AEW Rampage live results: New Year’s Smash
The ROH Pure Championship will be defended on tonight’s AEW Rampage New Year’s Smash episode.
Wheeler Yuta will defend the Pure title against Matt Sydal on the show. Yuta will challenge Hook for the FTW Championship in an FTW rules match on the pre-show at Saturday’s Worlds End pay-per-view.
A trios match is also set for tonight’s show, as AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy teams with Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero against Action Andretti & Top Flight’s Darius Martin & Dante Martin.
In a women’s division contest, Ruby Soho will have Saraya & Harley Cameron in her corner as she takes on Marina Shafir with Nyla Rose in Shafir’s corner.
Prior to teaming with Sammy Guevara, Sting, & Darby Allin against Big Bill, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, & Kyle Fletcher at Worlds End, we will hear from Chris Jericho on tonight’s show.
Rampage New Year’s Smash was taped Wednesday night in Orlando, Florida.
It’s AEW Rampage – New Year’s Smash. Taped in Orlando, Florida.
Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were on commentary, while Chris Jericho headed to the ring for an interview.
Jericho talked up his eight man tag match at World’s End tomorrow night (the first time Sting and Jericho will team up), and called Sammy Guevara out to iron out their differences. Guevara came out, and Jericho asked why Guevara turned on him after their match at Grand Slam last September. Guevara blamed Jericho for his lack of success, but looked inward and realized he was holding himself back. Guevara apologized, and Jericho apologized for being controlling and maybe pushing him in the wrong direction. Don Callis takes advantage of “young guys” with confidence issues, but Jericho believes in Guevara. Jericho asked Guevara to reunite “Le Sex Gods” (and cash in Jericho’s guaranteed tag title match), and of course Guevara agreed with a hug. What a heartwarming holiday opening to the show. Strike the Le Sex Gods pose guys!
– Rene Paquette interviewed Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard, who promised to get back at the House of Black for the beatdown on Collision last Saturday. I don’t like their odds.
Ruby Soho (w/Saraya & Harley Cameron) defeated Marina Shafir (w/Nyla Rose) (5:11)
Shafir threw her dirty socks into the crowd. Ew.
Shafir got a near fall after a sliding dropkick. A fight broke out between all the women on the floor, which ended with Cameron on her back and Rose chasing Saraya through the crowd. Soho hit the No Future for a near fall. Soho missed a double stomp off the top and Shafir hit some kind of sloppy looking suplex or throw. Cameron distracted Shafir from the ring apron, and Soho rolled up Shafir for the pinfall.
– The Don Callis Family, Big Bill and Ricky Starks cut a promo on their opponents in the 8-man tag tomorrow night. Uncle Joe will be there to see Big Bill get the victory!
– Rene Paquette interviewed Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander at Willow’s request to clear the air between them. Willow wants to team with Statlander at World’s End, but Stokley Hathaway returns to stir up trouble between them (again) and suggests a match between Statlander and Nightingale for World’s End. Nightingale was unsure about it but Statlander was more than happy to except.
Wheeler Yuta defeated. Matt Sydal to retain the ROH Pure Championship (9:36 official time)
Both men exchanged crucifix attempts for near falls early. Yuta caught Sydal with a chop, and Sydal came back with a hard kick. Sydal hit a mariposa on Yuta for a near fall. Yuta dropped Sydal with a backdrop suplex.
After a long commercial, Sydal hit a spinning leg lariat. Sydal hit a series of high kicks and an Air Raid Crash for a near fall. Yuta hit a german suplex with a bridge for a near fall. Yuta hit a variation of the Angle slam for a near fall, then locked in a chickenwing/crossface combo. Sydal had to use a rope break to escape the hold. Yuta got away with a closed fist. Sydal caught Yuta with a casadora for a near fall. Sydal escaped a seatbelt attempt, but Yuta battered him with the hammer and anvil elbows. Yuta then locked in the seatbelt to get the pinfall.
After the match, self-proclaimed ROH Legend Danhausen (2019-2021, you can google it) came out, declared himself the fourth judge and disqualified Wheeler Yuta. Yuta nailed Danhausen and beat him with the elbows until Hook came out to chase Yuta away.
– A recap of the Samoa Joe and The Devil screwing MJF out of the ROH Tag Team Titles from Dynamite Wednesday.
Action Andretti & Top Flight (Darius Martin & Dante Martin) defeated Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta (12:40)
Dante hit a springboard senton on Beretta, then used his brother as a springboard for a tornado DDT on Romero. Then Top Flight and Andretti hit a triple dive on the floor on the Best Friends team.
After a split-screen break, Andretti caught Romero with a pop-up enziguri, a gamingiri and a springboard clothesline. Beretta and Dante got tags. Darius got the tag and a near fall after a flatliner. Cassidy hit Darius with a Stundog Millionaire, but Andretti hit a shotgun dropkick on Cassidy that sent him into a german suplex from Dante. Andretti hit a springboard 450 on Beretta, but Cassidy and Romero broke up the pin attempt.
Cassidy and Dante were the legal men, and Cassidy ate a thrust kick. Romero came in a hit an enziguri on Dante. Darius came in with a kick on Romero, and Beretta hit a backdrop driver on Darius. Andretti hit the arabian press on Beretta on the floor. Back in the ring, Andretti caught Romero climbing the ropes with a kick. Andretti went to the top but Beretta followed him and german suplexed Andretti off the top rope.
Beretta went for the Strong Zero, but Darius superkicked him and Dante turned it into a Code Red. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch on Darius, and Dante rolled up Cassidy for a near fall. Cassidy went for the Orange Punch on Dante, but Dante blocked it with a double knee strike. Romeo came off the top on Dante, but Dante countered it into a spinning enziguri and got the pinfall. A good match, but the not at the level of the main event the last few weeks.