AEW Rampage live results: TNT title match, tag team street fight

By Joseph Collins
Published: 31 Dec 2021, 18:43

TNT Champion Cody Rhodes will put his title on the line against Ethan Page on Friday’s New Year’s Smash edition of AEW Rampage.

This will be Rhodes’ first title defense in his third title reign. The match came together following a Wednesday Dynamite promo where Dan Lambert, Page and Scorpio Sky ripped on Rhodes which then brought out his wife, Brandi. Dustin Rhodes eventually came out to back her up, but got jumped by the trio.

In a much-talked about street fight, Penelope Ford and The Bunny take on Anna Jay and Tay Conti as they attempt to settle a feud that has raged for months.

Darby Allin faces Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed in a singles match, and there will be a Technique by Taz segment where he breaks down his son Hook’s finishing move, Redrum.

This week’s show was taped after Wednesday’s Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida.

Our live coverage begins at 10 PM Eastern.

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Hosts are Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Ricky Starks.

Darby Allin (w/ Sting) defeated Anthony Bowens (w/ Max Caster) (11:03)

Caster’s rap referenced booster shots and Ghislaine Maxwell. Allin’s “a little prick like a booster shot” and Bowens is “going to put him away like Ghislaine Maxwell.” Funny stuff.

Allin was impressive on the mat early and scored a near fall with a La Magistral’s cradle attempt. Caster got on the apron to distract Allin, and Bowens knocked Allin out of the ring. From the ring, Bownes whipped Allin (standing on the ring apron) into the ringpost, and Allin took a man-sized bump off the post to the floor.

After a split-screen commercial break, Bowens continued to dominate Allin. Allin came back with a pair of cradles for near fall. Allin but ran into an elbow, a backhand and a superkick from Bowens. Bowens set up a superplex, but Allin fought out of the move. Allin set up the coffin drop, but Bowens crotched Allin on the ropes, then hit his spinning DDT (the “Arrival”). Bowens went for the pin, but had his feet on the ropes, so the ref broke up the pin attempt.

Allin and Bowens fought up the opposite ringpost, where Allin stepped on Bowens hand against the top of the post. Allin went for his suicide dive, but Caster got in the way. Sting took out Caster. Back in the ring, Allin hit the Code red for a near fall. Allin took both members of the Acclaimed out with the suicide dive, then threw Bowens back in the ring for the Coffin Drop and got the pinfall.

After the match, Andrade El Idolo made his entrance, which distracted Sting and Darby Allin. The Acclaimed pounced, busting their boom box over Allin’s head and knocking Sting out with the chain.

– In “Technique by Taz,” Taz put over Hook’s array of suplexes and his finisher, the katahajime.

Anna Jay & Tay Conti vs. Penelope Ford defeated The Bunny in a Street Fight (10:42 aired)

Jay and Ford brought a trash can and steel chair out with them to start the fight. Bunny went a punch with the brass knuckles on Jay, but she blocked the punch with a steel chair. Jay used the brass knux on Bunny, who was opened up and bleeding like crazy. The fight went to the floor early on, and Ford hit Conti with a pump kick. Ford hit a moonsault from the top rope to the floor on Conti, who was laid out on a table. Ford drove her knees into Conti and the table didn’t break.

Back in the ring, Ford broke a beer bottle over Conti’s head, and Conti bled. Ford and Bunny set up tables and chairs up in the ring. Jay suplexed Bunny though a pair of chairs set up in the ring, and the show went to a commercial break.

After the commercial, Jay had Bunny locked in a sleeper, but Bunny broke the hold by sending them both through a table. On the floor, Ford hit Conti with a stunner onto a ladder lying on the floor. Ford found a sack of thumbtacks and dumped them on the mat. Jay superplexed Bunny into the tacks. Jay went for the pin, but Ford broke it up. Conti took Ford out with the Gotch style piledriver off the apron through a table on the floor.

Bunny went the brass knuckles again, but slipped in the tacks, landing in a split onto a pile of the tacks. Ouch. Anna Jay wrapped her arm in barb wire and locked Bunny in the Queenslayer sleeper hold, and Bunny had to tap out.

Absolute insanity. Even without the blood and tacks, this was a great performance from all four women.

This was Conti’s 50th win in AEW.

– Preview of the World Title match between Adam Page and Bryan Danielson for the first Dynamite on TBS. Excellent promo package. Still no announcement of who the judges wil be though.

New Matches for Dynamite Wednesday (TBS debut):

The only new match announced is MJF will be in action.

Matches for AEW Rampage Friday (still on TNT):

Daniel Garcia & 2point0 v. Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz in a Street Fight.

Cody Rhodes (w/ Arn Anderson) defeated Ethan Page (w/ Dan Lambert & Scorpio Sky) to retain the TNT Championship (14:13)

Mark Henry moderated the face-to-face main event promo. Dan Lambert and Arn Anderson did all the talking.

Rhodes hit a quick powerslam early on and worked a side headlock. The crowd couldn’t decide whether to boo for Cody or chant for Cody, so they did both. Page hit a suplex. Anderson tripped up Page while he ran the ropes, and Cody hit him with a dropkick. “Let’s Go Cody/Cody Sucks!” chant. Rhodes set up a Cross Rhodes on the aporn, but Page escaped and sent Rhodes to the floor. Page followed up with a shoulder block from the apron to the floor. They brawled on the floor for a bit, with Page getting the advantage before the match went back to the ring.

Page went for a suplex, but Rhodees escaped and clipped Page’s leg. Rhodes went to work on Page’s legs. Rhodes started to set up a figure-four, but changed his mind and locked in an Indian Death Lock instead. Isn’t that a HHH move?

During the last split screen break, Rhodes worked over Page’s leg. Page countered a suplex attempt with a face-first suplex, and caught Rhodes with a running shoulder block. Page really has the best running shoulder blocks. Page nailed a DDT (but not before stopping to flip off Arn Anderson) for a near fall. Scorpio Sky attack Cody Rhodes on the floor, and Dustin Rhodes ran in and attacked Sky. Dustin and Sky brawled through the crowd, never to be seen again.

Back in the ring, Rhodes hit Cross Rhodes for a near fall. Rhodes tore away Page’s knee brace and the crowd booed. Rhodes setup Page for a move off the top rope, but Page countered and powerslammed Rhodes off the top rope for a near fall. Cody avoided the Ego’s Edge powerbomb and caught Page with the Disaster Kick for a near fall. Rhodes locked in the figure-four leglock. Page reversed the move and Cody got to the ropes. Rhodes went for the Tiger Driver 98, but Page countered with a jackknife cover for two. Page took Rhodes off the ropes with a cross armed iconoclasm. Page went for the Ego’s Edge again, but Rhodes countered into a pair of Cross Rhodes, and the Tiger Driver 98 to get the pinfall.

Lambert did not look happy that Cody retained.

Final Thoughts:

The women’s street fight was nuts. I don’t think the crowd hates Cody Rhodes, but I think they like to boo him. I’m interested to see what direction Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo goes, and hopefully the Acclaimed and El Idolo stick together for a bit to help raise the Acclaimed’s profile.

Good show.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!