AEW Rampage Results
June 2, 2023
San Diego, California (Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego State University)
Results by: Jerome Wilen of Wrestleview.com
We go to the arena with Excalibur, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone on commentary. It’s Championship Friday!
AAA Mega Championship Three-Way Match: El Hijo del Vikingo defends against Dralistico and Komander
The bell rings and here we go. This is already a wild match. Komander and Dralistico double team Vikingo. Komander shoves both men and then drop kicks them. The action goes to the outside of the ring. Dralistico tosses Komander in the barricade. Dralistico then tosses Komander back in the ring and goes for the pin, but only gets a two count. Dralistico works on Komander while the champion walking around the outside of the ring. Dralistico climbs the top rope and lands on Komander. Vikingo then climbs to the top rope and leaps over onto Komander and Dralistico on the floor! Vikingo tosses both men back in the rop and then hits a Phoenix splash on Komander and goes for the pin, but Dralistco breaks it up! Vikingo and Dralistico are in the center of the ring exchanging blows. Vikingo hits Dralistico with a running corkscrew kick and covers him for only a two count!
Picture-in-Picture: The champion continues to work on Dralistico in the ring, while Komander who was taken out earlier is on the outside. Dralistico and Jose’ set up a table on the outside.
We are back from the break. Dralistico and Komander are exchanging blows. Komander from the ring apron, drops Dralistico. Komander then takes out the champion with arm drags. As Dralistico and the champion are fighting on the outside, Komander walks the top rope and leaps high and takes out both men on the outside! The crowd chants this is awesome! Komander then hits a 450 splash on Dralistico for the pin, but the champion breaks it up. Vikingo leaps through the middle rope and takes out Komander who taken out and put on the table. The table splits in two as the fans chant this is awesome! In the rin, out of nowhere Vikingo rolls up Dralistico for the pin!
Winner and Still AAA Mega Champion: El Hijo del Vikingo
We go to a backstage interview with Lexy Nair and Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh. They talked about not deserving being suspended for hitting referee Aubrey Edwards at Double or Nothing. They said Edwards is the one that should be suspended. Mark Briscoe then comes in and says that no one is going to get suspended as he talked with Tony Khan. He said because if they are suspended then they can’t get an a– whooping they deserve. Edwards comes in and then Karen says she sees nothing but air. Edwards then goes after Karen and grabs her throat – as referees come in and break it up.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Jerome’s thoughts: That first match was crazy and full of some great action. It was certainly hard to keep up with the action at times. If booked correctly, a Karen Jarrett and Aubrey Edwards could be fun and get some great crowd reactions as Edwards in my opinion, is the best referee in the business.
NJPW World Television Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Action Andretti
The bell rings and we are underway. Both men lock it up. Sabre has Action is a headlock as he tries to slip free. Action is able to get out of the hold. Both men lock up again as Sabre puts Action in an armbar and drops him down to the mat. Action reverses it, but Sabre hangs on with great wrist control. Sabre has Action down on the mat and still works the wrist as Action gets up to his feet. Action slips free and gets a chop by Action who tosses Sabre with an arm drag, followed up by a drop kick. Action goes for the pin, but only gets a two count! Sabre rolls to the outside as Action then dives over the ropes onto Sabre who hits the barricade. Sabre rolls back in the ring. Action goes on the ropes, but Sabre drops him as he falls on the ropes and then drops him in the ring on his shoulder. Sabre begins to work the left arm of Action and then follows up with a hammer lock. Sabre then grabs Action’s arm and bends in back and stops on it. Sabre then hits Action with chops and grabs the wrist yet again. Sabre follows up with kicks on Action, who tries to fight back, but Sabre counters with working the arm and shoulder as Action is down on the mat. Sabre picks him up and again works the arm and has Actions’s arm locked. Action, then counters and picks up Sabre and drops him with a suplex, but favors his arm. Action then comes back with a kick on Sabre and covers him, but only gets a two count! Sabre comes back and works the arm with a drop toe hold and a stomp on Action’s arm. Action drop kicks Sabre who then gets on the top rope. Action follows, but Sabre grabs the arm and drops him who then quickly springs up and grabs Sabre and flips him off the top rope! Action covers Sabre, but Sabre kicks out at two! Action has Sabre up in a torcher rack, but Sabre has his arms around Action who then drops to the mat. Sabre is then met with a thrust kick to the face!
Action then comes back with a drop kick and moonsault on Sabre, covers him, but Sabre kicks out at two!. Action then climbs to the ropes and comes down as Sabre catches his arm and bends it and then twists it with his leg as Action submits.
Winner and Still NJPW Television Champion: Zack Sabre, Jr.
We go to the recap announcement of Collision and the return of CM Punk.
NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship Willow Nightingale defends against Emi Sakura
The bell rings and Emi hits Willow with a shoulder tackle that does nothing. Willow then tries a shoulder tackle of her own, but Emi doesn’t move. Willow then hits Emi with another shoulder tackle off the rope and knocks her down. Willow works on Emi in the corner with chops. Willow is on the ring apron as Emi tries to bring her back in the ring, but can’t. Emi rakes Willow’s eyes and then Emi knocks her to the floor. Emi then tosses Willow ino the barricade and follows up with a crossbody into the barricade.
Picture-In-Picutre: Emi continues to work on Willow on the outside and then tosses her back in the ring. Emi hits Willow with chops and knocks her down. Emi has Willow in the corner and hits her with more chops. Willow comes back and attempts chops on Emi, but its not enough as Emi fights back and has Willow in a choke hold submission move. Emi lets go and then continues chopping Willow again who is down on her knees. Willow is back up and met again with a series of chops on Willow.
-FULL COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Back from the break, Willow turned the table and hit Emi with a shotgun drop kick and then covers her, but Emi kicks out at two! Emi comes back and drops Willow and then follows up with a crossbody and a what the commentary team called a Vader Bomb. Emi covers Willow, but only gets a two count. Willow comes back with a high cross body on Emi and covers her, but Emi kicks out at two. Both women hit each other with lariats, but they do nothing to each other. Both women then charge each other with very physical blows and Willow goes down, as take Emi with her! Emi is slow to get back up and then hits Willow with heavy chops! Willow then nails Emi with a pounce and follows up with a cannonball. Willow covers Emi, but no! She only gets a two count. Willow tries to pick up Emi, but Emi comes back with chops again. Willow hits Emi and then picks her up with a huge power-bomb and covers her for the win!
Winner and Still NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion: Willow Nightingale
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Jerome’s thoughts: The Sabre/Andretti match was great. The action and old school mat wrestling was great to see. Sabre is a great mat wrestler. Overall his in-ring work is top notch. Andretti is another great high flyer and has great potential. However, if he keeps losing, eventually the fans are not going to be behind him and he will turn into just another jobber on Rampage.
We are back from the break and Mark Henry hypes up the main event and runs through the card like he had 10 cups of coffee.
ROH Pure Championship Match: Katsuyori Shibata defends against Lee Moriarty
Jerry Lynn, BJ Whitmer and Christopher Daniels are the judges near ringside in case this match goes to a draw.
It was noted that Shibata had brain surgery to remove a blood clot. The bell rings and here we go! There is a clock on the screen and we are under Pure rules. Both men shake hands. Shibata has Moriarty down on the mat. Shibata works the arm of Moriarty and uses his first of three rope breaks.
Shibata locks up Moriarty and muscles him down for a pin, but Moriarty gets up and pokes Shibata in the eyes and works on Shibata in the corner with a series of kicks, followed with an elbow strike and then a drop kick.
Picture-In-Picture: Moriarty works on Shibata’s leg with a series of kicks. Moriarty then goes down on the mat and grabs Shibata’s leg and twists it. Shibata attempts to counter, but Moriarty powers back and attempts a pin, but Shiabata kicks out at just one. Moriarty goes back to the leg and continues to work it, as Shiabata counters and has Moriarty is a figure four leg lock. Moriarty has both shoulders down on the mat as the ref counts, but Moriarty gets his shoulders up at two.
Back from the break, Moriarty gets to the rope and uses his second rope break. Shibata then comes back with heavy shots to the face or Moriarty. He counters and then drops Shibata down and uses the ridge hand on Shibata as closed fists are illegal in a pure rules match. Shibata comes back and drops Moriarty and then hits him with a series of forearm shots to the face and then cracks Moriarty in the face with a huge kick. Shibata covers Moriarty, who kicks out at two and uses his final rope break. Moriarity then counters and has Shibata’s head and neck locked up and gets out of it. Shibata comes back witha sleeper hold and then connects with a big kick on Moriarty and covers him to retain!
Winner and Still ROH Pure Champion: Katsuyori Shibata
Post-Match – Daniel Garcia’s music hits as he comes down to the ring and stares at Shibata as the show comes to a close.
Jerome’s thoughts: This wasn’t a bad Rampage at all. Even though there were no title changes, it still had a big fight feel to it most of the night. The ROH Pure Championship Match is the only matchup that furthered a storyline with the former champ in Garcia wanting to get the title back. All the other matches, while good felt thrown together to make the championship night, which is Tony Khan’s hope I believe to get a better TV rating.
With Collision right around the corner, Rampage will need some type of overall, even if/when it becomes the new Dark/Dark Elevation.