AEW Rampage live results: Malakai Black vs. Christopher Daniels
Malakai Black wrestles a rare singles match on tonight’s AEW Rampage.
In just his second singles match in AEW since 2022, the leader of the House of Black faction faces Christopher Daniels on this week’s Rampage episode after Daniels issued a challenge to Black on last week’s Collision show.
A Final Four elimination match will also take place on tonight’s program, with Daniel Garcia vs. Action Andretti vs. Bryan Keith vs. Komander.
In the women’s division, Serena Deeb will go one-on-one with Trish Adora on tonight’s episode.
In an International title eliminator match, Roderick Strong will face London Lightning in a bout where Lightning will earn a title shot if he beats Strong, the International Champion.
Tonight’s Rampage episode was taped last Saturday in London, Ontario, Canada at the Budweiser Gardens, and goes head-to-head with the ROH Supercard of Honor event streaming on Honor Club. Spoilers for Rampage are available here.
**********
Taped in London, Ontario.
Tony Schiavone, Ian Riccaboni and Nigel McGuinness were on commentary. Ian and Nigel are doing their best impersonation of Rick Rude by being in two places at once tonight (they were also doing commentary for the ROH show).
Malakai Black (w/ Buddy Matthews) defeated Christopher Daniels (8:11)
Daniels went down hard after a knee, slumping over in the corner. Another kick sent Daniels to the floor, where he was attacked by Buddy Matthews. Black floored Daniels with a back elbow for a near fall. A sliding kick from Matthews while the ref was distracted got Black another near fall. This match should already be over and it’s heading into a commercial break.
After the break, Daniels made a comeback against both Matthews and Black, sending Matthews into the ring post on the floor then hitting Black with a flatliner in the ring. A release German suplex and a high angle death valley driver lead to a near fall. Black escaped the Angles Wings, then caught Daniels with a kick to the back of the head for a near fall that should have been the finish. Daniels got a pair of near falls off of cradles, then walked into the Black Mass. That was it for Daniels.
Feels like they’re mailing in the show when it starts with Christopher Daniels.
Roderick Strong (w/ Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) defeated London Lightning in an AEW International Championship Eliminator Match (5:34)
Strong interviewed Lightning before the match, who is from London, Ontario. London’s mom is rooting her son on at home from the couch. Not in the arena? It’s not like the show was sold out.
The crowd actually got behind Lightning, who caught Strong with a high knee. Strong came back with a high backdrop suplex. Lightning kicked out after a backbreaker, which the crowd reacted to. The crowd rallied behind Lightning, but Strong cut off his comeback and locked in a surfboard. Lightning caught Strong with a couple of cradles for near falls. Lightning hit a suplex and popped the crowd. Lightning took out Taven with a plancha, but Wardlow came out of nowhere and floored Lightning with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Strong locked in a Texas Cloverleaf for the submission.
Now someone should bring back the figure four leglock as a finisher.
– Legit Leyla Hirsch challenged Julia Hart to an Open House match for the TBS Championship on Rampage next week.
Serena Deeb defeated Trish Adora (8:55 aired)
Deeb used the Paradise Lock on Adora, which was the highlight of the night. Crowd didn’t react much to it, which is a shame. Adora picked up Deeb for a slam but dropped Deeb on her knee in a ugly looking bump.
After a split-screen break, Deeb caught Adora with a hangman’s neckbreaker while she was in the ropes, effectively giving her a back breaker against the middle rope. Deeb ran into a boot, but caught Adora with a dragon screw leg whip. The crowd was so quiet the only thing you could hear was Deeb and Adora screaming, which was unnerving.
Adora caught Deeb with a full nelson bomb for a near fall. Deeb and Adora exchanged blows until Deeb dropped Adora with a German suplex. Deeb locked in the Serenity Lock to get the submission. This felt like the second hour of the Ring of Honor taping after Collision.
– Julia Hart accepted Leyla Hirsch’s challenge for next week.
– Saraya, Harely Cameron and Zak Knight continued their weird angle that’s been going on on Rampage for what feels like years by chasing Alex Marvez away during an interview. I think they’re finally getting to the match between Knight and Angelo Parker next week.
Daniel Garcia defeated Komander, Bryan Keith and Action Andretti in a Final Four Elimination Match in 14:01.
During the match, it’s announced that despite losing in her match, Trish Adora will have a match with Yuki Sakazaki on Collision tomorrow night. If wins and losses matter, why does it feel like the losers keep getting rewarded with more matches? This happened a lot with Bryan Keith and Queen Aminata earlier this year.
The match started with Garcia and Keith brawling on the floor while Komander and Andretti did cool flashy stuff in the ring.
Andretti jumped off top rope with a springboard and ran into a right hand from Garcia. Keith set up Komander for a headbutt. Komader countered a tiger driver with a rana into a cadle for a pinfall to eliminate Keith at 3:33.
The action picked during the split-screen break.
After the break, Andretti dropped Garcia with a death valley driver on the ring apron. Andretti followed up with an Arabian press on the floor. Komander took out Andretti with a boot, then hit an Asai moonsault on both his opponents.
Back in the ring, Komander jumped into a torture rack into a cutter from Andretti, and he got the pinfall at 8:35.
Andretti caught Garcia with a superkick, but Garcia came back by clipping Andretti in the knee. Garcia worked over Andretti’s knee. Adndretti caught Garcia with a small package for a near fall. Andretti kipped up but still sold the knee a bit. Andretti went for a standing shooting star press, but Garcia grabbed an ankle lock. After a few teases, Andretti escaped by sending Garcia to the floor. Andretti followed him out with a plancha.
Back in the ring, Andretti came off the top with a clothesline for a near fall. Andretti tried for the rack again, but Garcia escaped. Garcia and Andretti exchanged strikes. Garcia went for a piledriver, but Andretti backdropped out of it and caught Garcia with a falcon arrow for a near fall. Andretti tried to rack Garcia again, but Garcia escaped. Andretti tried a handspring off the ropes, but he jumped right into Garcia’s hands, and Garcia locked in a knee bar. Andretti had no choice but to tap out.
This felt like a pretty sad show up until the main event, which was pretty good. Probably not worth going out of your way to see with the million other hours of wrestling on this weekend.