AEW Rampage
August 5, 2022
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentary: Excalibur, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone
Results by: Jerome Wilen of Wrestleview.com
We go live to the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. William Regal joins commentary for the opening match. It is really hard to hear the commentary team as the fans appear to be coming across really loud on TV.
AEW World Title Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley vs. Mance Warner
Before Warner can get to the ring, Moxley goes after him and they brawl at ringside. Warner gets into the ring and Moxley follows. The ref rings the bell, but the action spills out to the floor again. Moxley hits Warner with a snap suplex on a chair. As the action continues on the outside, Warner comes back and takes Moxley out with a clothesline. Warner tosses Moxley in the ring and hits him with chops. Both men now go face to face. Moxley comes back with chops to the chest on Warner. Moxley hits Warner with a dragon suplex and puts Warner in figure four, which Warner gets out of. Warner has Moxley in the corner and hits him with punches to the face, but then Moxley reverses and starts punching Warner. Warner takes down Moxley. The action then goes to the outside of the ring and tosses Moxley into the steel steps. Warner then tosses Moxley into the guard rail and suplexes him onto a chair. The action goes back into the ring. Moxley hits Warner with knees to the face, as Warner is down and rolls out of the ring. Moxley has Warner on the steels steps. Moxley DDT’s Warner on the steel steps which was nasty.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK (Picture-In-Picture)-
Back from the break, the crowd is chanting “Let’s Go Moxley.” Warner is stopping on the leg of Moxley. Warner hits Moxley who goes down and does a pin attempt, but only gets a two count. Warner hits a spine buster on Moxley and goes for a few pin attempts, but still only gets a two count. Warner goes to the outside and grabs a chair from under the ring, as Warner goes to hit Moxley, Moxley punches the chair and it hits Warner in the face who goes to the outside of the ring. Moxley then dives through the ropes and hits Warner on the outside. Both men get back in the ring and Moxley has Warner on the top rope and superplexes him. Warner is busted open from the chair to the face. Moxley bites Warner and then Warner clotheslines Moxley, then both nail each other and they go down. Moxley has Warner in a double wrist lock after a failed pin attempt by Warner. Moxley picks up Warner and piledrives him and then stomps on him. Moxley chokes out Warner who passes out.
WINNER: JON MOXLEY
Post-Match: Moxley celebrates in the ring.
We go to a backstage segment with Ricky Starks and QT Marshall and his crew of wrestlers. They offer Starks protection, but Starks turns it down and leaves.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Hollywood Hunk
Takeshita comes in quick and takes out the Hollywood Hunk. Takeshita gets distracted by Peter Avalon on the outside which allows the Hollywood Hunk to take advantage. However, Takeshita comes back with a big knee to get the win. Peter Avalon comes in and beats on Takeshita, but Takeshita comes back and takes out both Avalon and the Hollywood Hunk.
WINNER BY PINFALL: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA
Madison Rayne vs. Leila Grey (w/Stokley Hathaway)
The bell rings and both women lock up and are in the corner. The lock up breaks up. Rayne has Grey locked up and then Grey hits Rayne with an elbow strike. Rayne comes back with offense and tries several pin attempts on Grey, but only gets a two count each time. Both women are locked up in the corner as Grey has hold of Rayne’s hair and then hits Rayne after the hold is broke. Stokley Hathaway distracts Rayne as Grey takes advantage and knocks Rayne to the outside as she holds her knee.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Back from the break, Madison comes back with a sliding lariat and hits Grey with the Cross Raynes and then gets the win.
WINNER BY PINFALL: MADISON RAYNE
Post-Match: Jade Cargill comes out and tell Madison that Rampage is her show and good help is hard to get these days. Cargill who calls Madison – Matty – to show up at challenge Cargill on Dynamite for the TBS Title. Kierra Hogan comes from behind, but Madison is ready and counters with a Cross Raynes and takes out Hogan.
We go to a video package with Rush and Andrade challenging the Lucha Bros to a match on Dynamite.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Back from the break, Mark Henry is introducing the teams for the main event. “Smark” Mark Sterling builds up Josh Woods, and then Strickland interrupts Mark. Lee then calls Sterling a footnote. Mark Henry then says its enough talk and is time for the main event. The commentators run down the card for Battle of Belts III and Dynamite.
AEW Tag Team Championship Street Fight: Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland (Swerve In Out Glory) (c) vs. Tony Nese and Josh Woods
As the bell rings, the action starts on the outside, with Lee taking out Nese, while Woods is beating on Strickland. Lee and Wood are now going face to face. Woods hits Lee, but Lee brushes it off and hits Woods with double palm strikes. Strickland takes out Nese and then both Lee and Strickland double team Woods. Nese comes from behind with protein powder and tosses it in Lee’s face. Strickland hits Nese who goes down. Nese quickly recovers, as Lee is trying to wipe the powder out of his eyes, Nese hits Lee with a tool box. Woods then tosses Strickland into the steels steps as we go the commercial break.
-COMMERCIAL BREAK-
Back from the break, Nese and Woods attempt to power-bomb Strickland through a table, which he fights off. Nese kicks Strickland in the face and goes for a pin attempt, but only gets the two count. Lee attempts to take out both Woods and Nese, but Sterling hits Lee with a chair, but it does nothing. Lee is down on the chair with Nese and Woods on top of Lee. Strickland goes to the top rope and does a flip onto Nese and Woods below. Nese gets a table from Sterling. Nese sets up the table in the ring. Strickland calls out to the fans as Sterling comes into the ring and hits Strickland with a wrench to the back of the end. Strickland is put on the table. On the outside of the ring is Nese and Woods. Lee headbutts Nese. Sterling is on the top rope. Strickland roles off the table and then Lee pushes Sterling onto the table which breaks. Woods has Lee and is trying to suplex Lee onto the table on the outside. Woods then German suplexes Lee onto the table. Nese then grabs a chair and a garbage can lid. Strickland picks up Nese and tosses up and onto the chair. Strickland then goes to the top rope for a Stomp from the top rope onto Nese and then goes for the pin and gets the 1, 2, 3 for the win.
WINNER BY PINFALL: SWERVE IN OUR GLORY
Both Strickland and Lee celebrate in the ring as the show goes off the air.
The action tonight was fast paced and the hour went by very quickly. I didn’t expect Rayne to win her match. The street fight was the typical gimmicks with tables and chairs. The Moxley match was predictable, as was the street fight. I expected that Strickland and Lee would win.
I don’t expect Madison Rayne to defeat Jade Cargill on Wednesday for the TBS Title, but it should hopefully be a good match with the in-ring veteran that Rayne is. Rayne still hasn’t been written off IMPACT TV where she is a heel. She will be appearing again on next week’s IMPACT TV show.