AEW Rampage live results: Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin
For the first time ever, former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will face Dante Martin.
The two competed against each other in a tag team match last month, but Martin is looking to prove himself and is tired of being labeled as someone that has potential.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill will defend her title against Willow Nightingale as the champion looks to remain undefeated in her young career.
In a grudge match, Darby Allin will battle Bobby Fish of reDRagon as he attempts to avenge Sting’s ankle injury suffered at the hands of Fish and Kyle O’Reilly.
In trios action, Gunn Club & Max Caster will team up against Bear Country & Leon Ruffin in the former WWE NXT wrestler’s AEW TV debut.
After Swerve Strickland eliminated Keith Lee in last week’s Casino Battle Royale, the tag team partners will discuss what happened and where they go from here.
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Taped from St. Louis, Missouri.
Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho (he’s a wizard) were on commentary along with special guest Lord William Regal for the opening match.
Jon Moxley defeated Dante Martin (11:58)
Jericho immediately trashed Blackpool and said anyone from Blackpool is “a stupid idiot.” Regal is vexxed Jericho isn’t bald and called Jericho a name that shouldn’t be googled.
Moxley and Martin engage in a test of strength, which Moxley transitioned into an arm bar and then a side headlock. Martin escaped but got taken down with a shoulderblock and Moxley went back to the side headlock. Martin escaped and countered a hiptoss attempt with a headscissors. Martin hit a shotgun dropkick that sent Moxley to the floor.
Moxley and Martin exchanged chops, which proved to be a mistake for Martin. Moxley whipped Martin hard into the turnbuckles, then hit a side backbreaker as the show went to a split-screen break.
After the split-screen break, Moxley locked Martin in a Texas cloverleaf. Moxley turned that into a variation of the Regal stretch, then buried knees into Martin’s head for a near fall. Martin caught Moxley with a forward flipping hurricanrana off the ropes. Moxley used a butterfly superplex on Martin for a near fall.
Martin ducked a sliding lariat, caught Moxley with a gamengiri that sent Moxley to the floor, and then came off the top with a springboard plancha. Back in the ring, Martin hit a top rope crossbody for a near fall. Martin went for the Nose Dive, but Moxley avoided it and caught Martin with a choke. Martin escaped by climbing the ropes. Moxley followed Martin up the ropes and Martin caught Moxley with a avalanche Sliced Bread for a near fall.
Martin and Moxley exchanged strikes and kicks until Moxley hit a cutter out of nowhere. Martin got a near fall off a sunset flip but Moxley came back with a lariat. Moxley battered Martin with the hammer and anvil elbows, then locked in a stretch with a hammerlock on the mat and Martin had to tap out.
When Regal leaves commentary, he makes another joke at Jericho’s expense that he will eventually see Jericho bald.
– Tony Schiavone interviewed Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee. Strickland argued that the battle royal was singles competition (and Lee would have put Strickland out when given the chance anyway), but still wants to be a tag team. Lee goes to leave but they’re interrupted by Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks.
– Dueling promos from House of Black and Death Triangle. Penta and Malakai Black have a match on Wednesday for the All Atlantic four way.
Max Caster & The Gunn Club (w/ Anthony Bowens & Billy Gunn) defeated Leon Ruff & Bear Country (1:15)
Max Caster had something to say, but somebody made him sign an NDA. This was his best rap out in a while. Ruff is formerly of NXT and this was pretty much a squash. Quick draw from Austin Gunn and a top rope elbow from Caster took care of Ruff and Caster got the easy pin.
– Lexi Nair interviewed Hook. Hook will face a New Japan “top prospect” on Rampage next Friday. “Does anything excite Hook?” Danhausen interrupts, but Hook tells him “I’ve got this.” HOOK SPEAKS!
Jade Cargill (w/ Keira Hogan & Stokley Hathaway) defeated Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship (4:56 aired)
Hathaway joined the commentary team just in time to hear Jericho crown Cargill his “Sports Entertainer of the Week.”
Nightingale went for the pounce, but Cargill avoided the move and hit Nightingale with a pump kick. That usually leads right to the finish, but Nightingale went to the floor.
After a long split-screen segment and a commercial, Nightingale hit a Cargill with a cannon ball in the corner. Cargill came back, hit a pedigree and then the Jadad Slam for the pinfall. Most of this match took place in the split-screen window.
After the match, Hogan laid in some boots on Nightingale. Athena came in from behind and took Hogan out with an Eclipse. But then Athena ate a pump kick from Cargill, making her look like a geek. Kris Statlander ran, caught Hathaway with a punch to the back of the head, and ran off Cargill.
Athena v. Cargill is looking increasingly like a speed bump on the way to Statlander v. Cargill.
– Hype video for Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal. They took a shot a Samoa Joe not being a fighting ROH Television champion. ROH doesn’t even have TV yet. Where is Joe supposed to defend it?
Excalibur ran down the upcoming shows:
Forbidden Door next Sunday (6/26):
- Jon Moxley v. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the Interim AEW Title
- MIRO v. PAC v. Malakai Black or Penta Oscuro v. New Japan’s Representative for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.
- Minoru Suzuki, Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara v. Eddie Kingston, Wheeler Yuta & Shota Umino
- Thunder Rosa v. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s Championship
- FTR v. Jeff Cobb & Great O’Khan v. Roppongi Vice, “Winner Takes All” for the ROH and IWGP Tag Team Championships (not the AAA belts though… oh right, politics)
- Will Ospreay v. Orange Cassidy for the IWGP US Title
Dynamite on Wednesday:
- Aussie Open & Will Ospreay v. Orange Cassidy & Roppongi Vice
- Malakai Black v. Penta Oscuro to qualify for the All-Atlantic Championship match.
- Chris Jericho & Lance Archer v. Jon Moxley and Hiroshi Tanahashi
Darby Allin defeated Bobby Fish (11:45)
O’Reilly stayed in the back for this match. Allin promised to break Fish’s leg in the pre-match promo.
Allin turned his back on Fish and he immediately attacked with a kick to Allin’s leg. A dragon screw leg whip sent Allin to the floor, where Fish sent him into the ring apron. There was an ugly collision on the floor where Allin caught Fish with a knee to the head but Allin landed awkwardly on the floor.
Back in the ring, Fish hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but missed a springboard moonsault. Allin hit Fish with a high speed tope on the floor. Fish attacked Allin’s leg again and worked him over with body shots. Another dragon screw leg whip sent Allin into the ring barricade.
Fish dominated during the split-screen break by working over Allin’s leg. Back from break, Allin hit Fish with a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin hit a Code Red for a near fall. Fish escaped to the floor where Allin hit him with a Coffin Drop off the top rope. Fish caught Allin with a spear through the ropes and they both tumbled to the floor.
Fish hit Allin with a knee to the midsection and threw Allin into the ring stairs. They fought on the apron, and Fish German suplexed Allin, sending him bouncing off the apron and crashing to the floor. Finally back in the ring, Fish hit a top rope Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Fish grabbed an ankle lock, but Allin countered with the Last Supper cradle and got the three count.
Fish attacked Allin after the bell and called out Kyle O’Reilly, who brought a chair. But before O’Reilly could get to the ring, the lights went out. When they came back on, It’s STIIIIIIING (really needed Schiavone for that, Excalibur’s call just wasn’t the same). Sting took O’Reilly out with a groin shot with his trusty bat. Allin pillmanized Fish’s leg with a coffin drop, and Sting wrenched Fish’s knee.
The babyfaces stood tall (well, Sting stood, Allin was still kind of slumped in the corner) while the heels were laid out to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
Moxley/Martin and Allin/Fish were great, the rest was just a show. Next week’s Dynamite is looking very good.