AEW Rampage 6/2/2023

AEW Rampage 6/2/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/aew-rampage-5262023.html

AAA Mega Title - El Hijo del Vikingo (c) vs Komander vs Dralistico

Vik is thrown around and caught by both guys. They do a dumb triple drop down spot then do a stand off. Dral dropkicks both out and tope con hilos them. Komander is put into the steps and Vik is put into the rails. Dral springboard swantons Komander. Komander tries to springboard but is sat on the middle rope. Dral then top rope double stomps him as he hangs there. Vik then does a blind walk up the ropes moonsault outside.

Vik does his imploding 450 hurricanrana on Dral then 2nd rope outside to inside phoenix splashes him. Vik and Dral trade chest chops then Vik corkscrew kicks him for 2. During the break Dral springboard codebreakers Vik. A table is set-up outside and Dral superkicks Komander in the face as we return. Komander springboard double jump dragonrana's Dral.

Komander hits amrdrags on Vik and dropkicks him. Komander then walks the top rope and corkscrew dives Vik and Dral. Komander walks the top rope into a 450 on Dral and Vik breaks it up with a springboard double stomp. Vik double jump springboard poisonrana's Komander. Vik then 2nd rope springboard 630's Komander through a table outside. Vik hurricanrana's Dral and wins it.

It was a short spotfest with everyone doing their big spots. Not much else going on here. 

Jarrett's crew is interviewed. They say Dutt will be fined and suspended. Dutt said they were put in the corner and came out swinging. Lethal said Aubrey Edwards need to be suspended. Jarrett says the yare walking, talking, fire-breathing heat. Mark Briscoe comes in and said there will be no suspensions.  Mark said if they are suspended, then they can't give them the whooping they deserve. Aubrey Edwards then comes in and Karen Jarrett and her choke each other. The refs then break it up. Please do this match. It's going to be horrific.

NJPW World Television Championship - Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Action Andretti

ZSJ cravates and guillotines him. ZSJ grabs the arm and AA cartwheels into an armdrag, but ZSJ hangs on. AA monkey flips him and ZSJ holds on. AA backflips out of a wristlock and armdrags him then AA walks up the buckles and flipping armdrags him. AA then springboard corkscrew splashes him off the bottom rope.

AA 2nd rope hurricanrana's him then topes him into the rails. ZSJ does a reverse triangle on the ropes. ZSJ twists his arm with his feet while he's in the hammerlock then ZSJ stomps the arm into the mat. ZSJ hits euros him then ZSJ takes him down into a fujiwara armbar.

AA suplexes him then springboard enzugiri's him. ZSJ trips him and stomps the arm again. AA enzugiri's him then does it as he is on top. AA 2nd rope hurricanrana's him. AA torture racks him but Zack puts him in a choke. AA superkicks him and poisonrana's him. AA hits a shotgun dropkick in the corner thne split-legged moonsaults him for 2.

AA springboards and is caught with an armbar. ZSJ then pulls both arms back with his legs and wins it.

I guess it was okay but I'm not the biggest ZSJ fan. He puts on a hold, then 5 more holds, there's few attempts to escape them then Zack either wins with a hold or doesn't.

NJPW Women's Strong Title - Willow Nightingale (c) vs Emi Sakura

They shoulder battle to start then Willow knocks her down. Willow hits machine gun chops then is eye raked on the apron. Emi crossbodies her, knocking her off the apron. Willow is hair thrown on the floor and Emi crossbodies her against the rails.

We go to a long break and return. Willow 2nd rope dropkicks her for 2. Emi crossbodies her against the buckles then does a corkscrew vader bomb for 2. Willow rolls through a sunset flip and splashes her. Emi lariats her then hits a sit out pedigree. Willow pedigrees her in the corner. Emi hits slaps then is lariated and doctor bombed. Willow then picks up the win.

It was stiff and really not that bad at all. I think it could have been a few minutes shorter though.

Mark Henry talked about the Lee Moriarty vs Katsuyori Shibata match tonight then we saw clips of both.

ROH Pure Title - Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs Lee Moriarty

They wrestle on the mat and Lee uses a ropebreak early. Lee footchokes him and dropkicks him in the knee. We go to PiP break  with Shibata having Lee in a figure four. We return and Lee uses his 2nd ropebreak. Shibata forearms him down in the corner then then is underhook suplexed for 2.

Shibata knees him in the gut then forearm flurries him in the corner again. Shibata dropkicks him against the buckles then underhook suplexes him for 2. Shibata crossfaces him then slaps and sleepers him. Shibata then running PK's him and wins it.

I'm not a Shibata fan in 2023. I get that he can't do a lot of things and while I feel sympathetic for him, this is wrestling. I have to rate and review matches based on the matches. He used to be all about giving and taking stiff shots and now he can't really do that anymore. And what we are left with is just not real interesting stuff.

Daniel Garcia comes out to stare down Shibata after and that's about as anti-dimes as it gets.

Overall thoughts: This was a poorly put together show. None of the matches had any build or story to them. It was just meaningless title matches for the sake of meaningless title matches. These matches and stuff won't really be followed up on and it was mostly a waste of time. The women's match was fine and the Zack/Andretti match I guess was okay.