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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Welcome to Bleacher Report’s coverage and recap of AEW Rampage on January 28.
During Wednesday’s special Beach Break episode of Dynamite, Jade Cargill selected Julia Hart to be the next challenger for the TBS Championship. That match took place on Friday when the one-eyed Hart stepped into the ring with the recently crowned champion.
Jon Moxley was back in action this week when he faced Anthony Bowens from The Acclaimed. When Bowens is involved, you know Max Caster is never far behind.
Another title was on the line when Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party, and Lee Johnson teamed up with Brock Anderson to battle FTR.
Let’s take a look at everything that happened on Friday’s show.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Caster mentioned Moxley’s wife in his usual pre-match rap, so the former AEW champion was immediately in a bad mood as soon as the bell rang.
He cornered Bowens for some stiff right hands to the face to take control. He slapped Bowens in the back a few times before taking him out of the ring to throw him into the barricade.
Bowens yanked Moxley into the ring post to turn the tide in his favor. He hit several strikes and a side Russian leg sweep for a two-count. When he attempted a suplex, Mox countered and dropped him on his back.
We returned from a break to see Bowens hit a superplex. Moxley backdropped Bowens onto his partner before he took Caster out with a suicide dive. As he got back into the ring, Bowens caught him with a DDT for a two-count.
They kept upping the level of aggression as they built to the finish. As Bowens tried to use a chain as a weapon, Moxley caught him with a cutter out of nowhere. He took out Caster before hitting Bowens with the Paradigm Shift for the win.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This might have been the best pre-match rap Caster has ever delivered. It was funny and insulting in the right way without being too controversial for the network executives.
Both competitors looked fired up for this match. For Bowens, this was one of his biggest singles matches since joining AEW. You could tell he was taking this seriously.
Moxley had good energy and appears to be right back in the groove after his hiatus. This match isn’t a five-star classic or anything like that, but it was a fun, energetic encounter between two talented performers. They didn’t make any big mistakes and sold well for each other. The final few minutes were definitely the best part.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The proteges of two former Horsemen were in action this week when Johnson and Anderson took on Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood. As usual, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson were in their respective teams’ corners for support.
Johnson and Wheeler started for their teams with a nice exchange of quick holds and counters. They ran the ropes and took each other down a few times before Anderson made the tag. Harwood tagged in to face off against his idol’s son.
He taunted Arn as he worked Brock in a wristlock and took him down in a headlock. They came to a stalemate and tagged in their partners before engaging in a four-man battle.
Arn’s team took out FTR with a couple of double-team moves before Johnson scored a near-fall with a high crossbody. FTR took control during the break and dominated Johnson as Blanchard cheered them on.
Brock tagged in and took control with a flurry of quick power moves. He and Johnson hit Wheeler with a few moves, but the savvy tag team wrestler got his foot on the ropes to avoid a pin.
Once they were able to regain control, FTR hit Johnson with a spike piledriver for the win.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This was, without a doubt, the best match Johnson and Anderson have had in AEW. Both men are still young, so seeing them perform this well at this early stage in their careers means they will both be forces to be reckoned with in a few years.
This match had a little bit of everything. Johnson took care of hitting some high-flying moves while the other three men focused more on brawling and grappling attacks.
The chemistry between these teams was surprisingly good. Anderson and Johnson could wind up being a big part of the tag team division by the end of the year if they keep this up.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The first of two title matches on this week’s show saw Cargill put the TBS Championship on the line against Hart, who was still sporting an eye patch to sell her injury at the hands of Malakai Black and his venomous mist.
They locked up and the powerhouse Cargill easily put Hart in a headlock before knocking her down with a running shoulder. She caught Hart in midair and hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and an elbow drop for a one-count.
Cargill did some pushups and situps to taunt her opponent. The crowd counted along with her, but she almost regretted it when Hart rolled her up for a quick two-count.
The former cheerleader hit a few kicks before Cargill powered her up. Hart countered with a hurricanrana for a two-count before Cargill drilled her with a boot to the face and her finisher for the win.
Grade: C+
Analysis
Some might call this a glorified squash match, and they wouldn’t be wrong, but it was still more competitive than most the matches Cargill has had, especially before the recent tournament.
We have started to see the TBS champion branch out with slightly longer matches in recent weeks. She still has room to grow but is quickly proving that she is more than a two-move fighter.
This match was exactly what it needed to be. It could have been more exciting, but Cargill still needs to be booked like a monster until she is comfortable doing more in the ring.
Hart got in more offense than expected but the outcome was still exactly what we all knew it would be. Cargill is a star but it’s going to be fun when she starts having more competitive matches like we saw when she faced Thunder Rosa and Ruby Soho.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The main event was a tag title match between Jurassic Express and Private Party, but Matt Hardy and The Blade were also at ringside to cause some trouble.
Private Party got an early lead by double-teaming Jungle Boy, but he avoided a combination leg drop and splash. This allowed him to tag in Luchasaurus to clear the ring.
He took out The Blade and Hardy at ringside before he dropped Isiah Kassidy on the apron. Hardy hit him with a chair while Marq Quen kept the referee occupied.
We returned to see Luchasaurus finally make the hot tag to Jungle Boy. The high-flyer lived up to his reputation with a series of quick aerial maneuvers that took out everyone on the opposing team and at ringside.
Kassidy was able to get to the top rope, but Jungle Boy climbed up with him. Quen picked him up and Luchasaurus stole his partner away. Kassidy tried to hit a crossbody, but Jungle Boy turned it into a slam for a two-count.
Kassidy spiked Luchasaurus with a DDT before Jungle Boy locked him in the Snare Trap. Quen broke up the hold with a shooting star press. Jurassic Express recovered and hit their finisher for the pin and the win. As soon as the bell rang, The Gunn Club hit the ring and took the champions out.
Grade: B
Analysis
This was a good main event with some fun high spots and double-team combos. There might have been a little too much going on at once toward the end, but you could usually follow who was legal and who wasn’t.
Hardy and The Blade getting involved is another example of AEW relying a little too much on outside interference, but it didn’t change the outcome, so it wasn’t too bad.
This was a strong week for Rampage in terms of in-ring competition. All four matches were enjoyable in different ways and are worth taking the time to check out if you missed the show live.
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