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It is Friday and AEW Rampage was recorded on Wednesday after AEW Dynamite “New Year’s Smash."
We are in Bloomfield, CO at the 1st Bank Center. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Kip Sabian, and Paul Wight.
They featured a graphic dedicated to the late Don West to open the show.
Orange Cassidy (AEW All Atlantic Champion) vs Trent Beretta
They shake hands before they start and the shake lasts almost 60 seconds until Cassidy tries to whip Trent into the ropes, but Trent is able to do so and hits an arm drag. They trade take-downs and shoulder tackles. After neither can get a hip toss, Trent tosses Cassidy out of the ring. Cassidy gets back in and instead of giving the people what they want, Cassidy shoves Trent out of the ring.
Cassidy is then shoved out of the ring and Danhausen gives him a series of soft kicks and then helps him up. Cassidy then leaps on Trent on the floor and hits a diving crossbody in the ring. Trent is able to get a drop-kick through the ropes onto Cassidy on the floor. They brawl on the floor and Kip Sabian says the fact that they are fighting is great. Trent charges Cassidy, who dodges and Trent goes into the barricade. Cassidy then hits a drop-kick on Trent as we go picture in picture.
When we return to full screen, both men are struggling to get up before the ten count. Cassidy hits the soft chops, ending with a stiff chop. Trent and Cassidy exchange elbows in the middle of the ring. Cassidy gets a trust kick and Trent gets a lariat. Trent reverses a Stundog millionaire. Trent tosses him backward and Cassidy gets a Michinoku driver for a two count.
Cassidy tries for the Beach Break, Trent reverses it, and then Cassidy turns that reversal into a roll up, and Trent reverses that for a two count. Cassidy gets the spinning DDT after getting out of Trent spinning DDT. Cassidy goes up top and gets the diving DDT for two. Cassidy calls for the Orange Punch, but Trent grabs him and Cassidy turns it into a crucifix for two. Trent gets a twisting tombstone for two. Trent tries to pull Cassidy from the corner and gets a pile driver for a two count.
Penelope Ford comes down to ringside. Trent drops his knee pad and Ford gets on the apron. Cassidy uses the distraction to get a Beach Break and a two count. Cassidy gets the Orange Punch and Cassidy covers for the pin and the win.
Winner and still AEW All Atlantic Champion: Orange Cassidy
Trent rolls out of the ring and walks up the ramp alone. Sabian leaves commentary and dances to the ring.
They go to footage of Tony Schiavone interviewing Darby Allin and Sting after Dynamite. He said the second he stopped listening to everyone else and listened to himself, he became successful and became TNT Champion. Now he lost the belt and wonders if even Sting believes he can get it back. Sting said if he says no, he's just another guy who doubts him. If he says yes, he's just someone who puts a chip on his shoulder. He said Joe is a killer but Darby needs to stop wondering what everyone else thinks. He told Darby to shut his mouth, go and win his title back.
Kip Sabian vs An Unnamed Competitor
Even Excalibur calls him “Kip’s Opponent.”
Kip mocks Cassidy by doing the pockets bit and then he goes to the top for a diving foot stomp. Kip hits a knee strike for 2, and then pulls him up to break the pin. Sabian then puts on Cassidy’s discarded elbow pad only to toss it and hit an Orange Punch for the pin and the win.
Winner: Kip Sabian
Lexy Nair interviewed Preston Vance aka Perro Peligroso, his new ring name. He ripped on everyone.
Next up, Tony Schiavone interviews Jon Moxley in the ring. Tony asks Mox about Adam Page’s injury and Mox replies that in the three years of AEW, two men have beat everyone but each other. Him and Adam Page. He says in beating down Adam Page it shows there can be only one and it’s him. He says that he hit Page so hard he woke up in the hospital because they work harder than everyone else so they deserve to sleep like babies.
They don’t care about the safety of the athlete. He says it’s a tough business and this is the major leagues. He says on 1/11/2023, if he wants it, see your doctors and he will be waiting for him. He will show everyone just how tough this business can be.
That promo had more fire than every promo on Dynamite combined. Loved it.
They announced The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal for Dynamite on Seattle. Jarrett and Lethal cut a really fired up, angry promo.
Jade Cargill (TBS Championship) vs Kiera Hogan
Announcers say their friendship disintegrated, but didn’t Jade ALWAYS hate Hogan?
Hogan gets a waistlock and She tosses Hogan aside. Hogan tries again, and Jade hits a delayed vertical suplex. Jade hits a back elbow and then hits a chokeslam on Hogan as we go picture in picture. I like that Wight says he likes the chokeslam and he should try it someday. When we come back to full screen, Hogan has not gotten any offense. Hogan is able to get a pick to Jade’s face and Jade gets the pump kick and a two count. Hogan rolls out of the ring.
Leila Gray holds Hogan and when Jade goes to chop her, Red Velvet stops her. They go back into the ring, Jade hits another pump kick on Hogan. Kiera reverses a Jaded into a bulldog. She gets a hip attack and a pair of kicks on Jade. She then hits a sliding drop-kick and Hogan goes to the top. She hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Jade is able to stop Hogan’s next attack, hitting Jaded for the pin and the win.
Winner and still TBS champion: Jade Cargill
Red Velvet backs up the ramp, knowing she has made an enemy.
They aired a video with Jamie Hayter saying she doesn't care who Saraya brings to LA.
Wheeler Yuta, Jon Moxley, and Claudio Castagnoli are in the Mark Henry segment with Swerve Strickland and his team members. Mark asks what is going through Yuta’s head, and Mox says the only thing allowed to go through his head is destroy. He says Yuta is not allowed to feel fear or pain. He says there is nothing Swerve can do that they haven’t done to him. Swerve then interrupts Yuta and puts himself over. Yuta says he was in the most violent main event in Rampage history and he will bring that to the ring tonight.
Wheeler Yuta (Ring of Honor Pure Champion) vs Swerve Strickland
Swerve comes out with his crew and Yuta comes to the ring alone.
They shake hands to start the match and move to mat wrestling and hand fighting. Neither gets an advantage. They then lock up with Yuta getting an arm bar and Swerve picks the ankle to bring him down. They go back to mat work and Yuta ends with a scoop and a slam followed by a standing senton. Yuta gets a waistlock and They move to take-downs. Yuta wraps up Swerve's lags on the mat and moves into a bow and arrow stretch. Swerve reverses it into a two count. Yuta gets a drop-kick and Swerve tries for a move off the ropes and then they go to the floor.
Yuta tosses Swerve in and Swerve’s goons glare at Yuta. Swerve uses the distraction to attack as we go to picture in picture. When they return to full screens, Swerve has been working over Yuta's leg. Yuta gets a pair of back body drops and they lock up in an inside cradle for a two count. Yuta goes to the top and hits a flying elbow strike and gets a one legged nip up. He hits a German suplex and holds on for a two count.
Swerve kicks Yuta’s knee and then hits a brain buster for a two count. Swerve picks Yuta up and starts with slaps and kicks to his head. Swerve tries for a JML driver but they then trade roll ups for two, and Swerve had a handful of trunks. Yuta gets a back body drop after being knocked into the ropes for a two count.
Yuta is selling the leg as Swerve goes to the corner. Swerve throws hands in the corner and hits a drop-kick to Yuta’s leg. Swerve goes up and Yuta kicks him to stop the ascent. They both are on top and Yuta hits the super plex off the top. Yuta hits the hammer and anvil elbows and Swerve escapes him trying to put on the seat belt with a kick. Swerve gets a two. Serve tries for the JML driver again, but hits the ref with an elbow.
He then hits Yuta with a low blow and finally gets the JML driver for the pin and the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland.
And we are desperately out of time!
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