AEW Rampage live results: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Komander ROH title match

Claudio Castagnoli will defend the Ring of Honor World title against Komander on tonight’s AEW Rampage from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Castagnoli will be looking for his sixth successful title defense while this is Komander’s first opportunity at a Ring of Honor title.

Past TBS title challenger Taya Valkyrie will look to get things back on track as she faces former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida for the first time ever.

Johnny TV (John Hennigan) will make his return to AEW TV for the first time since last June when he teams with QT Marshall against Matt Hardy and Brother Zay.

Native son Shawn Spears will attempt to pick up a win in front of his countrymen when he goes one-on-one with The Blade. This is his first televised match in AEW since April.

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Taped in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. .

Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were on commentary. The rare two-man commentary team from AEW. 

Claudio Castagnoli defeated Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes) via ref stoppage to retain the ROH World Championship (13:43)

Castagnoli tossed Komander like nothing to start. Komader countered a suplex attempt by sliding behind Castagnoli and then up his shoulders, but Castagnoli just dumped him to the mat hard for a near fall. Castagnoli gave Komader a giant swing and went for the Ricola Bomb, but Komader escaped and sent Castagnoli to the floor.

Komader came off the ropes with a moonsault that he turned into an arm drag on the floor. Castagnoli responded by booting Komader into the crowd. Castagnoli tried to press Komader into the ring through the ropes, but he wound up throwing him into the ropes instead. Castagnoli hit a DDT for a near fall.

After a split-screen break, Castagnoli dropped a leg for a near fall. Claudio set up a super-powerbomb, but Komander countered with a hurricanrana. Komander sent Castagnoli to the floor with a tijeras after about seven rotations. Komarder followed him out with a twisting moonsault. Castagnoli went for a boot against the ring barricade, but Komader ducked and Castagnoli got hung up on the barricade. Komader then hit a shooting star press off the ring barricade onto Castagnoli in an impressive spot.

Back in the ring, Komader came off the top with a twisting rana for a near fall. Claudio came back and leveled Komader with a forearm for a near fall. A short-arm clothesline got another near fall. Castagnoli missed an uppercut in the corner and Komader sprung off of Catagnoli’s shoulders, onto the top rope, and then into a spinning DDT on Claudio for a near fall. Komader tied up Claudio with a La Magistral’s cradle for a near fall. Komader then hit a double jump phoenix splash for a near fall.

Komader walked the ropes for a shooting star press, but Claudio got out of the way. Komader leapt off the top for a moonsault, but Castagnoli floored him with an uppercut. This knocked Komader out, and the ref stopped the match. Excellent bout that will sadly be forgotten about by the end of the weekend. 

“The Perfect 10” Shawn Spears defeated The Blade (w/ the Butcher) (4:00)

Spears is leaning into the Perfect 10 gimmick again, which makes sense because that was the most he was ever over. Spears dominated the match on the floor until the Butcher grabbed him from behind and gave him a clothesline. Back in the ring, Blade gave Spears a face-first suplex. Balade squandered his advantage and Spears came back with a Thesz Press and 10 punches. Spears finished off The Blade with a C-4 to get the pinfall. This was fun. 

QT Marshall & Johnny TV (w/ Harley Cameron) defeated Matt Hardy and Brother Zay (w/ Ethan Page) (10:12 aired)

Harley sang the entrance music for the QTV crew. I thought she might have been deliberately bad in that segment last week to make sure Bowens got a pop… but she might just be that terrible. Johnny TV, of course, is John Hennigan (Johnny Nitro/John Morrison).

Johnny hit a nice spot where he gave Hardy a fallaway slam, then sprung up to his feet for a standing shooting star press… but missed the shooting star press. Brother Zay allowed himself to be distracted by Cameron, and Johnny TV hit him with a dive onto the floor. The QTV crew stopped for a mid-match selfie and the show went to a split-screen break.

After the break, Brother Zay caught Johnny TV with a gamingiri, then took out Page with a rana and got the hot tag to Hardy. Hardy sent Johnny TV headfirst into the turnbuckles and gave Marshall the side effect. Hardy caught Johnny TV with a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Johnny TV blocked a Twist of Fate attempt, so Hardy gave him a DDT instead for a near fall. Marshall caught Hardy with a pop-up uppercut, and TV came off the ropes with a gamingiri for a near fall.

Johny TV missed an awful dive off the top. Brother Zay launched off of Matt Hardy’s back onto Johnny TV and Marshall on the floor. Back in the ring, Brother Zay got distracted by Harley Cameron, and Marshall crotched Zay on the ropes. Johnny TV hit the move formerly known as Starship Pain and got the pinfall.

After the match, Ethan Page tried to help Hardy back to his feet and was attacked by Johnny TV and Marshall. Page standing up for Hardy got a face pop from the crowd (he is Canadian), and Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn ran in to chase off the QTV crew. 

– New for Dynamite Wednesday: We will hear from Jon Moxley, and MJF and Adam Cole will be in action as part of the Blind Eliminator Tournament. Wheeler Yuta also promised to “end” Kenny Omega on Dynamite.

Hikaru Shida defeated Taya Valkyrie (10:26 aired)

Shida sent Valkyrie to the floor with a step up rana. Back in the ring, Valkyrie slowed Shida down with a forearm, and wrapped her legs around the ringpost, injuring Shida’s knee as the show went to its last split-screen break.

After the break, Valkyrie fought her way out of a suplex and hit Shdia with a forearm. Shida came back with a series of forearms and a jumping knee for a near fall. Shida climb the ropes, but Valkyrie knocked her to the floor. On the floor, Shida gave Valkyrie a suplex, then came off the apron with a meteora. This aggravated Shida’s injured knees.

Back in the ring, Shida hit a running elbow strike for a near fall. Valkyrie blocked a spinning kick, then tossed Shida into the turnbuckles knee first. Valkyrie tried to tie up Shida’s legs, but it was almost like she didn’t know what to do with Shida. Finally, Valkyrie went for the Road to Valhalla, but Shdia countered that with a rollup to get the pinfall. 

Final Thoughts: 

The ROH title match is worth going out of your way to see.