AEW Rampage live results: Two title defenses, women’s tag team match
Two title defenses and a women’s tag team match highlight the final AEW Rampage before this Sunday’s All In.
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy will attempt to secure his 30th title defense as he takes on QTV’s Aaron Solo. Cassidy will be in action Sunday as part of his first-ever Stadium Stampede match.
The AAA Latin American title will be defended for the first time on AEW TV as champion QT Marshall defends against Gravity. Marshall will also take time for a sit-down interview with Jim Ross.
Ahead of their four-way for the AEW Women’s title on Sunday, reigning champion Hikaru Shida will team with former champion Britt Baker to take on former champion Toni Storm & Saraya.
Reigning TNT Champion Luchasaurus will be in non-title action against an opponent to be named. His next challenge will come in the “all star” eight-man tag team main event of Saturday’s Collision.
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An In Memoriam graphic for Windham Rotunda opened the show.
Taped in Lexington, Kentucky.
Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were on commentary.
Orange Cassidy defeated Aaron Solo (w/ Harley Cameron) to retain the AEW International Title (9:12)
Kinda weird the International Title isn’t being defended on AEW’s second-ever international pay-per-view.
Tony Schiavone doesn’t understand why Aaron Solo is spraying his mouth with the breath spray, which kinda makes me feel bad for Tony’s wife. Cassidy worked a side headlock. Solo countered with a head scissors, which Cassidy escaped with a headstand. Cassidy put his hands in his pockets. Cassidy impressively gave Solo a hip toss while his hands were in his pockets. The fight went to the floor, where Solo used Cameron as a human shield. Cassidy gave her the “high impact” kicks, ducked a clothesline from Solo and hit a running tope. Cameron tripped up Cassidy to allow Solo to hit a modified uranage going into the split-screen break.
After the break, Solo and Cassidy were battling over a vertical suplex. Cassidy sent Solo headfirst into the turnbuckles, then came off the top rope with a crossbody. Lots of counter-wrestling from both guys, until Cassidy hit a Slumdog Millionaire and a spinning DDT for a near fall. Cameron started singing into the house mic, distracting Cassidy to allow Solo to hit a spinning kick. Solo followed up with a terrible looking suplex for a near fall. Solo came off the top with a double stomp for another near fall. Solo got Cameron’s boot and hit Cassidy with it for another near fall. Cassidy countered a pedigree attempt, then hit the Orange Punch and Beach Break to get the pinfall. This was fine, as Cassidy’s storied International title run continues.
– JR conducted a sit-down interview with new AAA Latin American champion QT Marshall. Marshall puts the “pro” in “professional wrestler” and wanted to dispel the notion that his relationship with Tony Khan gives him opportunities others dont get. After all, he had to go to another company to get a championship. He’s not just simply a guy who latches himself onto other guys like Cody Rhodes and Powerhouse Hobbs. Also why isn’t there a QT Marshall an action figure, but his mother can order 150,000 Excalibur figures? This was a good promo from Marshall.
– Promo for Samoa Joe/CM Punk at All In on Sunday.
QT Marshall defeated Gravity to retain the AAA Latin American Championship (8:46)
An updated look and presentation for Marshall, which emphasizes the pride Marshall has representing Mexico as a AAA champion. Marshall and Gravity exchange promos in Spanish before the match. Gravity started out fast with a tope con hilo that looked like it could have gone very badly. Marshall caught Gravity coming off the top with a forearm, then powerbombed him against the ring apron.
Marshall put Gravity down with a forearm. Gravity caught Marshall with a couple of pin attempts for near falls. Gravity countered a powerbomb attempt with a Canadian Destroyer for another near fall. Marshall caught Gravity with a combination backbreaker/flatliner. Gravity countered a powerbomb attempt with a rana, and hit a series of superkicks. Gravity used his brother Bandido’s 21-plex for another close near fall.
Marshall came back with a short-arm lariat. Marshall set up a diamond cutter from the top (Gravity was in a superplex position), but Gravity escaped. Now, Marshall was in the superlex position and Gravity Samoan-dropped him from the middle rope for another near fall. Marshall caught Gravity with a pop-up cutter, then finished him with the “Dirt Sheet Driver” (a vertical suplex into a sit-out powerbomb) and got the pinfall. Between the promo and the match, this was an excellent showcase for Marshall.
– The Dark Order cut a promo. They are back to being bad guys after Death Before Dishonor, last month’s ROH pay-per-view.
Luchasaurus defeated R. Jones (1:12)
Luchasaurus is the TNT champion, but he did not wear his belt to the ring. Chokeslam and a clothesline to the back of the end finished off Jones.
After the match, Christian was shown watching the match with the TNT Championship belt over his shoulder.
– All In promo for Adam Cole v. MJF.
– Rundown for Collision: new matches added were the return of Keith Lee and Alex Reynolds & John Silver v. Darius Martin & Action Andretti. Maybe Willow Nightingale v. Robyn Renegade, if that wasn’t announced on Wednesday.
– Excalibur also ran down the cards for All In and All Out, but nothing new was announced.
Saraya & Toni Storm (w/ Ruby Soho) defeated Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D & Hikaru Shida (11:52)
The heels attacked before the bell. Baker and Saraya fought in the ring and Storm and Shida fought on the floor. Soho tripped up Baker from the outside and Saraya took control. Storm hit a vertical suplex for a near fall. Saraya drove her knee into Baker’s midsection. Storm sent Baker to the floor with a hip attack. Soho pounded on Baker on the outside until TBS Champion Kris Statlander ran in and attacked Soho, then carried her to the back to even things up.
After a split-screen break, Storm taunted Shida with the Women’s World title belt, and Baker was still being worked over by the heels. Baker caught Storm with a neckbreaker and finally got the tag to Shida. Shida hit a jumping knee strike while the fans chanted “let’s go Shida!” Shida suplexed Saraya on Storm (say that five times fast) for a near fall. Storm and Shida exchanged forearms, and Shida caught Storm with a enziguri. Baker tried to run and hit a rolling elbow, but Storm caught her with a German suplex.
Saraya tossed Baker back into her corner and forced Baker to tag back into the ring. Storm hit another hip attack on Baker. Baker took a double-team powerbomb for another near fall, and soon all four women were down. They got back on their feet and started lugging it out. Shida hit Saraya with a Falcon Arron, and Baker gave Saraya the Twist and Shout for another near fall. Storm went to use the spray paint on Baker, but Shida saved Baker and took the spray paint instead. Shida, blinded, accidentally hit Baker, and Saraya hit her finish on Baker (the Nightcap, formerly the Rampaige) for the pinfall. This was clunky.
As the show went off the air, Shida was still blinded on the floor, and Storm and Saraya engaged in a tug of war over the AEW World Women’s championship belt.
Final Thoughts:
QT Marshall’s match and promo was a revelation tonight. They need to get rid of the QTV nonsense and give Marshall a more serious push. Nothing was at the level of last week’s opener, but the first two matches were good enough to make it a worthwhile hour.