Tonight's AEW Rampage will be another early edition due to the NBA playoffs on TNT.
In trios action, the Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) will take on Best Amigos (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) & Bandido). The BCC learned on Wednesday they will battle The Elite in an Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing.
Undefeated inaugural TBS Champion Jade Cargill will continue her quest to find challenges as she defends against Danni Bee.
In a trios match, former AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) and Billy Gunn will take on the Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese, Josh Woods & Ari Daivari).
ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champion Bishop Kaun of the Mogul Embassy will face Dustin Rhodes.
Matt & Jeff Hardy and Brother Zay will also make an appearance on the show as they want to make a run at the AEW Tag Team titles.
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Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) (w/ Bryan Danielson) defeated Best Amigos (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) & Bandido)
This was a fun, action packed party match of an opener with everyone getting their time to shine. I liked the history they played off of between Taylor & Yuta as it was fitting the trainee pinned his trainer. The BCC look more than ready for Anarchy in the Arena in a little over a week.
Moxley tried an early attack on Bandido, who used his speed to overcome the onslaught as Yuta & Beretta tagged in. Beretta blocked a skin the cat and sent Yuta to the floor where Taylor slammed his former protégé into the barricade. Castagnoli distracted Taylor long enough for Yuta to hit a chop block as the BCC isolated Taylor in their corner.
Taylor fought out of the corner and tagged Beretta, who took the fight to Moxley with a series of German suplexes. With the BCC collected on the floor, Best Amigos hit a trio of dives. Back inside, Castagnoli shoved Moxley out of the way from danger and caught Beretta in mid air with an uppercut to take control during commercial. There was supposed to be picture in picture, but we only saw commercials and no action.
Beretta avoided a charging Moxley and connected with a Tornado DDT into the double down. Castagnoli & Bandido made tags with Bandido hitting a tornillo out of the corner followed by a springboard hurricanrana pin attempt for two. A strike exchange led to Bandido trying a delayed vertical suplex, but Yuta made the save, only to be caught by Bandido as Best Friends made the blind tag with a Soul Food and half & half combo.
Best Amigos gave the people what they wanted with a hug before Taylor spiked Yuta with a snap piledriver. Taylor tried Yuta’s seatbelt pin, as Moxley broke it up by dropkicking his own partner. The match broke down with everyone hitting big moves until Taylor went for Awful Waffle, but was cut off by a Moxley Death Rider and Rocket Launcher by Castagnoli & Yuta to get the pin.
– Kyle Fletcher cut a promo about why he attacked Orange Cassidy last week. Since Fletcher was born and raised in Australia, made a name for himself in England, won titles in Japan & the USA, no one is more fitting to be AEW International Champion than he is.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill (w/ Leila Grey & Mark Sterling) defeated Danni Bee to retain
Excalibur talked about Taya Valkyrie failing last month to win the TBS Title and subsequently losing her cool on referee Aubrey Edwards, getting suspended in the process. We learned that suspension has since been lifted. Bee has wrestled twice on Elevation in losing efforts to Abadon & Emi Sakura. Cargill smoked Bee with a forearm immediately and followed with a fallaway slam. A violent pump kick got Cargill the win and put her at 58-0. Sterling ran his mouth post-match asking if that’s the best Texas had to offer and brought out another challenger.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill (w/ Leila Grey & Mark Sterling) defeated Genesis to retain
We learned Genesis is a trainee of the Dustin Rhodes Wrestling Academy and Jericho explained she had a massive stroke, was paralyzed and had to learn how to walk and speak again before deciding to get into pro wrestling. Cargill violently whipped Genesis into the ropes, hit a spear and Jaded to go to 59-0.
Sterling said Cargill was about to go to 60-0 as an unnamed challenger came out to the ramp to accept the challenge until Valkyrie made an entrance and laid out the woman. Valkyrie stormed to the ring, took out Grey and laid out Cargill with a clothesline and Road to Valhalla.
Valkyrie got the microphone and asked Cargill "Who’s that b*tch," saying she’ll see her at Double or Nothing. Excalibur said Tony Khan made their title rematch official and this time, Valkyrie can use her finisher unlike in their first meeting.
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) and Billy Gunn defeated Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese, Josh Woods & Ari Daivari)
Gunn had early face-offs with each member of the Athletes until Nese tried a posedown. Gunn played to the crowd before taking his shirt off and planted Nese with a side suplex. Scissor Me Timbers by Bowens connected as The Acclaimed & Gunn scissored for the crowd. Caster posed too long and found himself isolated during the commercial break, but made his comeback when they returned. A double clothesline by Caster & Woods allowed Bowens to make the hot tag.
While this was all happening, Gunn beat down Daivari ringside. Bowens ran wild with an over the top leg drop on Nese as Gunn tossed Woods to the outside. Nese initially avoided the Arrival with a spin kick to the face, but as he went for a combo, Bowens hit The Arrival and Caster with The Mic Drop to pick up the win.
-This week’s QTV started with QT Marshall asking Aaron Solo if he hacked Matt Hardy, which Solo denied. Marshall said he has them all entered in the Blackjack Battle Royal for the International Title at Double or Nothing. Marshall talks about Powerhouse Hobbs being on the poster for AEW Collision and mentions Miro while Solo & Harley Cameron name drop Buff Bagwell, Blue Meanie and Tatanka. Marshall said it doesn’t matter because on June 17th, the real story begins.
The Hardys and Brother Zay
Tony Schiavone was in the ring and introduced Matt and Jeff Hardy & Brother Zay. Matt said it’s official for Double or Nothing with the three of them against The Gunns & Ethan Page where the stipulation being if Team Hardy wins, then Matt Hardy gets control of Ethan Page’s contract.
Jeff put over the Texas crowd briefly before Page came to the stage alone. Page said he and Matt have been feuding for too long and that Zay can trust Page and he and Zay were going to become The Moan Event until he turned his back on Page.
This was all a ruse as The Gunns showed up from behind with chair shots to the Hardys and Zay. A chair was placed over Zay's neck as Page stomped down onto it. I’m sure this match will be fun at Double or Nothing, but I agree with what Page said earlier: it feels like this story with Page & Matt Hardy has went on forever.
Chris Jericho and Adam Cole brawl
After highlights of Wednesday’s falls count anywhere match between Chris Jericho and Roderick Strong. Jericho called Adam Cole a coward and said if Cole was there, he’d beat his ass. Cole appeared on screen, saying every week he’d show up and beat Jericho’s ass. Jericho said he has lifted the legal agreement of Cole being banned from the building, challenging Cole to an unsanctioned match at Double or Nothing. Cole thanked Jericho and immediately entered the building for his search of Jericho.
After the break, Cole walked down from the crowd, sprinted up the ramp and the brawl was on between he and Jericho as security tried to separate them. Both men broke free at different points during the fight.
Dustin Rhodes defeated Bishop Kaun (w/Prince Nana)
It wouldn’t be a match in Texas without a Rhodes family member bleeding. Rhodes did an amazing job getting the crowd behind him as he continues to put on very good matches against everyone he competes against. The post match was a continuation of the Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee story which needs to be settled soon as both need to go on to other stories sooner than later.
Kaun attacked just as Rhodes stepped through the ropes, but Rhodes quickly clotheslined him to the outside. Back inside, Kaun reversed a whip to the corner and Rhodes ran right into the camera, spilling to the floor, busting himself open in the process. Kaun connected with a neckbreaker off the apron onto the floor and controlled him during the entire commercial break.
Rhodes tried his snap powerslam, but Kaun nailed an air raid crash for a one count as Rhodes hulked up into a slugfest. A series of clotheslines, dropdown uppercut and snap powerslam got Rhodes in control as he delivered corner punches, but got his legs pulled from under him.
Rhodes fought back with a nice Code Red and piledriver for near falls. Kaun hit a shotgun dropkick, but missed a corner charge, which allowed Rhodes to connect on a bulldog and Final Reckoning for the win.
Post match, Brian Cage attacked and power bombed Rhodes as Swerve Strickland sauntered into the ring, smiling at the beatdown. Keith Lee then walked out from the back as Cage and Kaun went to cut him off on the ramp. Lee took them both out and stared down Strickland. Lee took way too long to get his hands on Strickland, which allowed Cage & Kaun to attack from behind with a chair.
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Cage powered Lee up on his shoulders and hit an F5 onto the chair. Lee was placed seated on the chair as Strickland hit a Swerve Stomp as Rhodes was forced to watch by Cage.
This Wednesday:
Tony Khan will announce the location of the debut episode of AEW CollisionAll Four Pillars (MJF, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara) will be heard fromAEW International Champion Orange Cassidy defends against Kyle FletcherROH Tag Team Champions Lucha Brothers defend against Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler YutaAEW Trios Champions House of Black defend against AR Fox, Blake Christian & MetalikTaya Valkyrie vs. Lady FrostFTR promoAdam Cole & Chris Jericho contract signing