AEW Rampage (Nov. 1, 2024) emanated from Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. The show featured Action Andretti's methods causing turmoil within Top Flight, Lio Rush on the breaking point, Stokely Hathaway stirring the pot, and more.
Let's jump right in with a recap followed by reactions.
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Daddy Magic were on commentary. Justin Roberts handled ring announcer duties.
La Faccion Ingobernable vs. JD Drake, Beef, & Butcher
Bonus scene from before the show introducing Butcher as the third partner. Slapping bums and wiping away the crums. Watch for a chuckle at Beef and Butcher trying to outdo one another in front of the camera.
Hot tag to Beef knocking Rush around the ring. Tag to Butcher, then LFI worked a divide and conquer strategy. Dralistico and the Beast Mortos took out Drake and Beef on the outside. That left Butcher alone for a teamwork beatdown. Rush finished with the Bull's Horns dropkick.
La Faccion Ingobernable defeated JD Drake, Beef, & Butcher.
Stokely Hathaway took credit for Private Party becoming AEW tag team champions. It was his tough love that served as motivation. Stokely impressed himself as the architect of champions.
Taya's night didn't end there. Backstage immediately after the match, Stokely told Deonna Purrazzo and Taya the dubious claim that Lynn was running her mouth about them. Taya's anger ran hot, so she went back to the ring to serve another curb stomp to Lynn on the floor. Taya set up a third curb stomp, but Purrazzo called her off.
Hype video for Thunder Rosa versus Harley Cameron in a Day of the Dead match on Collision.
Queen Aminata vs. Leila Grey
Competitive match. Grey had control down the stretch for a flipping neckbreaker. When she ran the ropes. Aminata clobbered a double axe handle chop. That stunned Grey enough for Aminata to fold her into a pretzel for the submission victory.
Bonus scene from after Dynamite. This match was made when the teams agreed to push each other to prove they are worthy are taking the trios titles from the Blackpool Combat Club.
Dark Order was close to victory. When they lifted Darius Martin for a pendulum bomb, Alex Reynolds couldn't hold the weight due to his injured ribs. He collapsed to the mat, so the finisher could not be executed. That led to a tag to Andretti for a flying crossbody onto Evil Uno and John Silver. Andretti went to target Reynolds' bandaged ribs, but Dante Martin didn't want to win that way. Dante argued with Andretti. Reynolds tried to sneak a roll-up, but Andretti kicked out. Andretti tore off the bandaging to attack the ribs unprotected. He won the match on a split-legged moonsault.
Lio had a chip on his shoulder to get the win, and that gave this match a bit of an edge in attitude. Down the stretch run, Lio launched for a frog splash, but he missed the mark. Komander went for a crucifix pin, and Lio kicked out. Komander was quicker to his feet to explode for a thrust kick knocking Lio loopy. The luchador walked the ropes for a shooting star press to win.
Komander defeated Lio Rush.
Afterward, Komander offered a handshake of sportsmanship. Lio begrudgingly accepted. He met with Top Flight and Andretti on the outside. Andretti said something in Lio's ear and handed him Reynolds' bandages. The implication seemed to be doing whatever it takes to win.
Grade: C+
Decent matches with a few touches of story. The main event was the best of the bunch.
Turmoil is bubbling within the Top Flight crew. This could become an interesting dynamic. They went 1-2 on Rampage, and the win came via ruthlessness. Dante Martin is clearly babyface, Darius Martin and Leila Grey seem neutral, Action Andretti is veering heel, and Lio Rush is on the verge of joining him. It's like looking at what happens when desperation to win sets in. Technically, Andretti didn't do anything wrong, but it wasn't morally good either. Lumping this into the larger story of the Blackpool Combat Club adds an extra layer. If that story runs for a long time, then the BCC will need more than five people. There doesn't have to be new members per se, however, there should be more believers of Jon Moxley's vision over time. The angle of whether or not Top Flight flips is an intriguing idea to give them purpose on television.
Quick thoughts on the rest. Beef is making an impression with his charisma. It's getting hard not to root for him. Stokely Hathaway brought the laughs with his delusions of grandeur. Deonna Purrazzo and Taya Valkyrie are off to a strong start as the Vendetta. Taya unleashing full craziness is the best Taya. Another good performance from Queen Aminata. That submission was pretty nifty. Komander picked up a strong win. Too bad he will be fed to Kyle Fletcher on Collision. With that in mind, it only makes Fletcher's future win that much more impressive, in theory. Of course, we still need to see how the finish actually plays out.
Share your thoughts about Rampage. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show? Who impressed you the most?