AEW Rampage 5/31/2024

AEW Rampage 5/31/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/aew-rampage-5242024.html

TNT Title Qualifier - Penta El Zero Miedo vs Konosuke Takeshita

Penta does his taunt in KT's face. KT shoulders him over. Penta armdrags KT and they stand off. KT flying clotheslines him then running facekicks him. Penta goes up and over and hits a backcracker. Penta is pulled off the apron then back body dropped onto it. KT mounts him and hits some shots.

KT snapmares him and kicks him in the back. Kt hits mounted punches and bites him. They trade chops for forearms. Penta superkicks him then KT forearms him down. KT facelocks him then brainbusters him. KT poses while choking Penta with his foot.

We go to PiP break and return. Penta is on the apron and headscissors him in. Penta hits sling blades then tope con hilos him outside. KT backrolls, headscissors him then hits a wheelbarrow german. Penta hits a made in Japan for 2.

KT hits a big lariat for 2. Penta canadian destroyers him on the apron. KT blue thunders him for 2. Kt is headscissored into the ropes and KT stunguns him. KT hits a big forearm and a pumping knee for the win.

Thoughts: It was a long opener and I hated it. It was just indy crap with canadian destroyers on the apron not even being enough to take down Takeshita.  

The Learning Tree are interviewed. Bryan Keith is with them. Jericho says he's sure the crowd missed him on commentary. He said he had an unprovoked attack from a young man whose brain isn't fully formed yet. He said The Learning Tree is too valuable to be left exposed at the desk like that. He said he's stepping down as the Rampage commentator. He said he will spend more time on Dynamite and Collision. He said he's stepping down a s#1 on TV but knows he is still #1 in our hearts.

Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett do a promo. Mike says Las Vegas sucked as they are down on their money and Strong lost his title. Taven complains about getting kicked out of ringside at DoN. Strong said he was supposed to be the 10th man in the casino gauntlet on Dynamite. He says he's mad and frustrated and wants to take it out on Lio Rush. He says he's coming for Swerve and Will after.

Satnam Singh vs Peter Avalon

Singh lets down and tells him to pin him. Singh then throws him up in the air when he's on him. Singh chokes him and throws him down against the mat. Singh bearhugs him and wins it in a quick squash.

Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony do a promo. Kaun says sometimes you scorch everything to the earth to start a new. Cage says to burn it all down to the ground and leave no man untested. Cage challenges any 3 men to come down and face them. Hechicero comes in. He talks in Spanish and says his group will be passion and magic. Toa then talks in Spanish and says we will see Saturday.

AEW Women's Title Eliminator Match - Toni Storm vs Viva Van

Viva takes her down with her leg. Viva goes for the armbar. Toni double chops her. Viva rolls out of a lariat and shimmy's then Toni hip attacks her. Toni hip attacks her off the apron.

We go to PiP break then full break. Viva hits chops, forearms and double chops on him. Toni does a wind up forearm on Viva and Viva stunners her over the middle rope. Viva slingshots in and spinning heel kicks her for 2.

Toni backcrackers her while she's on the 2nd rope and fisherman suplexes her. Viva upkicks her then hits knees to the face. Viva axe kicks her for 2. Toni dropkicks her then hits a corner hip attack. Toni then hits a storm zero piledriver and wins it.

Thoughts: It was one of those longer AEW matches with a jobber. Viva tries but she's really just not great at anything. She's not bad but there's just nothing that sticks out at the moment. The crowd treated Toni like a face here and she hammed it up almost to the point of comedy at times. 

 Saraya and Harley Cameron fake clap for Toni's win. They have trouble remembering Mariah May's name. Harley says it's pathetic how bad May wants to be Toni. Saraya said if May wants to be like Toni, she will beat the sh!t out of her. Harley says it won't be May next week and Saraya says it will be June.

Kyle O'Reilly vs Jordan Cruz

Kyle rushes him with a forearm then hits kicks to the chest. Kyle hits knees to the body then running knees him in the gut. Kyle chest kicks him down. Kyle armbreakers Cruz the hammerlocks him. Cruz knees him in the corner and is double legged. Kyle hits mounted punches and taps him out via armbar.

Thoughts: It was a quick squash with Kyle winning as expected.

Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie do a promo. Johnny said they came here to find the best wrestlers in the world and challenge him. He brings up Claudio Castagnoli and says he is issuing a challenge to him on Collision tomorrow. He tells him to let him know.

Rey Fenix vs Isaiah Kassidy

Zay wristlocks him and Rey ha toruble escaping it. Rey dropkicks him then Zay armdrags him. Zay spin kicks him. Zay springboard hurricanrana's him but Rey cartwheels out. They trade chops and forearms. Rey hits kicks then takes a poisonrana. Rey then germans him.

We go to PiP break and return. Rey spin kicks him and hits chops, then takes forearms. Zay boots him in the corner and misses a splash. They both get on the ropes and Rey hurricanrana's him when he's on the 2nd rope. Zay gets his feet caught on the ropes during the move.

Rey lifts him like a backdrop and gutbusters him. Zay springboard cutters him over the top rope. Zay tope con hilos him outside. Tay hits a ddt for 2. Zay hits mounted punches then Rey hits mounted punches. Zay canadian destroyers him for 2. Zay misses a top rope swanton. Rey ropewalk kicks him then springboard frogsplashes him for 2. Rey then wins with a nasty tiger driver '91 variation.

Thoughts: They did way too much as expected and didn't sell much. It was a high-flying, indy style match as expected.

Overall thoughts: We had 2 indy style matches, a longer women's match with a predictable outcome and a squash. I wasn't a fan of this one and wouldn't recommend it.