2/16/24 AEW Rampage Recap
Join the Starman as he covers tonight’s early edition of AEW Rampage, which airs at a special start time of 7:00 EST on TNT from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas.
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The Rampage intro hits and the pyro goes off as we are welcomed to tonight’s show by Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard and we head into the first match of the night.
Match 1: Jeff Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara (No Disqualification)
The match starts as Hardy quickly takes Guevara down with a slam and heads out to the ring to fetch a ladder as Matt Hardy looks on. Hardy is unable to get hte ladder into the ring as Guevara dropkicks the ladder into Hardy and sets it up in the ring. Guevara heads out to the floor and continues on the attack, but Hardy quickly regains control by sending Guevara into the guard railing a couple times before taking Guevara out with a clothesline off the apron. The fight then continues on the apron, where Guevara connects with a knee strike and superkick before connecting with a foot stomp. Guevara then drags Hardy back into the ring for a near fall.
Hardy rolls out to the floor as Guevara chokes Hardy with a neckbrace taken from a fan. Hardy then counters and sends Guevara into the guard railing before setting up the steel steps a hits Guevara with Poetry in Motion before rolling Guevara into the ring. Hardy grabs a chair and throws it into Guevara’s face and begins to climb the ladder. Guevara climbs the other end and the two exchange blows until Hardy takes Guevara down with a Twist of Fate off the top and picks up a two count as we head into a commercial break.
The match continues with the fight back on the floor. Hardy places Guevara onto a table placed on the floor as he begins to climb a tall ladder, but Guevara gets up and pulls him down. Guevara sends Hardy into the ring and puts a chair around Hardy’s neck and hits a cutter from the middle rope that crushes Hardy’s neck within the chair. Guevara then puts Hardy onto the table set up on the floor and climbs the tall ladder. Guevara then mocks Hardy’s signature pose and hits a Swanton Bomb that sends Hardy crashing through the table, which gets a “This is awesome!” chant from the fans.
Guevara then hits a Shooting Star Press, and while Hardy gets his knees up, Guevara’s knee hits Hardy in the nose and busts him open. Guevara then hits the GTH on Hardy to pick up the pin fall.
Winner: Sammy Guevara defeated Jeff Hardy by pin fall in a no disqualification match.
After the match, Powerhouse Hobbs sneaks into the ring and takes Guevara down with a spinebuster. Don Callis walks around the ringside area as Hobbs picks up Guevara again for another slam.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Brian Cage and Prince Nana and says Cage is lined up for a big match next week as he is teaming up with Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe against Adam Page, Rob Van Dam and Hook. Cage says it doesn’t matter who Hook’s partners are next week and says Hook doesn’t belong here and thinks that he doesn’t even want to be here. Cage hates that it pisses him off that people chant his name and buy his merch, when they should be chanting his name. Cage says he is sick of taking a backseat to him and he is going to beat his ass.
Private Party is backstage to re-introduce themselves as the future AEW World Tag Team Champions. They talk that talk, they walk that walk and they litty in the city. They walk off as we head into a commercial break.
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli are backstage and Moxley says he is in a pissy mood as they are going to ruin their reputation as gentlemen. Moxley says FTR are the benchmark of tag team wrestling and says the two of them know tag team wrestling as they can read each other’s minds. Moxley asks Claudio to read his mind and he begins to tell Moxley what he is thinking. Claudio says they get results and take pride in what they do. Moxley says that was exactly what he was thinking and that they will see them next week on Dynamite.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Ruby Soho and asks what she is expecting after Angelo Parker requested time with her next week. Saraya and Harley walk in and tell Ruby that they forgive her. Ruby says she knows everything that has happened to her lately is because of her and that she needs space. Ruby then walks away and Harley says she is going to get her with her knife as she pulls out a large spoon.
Match 2: Dustin Rhodes & the Von Erichs vs. Romero Crews, Hitt & Shimbashi
Excalibur mentions that this is the first time the Rhodes and Von Erich families have teamed together in over 40 years. Rhodes and the Von Erichs start off with some quick tags as they work over Hitt and Shimbashi. Crews gets in a little bit of offense on Rhodes but it doesn’t last long as the Von Erichs lock in the claw on Hitt and Shimbashi as Rhodes hits the Final Reckoning on Crews to pick up the pin fall in this quick squash match.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes & the Von Erichs defeated Romero Crews, Hitt & Shimbashi by pin fall.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Tony Storm, who asks for her thoughts on what Deonna Purrazzo said. Storm laughs and then locks Mariah May in a couple of submission moves and then says to Deonna that nobody likes a drama queen.
A video package highlighting Sting and Darby Allin winning the AEW Tag Team Championship is aired. Allin’s voiceover says it was a beautiful moment for Sting, but the Young Bucks had to ruin their moment and now they are coming for their blood at Revolution.
A Close Up segment with Renee Paquette is aired that features Queen Aminata. She talks about beginning her wrestling training and losing her father just weeks later and never getting to tell her dad that she got signed to wrestle. Her match is up next.
Match 3: Queen Aminata vs. Anna Jay
The bell rings and the two shake hands to get the match started. The two trade off on arm bars, but Aminata takes Jay down with a headlock takeover and gains control of the match. Jay is able gain control by slamming Aminata in the corner and following with a back stabber for a near fall as we head into a commercial break.
The match continues with the two trading chops until Aminata takes Jay down with a snap suplex and follows with a clothesline and a kick. Aminata follows with a kick to the face as Jay was sitting in the corner for a near fall. Anna the counters with a Flatliner for a near fall of her own. Jay then goes for the Queen Slayer, but Aminata counters with a pin attempt, which gets Jay to break the hold. Aminata then connects with a headbutt for the pin fall to pick up her first singles victory in AEW.
Winner: Queen Aminata defeated Anna Jay by pin fall.
Anna Jay hugs Queen Aminata after her victory to show a sign of respect.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway as Willow is asked if she happy about her victory last week over Skye Blue. Statlander takes the blame for it and says she will make sure it doesn’t happen again. Willow and Hathaway shake hands to promise no more cheating as Statlander hopes everything is good between them.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho and leaves the two of them alone. Parker says it is weird for them to be doing this in front of the cameras and gives her a gift and wishes her a happy Valentine’s Day. Parker says he has feelings for her and thinks she has the same, but is cut off by Ruby, who asks him if he wants to have a drink with her. Ruby tells him to pick her up Wednesday night.
Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Jay White/Austin Gunn/Colten Gunn/Billy Gunn/Anthony Bowens/Max Caster) vs. The Dark Order (Evil Uno/John Silver/Alex Reynolds), Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett & Satnam Singh
No ring entrances take place for this 12-man tag team main event. Jay White and Jay Lethal start things off as Lethal gets the early advantage after Jarrett interferes, but White quickly gains control over Evil Uno, who is tagged in. Uno gets the brunt of the offense after a series of quick tags and finally escapes the ring after taking the Scissor Me Timbers and we head into a commercial break.
The match continues with Lethal working over Austin Gunn. Jarrett is tagged in and takes Austin down with a Russian Leg Sweep and struts around the ring. Singh is then tagged into the match and powers Austin around the ring with some coaching from Jarrett. Singh then clears the corner, except for Billy Gunn, who stands his ground and gets in Signh’s face. Reynolds is tagged in and Austin escapes to tag in Billy Gunn, who takes everyone out before hitting the Fameasser on Reynolds. The match then breaks down with everyone hitting their finisher on each other. Billy Gunn and Reynolds are the last two in the ring as Colton comes in and Billy and Colton hit the 3:10 to Yuma on Reynolds to pick up the pin fall.
Winners: Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Jay White/Austin Gunn/Colten Gunn/Billy Gunn/Anthony Bowens/Max Caster) defeated The Dark Order (Evil Uno/John Silver/Alex Reynolds), Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett & Satnam Singh by pin fall.
The announce team then hype next week’s episodes of AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision as Rampage comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Sammy Guevara defeated Jeff Hardy by pin fall in a no disqualification match.
– Dustin Rhodes & the Von Erichs defeated Romero Crews, Hitt & Shimbashi by pin fall.
– Queen Aminata defeated Anna Jay by pin fall.
– Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Jay White/Austin Gunn/Colten Gunn/Billy Gunn/Anthony Bowens/Max Caster) defeated The Dark Order (Evil Uno/John Silver/Alex Reynolds), Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett & Satnam Singh by pin fall.
