AEW Rampage live results: TNT title match, Ruby Soho vs. Riho
TNT Champion Scorpio Sky will defend the title against former SCU teammate Frankie Kazarian on this week’s early edition of AEW Dark.
Due the NHL playoffs, the show will air at 5:30 PM Eastern for the second straight week on TNT.
Sky recently reclaimed the gold from Sammy Guevara and honored a previous promise to Kazarian to give him the shot if he did just that. Kazarian has rung up an impressive winning streak on both Dark and Dark: Elevation.
In the second women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament quarterfinal, former AEW Women’s Champion Riho will take on Ruby Soho. Riho recently returned to AEW with a qualifying win over Yuka Sakazaki after recovering from a January shoulder injury.
Ahead of his impending cage match with Wardlow, Shawn Spears will prepare against another big man in Bear Boulder.
In trios action, Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix and Penta Oscuro) will reunite to take on AFO’s The Butcher, The Blade and Marq Quen.
Finally, TBS Champion Jade Cargill and The Baddies will be on the show with something to say.
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From AEW’s Bizarro Land, Long Island, New York. Excalibur, Taz and Chris Jericho are on commentary.
Death Triangle (w/ Alex Abrahantes) defeated The Butcher, The Blade and Marq Quen (w/ The Bunny) (10:22)
Penta and the Blade started the match out. Pac got the tag and wound up on the floor with Butcher, whipped around the ringside area. Jericho announced the Butcher and the Blade as his Sports Entertainers of the Week.
PAC came off the top rope with a shotgun dropkick. Butcher tagged in Quen and Fenix got the tag. Quen caught Fenix with a step up hurricanrana and, oh my god, what did Quen do to his face? He looked like he was 60. Fenix hit a tornio into an armdrag and a double stomp to Old Man Quen. The Butcher opened the ropes, causing Fenix to fly out of the ring, and the heels took control as the show went to a split screen break.
Blade has a front chancery locked in on Fenix. Quen came off the top with a 450 splash for a near fall that was broken up by PAC. Quen hit PAC and Penta on the floor with an assisted top rope forward moonsault. Butcher hit a lariat on Fenix for a near fall. Fenix countered a suplex attempt with a knee, then hit a rolling hurricanrana and a back heel kick. Kyle O’Reilly was shown in the crowd taking notes on Fenix’s performance in preparation for their upcoming match.
Penta got the hot tag and the bayfaces took over. Pac hit a series of kicks on Quen and got a snap german suplex for a near fall. Pac hit another German suplex. Penta and Fenix hit the fear factor, then took out the Butcher and Blade on the floor with stereo dives. PAC then hit the Black Arrow on Quen for the pin. Great opener.
After the match, the lights went out. When they came back on, The House of Black surrounded Death Triangle in the ring. The lights went out again, and when they came back on The House of Black were gone.
Shawn Spears defeated Bear Boulder (2:03)
Shawn Spears is PERFECT in the role of MJF’s lackey. Also I can’t decide if it’s lazy or meta story-telling that the guy whose storyline is that he’s WWE bound is using the same storyline over and over and over to set up his big matches.
Boulder hit a powerslam early on. Spears tried the ten punches in the corner, but Boulder grabbed him by the throat and powered out of the corner. Boulder tried the ten punches in the corner, but Spears powered Boulder up into the C-4 and got the pin.
After the match, Spears beat Boulder with a steel chair.
– Lexy Nair interviewed Mark Sterling (with a crutch and a neck brace because he’s fantastic) and Tony Nese about their upcoming match against HookHausen. Sterling doesn’t even have tights! And he’s just a manager. Nese is okay with that, though. “Put 10K on us.” Sterling and Nese are a great pairing.
Ruby Soho defeated Riho in a Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal Match (8:11 aired)
Riho is no fan of Soho’s music; she put her fingers in her ears while Soho made her entrance.
Jericho, despite being a sports entertainer, put over the technical wrestling Riho and Soho started with. Riho went for a Northern Lights suplex early, but Riho powered out into a powerbomb attempt. Riho hit a double stomp and a forearm in the corner. Soho tried a double stomp from the top rope, but Rhio moved and Soho tweaked her knee. Soho went for the No Future, but Riho countered a locked in a leglock. Soho got to the ropes.
After a split screen break, Riho caught Soho with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. Also, during the break, Riho countered a Russian Legsweep attempt with a sweet Dragon suplex. Riho and Soho fought up to the top rope. Riho shoved Soho off and hit a crossbody, but Soho rolled through and got a nearfall. Riho hit a crucifix bomb for a near fall, and the kickout had Riho very frustrated. Soho hit a backdrop driver for a near fall, then a strike for another near fall, then finally hit a blade runner to get the pinfall. Another great match, but my Women’s Tournament bracket is totally busted with this result.
– Billy Gunn was with the Acclaimed and the Gunn Club in the back. Billy Gunn is ready for these four to form a great faction, but they need some things: hand gestures and a catch phrase. Colton suggested a crotch chop and “suck it!”, but Billy doesn’t think that will get over. Max Caster suggested “scissoring” and “Yo! Listen!” which Gunn loved. This new faction has their first match together on AEW Dark Elevation Monday night! Caster was so excited he spit his water all over Billy Gunn! This was great.
– The Baddies came out to the ring with “Smart” Mark Sterling, and I’m disappointed that he didn’t add sling in between his first interview and this one. Tony Schiavone announced that Hikaru Shida was injured during the street fight with Serena Deeb and can’t face Red Velvet in the quarter-finals off the Owen Hart tournament. Sterling declared this should mean that Velvet advances. But, Schiavone revealed that Velvet will face her longtime friend Kris Statlander.
Statlander doesn’t need to qualify?
On Dynamite “Wild Card” Wednesday:
- A Chris Jericho and William Regal confrontation.
- Samoa Joe v. the Joker in an Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal.
- Kyle O’Reilly v. Rey Fenix in an Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal.
- Britt Baker v. the other Joker in an Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal.
- Hangman Page v. Konosuke Takeshita with CM Punk on commentary.
- Wardlow takes ten lashes from MJF.
- Adam Cole v. Jeff Hardy in the first Owen Hart Tournament Semi-Final.
On Rampage Friday (check listings for another wacky start time):
- Red Velvet v. Kris Statlander in an Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal.
Scorpio Sky defeated Frankie Kazarian to retain the TNT Championship (11:37)
Sky told the Ethan Page and Dan Lambert to stay in the back in the pre-match face to face promo. Tay Conti and Sammy Guevara are shown in the crowd with their AAA Mixed Tag Team Title Belts.
AEW has broken up very few tag teams. So these two former partners facing off feels like a even bigger deal.
Kazarain locked in a short arm scissors early on, but Scorpio cradled Kazarian for a near fall. Sky went for a TKO, but Kazarian slid out. Sky went for a Russian Legsweep, but Kazarian countered with a backslide for a near fall. Both guys battled for a suplex and Kazarian won the battle with a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Sky sent Kazarian to the floor and hit a tope con hilo. Slower paced so far, but excellent.
Back from a split screen break, Kazarian hit a slingshot into an Oklahoma roll for a near fall. Kazarian followed up with a lariat. Kazarian went for a springboard, but Sky caught him in the electric chair position and tried to go for a TKO again, but Kazarian countered that. Fantastic counter wrestling throughout this match.
Kazarian went for a chicken wing, but Sky broke free with a chin breaker. Kazarian hit a slingshot into a cutter for another near fall. Kazarian went for the chickenwing again, but Sky countered. Kazarian tried a third time and got it! Sky tried to push off the ropes into the Bret Hart at WrestleMania 8 cradle, but Kazarian blocked it. Dan Lambert ran down and distracted the referee soEthan Page could sneak in and hit Kazarian with the TNT belt. Sky covered Karazian, but only got two. Both guys struggled to their feet, and then Sky popped up and hit an explosive TKO to get the pinfall.
After the match, Guevara and Conti looked disgusted in the crowd. Sky tried to lead the fans in applauding Kazarian, but he would have none of it. Kazarian told Sky about Page’s interference. Sky confronted Page, who admitted to hitting Kazarian with the belt. “Whose freaking team are you on?” Sky answered by leveling Kazarian with the TNT belt! Sky and Page went to beat on Kazarain. Lambert asked Guevara where he and “Whorehausen” were going, and Guevara and Conti ran in to chase Lambert and his team away.
Final Thoughts:
Great main event, but the face/heel alignments with Lambert, Page, Sky, Guevara and Conti are all wacky. I guess they’re all heels?
Fun show overall. Now what do I do with myself for the rest of the night?