11/18/22 AEW Rampage: Full Gear Friday Recap
The opening credits roll. Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Newark, New Jersey.
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Lance Archer and Ricky Starks are brawling backstage. Archer slams Starks into a garage door, but Starks counters and throws Archer over a table and into the garage door. Archer comes back, lawn-darts Starks into the garage door, and drags him around. Starks hits Archer with a trash can, and then they brawl into the crowd. They exchange shots in the crowd and brawl up the steps. Starks dives onto Archer and they brawl to ringside. Archer sends Starks over the barricade and dives onto him. They finally get into the ring and the bell rings.
Match #1 – AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament – First Round Match: Lance Archer vs. Ricky Starks
Archer takes advantage for a bit and clotheslines Starks onto the ring apron as the show heads to a commercial. Back from the break, Archer has Starks back in the ring and delivers a right hand in the corner. Archer puts Starks up top and delivers another right hand. Archer sets up for the Blackout, but Starks fights out with clubbing shots to the chest. Starks delivers a shot to the back of Archer’s head and connects with a flying forearm. Starks drops Archer with a clothesline, but Archer comes back with one of his own. Archer goes for the cover, but Starks kicks out. Starks counters Archer, gets a roll-up for a two count, and sets up for the Rochambeau. Archer counters out, but Starks comes back and hits the Spear for the pin fall.
Winner: Ricky Starks
-After the match, Prince Nana and Brian Cage come to the ramp and trash talk Starks. Archer attacks Starks from behind and choke slams him onto the ring steps.
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The video package for the feud between Jon Moxley and MJF airs.
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Earlier today, Tony Schiavone interviewed Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. Jericho says he is sure that Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli will beat the hell out of each other because their egos are too big. Jericho says the ROH World Championship will stay in the Jericho Appreciation Society, and he and Guevara will make sure of that. Jericho walks away and Guevara says they will see about that.
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Match #2 – FTW Championship Match: Hook (c) vs. Lee Moriarty (w/Stokely Hathaway)
They lock up and Hook backs Moriarty into the corner. Moriarty turns it around and delivers a shot. Hook comes back and takes Moriarty down, but can’t get an advantage. Hook dodges Moriarty and takes him down to the mat. Moriarty counters back and applies a wrist-lock, but Hook drops him with a Northern Lights suplex. Hook transitions into a rear choke, but Moriarty gets free. Hook comes back with a gut-wrench suplex, but Hathaway distracts him. Moriarty kicks Hook in the face and sends him to the floor as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Moriarty delivers cross-face shots to Hook. Hook comes back with a clothesline, and then delivers body shots against the ropes. Hook delivers a knee lift and follows with a judo throw. Hook trips Moriarty down and then delivers a fisherman’s throw. Moriarty comes back with a kick to the midsection and then slams Hook face-first into the turnbuckle. Moriarty delivers a diving knee strike and goes for the cover, but Hook kicks out. Moriarty locks in a kimura lock, but Hook is in the ropes. Moriarty gets a roll-up for two, and then locks in the Motor City Stretch. Hook transitions out and locks in the Redrum, and Moriarty passes out.
Winner and still FTW Champion: Hook
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Footage of last week’s main event between Bandido and Rush airs, and then Schiavone interviews Rush, Jose the Assistant, 10, and John Silver. Jose says Silver cost 10 a shot at the World title, but Silver said the only person he cost was Rush. Jose challenges them to a match and Silver accepts, but 10 does not. Rush says he will wipe the smile off of Silver’s face and will beat him again next week.
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Match #3 – Singles Match: Athena vs. Madison Rayne
Athena dropkicks Rayne in the corner and sends her across the ring. Rayne counters and slams Athena into the turnbuckle, and then delivers a shot on the mat. Rayne sends Athena to the floor, but Athena cuts her off and slams her into the barricade. Athena gets Rayne back into the ring and slaps her across the face. Rayne comes back with a trip and gets a roll-up for a two count. Athena comes back with a kick to the midsection and picks Rayne up, but Rayne counters with a DDT. Rayne drops Athena with a few clotheslines and follows with an elbow shot. Rayne goes for the Cross-Rayne, but Athena counters with a stunner. Athena delivers an elbow shot, and then delivers a kick to the face for the pin fall.
Winner: Athena
-After the match, Athena continues to attack Rayne, and then she lays out referee Aubrey Edwards with a shot. Athena locks Rayne in a cross-face, but the ROH Women’s World Champion, Mercedes Martinez, makes her return and gets into the ring. Athena backs out of the ring as Martinez walks toward her. They stare each other down as Athena backs up the ramp.
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Renee Paquette interviews Best Friends and The Factory backstage. Orange Cassidy say they want to fight them five-on-five tomorrow, but QT Marshall says there are only three of them. Rocky Romero walks up tp make it four, and then Chuck Taylor hands Paquette a cassette tape and she leaves with them as Trent Beretta tells The Factory to watch a spooky tape. The tape plays and it’s Danhausen as the fifth man.
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A new vignette for The House of Black airs.
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Next Friday’s Rampage will take place at 4 PM EST instead of the normal 10 PM EST.
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Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Eddie Kingston and Ortiz vs. Jun Akiyama and Konosuke Takeshita
Kingston and Takeshita start the match. Kingston wants Akiyama, but Takeshita says he’s got it. They lock up and Takeshita goes behind for a waist-lock. Kingston turns it into a side-headlock and sends Takeshita off the ropes. Takeshita delivers a shoulder-tackle, but Kingston comes back with a chop. Ortiz tags in and Kingston knocks Akiyama down on the apron. Takeshita delivers a few shots to Ortiz and tags in Akiyama. Akiyama delivers a back elbow and delivers a shot to Kingston on the apron. Akiyama delivers a few elbow strikes to Ortiz and drops him with a pile-driver. Akiyama goes for the cover, but stands up when Kingston gets into the ring. Takeshita tags in and double-teams Ortiz with Akiyama. Takeshita goes for the cover, but Ortiz kicks out. Ortiz fights back with a few shots, but Takeshita drops him with one forearm shot and tags in Akiyama. Akiyama delivers a few shots to Ortiz as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Kingston is in control of Takeshita. Ortiz tags back in and drops Takeshita with a Northern Lights suplex. Ortiz goes for the cover, but Takeshita kicks out. Kingston tags back in and double-teams Takeshita with Ortiz. Kingston drops Takeshita with a DDT and goes for the cover, but Takeshita kicks out. Kingston and Takeshita exchange chops and then Takeshita delivers the Takeshita-line. Ortiz and Akiyama tag in, and Akiyama delivers a few high boots. Akiyama delivers a jumping knee strike and sets up for an exploder suplex, but Kingston gets into the ring. Kingston and Akiyama exchange shots, but Ortiz kicks Akiyama in the face. Takeshita drops Ortiz with a Blue Thunder Bomb, and then Kingston drops Takeshita with a back-drop driver. Akiyama and Kingston exchange shots again and Kingston drops Akiyama with an exploder suplex. Akiyama comes right back with one to Kingston. Kingston delivers an enzuigiri, but Akiyama delivers a knee strike. Akiyama delivers a knee strike to Ortiz and then delivers an exploder suplex for the pin fall.
Winners: Jun Akiyama and Konosuke Takeshita