview. The AEW Women’s World Champion has been typically dismissive of The Virtuosa ever since her arrival in AEW, but Purrazzo has had the type of in-ring success that is pretty much unavoidable now. Add in some real life history between them (whether Timeless Toni chooses to remember it or not) and you have the makings of a fun program.
We’ll also hear from Sting and Darby Allin, see Thunder Rosa in action again, scissor with The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, and much more. Light the fuse.
AEW Dynamite results from Savannah:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
Samoa Joe tells Hook to get to the back of the line for a world title shot
Hangman Adam Page def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall with Joe watching from the commentary table; afterwards, Page yells “I am taking that from you” to Joe
Renee Paquette speaks with Orange Cassidy, who says it’s fine that Roderick Strong wants to challenge him at Revolution, but he’s also going to keep wrestling in the meantime, including this week on Collision
The #AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy has a message for Roderick Strong.
Wardlow def. Trent Beretta by pinfall; Best Friends hit the ring to prevent a post-match beating, and the Undisputed Kingdom convinces Wardlow not to press the issue at the moment
Adam Copeland cuts a promo for his main event meeting with Minoru Suzuki and says you can sum it up with three words: grit your teeth
Renee Paquette sits down with Deonna Purrazzo and Toni Storm, who exchange some verbal jabs and real shoe-throws
Jon Moxley puts over the titles and victories the Blackpool Combat Club has piled up but says they spend zero time celebrating, because that’s the way they stay as hungry as they need to be; Mox says he will beat and pulverize everyone who isn’t willing to step up and give their all this year, and he’s very believable when he says it
Taya Valkyrie and Johnny TV reintroduce themselves, and Valkyrie challenges Purrazzo to a match next week, vowing to send her to “the back of the line”
Swerve Strickland def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall
Paquette is caught in the middle as Swerve and Hangman nearly come to blows, and she tells them that they’ll get to choose the match for the other man next week on Dynamite in a pair of “Dealer’s Choice” bouts
"Hangman" Adam Page gets interrupted and receives BREAKING NEWS for next week's Dynamite!
Darby Allin and Sting hold court, discuss going after the tag team titles
Big Bill and Ricky Starks accept the challenge from Allin and Sting, apparently because they’re happy the face painted duo mentioned them by name
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage and Gates of Agony) by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship, getting some help from Bullet Club Gold to prevent chicanery
One final Serena Deeb highlight video is shown before she returns on Saturday
Adam Copeland def. Minoru Suzuki by pinfall
After the match, Copeland offers a show of respect to Suzuki, who refuses it, and says he’s still coming for Christian Cage
Samoa Joe says title shots will need to be earned, Hook needs to get to the back of the line
Looking spiffy in a suit, the AEW World Champion says from now on, title opportunities must be earned. Your favorite superstars are all going to battle it out for the right to challenge for his gold.
Alas, Joe says all it’s going to mean is an opportunity to have the worst night of their life. A man who kind of experienced that last week interrupts, as Hook makes his way to the ring … with a mic in hand, unusually.
Hook says he lost and shakes Joe’s hand, promising that he’ll see Joe again. But the champ isn’t as gracious, asking for security to get “the unworthy” out of the ring. A few arm drags and such later, Hook leaves on his own instead of being escorted out by guards.
Hangman Adam Page goes to 3-0 in 2024 by beating Penta El Zero Miedo
With the announcers reminding us the rankings are returning Saturday, that makes this match a little more important, as does Samoa Joe watching on guest commentary. Page scores the first near fall after a rolling shooting star press, then goes to work in the corner.
Joe taunts Hangman a bit but Page stares daggers at him in return. A bottom rope legdrop (yes, that’s right) earns a two count for Penta, and he escapes a Deadeye attempt to trade strikes. A double clothesline finally sends both men down to the mat, perfect for sending us to picture-in-picture.
The full broadcast returns just in time to catch Penta flying to the outside, though he has to pull up on a second aerial move inside the ring and gets caught with a Death Valley Driver for two. Penta fires right back with another near fall before zeroing in on Page’s right arm.
Hangman hurls his foe away and then connects on a Liger Bomb for another two count. A series of counters leads to a Made in Japan by Penta, and Hangman barely kicks out in time. Joe is shown looking a little upset, perhaps hoping Page would be pinned.
Out to the apron they go, where Penta is hit by the Deadeye and a moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Penta evades one Buckshot but not the second, and the cowboy is your winner.
Deonna Purrazzo, Toni Storm share some of their past, but a violent future awaits
The AEW World Champion is in black and white, and while she admits they have a past together, Toni says that doesn’t mean Deonna can waltz right to the front of the line. Storm admits that Purrazzo might be the best technical wrestler in the world, but it’s not going to help her if they meet.
The Virtuosa says she didn’t come to AEW to make friends but to become champion. It just so happens that Storm used to be her friend, but Purrazzo will gladly take her apart limb by limb. Deonna also doesn’t want to face this “delusional sham” but the version of Toni that was once one of the best in the world.
Purrazzo says Storm should look at her ankle because it should look a lot like hers, and the two women reveal identical tattoos. Toni doesn’t take kindly to that and throws a shoe at Deonna, who throws it right back and tries to apply the Venus De Milo. The champ needs to be bailed out by Luther and Mariah May, and Deonna poses with the title belt before tossing it to the butler.
Darby Allin convinces Sting to pursue tag team gold before he hangs it up
Allin tells the story of when Sting first was announced as coming to AEW, rolling around in the ring at his house and telling the Icon “you still got it.” He thinks the fans would agree that’s still the case, and with the rankings coming back, Allin believes they should take advantage of that and challenge for the tag team titles.
Sting says alright, I’m all in. No, not that All In, sorry. But clearly he’s on board with going after Big Bill and Ricky Starks.
Adam Copeland survives, pins Minoru Suzuki
The crowd starts a “holy s–t” chant right away, anticipating the chops and forearms that come soon enough. Suzuki tries for a Gotch style piledriver but get back body dropped instead.
Suzuki goes for an armbar across the top rope but ends up eating a big boot. He catches Copeland with a knee coming toward the apron and drags Adam out to the floor. They go stumbling back through the barricade together in painful fashion.
Both men barely beat the ref’s 10 count, sliding in together at nine. Suzuki laughs, as he does, before they start smashing each other with elbows and forearms on their knees, then up to their feet. Here come the slaps, which end up knocking them both down at the same time.
Suzuki slugs his way into an armbar attempt, but Copeland counters with an Impaler. Dueling chants break out for each man as they rise slowly again. Copeland heads in for a spear but is countered by a Fujiwara armbar, forcing Copeland to a rope break.
Now Suzuki goes for a rear choke in the corner, but Copeland gets loose and hits a spear for a close two count. Suzuki scoots over and applies a sleeper with his legs hooked in as well. Copeland nearly escapes it before sinking to his knees with his face turning purple.
After the ref checks him once, Copeland is up and manages to hit the Killswitch, which is enough to win it.
The Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway situation also took another twist this week on AEW Rampage.
AEW enjoyed a few shows at the friendly confines of Daily’s Place, but things returned to the norm Friday night with Rampage on the road in Charleston, South Carolina.
This week already featured the chaotic AEW World Championship match between Samoa Joe and Hook on Dynamite. Given the advertised card entering Rampage, multiple bouts, including Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin and Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata, looked set to continue that momentum. But it’s Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal that kicked off the weekend of AEW action.
AEW Rampage results:
Chris Jericho def. Matt Sydal by pinfall with Don Callis on commentary during the match; Konosuke Takeshita attacked Jericho on the stage afterward and knocked out Christopher Daniels as he and security guards tried to break up the fight
A brief video package teases Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy’s match
Penta El Zero Miedo def. Anthony Henry by pinfall with “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard on commentary
Saraya and Ruby Soho interrupt Renee Paquette’s backstage segment; Ruby pinned Holly Cameron against the wall to get answers for her recent actions, so Holly naturally blamed Anna Jay
Kris Statlander, with Stokley Hathaway as her manager for the first time, def. Queen Aminata by pinfall; Stokley pushed the referee aside
Jay Lethal questions how much more of this faction with Sanjay Dutt and Satnam Singh he can take because he wants to focus on in-ring action; Dutt offers to remove Karen Jarrett to resolve it, but Lethal says he came to AEW to win gold and insinuates he wants a singles title
Willow Nightingale tells Kris Statlander and Stokley Hathaway her flight was canceled and hints at Hathaway being behind it so he could manage Kris Statlander against Queen Aminata; Statlander says she’ll figure this out, which causes Nightingale and Hathaway to argue further
Darby Allin def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a chaotic match reminiscent of their last bout in 2022; Hardy avoids Allin’s respectful fist-bump attempt afterward and rolls out of the ring to close the show
Full results for the Oct. 6, 2023 episode of AEW Rampage, where a No. 1 contender was found for Eddie Kingston’s ROH world title.
Have things calmed down a bit in AEW land? We mean relatively speaking, of course.
After three pay-per-views in less than two months, plus the Grand Slam show at Arthur Ashe Stadium plus the high profile debut of Adam Copeland, maybe AEW can catch its breath just a bit.
That doesn’t mean tonight’s AEW Rampage doesn’t have some interesting stuff planned, mind you. There’s a very intriguing four-way match to find a contender for Eddie Kingston. We’ll also see two of our favorites, Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida, join forces.
So let’s enjoy this hour of pro wrestling simply for what it is, shall we?
AEW Rampage results:
The Hardys (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) and Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) def. Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager and 2point0 (Matt Menard and Angelo Parker) by pinfall
Renee Paquette talks to Eddie Kingston, who expects everyone competing for the right to challenge him for the ROH World Championship to “wild out”; Sonjay Dutt gets in his face to accuse him of disrespecting Jay Lethal, but Kingston says Lethal needs to prove himself before he gets a title shot … and then Stokely Hathaway arrives with a proposition for Dutt
A promo hypes the return of Danhausen “very soon”
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) def. Colt Stevens and Levi Shapiro
Paquette gets a close-up look at the finger-pointing between the former members of the Jericho Appreciation Society, who actually have Angelo Parker become the voice of reason
Komander def. Johnny TV, Penta El Zero Miedo and Lince Dorado to become No. 1 contender for the ROH World Champion (with Kingston on guest commentary)
Ortiz says he wanted to speak to Mike Santana eye to eye, questioning the authenticity of his tough guy persona and vowing to expose him
Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida def. Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose
Joe will now face Penta El Zero Miedo in a semifinal match on Collision.
It’s tournament time again in AEW, and unlike college hoops, that doesn’t mean it’s March but rather early September on the way to Grand Slam in New York City. Two important matches will take place tonight on AEW Rampage to set up the semifinals on Collision tomorrow night.
The tournament winner gets to face MJF for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam, and while the person with the best storyline (Roderick Strong) already advanced on Dynamite, you can’t count out the others still in the field. We’ll see who makes the final four from this particular hour of Rampage.
There’s also an intriguing six-woman tag match and a high profile tag team match, so let’s not waste any more time on the preliminaries.
AEW Rampage results:
Penta El Zero Miedo def. Jay Lethal by pinfall in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinal match, despite attempted assistance by Lethal’s crew, who all end up getting ejected from ringside
At the announce table, Chris Jericho is asked about the animosity between him and Sammy Guevara, who comes out so they can both say they want to punch each other in the face, and they agree to have a match at Grand Slam in New York
Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. Taya Valkyrie, The Bunny and Anna Jay by submission as Baker taps out The Bunny
Hook says it feels good to have the FTW title back where it belongs … in New York
The Young Bucks def. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker by pinfall
Mike Santana says he didn’t come back to be a guy in the game, he came back to be The Guy, and he’s here to make money — not friends
Samoa Joe def. Jeff Hardy by submission in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinal match
Also on AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen, Britt Baker won her way to London against The Bunny.
In terms of putting in work to elevate a “secondary” title, Orange Cassidy has been doing the textbook definition of it for months now. Yet all good things must come to an end, and you can’t help but feel leading into a special Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite (with proceeds going to the Maui Food Bank) that the end might finally be approaching for the Freshly Squeezed one.
It’s not so much that Wheeler Yuta is one of the most lively challengers for his AEW International Championship, though he is definitely that. No, the issue is more that Yuta’s group, the Blackpool Combat Club, just seems like a force of nature right now. The BCC has been running roughshod over Dynamite for weeks, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Yuta gets the victory tonight.
There are other matches on tonight’s card with high stakes. Britt Baker seems like she should be in the four-way championship match at All In, but she’ll need to beat The Bunny to do it. You’d expect the good doctor to do exactly that, but there are also women with vested interests in keeping Baker off the London show, and it’s fair to wonder if any of them will intervene.
Because sponsorships make the world go ’round, there’s a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game coming out, which is why the Deathmatch between Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy, two gents who are old enough to know better, has that particular theme. Plus Darby Allin and Nick Wayne will try to get some measure of revenge against the Gates of Agony as they await the opportunity to get at Swerve Strickland and AR Fox.
Here we go, with Orange Cassidy starting us off.
AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen results:
(scroll down for full details on any match or in-ring segment in bold)
Orange Cassidy def. Wheeler Yuta by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, then gets help from Best Friends and Lucha Bros. to fight off the BCC … as well as Eddie Kingston, back from Japan and anxious for a piece of Claudio
Kingston challenges the BCC “and anyone you can find” to a Stadium Stampede match at All In against him, Lucha Bros. and Best Friends
Jim Ross sits down with Kenny Omega to talk Don Callis, his childhood and Konsuke Takeshita, but Callis himself interrupts and provides a distraction that allows Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold to attack Omega from behind
Hangman Adam Page is outside the hospital and delivers a message about how he and Kota Ibushi will be on hand in London to help fight Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold; also, he gets yelled at for having a beer at the hospital and chugs it
Chris Jericho has an answer for Don Callis, but it isn’t what Callis expects, and when he’s caught in a lie, he unleashes Takeshita … and Will Ospreay
Jack Perry says he’s going to retire the FTW Championship next week on Dynamite
Darby Allin and Nick Wayne def. Gates of Agony by pinfall before Sting reveals he has Prince Nana captive
MJF tells Adam Cole they need to get in the minds of their opponents at Zero Hour, so they head to Outback Steakhouse; also, Cole tells Max they can prepare for Aussie Open by watching both Crocodile Dundee movies and they end up getting yelled at by Tony Khan for doing the double clothesline backstage
MJF and Adam Cole talk about London, then repulse a sneak attack from Aussie Open
A bloody Jericho tells Ospreay he could have just asked for the match at Wembley since it was supposed to happen in 2021, and promises to make Will drink his own blood in London
Jeff Jarrett def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch that also drags in about seven other people and … Leatherface?
Britt Baker def. The Bunny by pinfall to earn the final spot in the four-way women’s title match at All In
A video shoes Billy Gunn retiring and The Acclaimed telling him how much he’ll be missed
As The Acclaimed makes their entrance for a squash match, the lights go out, then back up to find the House of Black in the ring; Brody King has a chain wrapped around his fist and uses it to start a monster beatdown
Young Bucks def. The Gunns by pinfall, and are bailed out from a post-match attack by Bullet Club Gold by FTR
Finishing moves come and go in WWE, but these 20 are the best we’ve ever seen.
There’s something undeniably thrilling about the best WWE finishers. Just the anticipation for an especially great finishing move is a lot of fun, the palpable feeling that ripples through the crowd when a match is about to reach its dramatic conclusion.
And those occasions where a wrestler unexpectedly kicks out of a top finisher — provided they don’t happen too often — produce some of the loudest crowd reactions in the business.
Thanks to its position as the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world for decades (even during times it didn’t want to admit it), WWE has seen more than its fair share of amazing finishing moves. But we wanted to dive in and find the ones that were truly the best, the crème de la crème of match-ending maneuvers.
To do that, we consulted a number of lists of this type that are already out there, including the WWE’s own rankings of the 50 best finishing moves of all time. Like our list of the top WWE PPVs ever, that makes this list pseudo-crowdsourced and not just our own opinions — though we slid some up or down where we felt it was warranted.
So what makes a truly great finishing move? The answer varies from fan to fan, but we considered the following:
Recognizability/cultural impact – Is a finisher so famous that even casual or non-wrestling fans know what it is or who does it?
Believability – If pro wrestling wasn’t scripted, does the move look like it would really end a fight?
Uniqueness – Does the move stand out on its own, or does a certain performer elevate it by adding more atmosphere to it?
Sellability – Does it offer the person on the receiving end the opportunity to play it up even more?
Legacy – Has it passed the test of time, even if others don’t use it as a finisher?
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in and check out what we found to be a bit of a consensus on the 20 best WWE finishers of all time, starting at 20 and working down to No. 1.
AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen will feature a title match, a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch and an interview with Kenny Omega.
If you like your pro wrestling to be for a good cause, tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Nashville is definitely one you will appreciate.
AEW boss Tony Khan announced last week that this week’s shows would be under the Fight for the Fallen banner, with proceeds from Dynamite/Rampage and Collision going to the Maui Food Bank to provide assistance to victims of Maui’s devastating wildfires.
While that’s a sobering motivating force, tonight’s card looks like one that will live up to the special branding. Headlining is yet another title defense for Orange Cassidy, but against an opponent you could actually see defeating him for the AEW International Championship: Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta.
The Gunns will take on the Young Bucks in the Jacksons’ second straight battle of brother tag teams. Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy will face off in something called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch, which sounds terrifying on several levels. And Britt Baker is up against The Bunny in a high stakes match that sends the winner to the four-way title bout at All In.
The non-wrestling segments also sound pretty compelling. Chris Jericho says he’ll give his answer to Don Callis about potentially joining Don’s “Family.” Kenny Omega is scheduled for a sit-down interview with Jim Ross, where he teased a reveal for his All In plans. Last but definitely not least, we’ll hear from bosom buddies MJF and Adam Cole as they discuss facing each other for the AEW World Championship in London.
All of that should make for a fast-moving two hours in Nashville. Be sure to tune in at 8 p.m. ET on TBS to take it all in, or rely on us to update you with results and any other points of interest as they happen.
