12/23/22 AEW Rampage: Holiday Bash Recap
The opening credits roll. Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from San Antonio, Texas.
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Match #1 – $300,000 Three Kings Christmas Casino Trios Royale: vs. AR Fox and Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) vs. Ari Daivari and The Varsity Athletes (Josh Woods and Tony Nese) (w/Smart Mark Sterling) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) and Orange Cassidy vs. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, and John Silver) vs. Los Ingobernables (Dralistico, Preston Vance, and Rush) (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Kip Sabian and The Butcher and The Blade vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, and Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Spanish Announce Project (Angelico, Luther, and Serpentico)
Joined this match a little late, right as Taylor was eliminated and The Blackpool Combat Club made their entrances. There is action all around the ring and Dark Order make their entrance. They triple team Vance as soon as they get into the ring. The Club goes after Dark Order, but Uno almost eliminates Moxley. Cassidy goes for a dive on Castagnoli and Uno, but they catch him and toss him away with Reynolds. Cassidy lands on his feet, but Blade takes him down anyway as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Blade, Cassidy, and Sabian are all eliminated. Cassidy and Sabian brawl up the ramp as The Spanish Announce Project make their entrance. Luther and Serpentico double-team Moxley and Vance in the corners as Beretta quickly eliminates Angelico. Silver delivers shots and kicks to Dralistico and Rush, and then eliminates Dralistico. Rush delivers a rolling elbow to Silver and eliminates him. Uno attacks Rush, but Rush delivers chops in the corner. Moxley delivers a cutter to Uno and then eliminates him. Castagnoli delivers an uppercut to Luther and eliminates him. Butcher tries to eliminate Castagnoli as Daivari and The Varisty Athletes make their entrance. They pull Beretta to the outside and beat him down. Moxley chokes Reynolds on the apron as Vance and Rush try to eliminate Castagnoli. Reynolds gets eliminated and Rush throws Yuta into the turnbuckles. Rush delivers the Bull’s Horns in the corner and eliminates Yuta. Serpentico goes after Rush as Moxley gets put on the apron. Vance drops Serpentico with a rolling lariat and eliminates him. AR Fox and Top Flight make their entrance now.
Beretta gets back into the ring and stomps Vance down in the corner, but Top Flight and Fox go after Beretta. Fox drops Beretta with a cutter, and then Castagnoli eliminates Daivari. Vance delivers elbow strikes to Castagnoli and then goes after Moxley with Rush. They go after Castagnoli now, but Vance gets eliminated by a boot from Moxley. Fox comes off the top, but Woods drops him with a jumping knee strike. Dante tries to eliminate Nese, but Woods makes the save. Woods gets eliminated by Dante, and then Darius eliminates Nese. Beretta eliminates Butcher, and then Rush eliminates Beretta. Castagnoli and Rush exchange chops and uppercuts and go to the apron. They exchange shots there and Castagnoli slams Rush into the ring post and eliminates him with an uppercut. Fox gets eliminated by Moxley, leaving Moxley, Castagnoli, and Top Flight as the final four. Adam Page rushes into the ring and brawls with Moxley. Security rushes out and separates them, and then Moxley gets eliminated by Top Flight. Moxley and Page brawl on the floor before they get pulled apart again. Moxley gets back into the ring and then dives from the top onto Page and the security guys.
Castagnoli delivers an uppercut to Dante and picks him up, and then picks up Darius as well. They get free and double-team Castagnoli. They try to eliminate him, but Castagnoli counters and puts them on the apron. He delivers shots to them as Page gets dragged up the ramp. Darius drops Castagnoli with a Flatliner and Top Flight try to eliminate Castagnoli. Castagnoli fights back and gets Darius on the apron. Castagnoli kicks Dante in the face and picks him up, but Darius kicks Castagnoli in the midsection. Darius drops Castagnoli with a DDT and they double clothesline him, but he holds onto the apron. Castagnoli headbutts Dante and sends Darius across the ring. Top Flight come back with another double-team and eliminate Castagnoli.
Winners: AR Fox and Top Flight
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Eddie Kingston and Ortiz make their way to the ring. Kingston says they sent the contract to The House of Black, but they don’t want to wait anymore. They call out The House, and the lights go out. Julia Hart appears on the stage and points at the screen. Malakai Black says it will happen in due time, but he has been thinking. He asks if the friend of his enemy is influenced by him, would he then be his enemy too. Kingston and Ortiz talk and Kingston questions Ortiz about what Black just said, and then they slap hands and stay on the same page.
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Renee Paquette interviews Daniel Garcia and Sammy Guevara. Garcia says he doesn’t like anything about Guevara, but if Jericho thinks they should be together then he will give it his best effort. Guevara says Garcia is a tight ass and needs to loosen up. Guevara gets in Garcia’s face and says he needs a hug. Guevara hugs Garcia as Garcia fights it off. Guevara says they are going to do great thinks together and walks away.
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Match #2 – AEW TBS Championship Eliminator Match: Jade Cargill (w/Leile Grey and Red Velvet) vs. Vertvixen
They lock up and Cargill quickly throws Vertvixen down. Cargill takes Vertvixen to the corner and delivers a forearm shot. Cargill delivers a scoop slam and poses over Vertvixen as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Cargill chokes Vertvixen with her boot in the corner. Cargill backs away and charges, but Vertvixen dodges and kicks Cargill in the midsection. Vertvixen runs the ropes, but Cargill delivers a thrust kick. Cargill delivers an ax kick and follows with a pump kick for the pin fall.
Winner: Jade Cargill
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Ruby Soho calls out Tay Melo and says last week was supposed to be the final chapter in their story. Soho says she won, but Anna Jay had to get involved. Soho says as much as she wanted to fight on her own, she found the perfect person to join in, and Willow Nightingale walks in. A tag team match is made for Wednesday’s Dynamite: New Year’s Smash.
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Wardlow cuts a promo. He says he finds it funny that Samoa Joe can only attack him from behind, and he hasn’t beaten him at all. Wardlow says Joe’s claim to be the king ends on Wednesday night.
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Announced for Wednesday’s Dynamite New Year’s Smash:
-AEW TNT Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
-AEW World Trios Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match 6 in a Best-of-7 Series: Death Triangle vs. The Elite
—-Death Triangle leads series 3-2
-Anna Jay A.S. and Tay Melo vs. Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale
-Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley vs. Top Flight
-Bryan Danielson vs. Ethan Page
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Alex Marvez runs outside and we see Powerhouse Hobbs grabbing a guy by the face and saying that he is taking everything.
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Match #3 – Tag Team Match: Anthony Bowens and Daddy Ass Billy Gunn (w/Max Caster) vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett (w/Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt)
Bowens and Lethal start the match. Lethal backs Bowens into the corner, but they have a break and exchange shots. Lethal drops Bowens and goes for a Figure Four, but Bowens rolls him up for a two count. Bowens takes Lethal down and goes for another cover, but Lethal kicks out. Gunn tags in, as does Jarrett, and Jarrett takes advantage with a right hand and a back elbow. Jarrett sends Gunn into the ropes, but Gunn comes back and drops him with a clothesline. Gunn slams Jarrett into the corner and slams him down. Gunn goes for the cover, but Jarrett kicks out. Jarrett comes back with a poke to the eye and tags Lethal back in. Gunn deliver a shot to Lethal as he comes off the top, and then tags in Bowens and kicks Lethal in the face. Bowens slams Lethal down and scissors with Gunn. They deliver a double elbow drop and Bowens goes for the cover, but Lethal kicks out. Jarrett distracts Bowens and Lethal takes him down. Lethal sends Bowens to the floor and Jarrett drops him with a clothesline as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Jarrett drops Bowens with a back body drop and tags Lethal in. Jarrett kicks Bowens in the midsection and Lethal takes him down. Lethal goes for the cover, but Bowens kicks out. Lethal stomps on Bowens and slaps him in the face. Lethal drops Bowens with a snap suplex and goes for the cover, but Bowens kicks out again. Lethal applies a headlock, but Bowens gets to his feet. Lethal delivers an elbow strike and goes for a suplex, but Bowens blocks it and rolls Lethal up for two. Lethal delivers the Lethal Combination and goes for the cover, but Bowens kicks out. Lethal goes for a few more quick covers, but Bowens kicks out each time. Jarrett tags in and stomps on Bowens. Jarrett delivers right hands, but Bowens comes back with a headbutt and a few shots of his own. Bowens delivers a thrust kick and tags in Gunn. Lethal tags in and Gunn drops he and Jarrett with right hands and short clotheslines. Gunn sends Jarrett to the outside, but Singh gets into the ring. Gunn clotheslines Singh right back out and slams Lethal down after countering the Lethal Injection. Gunn goes for the cover, but Jarrett breaks it up.
Bowens knocks Dutt down on the apron, but Jarrett drops Bowens with the Stroke. Caster gets on the apron and Gunn sends Jarrett to the floor. Dutt gets into the ring and low-blows Gunn, and then Lethal hits the Lethal Injection for the pin fall.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett
