12/22/23 AEW Rampage: Holiday Bash Recap

The opening credits roll. Chris Jericho, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Match #1 – AEW International Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) (w/Trent Beretta) vs. Rocky Romero
They lock up, but neither man gains the advantage as they back into the ropes. Romero taunts Cassidy after the break, and they lock up again. Cassidy sends Romero off the ropes and returns the taunt. Romero chops Cassidy, and then Cassidy puts his hands in his pockets. Cassidy delivers a dropkick, but Romero comes back with a hurricanrana. Romero sends Cassidy into the barricade with a dive through the ropes, and then tosses him back into the ring. Cassidy rolls out the other side, but Romero takes him down with another hurricanrana. Romero slams Cassidy into the apron and gets him back into the ring. Romero delivers a few corner clotheslines, but Cassidy comes back with a roll-up for a two count. Romero delivers a back-breaker and sends Cassidy into the corner. Romero delivers another back-breaker and goes for the cover, but Cassidy kicks out.
Romero sends Cassidy into the corners a few times, but Cassidy comes back with a DDT. Cassidy sends Romero into the barricade with a dive through the ropes, and then gets him back into the ring. Cassidy connects with a diving cross-body, but Romero comes back with a vertical suplex. Romero hangs Cassidy over the top rope and goes for a diving knee drop. Cassidy dodges it and goes for a right hand, but Romero dodges it. Cassidy brings Romero to the apron, but Romero drops him with a snap suplex as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Cassidy and Romero exchange shots. Romero delivers an elbow shot to Cassidy’s back, but Cassidy comes back with a thrust kick. Romero delivers a back heel kick, but Cassidy drops him with the Orange Punch. Cassidy delivers a few kicks to Romero and follows with a running PK. Romero comes back with a knee strike and drops Cassidy with Sliced Bread for a two count. Romero goes for Strong Zero, but Cassidy rolls through for a two count. Cassidy goes for Beach Break, but Romero rolls through. Cassidy rolls right back through and gets another two count. Cassidy kicks Romero in the face and goes for a diving DDT, but Romero counters with a leaping knee strike. Romero delivers another knee strike and hits Strong Zero for a two count. Romero goes after Cassidy, but Cassidy counters with the Orange Punch and Beach Break for the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy
-After the match, Cassidy, Beretta, and Romero share a hug in the ring.

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Footage of AEW wrestlers handing out toys at a Toys for Tots event in the Dallas area earlier in the week.

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Tony Schiavone interviews Kris Statlander. Statlander says she and Willow Nightingale have been through a lot, but they got things back on track and nothing can come between them. Stokely Hathaway interrupts and says that Nightingale has been carrying Statlander and if it wasn’t for her they would have lost on Collision last week. Hathaway tells Statlander to look in the mirror and see if she can see the Statlander that he can see, which is the woman who can dominate the entire women’s division.

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Brian Cage and Prince Nana talk about Cage’s match against Keith Lee tomorrow night on Collision. Cage says he is going to give Lee and giant-sized ass kicking tomorrow night because nobody is better than Brian Cage.

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Match #2 – Tag Team Match: The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) vs. The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (w/Roderick Strong)
Matt and Taven start the match. Matt delivers a right hand and sends Taven to the corner. Matt drives his shoulder into Taven’s midsection and few times and beats him down. Matt delivers a back body drop to Taven and follows with a right hand. Jeff tags in and Matt catapults Taven into the bottom rope. Jeff splashes onto Taven and goes for the cover, but Taven kicks out. Matt tags back in and the Hardys double-team Taven for a bit. Matt goes for the cover, but Taven kicks out. Taven comes back with an enzuigiri to Matt and tags in Bennett. Bennett delivers elbow strikes to Matt, but Matt comes back with a chop and tags in Jeff. The Hardys hit Whisper in the Wind in the corner and Jeff slaps Bennett across the face. Jeff drops Bennett with a Russian leg-sweep and goes up top, but Taven distracts him. Jeff kicks Taven away, but Bennett trips him up as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Jeff kicks Bennett to the apron. Matt kicks Bennett in the face and drops him with the Side Effect on the apron. Jeff tags Matt in, and Matt drops Taven with a few clotheslines. Matt slams Taven’s head into the turnbuckles repeatedly and follows with a power bomb for a two count. Matt delivers the Side Effect and goes for the cover, but Taven kicks out again. Bennett gets in the ring, but Matt drops him with a Twist of Fate. Matt goes for it on Taven, but Taven escapes to the floor. Matt slams Taven into the barricade and the timekeeper’s table. Jeff delivers shots to Bennett with hit boot and Matt slams Bennett into the ring steps repeatedly. Matt grabs a chair, but the referee takes it away from him. Taven grabs Matt from behind and gets the pin fall with a roll-up and handful of tights.
Winners: The Kingdom

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Renee Paquette interviews Ruby Soho. Soho says she hasn’t spoken to Saraya, but Angelo Parker walks up. Parker says this is the time of year to ask what you want for, and then asks Renee to ask him what he wants for Christmas. She does, and he says he wants to take Soho out for a drink. Saraya interrupts and says if this is what Soho wants then she is happy. Saraya sends Soho and Renee to the locker room for their gifts, and then cusses out Parker and says Soho is hers. Parker says Soho is her for now, and then Saraya says she hates him. Saraya goes after Soho and tells her that she loves Parker as she walks away.

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Match #3 – Singles Match: Skye Blue vs. Queen Aminata
They exchange shots and Blue gains the advantage. Blue comes off the ropes, but Aminata delivers a headbutt. Aminata goes for an Air Raid Crash, but Blue counters and they exchange roll-ups. Aminata drops Blue with a twisting neck-breaker and goes for a kick in the ropes. Blue dodges it and delivers one of her own. Blue slams Aminata face-first on the apron, and then slams her into the barricade. Blue gets Aminata back into the ring and goes for the cover, but Aminata kicks out. They exchange shots again, and then Aminata drops Blue with a German suplex. Aminata delivers a hip attack in the corner, followed by a running kick to the face. Aminata goes for the cover, but Blue kicks out. Aminata stomps on Blue’s midsection and goes up top. Aminata comes off the ropes, but Blue dodges her and delivers a few kicks to the face. Blue delivers a TKO and locks in a dragon sleeper to make Aminata tap out.
Winner: Skye Blue

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Match #4 – AAA Mega Championship Match: El Hijo del Vikingo (c) vs. Black Taurus
Neither man gains the advantage early on, but Vikingo gets a one count on a roll-up. Taurus applies a side-headlock, but Vikingo turns it into one of his own. Taurus dodges a pump kick and drops Vikingo with an arm-drag. They exchange quick shots and stand at a stalemate. Vikingo delivers a pump kick, but Taurus comes back with a spinning back kick and works over Vikingo’s neck. Taurus slams Vikingo down and goes for the cover, but Vikingo kicks out as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Vikingo delivers a dropkick and goes up top. Vikingo goes for a poison-rana, but Taurus catches him. Vikingo sends Taurus to the outside and runs the ropes, but Taurus dodges him and then takes him with a corkscrew dive on the outside. Vikingo comes back and slams Taurus into the ring post. Vikingo delivers a kick to the face and dives over the ropes, but Taurus catches him. Vikingo counters back and slams Taurus on the floor. Vikingo drops Taurus with a Skytwister Press and gets him back into the ring. Vikingo goes up top, but Taurus rolls out of the way. Taurus charges, but Vikingo kicks him in the face and delivers an enzuigiri. Vikingo drops Taurus with a poison-rana and a crucifix bomb, but Taurus comes right back with a Gore. Taurus charges, but Vikingo sends him to the apron. Taurus slams Vikingo face-first into the turnbuckle and pulls him up top.
Taurus power slams Vikingo down to the mat and goes for the cover, but Vikingo kicks out. Taurus delivers a back-breaker and follows with a high-angle power bomb. Taurus follows with a discus lariat and goes for the cover, but Vikingo kicks out. Vikingo comes back with a thrust kick and sends Taurus into the ropes. Vikingo delivers double running knees against the ropes and drops him with a reverse-rana. Vikingo delivers double knees to Taurus’s head and then hits the 630 senton for the pin fall.
Winner and AAA Mega Champion: El Hijo del Vikingo