**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE emanated from the H-E-B Center in Austin, TX!
It’s Friday and you know what that means!
Tonight’s announce team was Excalibur, “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz, and “The Influencer” Chris Jericho!
Texas-Sized Grudge Match!
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer (with American Top Team’s Dan Lambert) vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
Archer walked through the tunnel and onto the ramp carrying one of Dustin Rhodes’ students from the Rhodes Wrestling Academy, about to inflict some pain. Thankfully Dustin wasn’t far behind and knocked the student free from Archer’s grasp.
Dustin and Archer brawled ringside. “The Natural” grabbed Dan Lambert and was going to piledrive him on the arena floor when Archer came to Lambert’s aid. Once the bell rang, Archer clubbed Dustin with forearms. Archer tore off the turnbuckle pad, exposing the buckle.
The crowd chanted “Let’s go Dustin!”
Dustin clotheslined Archer over the top rope. Dustin tried to follow up with a cannonball senton but Lance Archer dodged it. Dustin crashed and burned onto the arena floor!
“That’s a bad, bad landing,” said Taz.
Archer knocked Dustin down in the ring with an open-palm strike. Dustin’s ear was busted open and he was bleeding.
“Dustin Rhodes in serious trouble here,” said Excalibur as Archer hit a splash off the ropes for a near fall.
Archer kicked Dustin in the jaw. Dustin fired back with chops. Archer hammered the spine of Dustin Rhodes and then placed a boot across Dustin’s ear, grinding it down. Archer started to chomp on the finger of Dustin Rhodes.
Dustin exploded with a flurry of right hands to the jaw of Archer. Dustin connected with a boot to the midsection and then an uppercut. Dustin tried for the powerslam but Archer planted his feet and blocked it, countering with a suplex.
Dustin regained momentum with an elbow to Archer’s head. Dustin hit Archer with a bulldog off the second turnbuckle and then the CrossRhodes for a near fall! Archer turned the tables and nailed Dustin with a vertical suplex. Archer took a full nelson and transitioned it into a slam on Rhodes. Archer followed up with a chokeslam for a near fall.
“What a battle between these two big bulls,” said Taz.
Archer propped up Rhodes for the Black Out but Dustin fell backwards on the mat. Archer spotted the exposed turnbuckle from earlier and gestured towards it, however Dustin yanked Archer’s head and shoved it into the exposed metal!
Dustin Rhodes grabbed a jackknife on Archer for the pin!
“A crafty veteran gets a crafty victory right there,” said Taz.
Enraged over the loss, Archer slammed the face of Dustin into the steel ring steps after the match!
“Dustin’s skull was smashed into those steel steps multiple times,” said Taz.
Dustin’s forehead was busted open. Archer spotted it and rammed his knee into Dustin’s head!
Students from the Rhodes Wrestling Academy ran out to help their instructor but Archer wiped out all of them. Archer grabbed Rhodes again and choke slammed him through the timekeeper’s table!
Jay Lethal was interviewed backstage.
Lethal said that he took Adam Cole and Ricky Starks to the limit, and while they may be blemishes on his record, they both had to cheat to score wins over him. Lethal said there has to be a better way but he has to figure it out. Lethal said he has thinking to do.
Fuego Del Sol was in the ring with a microphone.
Fuego: “From the second I stepped into this company, I knew nothing would be handed to me. I had to fight for everything I got. Chris Jericho poked fun at me on commentary last week. But you fans believed in me. So House of Black—I am ready to fight!”
The lights went out and when they came back on, the House of Black had Fuego Del Sol surrounded in the ring. Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Malakai Black began the beatdown on Fuego!
“It’s gonna be a massacre here,” said Taz.
Brody smashed Fuego into the mat with the Fire Thunder Driver!
“Fuego asked for it and he got it,” said Excalibur.
As the House of Black were leaving the ring, the Dark Order marched out to confront them! The House of Black let the Dark Order pass…for now. Dark Order went into the ring to check on Fuego Del Sol.
TNT Champion Scorpio Sky, “All Ego” Ethan Page, and Co-TNT Champion Dan Lambert were backstage.
Lambert announced that the TNT Championship was no longer subject to the open challenge. Anyone that wants a shot at them will have to earn it first.
Sky: “If you want an open shot, you’re gonna have to get it the hard way. Consider the open door closed.”
Dark Order’s Alan “5” Angels & 10 vs. ReDRagon—Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly!
Kyle and Angels locked up. Kyle connected with strikes and then tagged in Fish. Bobby Fish continued the body shots on Angels. 10 tagged in and cleaned house on ReDRagon! He hit a double tackle on ReDRagon!
Kyle jumped on 10’s back. Fish tried to help his partner but 10 muscled his way over to get the tag to Angels. Alan Angels was able to hit a leg lariat and a kick onto both members of ReDRagon. Kyle countered with a submission on Angels until 10 jumped into the ring! 10 broke up the pin but ReDRagon flattened 10 with the high-low!
ReDRagon walloped Angels with their Chasing the Dragon finisher, and then Fish pinned Angels!
After the bell rang, ReDRagon continued to serve up the punishment on 10 and Angels. And then AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express and Christian Cage ran down to even up the odds and chase off ReDRagon.
As Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus were in the ring, Adam Cole snuck up from behind and stole their tag titles like a cowardly thief. Cole handed the belts to Fish and O’Reilly.
“The Native Beast” Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero) vs. Madi Wrenkowski!
Chris Jericho said that Nyla was the inaugural winner of Chris Jericho’s Sports Entertainer of the Week award.
Wrenkowski was making her AEW RAMPAGE debut and is a student of Nyla Rose.
Nyla charged at Madi! Nyla splashed Madi and followed up with the Beast Bomb to pin Wrenkowski!
“That’s a direct message sent to the new AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa,” said Taz.
Up next: QT Marshall’s presentation of the Certificate of Accomplishment to HOOK!
QT Marshall was in the ring with a microphone, while Aaron Solo held the certificate.
QT: “Ladies and gentlemen, the recipient of the first ever QT Marshall Certificate of Accomplishment—HOOK!”
Hook strolled out to the ring, looking very annoyed.
QT: “This is such a special night. Normally a mentor would get jealous when his protégé surpasses him, but not me. I’m not a jealous kind of guy. HOOK, congratulations, this is something you’re going to be able to tell your grandkids about. You are the recipient of the inaugural QT Marshall Certificate of Accomplishment.”
QT held up the framed certificate. HOOK grabbed Aaron Solo and rammed him headfirst through the frame!
As HOOK walked to the back, Danhausen walked down the ramp. Danhausen tried to curse HOOK but HOOK walked past him.
“HOOK broke the curse! I can’t believe it! Danhausen can’t believe it! What kind of powers does HOOK have?” wondered Jericho.
Main Event Time!
FTW Championship Match!
FTW World Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks (with Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Swerve Strickland!
Ricky took down Swerve with a deep arm drag. After some beautiful chain wrestling and a flurry of offense, Swerve landed a dropkick!
“Swerve came out to fight. I think he’s taking Starks a little bit by surprise,” said Jericho.
Swerve charged at Starks but Starks moved out of the way, sending Swerve hard into the middle turnbuckle pad. Starks planted Swerve with a Doctor Bomb. Starks nailed Swerved with a DDT.
Swerve rocked Starks with a knee strike and then a diving uppercut off the middle rope! Swerve followed up with a leaping flatliner for a near fall.
Swerve pump kicked Starks and then hit a running shooting star press off the apron!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Swerve flattened Ricky Starks with a double foot stomp off the top rope for a near fall!
“Ricky Starks proving his toughness but how much more does he have in the tank?” asked Excalibur.
Swerve applied a half nelson but Starks countered with a roll up for a near fall on Swerve. Starks tried for a tope suicida but got cut off when Swerve connected with a big elbow strike. Outside the ring, Powerhouse Hobbs smashed into Swerve with a shoulder tackle!
“A big semi just hit Swerve,” said Taz.
“The ref didn’t see it!” added Excalibur.
Starks pinned Swerve after flattening him with the Roshambo!
“Ricky Starks retains!” said Excalibur.
Starks’ entourage came to the ring to help Starks celebrate. “Limitless” Keith Lee decimated the entourage! Keith Lee and Powerhouse Hobbs began to brawl! Swerve got into the fray and began slugging it out with Starks again!
The referees ran down to the ring to try to separate the wrestlers!
“This is nothing but bad blood and hatred among these four men,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Article source: allelitewrestling.com