AEW Rampage 8/4/2023

AEW Rampage 8/4/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/aew-rampage-7282023.html

The Hardy Boyz and Keith Lee vs Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade

Ethan Page and Brother Zay are out there with the faces

Kip Sabian got re-signed by AEW today for 3 years. Why? I have no idea. Kip shoulders Jeff over then Kip throws him out of the ring. Kip then does Jeff's dance. Hardy russian legsweeps Kip then leg drops his legs into a pin. Jeff jumps off of Matt's back into a splash on Kip then Matt slams Kip. Matt 2nd rope elbows Kip in the back of the head.

Blde gets in and hits shots on Matt. Matt back elbows him then hits a side effect for 2. Matt takes a double headbutt from Butch and Blade. Butch has his head banged off the buckles by Matt. Jeff kicks Butch and knocks his opponents off the apron. Butch knees Jeff and he goes over the top. Blade sends Jeff into the rails then Kip does a seated moonsault to Matt outside.

We go to PiP break and return. Kip sentons Jeff in the corner then Butch half-nelson backbreakers Jeff. Lee gets the tag in and runs over Blade with a shoulder. Kip jumps on Lee's back then Lee splashes Butch and Blade with Kip on him. Lee then throws Blade with Kip on him then throws Kip into Butch and Blade. Lee spinning powerslams Kip then Matt hits a twist of fate on Butch and Blade.

Kip springboards into a double chop from Lee. Lee then lifts him above his head with one arm and chokeslams him. Jeff hits a top rope swanton on Kip and gets the win.

It was a basic trios match and I thought it was decent. The heels bumped around and the faces got the hot tag leading to the win. It was a good use of the Hardy's as no one was exposed. 

The Kingdom talk about being friends with Cole since the original ROH. They said they were by Cole's side when he became ROH champ. Taven said Cole was there when he need them but asked where Cole was when they needed him. Taven said Cole is being typical and always forgetting about his real friends.

The Young Bucks talk in the back then The Hardy Boyz come in. The Bucks say they need to get back to the tag division. The Bucks thank them for having their backs. Matt said if they are re-entering the tag division, why don't they face them? One of the Bucks says it would be awesome to face the 2nd best brother tag team. They then agree to a match Wednesday and Jeff says, "video over Brandon".

We see clips of Paul Wight in London for AEW, so he's still around, though not doing anything with Elevation being cancelled.

Anna Jay vs  Skye Blue

Skye headlock takeovers her and they trade waistlocks. Anna goes out of the ring in frustration, gets Skye to go out then takes forearms form her when she re-enters. Skye cartwheels over her and shoulders her. Skye back kicks her while she' down then Skye's head is banged off the buckles. Anna spin kicks her off the apron.

We go to PiP break then full break and return. Anna has a double reverse armbar on her. Skye hits forearms then top rope crossbodies her. Skye step up knees her on the ropes then swing kicks her on the mat. Skye rolls up Anna then Anna side kicks her. Anna then hits a flatliner for 2.

Skye superkicks her then hits a weak skyfall. Angelo Parker gets on the apron while Menard distracts the ref. Parker wants a kiss and Skye decks him. Anna then puts a choke on Skye from behind and wins it.

It was not that good as expected.

Kris Statlander is interviewed while she's doing squats with Renee on her back. She says people like Mercedes Martinez get title shots for attacking her and it bothers her. She says MM better brush her teeth, put her pj's on and wash the tub because, "mama's coming home". This was just as weird as it sounds.

Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone are in the parking lot and say Pac is injured again.

Swerve Strickland and AR Fox vs Tyshaun Perz and Logan Cruz

AR is wearing the blood stained tank top that he dirtied from Nick Wayne.  

Swerve tells the smaller opponent to get in and then AR springboard dropkicks both. AR tope con hilos both opponents then Swerve hits a 2nd rope euro to Cruz's back. Perez takes a back elbow then AR lifts him into a Swerve powerbomb. AR iconoslams Cruz then rolls him into a cutter. Swerve rolls Cruz into a brainbuster. AR then 450's Cruz and wins it.

It was a short squash and there wasn't much else to say about it. Nana's dancing was entertaining though.

We go to QTV. Solo says he stole a dude's bag at the airport and has a ranger's hat that Harley takes. QT says they didn't win against The Acclaimed and says they looked like they just wrestled a deathmatch in Mexico and won (QT was at Triplemania in an ambulance match). QT asks who they should feud with and Solo says, The Factory. We then see footage of Johnny TV doing a sliding split backwards and he says he is issuing an open challenge to anyone who has been on TV. This was dumb.

Big Bill and Brian Cage do a promo with Prince Nana. Nana says the greatest tag team in the world faces the greatest tag team they never faced. Bill tells them to eat pizza and drink tequila then kiss the titles goodbye. He says they will embarrass them tomorrow. Cage says they are an embarrassment and calls them sloppy joes. Cage says they are too jacked and too swole and said they add the AEW Tag Team Champions to their list of nicknames tomorrow. Nana says the Mogul Embassy is rolling in money but tomorrow they roll in gold.

Trent and Chuck say the BCC is coming into their world in the parking lot fight. CC says they must have a death wish and says this will be an extinction level event.

Parking Lot Fight - Best Friends vs Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli)

Trent and Chuck did not come out in the mini van this time. They all fight to start and CC's head is banged off a car hood. Mox stabs Trent with something then CC has his head banged off a car side mirror. Trent is bleeding and being poked with a fork. CC hits Chuck with a side mirror as Mox hits kicks. Trent is backdropped on the car hood.

Trent climbs a car and crossbodies Mox off of it. CC pulls off a piece of a car and hits Chuck in the back with it. Trent sticks the fork in Mox's head then is hit with the car spoiler by CC. Mox is bleeding and CC takes a double flapjack into the backdoor of a van. Chuck hits Mox with the car spoiler then CC is hit with it too.

CC has a car hood slammed on him and Mox hits knees ot the gut on Chuck. Trent has a car hood slammed on him multiple times then Chuck is powerbombed onto the hood that Trent is under. CC gives Trent the big swing and Trent is swung into a trash can. Trent fights them 1v2 then Chuck hits both opponents with a street fight. CC is backdropped into the windshield of a car then Chuck stabs Mox with the fork.

Mox headbutts Chuck then suplexes him on a rail that is bridged on a car. We go to PiP break. CC bangs Trent's head on the car hood then Mox hits punches on Chuck as he stands on the car. Mox's back is pulled down on it. Chuck then has his head banged off the car hood. Mox figure fours Trent on the ground. CC puts Chuck in the back of a van and closes the door.

Mox is thrown into a garage door and CC bulldogs Chuck onto a hood .Trent leaps at CC and lariats him on the hood. Chuck piledrivers Mox on the hood of a car. CC hits euros on Chuck on top of a car. A rail is put on the car doors and Chuck jumps off the car rood and sentons him on it. Mox double arm ddt's Chuck on the car roof.  

Trent charges at Mox and lands hard into the side of the car.  CC gorilla press slams Trent on a car roof. Trent hits a beach break on the car roof on CC. Mox chokes Trent on the car roof. Mox is dropped with a forearm on the car roof and takes a hard bump. Mox forearms Trent and he slides down the car. Mox and Trent hockey fight on the car hood and Trent takes a double underhook suplex onto the windshield.

Chuck siphon's gas from a car. Chuck grabs a flaming barbed wire 2v4 and Wheeler Yuta walk in. Yuta tells Chuck to do it.  Mox then hits Chuck with the 2v4 and Yuta stabs Chuck with the screwdriver. Trent's mom drives in with the minivan with Orange Cassidy on top. OC dives off the top onto Mox and CC. OC is beat up 3v1. Yuta double underhook ddt's OC in front of Trent's mom on the mini van. CC tells Trent's mom to get out of the car. Trent is banged into the side of the car and CC pulls off the mini van door. Mox and Yuta break the windows on the mini van with a crowbar and Trent takes a curb stomp on the glass of the car door. Mox cubr stomps Trent onto the windshield then CC pins Trent to win it.

Mox hits the car with the crow bar and CC throws a rail at the windshield of it. Mox then stabs the tries with a screw driver.

I didn't like this. It's hard to take Trent and Chuck having any chance against the BCC. They did too much here with tons of bumps onto the cars and let's be real, just getting your head hit off of it should be enough to put you out.. The match was pretty dangerous as anyone could have fallen at anytime or landed wrong on a car and got hurt. They also had to get Trent's mom involved again just to throw some silliness into this.

Overall thoughts: The opener was the only thing I liked here. The parking lot brawl was dangerous and they did too much. Anna Jay vs Skye Blue was not impressive as expected and the only other match was a squash.