3/25/23 AEW Rampage Recap

The opening credits roll. Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Independence, Missouri.

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Match #1 – AEW TNT Championship Match: Powerhouse Hobbs (c) (w/Aaron Solo, Harley Cameron, and QT Marshall) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes)
They exchange shots and chops, and then Penta delivers a few leg kicks. Hobbs comes back with a splash against the ropes, but Penta delivers a thrust kick and a dropkick to send Hobbs to the floor. Penta goes for a dive through the ropes, but Hobbs cuts him off with a forearm shot. Hobbs clubs Penta across the back and slams him into the ring post. Hobbs slams Penta into the barricade a few times and gets him back into the ring. Hobbs goes for the cover, but Penta kicks out. Penta comes back with a boot to the face, but Hobbs drops him with a back-breaker. Hobbs beats Penta down near the ropes, and then Marshall ties Penta’s mask to the bottom rope. Hobbs stomps on Penta and chokes him with his boot as Abrahantes unties Penta’s mask from the rope. Hobbs delivers a delayed vertical suplex and goes for the cover, but Penta kicks out as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Penta comes back with a kick to the chest and a Slingblade. Penta delivers a Backstabber and goes for the cover, but Hobbs kicks out. Penta punches Hobbs’ ribs, but Hobbs comes back with a headbutt. Hobbs delivers a sidewalk slam and goes for the cover, but Penta kicks out. Penta comes back with back elbows, but Hobbs drops him with a few right hands. Penta comes back with an enzuigiri and a thrust kick. Penta delivers another thrust kick that sends Hobbs to the floor, and then takes him out with a leaping senton. Penta slams Hobbs into the ring steps and goes up top. Penta delivers a double stomp on the ring apron and goes up top again. Penta delivers another double stomp in the ring and goes for the cover, but Hobbs kicks out. Marshall grabs a chair and gets on the apron, but Abrahantes stops him. The title belt ends up in the ring, and then Penta drops Solo with a thrust kick and a Fear Factor. Hobbs hits Penta with the title belt and delivers Town Bidness and gets the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW TNT Champion: Powerhouse Hobbs
-After the match, Marshall grabs Abrahantes and holds him for Hobbs, but Rey Fenix rushes the ring with a hammer. Marshall and Hobbs leave the ring before he can get to them.

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A look back at The Young Bucks being attacked and taken away in ambulances, and then the main event between Kenny Omega and El Hijo del Vikingo, followed by The Blackpool Combat Club attacking Omega before Adam Page made the save, airs.

A pre-recorded promo from Omega then airs, calling out Jeff Cobb for this Wednesday night. A pre-recorded interview with Cobb follows, and he answers the challenge. Omega will defend the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship next Wednesday on Dynamite.

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Ricky Starks makes his way to the ring. Starks says he is done talking and calls Juice Robinson to the ring. Robinson comes to the stage and asks if Starks really just called him out. Robinson said if it is an ass beating that Starks wants, it is an ass beating he will get. Robinson walks toward the ring, but stops short and changes his mind. Starks goes after him, but Robinson escapes through the crowd. Robinson says Starks isn’t getting an ass beating tonight or next week, because he hates Missouri. Robinson says if Starks wants to do it, they can fight in New York City on April 5th.

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Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt cut a promo. Lethal says they are the best guys in AEW, but they are always stopped by some kind of AEW Official. Jarrett says they have been screwed out of titles over and over, and then Dutt says one day soon everyone will have to call them champions.

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Match #2 – Singles Match: Brody King (w/Julia Hart) vs. Jake Hager
They lock up and then shove each other away. They go for shoulder tackles, but neither man falls. They exchange shots and elbow strikes, and then King drops Hager with a double-handed chop. Hager goes to the floor, but King follows. They exchange shots on the outside and Hager takes advantage as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, King drops Hager with a Bossman Slam and goes for the cover, but Hager kicks out. Hager comes back and goes for the ankle lock, but King kicks him into the corner and connects with a splash. King goes for the cannonball senton, but Hager dodges it. Hager goes for the Hager Bomb, but King kicks him in the face to counter. King delivers a discus lariat and goes for the cover, but King kicks out. Anna Jay comes through the crowd and slams Hart into the ring post, and then Hager gets a two count on a roll-up. King delivers the All Seeing Eye and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Brody King

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Swerve Strickland cuts a promo. He says he is tired of Keith Lee, but he says this won’t be over until he decides it is. Strickland says Lee took out both of his men, but he can bring in someone who Lee isn’t expecting to end the war.

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Match #3 – Singles Match: Leila Grey (w/Jade Cargill and Smart Mark Sterling) vs. Taya Valkyrie
Valkyrie delivers a shot to Grey, but Sterling gets on the apron and distracts her with the clipboard. Grey clubs Valkyrie across the back, but Valkyrie comes back with a big kick. Valkyrie delivers the Road to Valhalla and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Taya Valkyrie
-After the match, Sterling gets into the ring with the cease and desist order, but Valkyrie drops him with an elbow strike and the Road to Valhalla.

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Announced for the March 29, 2023 Dynamite:
-AEW International Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. The Butcher
-IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
-Trios Tag Team Match: Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. The Blackpool Combat Club
-Adam Cole vs. Daniel Garcia
-Jack Perry vs. Matt Hardy
-Ruby Soho vs. Willow Nightingale

Announced for the April 5, 2023 Dynamite:
-Juice Robinson vs. Ricky Starks

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Angelo Parker and Matt Menard join the commentary team for the main event.

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Match #4 – Tag Team Match: The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) (w/Daddy Ass Billy Gunn) vs. The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett)
Caster and Bennett start the match. Maria tries to scissor Caster, and then Bennett delivers a shot and beats Caster in the corner. Taven tags in and delivers a dropkick. Taven goes for the cover, but Catsr kicks out. Bowens gets knocked to the floor as Bennett tags back in. Bennett sends Caster off the ropes, but Bowens comes back and makes a blind tag. Bowens delivers a shot to Bennett and slams him down. Bowens goes for the cover, but Bennett kicks out. Caster tags back in and slams Bennett down, and then Bowens delivers Scissor Me Timbers. Bowens sends Taven to the floor and The Acclaimed scissor as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Taven drops Caster with a back heel kick. Taven goes for the cover, but Caster kicks out. Bennett tags in and gets a quick two count on Caster, and then tags Taven back in. The Kingdom mock Gunn at ringside, and then Caster comes back with right hands to both of them. Maria trips Caster up and The Kingdom take him down. Taven goes for the cover as Bennett knocks Bowens to the floor, but Caster kicks out. Gunn backs Maria up the ramp and Top Flight come to the ramp and finish backing her backstage, and then Gunn drops Bennett with a shot on the ramp. Bowens tags in and delivers shots to Taven. Bowens kicks him in the midsection and drops him with a Famouser. Gunn tosses Bennett in the ring and Bowens delivers shots to him. Taven gets a two count, but Bowens drops him with a rolling elbow strike. Bowens drops Taven with the Arrival and Caster hits the Mic Drop for the pin fall.
Winners: The Acclaimed