AEW Rampage 1/20/2023

AEW Rampage 1/20/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/aew-rampage-1132023.html

Jungle Boy vs Ethan Page

This was slower and Page was throwing around JB for most of this. The problem is Page is about the same height and hardly a guy who should be throwing around JB. Hook's music hit and he came down then Matt Hardy helped out and JB grabbed the win. The dirty finish didn't add anything here to an unexciting match.

Ethan Page and Stokeley asked why Matt cost them the match if he's their friend after. Page then said Matt would make it up to him and they would do Hook and Jungle Boy vs Matt Hardy and Ethan Page in a match that the crowd did not pop for. Stokeley then said Matt Hardy is in timeout to cap off this dud.

Ortiz was interviewed by Tony Schiavone and was wearing golf attire for some reason. He said you don't hit a woman, which is why he stopped him and he called out Eddie. Ortiz said this was the only way to get Eddie's attention and said he didn't want to let him in the match last week. Ortiz said you don't hit a woman and said Homicide would call him a coward. Eddie then hit him with the chair and it looks like they are done. This storyline sucked. We are told they are so close and have fought all these battles on the streets amd they get broken up by Malakai Black of all people for pretty lame reasons. And why would you turn Eddie heel with how well he did this year (until they stopped booking him for no reason) as a face?

Darby Allin did a promo. He said he would fight until the wheels came off and called out the House of Black. He said he sent HoB home and said it's about proving that he can beat every single member of the HoB. He said he is issuing the challenge to Buddy Murphy and telling him to show up on Dynamite.

Wille Mack vs Brian Cage

It's Willie Mack's AEW TV debut. Will he lose? AEW has a million wrestlers who they don't use and choose to use outsiders instead.

Wille rolls and does a bad cartwheel and flip out of a wristlock. Cage then does a bad kip up and Willie does a bad leapfrog. Willie samoan drops him then misses his standing moonsault. Cage then flying kicks him and germans him. Cage pump kicks him in the corner then Willie takes a side effect on the apron as we go to PiP break.

We return and and Willie is all recovered and doing pump kicks. Willie then flying gamengiri's him and does a flying corkscrew elbow. Willie does a pop-up punch and a sky high for 2. willie kicks out of an F-5 then takes a powerbomb. Cage then hits his drill claw and wins it.

I hated this. The opening sequences were awful and they didn't care one bit about the apron side effect. Willie also lost in his TV debut in typical AEW fashion. 

Jade Cargill and Leila Gray vs Jaida and Jordyn Vanity

I don't know if I've said it or not, but AEW basically makes sure every Rampage has a match with only black people in it each week. It has happened so many times and you can tell it's not really natural considering they have few black wrestlers and it only happens on Rampage.

Leila dressed her hair up like Sasha Banks here. The Vanity Twins are small and thick girls. The announcers openly admit they have no idea who they are.

Gray takes one down and hits a weak flying shoulder. One of the twins trips when thrown into the middle buckle then Gray dropkicks her. Jade beats up one of the twins, banging her head off the buckles. Gray knees one of them then hits a neckbreaker. Gray then hits a facebuster on the other and goes for the pin, but Jade tells her she wants to get the pin. Jade then hits the Jade-end and wins it.

This wasn't good. Gray is very green and limited and the Twins are about the same. I'm pretty sure this only happened to check some checkboxes.

Action Andretti says he can't get the JAS off his back since beating Jericho. He said it doesn't change the fact that he beat Jericho. Garcia calls him a punk and says he's the new kid on the block. He said he was like that too and got humbled, and tonight, that happens to Andretti. Andretti said a wrestler beats a sports entertainer everytime and Andretti beats a b*tch every time. This was taped instead of live and I definitely wonder why.

Action Andretti vs Daniel Garcia

Man, this one is no dimes. Garcia charges him at the bell and mudhole stomps him in the corner with AA's jacket on. AA then handspring into the ropes and hits a back elbow. AA hits chops and then topes him on the floor. Garcia goes in and out then AA is lariated on the floor. We then go to PiP break.

We return and Garcia is footslapping AA. AA gets some forearms in and forearms, a clothesline and a neckbreaker. Garcia goes out and AA seated moonsaults him off the top rope on the outside. AA then split legged moonsaults him for 2. Jim Ross said it's Eddie Guerrero style and I don't recall Eddie ever doing that.  AA blind hangsprings and is caught with a grounded choke. AA rolls back for a 2 count. They trade kicks and Andretti hits a reverse TKO neckbreaker for 2.

AA springboards into a shotei shot from Garcia then takes a swinging side effect for 2. AA double jump tornillo's him then does a running SSP for the win.

Tey did do a little too much but it wasn't the worst thing ever and Andretti was an okay face here. I expected a slower submission match and they did not do that at all.

Overall thoughts: Pretty bad show. JB/Page wasn't good The women's match was bad and the Eddie/Ortiz segment sucked and Cage/Mack sucked.