“Go Home” shows for wrestling events are an interesting concept. You’re trying to get last minute buys for you pay per view, yet you don’t want to risk injury to any of your top stars. Traditionally, you would cut a lot of promo’s, have guys get into a brawl and be separated by referees and “security”, and have some quick matches with run-in’s to save the performers from having to put too much stress on their bodies before the big show. However, this is AEW, and this is Friday night, and you know what that means! It’s Rampage, and Full Gear be damned, we’re gonna put on a banger tonight!
JUNGLE BOY VS. BOBBY FISH
The show opened with Jungle Boy vs. Bobby Fish, who was already in the ring. If you’ve never watched wrestling a day in your life, let me tell you, it’s never a good thing to be “already in the ring.”
The match was hard hitting and Jungle Boy took a lot of tough shots and bad landings, way more than you’d expect for someone with a Falls Count Anywhere match the next night. However, this was the story of the match. Bobby Fish is currently acting as the associate enforcer of the Elite, and it was his job to “weaken” Jungle Boy for the six man tag match the next day. While he is miles ahead of Brandon Cutler or Michael Nakazawa, Bobby Fish is still a long way from winning significant matches. Jungle Boy eventually was able to get his Snare Trap submission hold put on, and Bobby Fish taps.
After the match, we of course get the obligatory run-in from Adam Cole as he and Bobby Fish start laying the boots to Jungle Boy. A “con-chair-to” was about to be delivered but Christian Cage and Luchasaurus came to the aid of their tag partner and chased the bad guys away.
HANGMAN PAGE “APOLOGIZES” TO THE BUCKS
In a rather surprising backstage segment, Hangman Adam Page apologizes to the Young Bucks about his previous behavior. “I was an ass for a very long time, I threw away our friendship, I cost you a shot at the tag titles…but you cost me a shot at the world title with the Dark Order in July. So the way I see it, we’re even now. So Saturday [at Full Gear], if you so much as lay a hand on me, I swear to God I’ll ruin you.”
This “redemption tour” of sorts for Page on his journey to becoming champion has been told so brilliantly. This was not a segment I was expecting, nor was it really “needed” for the hype up to the match, but these little details are exactly why the whole wrestling world will be rooting for Page at Full Gear.
JADE CARGILL VS. SANTANA GARRETT
Following the theme of the night, Jade Cargill gets ready to face Santana Garrett, who, like Bobby Fish in the previous match, is already in the ring. Ruh Roh. The real focus of this match was Red Velvet, Jade’s next opponent in the TBS Championship Tournament. Jade and Red Velvet got in a shoving match at ringside before Jade eventually went on to squash Santana Garrett in the ring. Speaking of “squash”, this was also Jade Cargill’s one year anniversary, and her manager “Smart” Mark Sterling decided to get her a cake to celebrate the occasion. Baked goods should never be near ringside, because you just know somebody is gonna end up wearing that frosting. Sure enough, Mark turns around to present the cake to Jade and who is there but Red Velvet. She shoves the cake in Mark’s face before her and Jade get into a brawl.
DANTE MARTIN VS. ARIYA DAIVARI
So…how do you keep a crowd excited when you’re not able to use a lot of your main stars on the show? You give them Dante Martin in his hometown! Dante is rapidly becoming one of the hottest stars in AEW, and this “be weary of your mentor” storyline they are playing out with him and Lio Rush has been fantastic. For this match, he was taking on fellow “hometown boy” (and former WWE performer) Ariya Daivari.
This was Daivari’s AEW debut… and he was already in the ring when Martin came out. While the finish of the match was a foregone conclusion, the journey there was excellent. Martin continues to impress and Daivari kept up with him every step of the way. It may be too soon to officially make Ariya Daivari “elite”, but I’d say he’s already proven that WWE made a mistake by letting him go.
After the match, Hobbs and Hook (from Team Taz) approach the ring as Ricky Starks talks to Dante from the top of the ramp. Hobbs hands Dante a contract to join team tazz, and Hook offers Dante some of his Corn Nuts, which makes the crowd pop. If Hook never wrestles a single match, he still might be my favorite thing in AEW. The segment ends with Dante standing in the ring, contemplating the contract.
ORANGE CASSIDY VS. MATT HARDY IN A LUMBERJACK MATCH
Leave it to the Best Friends to make a lumberjack match enjoyable. Before the match, Mark Henry is interviewing both men before the main event, and standing behind Orange Cassidy are Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor, and Kris Statlander decked out in lumberjack gear! Comedy acts are an important part of wrestling and there is no better comedy act right now than the Best Friends. Both Matt Hardy and Orange Cassidy say that this is the end of the rivalry tonight, and let’s hope they’re right so both groups can move on to bigger and better things.
As the bell rings, Matt Hardy offers $20,000 to any lumberjack who takes Orange Cassidy out. Ironically, this causes the lumberjacks to start attacking each other and not really focusing on the match in the ring. Eventually all chaos erupts, as often is the case in lumberjack matches, and plenty of high spots from the best friends and the lumberjacks ensue. Amidst all of the distractions and interference, The Blade is able to sneak in and hit Orange Cassidy with a pair of brass knuckles and Matt Hardy gets the pin.
While it was a bit of a sour note to end on, the crowd was into the match and it certainly provided a level of excitement worthy of the main event of a go home show. Will this ACTUALLY be the end of this feud? Only time will tell.
