AEW Rampage live results: The Hardys & Mark Briscoe in trios action

The Hardys & Mark Briscoe will team up in trios action on tonight’s AEW Rampage. 

Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, & Briscoe will take on The Butcher, The Blade, & Kip Sabian in a six-man tag team match. 

An ROH Pure Championship defense is also scheduled for the show, as Wheeler Yuta defends against Komander. Yuta defended his title on last week’s Rampage against Matt Sydal, but lost at Saturday’s Worlds End Zero Hour show in an FTW title match against Hook.

Two women’s division contests are also set for Rampage. 

In singles competition, Hikaru Shida will take on Anna Jay. 

In a tag team match, Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale will face off against two enhancement talents. Nightingale handed Statlander her first loss in a singles match since May 2022 on last Saturday’s Worlds End Zero Hour pay-per-view pre-show.

Tonight’s episode was taped Wednesday, January 3 in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center. Spoilers from the show are available here.

It’s AEW Rampage – Taped in Newark, New Jersey. 

Ian Riccaboni, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur were on commentary.

Mark Briscoe & The Hardys (Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy) defeated Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (11:14)

Riccaboni actually remembered that months ago, Sabian was running down Phiadelphia sports team on Rampage, and used that as backstory for this match. 

Sabian was soon in trouble, suffering a double suplex from the Hardys. Sabian raked Jeff Hardy’s eyes and got the tag to the Blade. Tony Schiavone said the Hardys “haven’t lost a step,” which might be his biggest exaggeration since he described some of those 2000s Nitros as “the greatest night in the history of our sport.”

Matt Hardy hit a middle rope splash on the Butcher (that spot used to be a legdrop), but Butcher came back with a clothesline. Matt got worked over by the heel trio in their corner. Matt came back with an inverted neckbreaker and got the tag to Mark Briscoe, who hit some “redneck kung fu” on his opponents. Briscoe cleared the ring with a middle rope dropkick, then dove through the ropes to hit a dropkick on the Blade. Butcher caught Briscoe with kind of F-5 on the ring apron, and Sabian followed up with an Arabian press on Briscoe. Briscoe got triple teamed in the heel corner, and Butcher with an inverted backbreaker for a near fall. 

The heels worked over Briscoe through the split-screen break. Briscoe exchanged “Boo! Yay!” punches (when the crowd boos the heel punches and cheers the babyface punches) with The Blade, then caught him with a neckbreaker. Jeff Hardy got the hot tag and Sabian bumped off some elbow for him. Jeff hit a middle rope splash for a near fall. The Hardys stacked Butcher and Blade in the corner, then Jeff whiffed on Poetry in Motion in the corner.

The heels got the advantage on Matt and held him open for a springboard dropkick, but Jeff broke that up and Sabian dropkicked his partners out of the ring instead. Sabian suffered a Twist of Fate from Matt, a Swanjob from Jeff and a Froggie Bow from Briscoe, and Mark Briscoe got the pinfall.

– Renee Paquette interviewed Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho. Guevara cut a promo about his singles match with Ricky Starks on Dynamite Wednesday. Jericho warned Big Bill to stay away, or else he will gonna knock Bill’s teeth out “and Uncle Joe is gonna cry!” 

Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale defeated Notorious Mimi and Kenedi Hardcastle (2:33)

Stokley Hathaway did the ring introductions for this match. He put over Statlander huge, barely acknowledged Nightingale, and didn’t even know who Mimi and Hardcastle were.

Statlander and Nightingale took turns slamming Mimi, then Nightingale hit a senton. Hardcastle and Mimi actually got a bit of an advantage on Nightingale, until she reversed a double suplex. Stalander hit a double clothesline, power slammed Hardcastle and dropped Mimi onto Copeland. Nightingale got the pinfall after a spinebuster on Mimi. 

– Renee Paquette interviewed the Hardy Boys. Jeff said they need to get on Dynamite “and bring up those ratings.” Private Party interrupted, and the Matt congratulated them for striking out on their own. Matt Hardy subtly credit for the newfound confidence of Private Party, then condescendingly gifted Private Party “ring worn Hardy Boys t-shirts.” This felt like the start of a heel turn for the Hardys. 

Hikaru Shida defeated Anna Jay (7:56 aired)

There is a long-term story being told with Shida and Jay. They first wrestled on the early pandemic tapings from QT Marshall’s gym, Jay’s first match in the company. Each time Jay has wrestled Shida, she is getting closer to victory. In this match, Jay flat out dominated in the early goings and through a commercial break. After the break, Jay continued to dominate. Shida caught Jay with a lariat and the Falcon Arrow. But Jay countered the pin attempt into a cradle for a very close near fall (the crowd actually thought Jay won and kind of turned on Shida a bit). Jay went for the Queen Slayer, but Shida escaped and hit a sliding knee for a near fall. Shida came of the top with a meteora, and hit a spinning kick to get the pinfall. This was a great effort of Jay and a fantastic story. After the match, Shida was bleeding from the mouth. 

– Apparently, Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal are no longer getting along. Sonjay Dutt tried to mediate the dispute, and this did not go well. Jarrett called Lethal a loser. Lethal said Jarrett wouldn’t win any matches without his help. Jarrett said he was a “12 time world champion.”  Bottom line, it looks like Jay Lethal is going babyface. 

Wheeler Yuta vs. Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) for the ROH Pure Championship

Jimmy Jacobs, Pat Buck and Christopher Daniels were the judges for this match.

This is the Pure Champion Yuta’s 3rd title defense. There is a running clock on the screen for the match, which they should be doing for every match to enhance the “sports based” presentation they’re going for.

Barely a minute into the match, Komander had to use a rope break to get out of an armbar. Komader came back with some clever matwork of his own, transitioning from a Lag Magistral cradle into a half crab. Yuta had to break the hold with his own first rope break. Komander sent Yuta to the floor with a rana. Komader went for a plancha, and Yuta cut him off on the dive with a fist that maybe caught Komader in the face (which is illegal under “Pure Rules”) .

After a split-screen break, Yuta is stretching Komader, who had to use one of his rope breaks during the break. Komader came back with a springboard dropkick, but was selling his injured left shoulder. Komader hit a spinning DDT but a weak cover only got him a near fall.

Komader went for a splash, but Yuta avoided it and caught Komader with an angle slam. Yuta got a hammerlock on Komader, and he had to use his third rope break. Komader caught Yuta with a cradle out of a rana for a near fall. Komader hit a back heel kick, but Yuta came back with a boot. A german suplex from Yuta got a near fall. Yuta went for the seatbelt, but Komader countered with a sunset flip for a near fall. Yuta rolled out and into the hammerlock again. Komader went to the ropes, but since Komader’s rope breaks were exhausted, Yuta did not have to release the hold. Unable to escape, Komader tapped out. Very good bout, and I liked that the “Pure Rules” played into the finish of the match.