AEW Rampage 4/22/2023

AEW Rampage 4/22/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/aew-rampage-4142023.html

This took place on Saturday instead of Friday likely due to the NBA playoffs.

Jon Moxley vs Christopher Daniels

No intro for either guy here. Mox headlock takeovers him then shoulders him over. Daniels trips him then facelocks him. They trade chops and Daniels dropkicks him. Mox is back body dropped over the top then Daniels lariats him off the apron. Mox then back body drops him on the floor. Mox drops him on the steps and we go to PiP break.

We return from break and Mox cutters him. They go up top and Mox rakes his back. Daniels top rope crossbodies him for 2. Daniels backslides him then is put in a sleeper. Mox then hits a stiff lariat and a piledriver for 2. Daniels comes off the buckles with a swinging flatliner then hits an angels wings for 2. Mox hits a downward elbow flurry then bulldog chokes him. Mox then does a grounded choke and wins it. Mox offers to shake hands after and Daniels agrees.

Mox had a nice lariat here and it was fine but nothing too special.

Jade is in the back with Mark Sterling and is having makeup put on her. Mark says Jade vs Taya is next week and they will get rid of Taya for good. Mark says Taya cannot use the Jade End or she wll be disqualified.

Hook, The Hardy's and Isaiah Kassidy come out. Jeff says its good to be back and he worked hard to reach this moment. Jeff says the smartest thing for him to do is to retire....from screwing up. Jeff says he's here toe end his career on a high note and says time will tell and the future is waiting for us to prevail. Stokeley Hathaway gets on the tron. He said they won't tell him what the deal is with the Final Deletion match is. Matt says he'll let him know when the time is right. Stoke says he's working hard to be a better man then says don't worry about it. He walks off the screen then The Firm attacks and Stoke gets back on the tron. The faces get beaten up and Kassidy takes a razor's edge from Page. The Firm tries to take Kassidy up the ramp with them but the faces save him.

We see clips of Britt Baker being attacked then Adam Cole comforting her in the back. Cole tells her to hang in there.

Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes do a promo. Lee said her earned respect from Jericho and would have won if it wasn't for Swerve. Dustin said they are the best duo since Samuel Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. He said Naturally Limitless descends on Florida.

Julia Hart vs Keira Hogan

Hart slaps her then Hogan hits forearms. Keira slaps her then hip attacks her as she is against the 2nd rope. Keira then jumps off her back for a legdrop. Hogan running cross chops her then superkicks her in the side of the head. Hogan then baseball slides her for 2. Hart neckbreakers her then does a standing moonsault for 2. Hart goes for a rings of saturn but is rolled up then Hart bangs her head off the apron. Hart then hits heartless/rings of saturn and wins it.

It was a short one and I suppose it was fine.

Anna Jay comes down the ramp after and pounds on Hart. Refs and security come down and break them up, but of course can't keep them under control despite being maybe 120lbs a piece.

Christopher Daniels is interviewed in the locker room. Lexi Nair talks about him being respected. Daniels says he's not just here for respect. The Blackpool Combat Club then come in. Mox says Daniels is cool and an OG. Daniels said people were wrong about him and he does have some honor in him. Mox then bangs Daniels head off the locker door and says they never change. Mox says they never changed, it's everyone else who is out of their minds.

I'm not a fan of this BCC heel turn at all and just don't think it's working.

FTR, Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal vs The Varsity Athletes, Ari Daivari and Slim J

Slim J's team are all wearing gold and white. It's hard to know what to call them since they both seem to be part of both the Varsity Athletes and the Trustbusters. J chokes Dax to start then Dax snap suplexes him. J takes a slam and we see Mark Briscoe watching on. Dax picks up Cash and he is dropped into a legdrop on J. J headscissors Cash and hits punches. J jumps up and is powerslammed.

Lethal tags himself in then Jarrett hits a russian leg sweep and Lethal sliding kicks J. They both do the Fargo strut and tell FTR to get out. FTR does the Fargo strut behind them and we go to PiP break. We return and Cash is trying to make a tag. Cash backdrops Ari then Dax gets the hot tag in. He hits punches on the heels then two heels get lariated over the top. J is thrown out and Dax throws Mark Sterling in. Dax holds Mark for a shot from JJ but Mark ducks and JJ nails Dax.

JJ and Dax argue then JJ hits the stroke on Nese. Dax then picks up the pin and wins it.

Nothing wrong with it. They used this to push the FTR/Jarret and Friends feud. Mark Briscoe comes out and stops the argument from going further.

They announced Orange Cassidy vs Bandido for the International Title next week. Bandido hasn't wrestled in AEW for months and his last match was a loss. The International Title didn't even exist then, so there's no explanation for this in kayfabe. 

Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade do a promo. B&B are fighting Kenny Omega and Takeshita for some reason next week. Blade said if they consider themselves tough guys, they need to go through real tough guys first. They said they will kick their @ss.

AAA Mega Championship - El Hijo de Vikingo (c) vs Dralistico

Dral topes Vik as he comes down the ramp. Vik runs up the ropes and dropkicks him then misses a tope con hilo and lands on the ramp. Dral springboard swantons him for 2. They trade chest slaps then Vik flying forearms him. Dral flying forearms him then Vik hits a corkscrew kick. Dral hits a rebound german then Vik poisonrana's him. Dral springboard canadian destroyers him and we go to break.

We return from PiP break and Dral 2nd rope connector moonsaults him. Dral springboard codebreakers him for 2. They both go up top and trade forearms then Dral is headbutted onto the apron. Vik jumps off the top and canadian destroyers him on the apron.

Rush pulls Vik down from the apron then LFI is kicked out. Dral rolls him up for 2 then takes a corkscrew kick. Vik top rope double stomps him for 2. Vik gets stuck on the 2nd rope. Dral comes off the top and hurricanrana's him to the floor. Dral hits a sloppy la mistica and Vik ropebreaks.

Dral thinks he has won for some reason then Vik spinning high kicks him. Vik hits a meteora then 630's him to win it.

This was the usual crap from Vikingo. Just nothing but big spots and no selling.

LFI attacks Vik after to close the show.

Overall thoughts: It was fine except for the main, which was the usual Vikingo spotmonkey garbage.