As AEW continues to grow as a company and (rightfully) shift more of their attention to storyline, one thing remains abundantly clear: Rampage is the place to go for action. This week’s episode of Rampage featured four stellar matches, including two “title” matches (FTW title is debatable), a women’s grudge match, and Adam Cole facing perhaps the most underrated member of the AEW roster.
ADAM COLE VS. EVIL UNO
Look, I’m not going to sit here and say Evil Uno should be in line for the world championship…or the TNT championship… but the dude has charisma oozing out of his mask, and for a bigger guy, I don’t know if there’s anybody better out there, besides Kevin Owens.
This week, the “secondary” storyline of Adam Cole vs. the dark order continued, and this week was Evil Uno’s turn to do the job. No disrespect to Silver, Reynolds, Cabana, 5, 10, or even -1, but Evil Uno is the face (or mask) of this faction. Whether he is the glue holding them together or the wedge driving them apart, he is central for any Dark Order storyline, and has been since day one. It’s been well established that Adam Cole can have a five star match with his shadow, so putting him with a bump machine like Evil Uno is a treat for wrestling fans of any era.
The match was short but effective, as Adam Cole looked proficient and dangerous, laying in a lot of stiff blows and getting most of his big moves in, and decidedly won a well fought contest. After the match, Cole grabs a microphone and reminds everybody that he is undefeated since joining AEW, and is tired of being overlooked and not treated like the best wrestler on the planet, which he has been for years. Cole vows to soon be the AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
SAMMY GUEVARA VS. ISIAH KASSIDY (TNT CHAMPIONSHIP)
Sammy Guevara was looking to make a statement in his first title defense since defeating Cody Rhodes in a TNT Championship unification ladder match. His opponent, Private Party’s Isiah Kassidy is much more accustomed to tag team wrestling, but is a fantastic athlete and proved to be up for the challenge of the title fight.
From the beginning, the two men tried to disrespect and one-up each other, both showboating at every turn. As Kassidy tried to work on Guevara’s hurt ribs, Guevara focused his offense on the head and neck of Kassidy.
Not too thrilled with the efforts of his most recent acquisition, Andrade and his assistant Jose came out mid-match to join Matt Hardy and Marc Quen and stay in Isiah’s corner. Despite the 5-on-1 disadvantage, There were many near falls throughout the remainder of the matchup, including after a double springboard cutter by Guevara that seemed like it would definitely be the end of the match. A few moments later, though, Sammy hit the GTH and finally got the pin. It was a strong first outing for Sammy as the new TNT champion, and it appears AEW is fully behind the Spanish God as one of their top babyfaces moving forward.
After the match, it appeared that the Andrade-Hardy Family Office was going to put a beat down on the champ, but Darby Allin came out to Sammy’s aid, while also hinting at wanting a shot at the gold.
OFF THE HOOK
QT Marshall still doesn’t get it. While the rest of the wrestling world is soaking in HOOK’s awesomeness, Marshall is still not giving the young phenom the proper respect. Marshall has a never before seen student from the Factory that he is going to unleash and break HOOK’s undefeated streak. What a stupid man. this unnamed student doesn’t stand a chance!
MERCEDES MARTINEZ VS. THUNDER ROSA
Mercedes Martinez made her AEW debut by taking on the red hot Thunder Rosa. It was great to hear the ovation that Thunder Rosa received, as it is very well deserved. The match started out hot, no feeling out process for these two dangerous women.
Mercedes was definitely looking to make an immediate impression on the AEW crowd, unleashing her arsenal of offensive weapons, including a spine buster that surely made Arn Anderson smile in the back. Shortly after, Mercedes hit an avalanche death valley driver that looked like it would be the finish, but Thunder was able to kick out.
After some more back and forth, the action spilled to the outside as Thunder utilized her environment, throwing Mercedes into the steel steps. Things looked to be going Rosa’s way when out of nowhere, Martinez pulled a steel pipe out from under the ring and clobbered Rosa with it.
Thunder got the DQ victory, but it is clear that these two are far from finished with their business. In the back, Tony Schiavone was talking with Mercedes and Britt Baker came out, implying she was the one who brought Martinez in to take Thunder Rosa out of business, since Rebel and Jamie Hayter can’t get the job done. It was a nice transition and a weaving of two threads into a more complicated and developed story.
MAIN EVENT OF RAMPAGE 2/4: RICKY STARKS VS. JAY LETHAL (FTW CHAMPIONSHIP)
Since coming to AEW, Jay Lethal has yet to get much of an opportunity to show what he can do. This was by far his most high profile match to date, and while the match was hard hitting and full of the charisma that both men are known for, there wasn’t much of a story told throughout the match. There was some great moves, like Ricky Starks’ sitout powerbomb, which had a ton of impact behind it, but the match didn’t evoke a whole lot of emotion out of the crowd.
After Lethal kicked out of the powerbomb and started to turn things around, Powerhouse Hobbs jumped up on the apron and attempted to distract Lethal. He received a dropkick for his efforts, and then out of nowhere Dante Martin came out of nowhere and hit a springboard cross body splash to take Hobbs out of the equation. Lethal went for his Lethal Injection but Starks was able to catch him and counter with his finisher, the Roshambo, and retain his FTW championship.
THOUGHTS on AEW RAMPAGE 2/4 FROM THE CLOSET CHAMPION
- It is nice to see AEW paying a little more attention to storytelling. They’ve been putting out the best wrestling matches since the beginning of their run, but there has been criticism about their long-term storytelling. It is clear they are listening and adapting, and the product is better off for it.
- While the main event didn’t do much to get me out of my seat, it was proof positive that Dante Martin is an “absolute” show stealer. The Martin/Team Taz feud has been going for a while, and when Ricky and Dante finally get in the ring, I believe it will be a “match of the year” candidate.
