AEW Rampage 3/25/2023

AEW Rampage 3/25/2023

This show was on a Saturday due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

AEW TNT Title - Powerhouse Hobbs vs Penta El 0 Miedo

They trade chops early and Hobbs bodyblocks him against the ropes. Penta superkicks him then dropkicks him out. Penta goes for a dive but takes a forearm on the attempt. Hobbs pounds on him then drops his neck over the rail outside. Penta is thrown into the rails and later backbreakered. QT ties Penta's mask to the ropes then Hobbs suplexes Penta.

We go to break and return. Penta makes a comeback and hits a horrible slingblade. Penta does an up and over into a backcracker for 2. Hobbs hits an emerald flowsion for 2. Penta hits some kicks and Hobbs takes a silly bump to the floor. Penta then tope con hilo's him. Hobbs goes into the steps then Penta double stomps him on the apron from the buckles. Penta then double stomps him from up top while Hobbs is in the ring. QT gets on the apron with a chair and Alex grabs it. Aaron Solow tries to interfere but is superkicked and package piledriver'd. Hobbs hits Penta with the TNT title then Hobbs wins with a burning hammer.

This wasn't good at all. The two did not click whatsoever and the dirty finish was just not what this one needed.

Alex gets grabbed after but Rey Fenix comes out with a hammer. Rey teases hitting Hobbs and puts no effort into it, making it look bad. Rey had a colorful shirt on though. 

They showed clips of Jeff Cobb and Kenny Omega chalening each other from New Japan and said they'd fight for the IWGP US Title on Dynamite.

Ricky Starks calls out Juice Robinson. Juice comes out and asks if Ricky is calling him out. Juice says if he wants a beating, he will receive it. Juice heads down to the ring and walks away. Ricky goes after him and throws him in. Juice runs away again and says they have to fight in New York City, if Ricky wants a match. This was a lame segment.

Jay Lethal and friends did a promo. Jay said refs have been screwing them and provided examples. Dutt says the refs try to keep them from being champions, but one day, they will be.

Jake Hager vs Brody King

They push each other and shoulder battle. They trade punches and forearms then King chops him hard. They go outside and Jake goes into the rails. Brody then goes into the rails and we go to break. We return and Jake takes a bossman slam for 2. King misses a corner cannonball but blocks a vader bomb. King hits a spinning lariat for 2. Julia Hart gets thrown into the post by Anna Jay outside and Jake rolls up King for 2. King hits a cradle shock and wins it.

What we got wasn't bad at all, but the commercial cut half of it off and the match was not very long to begin with. A shame too as I wanted to see what these two could do together.

Swerve Strickland says he's getitng tired of Keith Lee and says he ends this when he chooses to. Swerve has a rapper named Tech-9 with him and says while Lee won the battle, he will finish the war.

Leila Grey vs Taya Valkyrie

Grey face shoves her then is run over with a lariat. Sterling gets on the apron to distract Taya then Grey pounds on Taya. Taya hits a jade end on Grey and wins it in a short and nothing match.

Mark Sterling heads into the ring and Taya nails him then hits a jade end on him too. 

We had a quick video to talk about the main event.

The Acclaimed vs The Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven)

Max called Mike Bennett a cuck and said nobody knew who the Kingdom was, which was a major burial.

Mike gets control on Max to start with a Maria distraction then Taven 2nd rope dropkicks Max. Max does a sunset flip and the Acclaimed do a neckbreaker + backcracker combo. Bowens neckbreakers Mike for 2 and Bowens 2nd rope legdrops Mike. Taven takes a back body drop over the top.

We go to break and return. Taven spinning heel kicks Max. Mike hits a death valley driver then Taven running knee's Max for 2. Billy Gunn backs Maria up the ramp then Top Flight meets Maria up there. Maria gets away then Billy Gunn lariats Mike when the ref isn't looking. Bowens does an over the back legdrop on Taven then superkicks Mike. Taven rolls up Bowens then Bowens spinning elbows him. Taven then takes the arrival and a top rope elbow for the Acclaimed win.

This wasn't good. Nobody cared about this, there was lots of interference and the commercial cut half of this off.

Overall thoughts: Pretty lame edition of Rampage. It had potential too but the matches just didn't deliver for in-ring and booking reasons.