**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE: “New Year’s Smash Night 2” emanated from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
Excalibur, “Absolute” Ricky Starks, and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Darby Allin (with Sting) vs. The Acclaimed’s Anthony Bowens (with “Platinum” Max Caster!)
Bowens and Darby had a stare down, sizing each other up. Darby locked on a side headlock and dodged a chop block from Bowens.
“Beautiful explosivity from Darby,” said Excalibur.
Bowens used a back heel trip on Darby, but Darby used leverage to get up and then cradle Bowens for a near fall. Bowens punished Darby with knife edge chops and then stomped him in the corner turnbuckles.
Darby ran off the ropes and dropkicked Bowens. Caster jumped onto the apron. Darby flipped him off, but the distraction was enough for Bowens. Darby ran toward Bowens but Bowens sent Darby hurling into the ring post. Bowens mounted Darby and hammered down with ground and pound offense.
“Give Bowens credit. He has taken this fight right to Darby,” said Schiavone.
Darby attempted the Coffin Splash but Bowens countered with a waist lock. Darby grabbed Bowens’ ankle and cradled Bowens for a near fall. Bowens blasted Darby with a beautiful combo on offense and then a lateral press for the two-count.
“Darby is one of the toughest athletes, not just in wrestling, but in the world,” said Excalibur.
Darby nailed Bowens with a big right hand to the jaw, sending Bowens crashing off the turnbuckle. Bowens fought back with a DDT off the ropes, landing The Arrival on Darby Allin!
Darby jammed Bowens’ hand into the ring post and then stomped on it. Darby was about to go for a tope suicida but Max jumped onto the ring apron, forcing Darby to stall. Sting got involved, pulling Max down and dispensing of his disruption. Bowens bounced back, rammed Darby’s shoulder into the barricade, and then pancaked Darby on the edge of the ring apron.
“What are you going to do, Stinger,” barked Bowens at Sting.
Bowens entered the ring but the tide changed as Darby caught Bowens off guard with the Code Red for a near fall! Darby Allin, like he was shot out of a cannon, hurled himself at The Acclaimed on the outside the ring, taking both members out on the arena floor! Darby Allin pulled Bowens back in and finished him off with the Coffin Drop for the victory!
“You’re always just a Coffin Drop away from a loss,” said Tony Schiavone.
After the match, Andrade El Idolo and Jose the Assistant walked onto the stage ramp. As Darby and Sting turned their attention in Andrade’s direction, Bowens nailed Sting with his boombox!
After Sting was blindsided, The Acclaimed descended upon Darby Allin like a wild pack of dogs with a two-on-one beatdown. Bowens held up Darby, and then Max walloped Darby with a right fist, which he’d wrapped in a steel chain!
“What a cheap shot,” said Schiavone.
Street Fight!
Anna Jay & Tay Conti vs. Penelope Ford & The Bunny!
Tay wiped out Penelope with a trash can!
Anna Jay nailed The Bunny with brass knucks. Anna Jay and Tay Conti pulled a table out from underneath the ring and set it up.
Penelope Ford flung Anna face-first into the ring post! Ford hit a pump kick on Tay and placed her on the table. Penelope hit the moonsault knee drop on Tay onto the table!
Penelope pulled a glass bottle out from under the ring and then smashed it on Tay’s head. The Bunny was busted wide open from when Anna Jay stormed her with the brass knucks. Penelope picked up her partner and reassured her, “You still look beautiful.”
The Bunny and Penelope Ford pulled another table out from beneath the ring!
“It’s like a scene from Carrie,” said Ricky Starks.
Tay Conti staggered to her feet and blood was pouring out of her forehead from when she got smacked with the bottle.
The Bunny and Ford propped the table against the turnbuckles, and then placed metal folding chairs in front of it. Anna Jay suplexed The Bunny down onto the steel chairs! Anna Jay attempted to apply the Queen Slayer on The Bunny, but The Bunny pushed herself backwards, driving Anna Jay straight through the table!
“This is nuts!” said Tony Schiavone.
Outside the ring, Penelope rocked Anna Jay onto a ladder with a stunner! The Bunny pulled out a black canvass bag and poured thumbtacks all over the ring!
“Everyone here at Daily’s Place is standing,” said Schiavone.
“This is not a match, this is a street fight,” replied Excalibur.
Anna Jay superplexed The Bunny off the turnbuckles and down onto the thumbtacks! Anna Jay attempted to pin The Bunny but Penelope Ford broke up the ref’s count. Penelope Ford caught an elbow in the face from Tay!
Tay Conti nearly impaled Penelope Ford with a stuffed piledriver off the ring apron and down through a table! The Bunny pulled out the brass knucks but lost her footing, slipping on the thumbtacks that were spread across the canvass.
Anna Jay wrapped barbed wire around her own arm! Anna Jay locked on the Queen Slayer, with the barbed wire around her wrist, and The Bunny was forced to tap out!
“Holy hell,” said Schiavone.
Main Event Time!
TNT Title Match!
Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (with “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson) vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page (with Scorpio Sky & American Top Team’s Dan Lambert)!
“This is the last pro wrestling match of 2021,” said Tony Schiavone.
Cody came out of the gate with a body shot and scoop slam to Ethan Page. Cody used a headlock takedown. Dan Lambert grabbed Cody’s boot and Ethan Page connected with a blind shot on Cody.
Cody fired back with a standing dropkick. He pursued Ethan Page out onto the ring apron. Cody was looking for the Cross Rhodes on the ring apron but Ethan Page slithered out. Page jumped at Cody with a flying shoulder tackle.
“All Ego” Ethan Page rammed Cody’s shoulder into the steel ring post! Page chopped at Cody’s chest. Page tried for a suplex but Cody escaped and hit Page with a chop block. Cody worked over Page’s leg with an Indian Death Lock! Page got out of the hold but Cody went right back to work on Page’s leg. He pulled the knee pad off Ethan Page, dismantling and wrenching Page’s leg with a dragon screw.
“Ethan Page is in serious trouble here,” said Excalibur.
Cody charged at Page, but Page sprung off the ropes with a shoulder tackle. Page took Cody off his feet with a lariat and then a back body drop! Page landed a DDT on Cody Rhodes for a near fall.
Outside the ring, Scorpio Sky began to stomp on Cody! “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes ran down to ringside and evened up the odds, brawling with Scorpio Sky.
“Dustin Rhodes is taking the fight to Scorpio Sky,” said Excalibur.
Page was distracted looking at Scorpio Sky and Dustin. Cody seized the opportunity and hit the Cross Rhodes on Ethan Page for a (very) near fall! Dustin and Scorpio Sky were still brawling up the arena steps.
Cody teared away at Ethan Page’s knee brace, exposing Page’s knee.
“It’s a different side to Cody Rhodes that I’m not used to seeing,” said Ricky Starks.
“I like the aggressiveness,” replied Schiavone.
Cody propped Page onto the top turnbuckle. Cody jumped up onto the top rope but Page stopped him with a body shot. Ethan Page avalanche powerslammed Cody off the top turnbuckle for a two-count!
“But his knee!” said Ricky Starks, as Page’s knee took the brunt of the landing.
Page was clutching his left kneecap, trying to fight through the pain. They both got back to their feet and traded punches and forearms. Page attempted the Ego’s Edge but Cody countered with the Cody Cutter!
“2.99 if there ever was one,” said Excalibur, as Page barely kicked out before the three-count.
Cody applied the figure four leg lock in the center of the ring. Page reversed it, but Cody was able to force the rope break. Cody lured Page into the corner and then Cody waffled Page with a massive right forearm! Page grabbed Cody by the wrists and yanked him off the top turnbuckle onto the mat!
“The mobility of Ethan Page is a serious detriment right here,” said Excalibur.
Page tried again for the Ego’s Edge but Cody countered with the Cross Rhodes! Cody hung on and planted Page with an additional Cross Rhodes!
“This is how he beat Sammy Guevara,” said Ricky Starks.
Cody double underhooked Page and then spiked him with the Tiger Driver ‘98! Cody covered Page and pinned him, retaining the TNT Championship.
“The Tiger Driver ‘98 ends 2021,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Cody Rhodes walks into the new year…and still the TNT Champion,” replied Excalibur.
“It was a more aggressive side to Cody, but it got the job done. Congrats to Cody on retaining the TNT Championship,” added Starks.
Cody celebrated in the ring afterwards, hugging Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson.
“It’s a side he needs to keep moving forward, and Arn Anderson is reminding him of that. Be aggressive,” said Schiavone.
***Be sure to tune in next Wednesday as the TBS era begins! DYNAMITE makes the move to The Mothership!***
Catch AEW DYNAMITE live on TBS from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, featuring AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson II!
Don’t miss AEW RAMPAGE next Friday on TNT!
Mark your calendars for an AEW special event—Saturday Night Fights: Battle of the Belts—Saturday, January 8th live on TNT at 8/7c from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC!
Happy New Year!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Article source: allelitewrestling.com
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