4/8/22 AEW Rampage Recap
The opening credits roll. Excalibur, Ricky Starks, Taz, and William Regal are on commentary from Boston, Massachusetts.
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Match #1 – Singles Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Trent Beretta
Neither man gains the advantage early on. Danielson delivers a few shots, but Beretta counters back with a back elbow. They lock up and Danielson delivers a few kicks to Beretta’s legs. Danielson chops Beretta in the corner, but Beretta counters with a chop of his own. Danielson comes back with a kick to the face, and then locks in a hanging front chancery. Beretta counters with a suplex and goes for the cover, but Danielson kicks out. Beretta applies a headlock, but Danielson gets free and chops Beretta against the ropes. Danielson delivers kicks in the corner, but Beretta comes back and sends Danielson to the floor. Beretta goes for a dive, but Danielson kicks him in the midsection and gets back into the ring. Danielson goes for a tope suicida, but Beretta catches him and suplexes him on the floor. Beretta charges, but Danielson dodges him and sends him into the ring steps as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Danielson works over Beretta neck and kicks him in the face a few times. Beretta shoves him away, but Danielson comes back with a front headlock suplex. Danielson goes up top, but Beretta cuts him off. Beretta climbs, as well, and delivers a superplex. Danielson gets to his feet, and he and Beretta exchange chops. Danielson goes for an enzuigiri, but Beretta dodges it and delivers a German suplex. Beretta delivers a back elbow in the corner and goes for a tornado DDT, but Danielson counters with a rolling elbow. Danielson delivers a shoulder-capture suplex and goes for the cover, but Beretta kicks out. Danielson locks in a dragon sleeper, and then delivers a few kicks. Beretta comes back and sets up for Strong Zero, but Danielson rolls through and they exchange roll-ups for two counts. Danielson charges in the corner, but Beretta dodges and delivers a tornado DDT. Beretta goes for the cover, but Danielson kicks out. Beretta puts Danielson up top and delivers a right hand. Beretta sets up for a suplex, but Danielson drops down and cuts him off. Danielson goes for a side suplex, but Beretta counters into a bulldog. Beretta goes for the cover, but Danielson kicks out.
Beretta and Danielson exchange forearm strikes and kicks, and then Beretta hits a rolling elbow strike. Beretta drops Danielson with a half-and-half suplex, and then follows with a big lariat. Beretta goes for the cover, but Danielson kicks out.
Beretta delivers forearm shots against the ropes, but Danielson comes back with the running knee strike. Danielson delivers the Gotch-style pile driver, and follows with a series of stomps to Beretta’s head. Danielson wrenches back on Beretta’s neck, and Beretta passes out.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
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Lexy Nair is backstage with Hook. She tries to get some words from him, but he walks away. Danhausen pops out of a trash can and attempts to curse him, but Hook throws his trash in the can and walks away.
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Dam Lambert, Ethan Page, and the AEW TNT Champion, Scorpio Sky, are in the ring. Sky says he got rid of the open challenge for the TNT title because he was looking for someone to step up and do something that no one has been able to do in 394 days, but Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti interrupt. Guevara says Sky is doing absolutely nothing with the title, and then asks Lambert if he is going to say something stupid. Lambert says he has some advice for them, and tells them to talk about what they do in the ring and not what they do in the bedroom. Guevara says he is here for a match, but Page says he doesn’t lace up his boots unless it’s for a big money match. Page says Guevara is a pillar, but he is one of the biggest cracks in the company, because Guevara and Conti are a PR nightmare. Page says he prays that his daughter doesn’t end up like Conti, and Guevara says he doesn’t care about Page’s kid, because all he wants is a match. Guevara says if Lambert was mad about the car, just wait and see what they have in store next week.
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Chris Jericho has a new vignette called Sports Entertainer of the Week, and he awards it to QT Marshall.
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Match #2 – Singles Match: QT Marshall (w/Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto) vs. Swerve Strickland
Marshall drops Strickland with a shoulder tackle, but Strickland comes back with a wrist-lock. Strickland drops Marshall with a hurricanrana, and then follows with a hip-toss. Strickland rolls through and gets a two count. Marshall sends Strickland to the floor, but Strickland lands on his feet as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Strickland delivers a few strikes to Marshall and takes him down with a flying elbow strike. Strickland delivers an uppercut in the corner, and then connects with a diving uppercut. Marshall comes back with an elbow strike and goes for the Diamond Cutter, but Strickland shoves him away and delivers a kick to the face. Strickland delivers a dropkick to Marshall’s knee, and then connects with a Flatliner. Swerve kicks Marshall in the back of the head and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
-After the match, Starks talks to Strickland from the announce table. Starks says they have unfinished business, and challenges Strickland to a tag team match for next week’s Dynamite, Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Strickland and Keith Lee.
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A vignette airs for “The Problem” Marina Shafir. She tells Jade Cargill that she is begging her to solve her.
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Match #3 – Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament – Qualifying Match: Red Velvet vs. Willow Nightingale
Nightingale takes control early, but Velvet comes back and applies a wrist-lock. Nightingale turns it into one of her own, but Velvet gets free and kicks Nightingale in the face. Velvet drops Nightingale with an arm-drag, but Nightingale comes back with a shoulder tackle. Nightingale delivers another one and goes for the cover, but Velvet kicks out. Nightingale delivers a scoop slam and goes for a running senton, but Velvet dodges it and takes Nightingale to the corner. Velvet delivers a few shots and chokes Nightingale with her boot. Velvet delivers a forearm shot and sends Nightingale across the ring, but Nightingale comes back with a slam and a senton. Nightingale goes for the cover, but Velvet kicks out. Nightingale goes for a moonsault press, but Velvet dodges it and delivers a few running clotheslines. Velvet trips Nightingale into the ropes, and then delivers double knees. Velvet delivers Just Desserts and goes for the cover, but Nightingale kicks out. Nightingale delivers a spine buster and goes for the cover, but Velvet kicks out. Nightingale sends Velvet off the ropes and drops her with the Pounce.
Nightingale connects with the cannonball senton in the corner and goes for the cover, but Velvet kicks out. Nightingale picks Velvet up, but Velvet counters and delivers the corkscrew kick and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Red Velvet
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Nair is backstage with Tony Nese. Nese wonders where her enthusiasm is for him, and says he is the hottest free agent signing in AEW history. Smart Mark Sterling walks up and says he agrees. Sterling says Nese needs proper legal representation, and walks away with Nese.
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Announced for next Wednesday’s Dynamite:
-AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus (c) vs. reDRagon
-ROH World Television Championship Match: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Samoa Joe
-Trios Tag Team Match: Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, and Jake Hager vs. Eddie Kington, Ortiz, and Santana
-Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland vs. Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks
-MJF vs. Shawn Dean
Announced for next Friday’s Rampage, which will begin at 7 EST, 4 PST:
-AEW World Championship – Texas Death Match: Adam Page (c) vs. Adam Cole
Announced for next Saturday’s Battle of the Belts II special:
-AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Nyla Rose
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Match #4 – Singles Match: Jon Moxley vs. Wheeler Yuta
Yuta attacks Moxley during his entrance and beats him through the crowd. Moxley comes back with a few shots, but Yuta slams him head-first into the barricade. Yuta tosses Moxley into the ring, but Moxley counters with a German suplex and the bell rings. Moxley delivers a vertical suplex and clotheslines him in the corner. Moxley delivers a series of chops, but Yuta comes back with chops of his own. Moxley kicks Yuta in the face and goes for the cover, but Yuta kicks out. Moxley applies a half-straitjacket hold and karate chops Yuta with his other hand. Yuta comes back with a Manhattan Drop and charges, but Moxley sends Yuta to the floor. Yuta’s face hits the apron and Moxley goes after him. Moxley stomps Yuta’s face into the ring steps and gets back into the ring. Yuta has been busted open, and he is down on the floor as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Moxley has Yuta in a single-leg Crab, but Yuta makes it to the ropes. Moxley pie-faces Yuta a few times, but Yuta fires back with chops and forearms. Moxley delivers a knee strike, but Yuta comes back and sends him to the floor. Yuta dives on Moxley from the top and they crash through the timekeeper’s table. They both get back into the ring, and Yuta gets a back-slide for a two count. Yuta hits a pair of German suplexes, but Moxley comes back with a few shots. Moxley goes for the King Kong Lariat, but Yuta blocks it and slams Moxley to the mat. Yuta stomps Moxley’s head a few times and goes up top. Yuta connects with a splash and goes for the cover, but Moxley kicks out. Yuta locks in a cross-face, but Moxley rolls through for a two count. Moxley hits the King Kong Lariat and goes for the cover, but Yuta kicks out. They exchange shots to their feet, and then Moxley bites the open wound on Yuta’s head. Moxley puts Yuta up top, but Yuta bites Moxley and grinds his fingernails into Moxley’s back. Moxley takes Yuta down and drops him with the Paradigm Shift, but Yuta kicks out.
Moxley locks in the Bulldog Choke, but breaks the grip and delivers knee strikes. Moxley goes for a kick, but Yuta dodges and rolls him up for two. Yuta locks Moxley in the Bulldog Choke, but Moxley gets to his feet. Yuta turns it into a rear naked choke, but Moxley rolls through and delivers elbow strikes. Moxley delivers the Regal Knee and follows with a high-angle Paradigm Shift. Moxley goes for the cover, but Yuta kicks out again. Moxley locks in a rear naked choke and Yuta passes out.
Winner: Jon Moxley
-After the match, Danielson and Regal come to the ring as Yuta gets to his feet. Regal, Danielson, and Moxley stand over Yuta, and Yuta tells them to bring it on. Regal extends his hand to Yuta, and Yuta accepts the handshake. Moxley tells Yuta that the real work begins now as the show comes to a close.
