The Kingdom/OGK make AEW debut on Rampage

The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Maria Kanelis Bennett) made their AEW debut on Rampage Friday, officially calling out FTR.

FTR and Shawn Spears were successful in defeating Brian Cage and Gates of Agony when the trio interrupted their celebration. Kanellis referred to themselves as The Kingdom and called her men the top guys, as they were the ones that built this company on The Kingdom’s back, as they were ROH and IWGP Tag Team Champions before they were. Her promo distracted FTR and Spears long enough for The Embassy to jump them from behind, with The Kingdom eventually joining in. The show ended with Wardlow and Samoa Joe hitting the ring to make the save.

In a backstage interview after their debut, Taven said they came in as they never got their rematch for the ROH Tag Team titles. He and Bennett lost the titles to The Briscoes at Final Battle 2021.

Taven and Bennett, who have teamed together as The OGK since their reunion in 2020, had been wrestling for Impact Wrestling since the start of the year. They had been the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions since August, having dropped the titles to Heath Slater and Rhyno at last weekend’s Impact television tapings before departing the company.

Taven, Bennett, and Kanelis, along with Adam Cole, formed The Kingdom in Ring of Honor back in 2015, with Taven and Bennett winning the ROH World Tag Team titles twice. After Bennett left the promotion later that year, the two reunited in ROH following Bennett’s release from WWE.