AEW Rampage live results: The First Dance

Preview by Josh Nason

AEW makes their debut at Chicago’s United Center Friday with an edition of Rampage that is expected to feature the promotional debut of CM Punk.

While not formally announced by the company nor verified anywhere that he has signed, AEW hasn’t done anything to dissuade fans from thinking that the former WWE star will be in the house in his home city for what AEW has coined “The First Dance.”

Like on last week’s debut show, this week’s Rampage will feature three matches. 

In the main event, Jon Moxley will take on Daniel Garcia. Garcia and 2.0 jumped Moxley and Eddie Kingston on Wednesday’s Dynamite. The trio called out Moxley, Kingston and Darby Allin several weeks ago and were on the losing end of a six-man tag team match.

Friday will also see the opener of the four team Tag Team title eliminator tournament as Jurassic Express will face Private Party. The winners will face the winner of Wednesday’s match between the Lucha Brothers and the Varsity Blonds.

The undefeated Jade Cargill will make her Rampage debut against Kiera Hogan who is looking for her first AEW win in her third outing.

**********

Jim Ross, Excalibur, Mark Henry and Taz were the hosted as Chris Jericho was absent and “reflecting on his loss to MJF on Wednesday.”

The crowd was announced at 15,316 people and as soon as the show opened, the crowd was chanting for CM Punk.

CM Punk debuts

After a seven year absence, “Cult of Personality” blared throughout the arena and CM Punk made his return to national televised wrestling.

He stood on the ramp and slowly worked his way down to the ring, soaking in the cheers and chants from the crowd. He even did a dive into the crowd at one point on his way to the ring, hugging several folks and fans at ringside (I believe I recognized one woman as his sister from her appearances in WWE back in 2012). 

After Punk got a mic, they took a commercial break before he spoke to the crowd.

Back from break, Punk was back in the ring still listening to the fans chant his name, visibly moved by the crowd’s reaction. “You guys really know how to make a kid feel like Britt Baker in Pittsburgh.”  Punk did not plan what he was going to say for tonight and just knew he had to get out in front of the crowd and feel it. The crowd continued to chant his name and Punk said he heard the crowd chant his name for seven years. 

Punk doesn’t have the time to get into everything tonight, but he’s got every Wednesday, Friday and four Saturdays or Sundays a year, and he’s not going anywhere. Punk explained basically that he had to leave for seven years because he was never going to get physically or emotionally healthy if he stayed in the place he was. Punk asks the crowd if he can tell them a story and then sat cross-legged like he did the night of the famous “Pipe Bomb” promo. 

Punk told the story of how he left Ring of Honor in 2005 and how he cried because he was leaving a place that he loved that people could learn how to wrestle and how to love wrestling. And he knew the place where he was going wasn’t going to be easy for “a guy like him.”  Punk said that he left professional wrestling on August 13, 2005, and now tonight, he’s back in professional wrestling. And Punk is back to work with the young talent that he wanted to be surrounded by 10 years ago and he’s back to settle some scores in the locker room as well. 

At this point, Punk called out Darby Allin and the camera found he and Sting standing in the rafters. Punk praised Allin, calling him as tough as the people of Chicago. Punk told Allin there’s only one thing tougher than fighting CM Punk, and that’s fighting CM Punk in Chicago. Punk challenged Allin for a match at All Out in Chicago. 

Punk ended the promo telling the fans that seven years is a long time to wait for someone and to grab a free ice cream bar on him as they leave the building.

This was an excellent, amazing, A+ promo from Punk that took up about 20 minutes of the show. A recap just doesn’t do it justice. Make sure you find and watch this. 

In the back, Christian Cage tried to motivate Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy before the tag tournament match, which is up next.

Tag Team Eliminator tournament semifinal: Jurassic Express (w/ Marko Stunt) defeated Private Party (w/ Matt Hardy) to advance (10:10) 

The Young Bucks and their lackey Brandon Cutler came out on the stage to watch and both the Lucha Brothers and Varsity Blonds were watching from the crowd. 

Isiah Kassidy and Jungle Boy started out and had a great opening exchange that ended in a double kip-up. Marq Quen came in and ate a dropkick from Jungle Boy. The heels were able to draw Luchasaurus into the ring and this drew the ref away from the action, allowing Hardy and Private Party to triple team JB and get the advantage. The match went to a picture-in-picture commercial. While in commercial, Private Party double-teamed Jungle Boy on the floor. 

After Jungle Boy took a beating throughout the break, he hit one member of Private Party with a big dropkick and another with a hard clothesline and finally got the tag to Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus destroyed both members of Private Party with power moves. Jurassic Express tried to go for a stacker superplex on Kassidy, but he was able to turn it into an insane Canadian Destroyer on Jungle Boy off of Luchasarus’s shoulders for a two count. Quen followed that up with a shooting star press on Luchasaurus on the floor. 

Back in the ring, Private Party went for Silly String, but Jurassic Express countered that into a cutter for a near fall. Matt Hardy tried to distract the ref and Kassidy almost got a pin with a roll up on Jungle Boy. Private Party went for Gin and Juice, but Jungle Boy countered that with a spinning DDT. Jurassic Express hit the double-team powerbomb on Quen for the three count in a great match 

In the back, Don Callis and Kenny Omega cut a quick promo where Omega promised to retire Christian for another seven years at All Out. 

Jade Cargill (w/ Mark Sterling) defeated Kiera Hogan (1:02)

A video package previewed both competitors before the match which lasted longer than the match. 

Jade is 9-0 and Hogan was acknowledged as a two-time Impact Knockouts tag team champion in her cyron. Hogan got in a bit of offense before Cargill hit her with a pump kick. The double chicken wing into a face-first slam got Cargill the win. 

— After a recap of Punk’s big return from earlier tonight, CM Punk’s first Dynamite appearance was confirmed for this Wednesday. Also confirmed for Friday’s Rampage is the finals of the tag team tournament to get the shot at the Young Bucks at All Out. 

— Mark Henry moderated dueling promos between Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia with 2point0. Garcia said to be a star, he has to beat Moxley tonight. Moxley promised to commit something that looks like assault against Garcia. 

Jon Moxley (w/ Eddie Kingston) defeated Daniel Garcia (w/ 2point0) (4:04) 

Moxley started with a strong backdrop suplex and stiff kicks. Garcia countered by attacking Moxley’s legs. Moxley countered Garcia’s attack on his legs with a cross armbreaker. Garcia came back with hammer fists, but walked into a boot and a pair of german suplexes. Moxley went for a third german suplex, but Garcia countered into an ankle lock and Moxley had get to the ropes to force the break. Moxley came back with a solid clothesline, forearms and headbutts.

Moxley went for a paradigm shift, but Garcia countered into a scorpion deathlock. But Garcia leaned back too far and Moxley countered by grabbing the bulldog choke for the submission. 

After the match, 2point0 and Garcia attacked Moxley and Kingston. Sting and Darby Allin ran in to even the odds. The members of 2point0 got a stinger splash from Sting and then Allin hit them both with the coffin drop. Moxley, Kingston, Sting and Allin stood tall in the ring to end the show. 

Final Thoughts:

The CM Punk promo was the one reason everyone was watching tonight which more than delivered. The tag team match was great as well.