Rampage got back on track with a solid episode tonight with 3 consequential matches and another that helped continue the build towards Full Gear. So let’s get to a happier set of rankings!
Honorable Mentions: Jungle Boy, Hook and Claudio Castagnoli. Jungle Boy. He challenged Luchasaurus to a cage match at Full Gear which Christian accepted on his behalf. Christian mentioned Jungle Boy’s Mom and started to say that he was just like his Dad, all looks no substance when Jungle Boy attacked Cage only to be taken out by Luchasaurus. Cage matches are my least favorite of the big stipulation matches because they feel very formulaic and limiting but AEW has soaced them out well and had solid showings with them before and I trust that Jungle Boy will do something crazy off the top to make it memorable. It also makes sense with Christian involved. The only thing I didn’t like here was that when challenging Jungle Boy said he was going to stack the odds against himself which made me think he was going to say a handicap match. It would have allowed the moment of him getting revenge on Christian but allowed Christian the protection of not having to really bump if he’s still hurt. But instead going cage really made no sense. Stokely Hathaway says Lee Moriarty wants any gold in AEW when Hook walks up eating a snack. They stare each other down before Hook walks off. That could be a great match for either the Full Gear pre-show or Rampage main event bext week. If they wanted to stretch it out Stokely and Hook could be comedy gold! Backstage Hager told Claudio he’s a great wrestler and they were a great team but he’s an even better sports entertainer and he should think about doing that again. He didn’t want an answer right now. It’s always nice to see outside history referenced and to see the J.A.S. trying to pur gasoline on the fire that seems to be burning within the BCC but I doubt much comes of this other than maybe a miscommunication spot in the upcoming Claudio/Bryan v. Jericho/Sammy match Wednesday to make us think they could split.
5. The House of Black. We got a video package for The House of Black narrated by an unidentified older sounding male British voice that wasn’t Regal. They showed Matthews & Black both being misted and Julia Hart led what seemed like a sheet-wrapped body in a funeral procession before we saw Brody King emerge from a pile of ashes, Matthews from water and Black from fire. If we take the ashes as earth we’re only wind and heart away from getting Captain Planet on AEW TV and I’m betting we’ll see him before Miro shows up again. They announced Death Triangle defending the titles v. Top Flight & AR Fox for Dynamite which should tear the house down but open the door for The Elite to return and call for their belts back at Full Gear but I wouldn’t be entirely shocked if they didn’t show up until at Full Gear and instead Wednesday is The House of Black returning to challenge Death Triangle. Either way I hope we get 1 of those 2 teams facing Death Triangle at Full Gear.
4. Nyla Rose. The self-proclaimed TBS Champ took on the 0-1 Kayla Sparks. Rose hit a pump kick and a crossover and corner splash before taunting Jade Cargill by flexing. She then hit a Jaded for the win. Jade and the Baddies came down. Nyla flattened The Baddies before eating a pump kick from Jade that sent her outside. Nyla is one of the more entertaining, funny wrestlers in the business on Twitter so it’s cool to see her get to touch on her comedic side as a heel. Full Gear having 3 women’s matches for the first time I can remember on an AEW PPV is interesting and I like that Jade and Nyla being the 2 big powerhouses of the division giving it a different feel than the other 2 women’s matches. I’m fully expecting a Jade retention but I expect this to be her longest, most competitive match to date.
3. Brian Cage. Cage caught Dante on a suicide dive attempt and turned it into a suplex on the floor. Back in the ring Dante countered an F5 attempt into a DDT. Dante hit a diving crossbody for 2. Cage tried for a Drill Claw but Dante escaped, sent him to the floor and hit a clean leaping springboard dive off the top rope to the floor with no hands and followed up with a diving splash in the middle of the ring for another near fall. Martin tried a 450 but Cage avoided it. Martin rolled through but ate a big discus clothesline and swinging Full Nelson slam but it wasn’t enough to put him away. Cage picked him up and followed up with a Weapon X (picture a Gory Special mixed with a Sister Abigail) that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before for the win to advance to the semi-finals of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament against former Team Taz teammate Ricky Starks. I hope the Team Taz history is referenced and that has been something AEW usually does well with but I can’t picture Cage beating Starks after they’ve done all the work to hype up Starks and Page. But AEW has made some unusual calls before and Bandido v. Cage would be great so you never know with total certainty.
2. Bandido. He squared off with fellow Mexican sensation Rush tonight and Rush attacked immediately diving on Bandido before the bell could even ring and then working on hin all around ringside including with his signature cable whips. After the bell Rush taunted Bandido with the Bulls Horns tease into a disrespectful corner kick followed by his signature pose laying in the center of the ring. During the commercial Bandido was able to go on the offensive with a corkscrew crossbody off the top. He then hit a tope suicida and Fosbury flop followed by a frog splash off the top but only got a 2. Rush seemed to miscalculate his positioning on a top rope dropkick attempt but wound up landing a diving single leg kick that almost looked like a diving Claymore and they actually replayed the spot. Bandido military press slammed (on Veteran’s Day!) Rush but it wasn’t enough. We got an exchange of German suplexes before Bandido was able to hit a crucifix bomb. Rush hit a piledriver for 2. Jose slid a chair to Rush and with the ref distracted Jose tried to take the mask off Bandido. This brought out John Silver who decked Jose and distracted Rush just long enough for Bandido to win via roll-up. Everything has been pointing to Ethan Page v. Ricky Starks in the tournament final and I’d be shocked to see Bandido win because it’d likely mean face v. face with Starks but AEW has swerved us seemingly for the sole purpose of swerving us before regardless of if it makes sense so Bandido does have a slim chance next Wednesday. He’s so good and so entertaining though that I’d hope he get screwed over by The Firm and doesn’t just take a clean loss to Page despite how much I enjoy Page.
1. Orange Cassidy. In the pre-match segment hyping his All Atlantic title defense against Lee Johnson QT Marshall said Lee didn’t join The Factory. He came home. Lee says Cassidy is a real competitor unlike Danhausen. Danhausen threatens to rip his teeth out before Orange Cassidy pulls a mic from his jacket and tries to steal Mark Henry’s line again. As for the match; Cassidy got Lee early when “Big Shotty” took and arm drag from Cassidy and then tried for 1 of his own but Orange instead remained standing and put his hands in his pockets. Cassidy does lazy kicks to Lee’s back but as he fires up Cole Karter gets on the apron so Orange has to dropkick him which provided Lee with the opportunity to go on the offensive. Still Cassidy starts to get the better of Lee when QT gets on the opposite apron. The Best Friends pull him down and with the ref distracted by that situation Nick Comoroto tosses Orange into the crowd. This allowed “Big Shotty” to finally get the upper hand but Cassidy sends Lee out of the ring and then hits a twisting springboard splash on the outside followed by a diving crossbody but it wasn’t enough to retain. Lee hit a Blue Thunder Bomb that put Cassidy away. As Johnson argues with the ref about the count Nick Comoroto Gorilla Presses Cassidy on the floor but Trent Beretta spears him to free Orange. QT and Cole Karter start to work over Trent but Chuck Taylor comes flying out of the ring on to both of them. The Best Friends hug on the ramp and Cassidy hits the tilt-a-whirl DDT and tries an Orange Punch but Lee ducks it and rolls him up with his feet on the ropes but only scores a 2. Johnson hits a series of strikes and avoids a 2nd Orange Punch attempt. He tried for a powerbomb but Cassidy dropped out and hit a Beach Break for the win which Jim Ross told us was Orange Cassidy’s 75th in AEW. Cole Karter tried to jump Orange Cassidy from behind but ate an Orange Punch for his efforts. The Best Friends hugged Cassidy as QT teased getting in the ring but backed out. The trio of faces then hugged Cole Karter who started to celebrate before taking a triple powerbomb as the rest of The Factory retreated up the ramp and the good guys posed to close the show. This was a fun main event and the best match on a show that featured Bandido v. Rush. It was a solid showing for Johnson in his first match back in a while but hurt by the fact Johnson hadn’t been established enough to ever feel like a real threat. The All Atlantic Championship essentially becoming the TV title or Rampage title more specifically has been a nice place for it but I’d like to see Cassidy have a more proper feud with somebody or a 1 on 1 with somebody who feels like a bigger threat. Ethan Page felt like he was going to be that guy but now with the tournament going on it feels like yet another start and stop thing for AEW where they struggle too often to just get a cart on the tracks and jump in for a straight ride. Selfishly, as somebody with tickets to Full Gear I’m hoping he at least gets a pre-show defense and isn’t just stuck on Rampage again next week. He’s been one of the mainstays of TV recently so it’d be nice for him to get something at the PPV.
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