AEW continues its series of live October editions of Rampage with a broadcast from Jacksonville, Florida that includes three title matches.
In the headliner, AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed will defend against The Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese & Josh Woods) where if Max Caster & Anthony Bowens win they take the “scissor me” brand that Mark Sterling owns and refuses to let them use.
In a match played on Thursday night, All-Atlantic AEW Champion Orange Cassidy will defend against Rush and Preston “Ten” Vance. Originally just Rush vs. Vance, Cassidy inserted himself into the situation and offered to set up the title by doing so.
The FTW title will be on the line as undefeated Hook defends himself against Trustbusters’ Ari Daivari who recently offered to buy the belt for $50,000 but was rebuffed.
In singles action, fan favorite Willow Nightingale will take on Penelope Ford.
Our live coverage begins at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Live from Jacksonville, Florida with Jim Ross, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone on commentary.
The Varsity Athletes and Mark Sterling burst onto YouTube as the good movie Wonder Woman ended on TNT. Sterling wore a bright pink suit adorned with scissors. Schiavone complained of overdoing trademark advocacy in the fight.
The Acclaimed (with Billy Gunn) defeated The Varsity Athletes (with Mark Sterling) to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship and reclaim the “Scissoring” brand (8:06)
Sure, Max Caster brought up AEW’s victory in the ratings war on Tuesday in his rap, but Sterling cut Anthony Bowens off before he could say “Scissor Me, Daddy!” This sparked a fight between the two teams who eventually settled into Bowens, whipping Josh Woods into a Caster Powerslam for a near pinfall. Also in the commentary, it is mentioned that a deal was brokered to prevent Jade Cargill from taking the show hostage. Disappointing.
Woods knocked Caster to the ground and pulled Billy Gunn into the ring, and the referee ejected Gunn from ringside. (After looking a second time, Woods collapsed next to Gunn in the ring, then claimed that Gunn had tripped him, which is why the referee sent Gunn to the back.) Woods has hit Caster with a daredevil to gain control as the show went on hiatus. .
After the break, Caster hit Woods with a crossbody over the top rope and tags were made on both sides. Bowens led the fight against Woods and Nese. Bowens knocked Nese down from a standing position with a jumping leg to the back of his neck. Nese and Woods made a comeback. Nese sent Bowens from the middle turnbuckle into a knee kick from Woods. The varsity athletes hit their angle slam/neckbreaker combo on Bownes for a near fall. Caster caught Woods with an inverted Death Valley driver, but Nese came back with a super kick on Caster. Bowens ran through a sunset overturn attempt from Nese and connected with a knee kick. Bowens took Woods out with a superkick, hit Nese with the finish, and Caster came off the top with the Mic Drop for the pinfall.
It’s amazing how great The Acclaimed have become in such a short time.
After the game, Sterling held up the mark paperwork and claimed that just because his team lost didn’t mean he was losing the mark. Gunn came back and threw Sterling into the ring. The Acclaimed destroyed Sterling while Gunn tore up the mark, which I’m sure in the fight renders it legally invalid. The tag champions and Billy Gunn chiselled to the delight of the crowd.
– In a pre-recorded segment, Tony Schiavone interviewed Jade Cargill. Penelope Ford is injured, so Leila Gray will replace her in the match against Willow Nightingale tonight. In exchange, Nyla Rose will step into the ring for a showdown with Cargill so she can get her TBS belt back. Cargill doesn’t care about Rampage, she just wants her belt back. She’s a professional woman who keeps her word, just like Schiavone!
– At the back, Ortiz and the Lucha Brothers try to intervene with Eddie Kingston about his temper. PAC interrupted them and told Kingston to listen to them, since they are all champions. PAC then reprimanded Kingston for his Grand Slam behavior. This upset Kingston, but Ortiz managed to keep him calm.
Hook defeated Ari Daivari (with Jeeves K) to retain the FTW title (2:47)
Daivari tried to pay Hook with a stack of cash for the belt before the match, but Hook slapped the cash out of Daivari’s hands. “I’ll be right back.” – JR.
Daivari performed well against Hook…for about a minute. Hook fought back with punches and a fisherman suplex. Butler Jeeves K stepped in and Daivari nearly went down with a suplex. Hook dodged a charge that sent Daivari to the apron, where Hook locked out Redrum and he pulled Daivari back into the ring for the submission. Hook then grabbed Jeeves and choked him as well.
– Lexi Nair interviewed Stokely Hathaway, Matt Hardy and Ethan Page. Hathaway has sent Private Party to Stokely Hathaway Wrestling Academy and they are sending Matt Hardy to wrestle a match on Dark next week. Matt Hardy responded with a rap that left everyone confused.
Willow Nightingale defeated Leila Gray (7:51)
Nightingale hit Gray with a few short arm clotheslines and a slam. Nightingale kicked Gray out of the ring and entered it with Hogan on the ground. Hogan hit Nightingale with a superkick, allowing Gray to take control.
After a lengthy commercial break, Nightingale nearly went down with a spinebuster. Gray countered a fireman’s carry with a Russian leg sweep, then went for CM Punk’s running knee in the corner into a bulldog out of the corner, but Gray countered the bulldog. Hogan tried to interfere a second time, but it backfired and Gray kicked the DoctorBomb (gutwrench suplex into a sitout powerbomb) for the pinfall. To push. This. Women. Nightingale is fantastic and finished with the crowd.
After the match, Tony Schiavone entered the ring and announced that Nightingale was now officially #AllElite. The celebration ended abruptly when Jade Cargill came out with a chair to stage a sit-in protest in the ring, giving Nyla Rose a ten-second countdown to return the belt. As the crowd counted down, Nyla Rose was shown in the parking lot stealing Cargill’s car. Rose took her team for a night on the town in Jacksonville. Cargill stayed in the ring while the bad guys ran backwards to try and grab the car (I don’t think they’ll have much luck on foot). Jade beat up the security guards who tried to abduct her.
– They replayed the twitter angle who set up tonight’s main event. “Orange, I don’t even have a mouth” made me laugh.
Orange Cassidy (with Danhausen and Best Friends) defeated Rush (with Jose the Assistant) and Dark Order #10 Preston Vance (with -1) to retain the AEW All Atlantic Championship (11:53)
Cassidy attempted to steal Mark Henry’s line during the main event promotion. Jose promised that Rush would make Cassidy AEW’s most fleeting champion, which isn’t possible since Cassidy has already survived Punk’s reign.
During this match, it is the first time that commentators have mentioned that Adam Page is doing well and resting comfortably after his match on Tuesday. Additionally, Schivone and Ross opened up about the sudden passing of AEW Chief Video Engineer Brian Muster this week.
This triple threat match was perfect for Cassidy. He laid down in the opening and let Rush and Vance fight each other. When they turned their attention to Cassidy, he hit them with his “high impact” kicks. Rush pinned Vance with a forearm, Cassidy hit Rush with a shotgun dropkick, and the fight went to the ground where Rush took control. Rush dominated and brawled with his two opponents. He smothered Vance with an extension cord. Lots of ground fighting, but not much going on.
Eventually, Rush and Vance briefly returned to the ring, where Vance hit a series of clotheslines. They returned to the ground again. Cassidy tried to follow with a griddle, but Vance and Rush caught it and sent Cassidy through a table at ringside.
After a long split-screen break, Vance hit Rush with a spear. Vance went for the full nelson on Cassidy, but Cassidy countered with a millionaire slumdog and spinning DDT. Cassidy hit the Beach Break on Vance for a near fall, interrupted by Jose. Danhausen cursed Jose, then kicked him low. Rush knocked out Danhausen and got soaked in boos from the crowd.
Cassidy charged Rush and found himself belly to belly in the turnbuckles. Vance hit Rush with a pair of clotheslines, an inverted blue thunderbomb and the spinebuster. The crowd came up behind Vance (cheering Vance! Vance! Vance!) and he hit a wheelbarrow suplex and clothesline on Cassidy for a near pinfall. Rush wrapped Vance’s mask around his face so he couldn’t see. Cassidy dropped Rush with the Orange Punch. Cassidy tried the Beach Break on Vance, but Vance slipped into a sunset. Cassidy sat and countered in a cradle (like the Bulldog at Summerslam 92) and got the pinfall.
Fun game that really started after the break, and everyone looked great.
After the match, Rush and Vance and a brief stare at the entrance ramp (who seemed to be getting along?), but -1 ran out and 10 had to prevail before he could. attempts to knock Rush out. Which -1 could absolutely do. Orange Cassidy and best friend celebrated in the ring to end the show.
– After the show ended, a very tasteful tribute to Brian Muster narrated by Excalibur aired.
Final Thoughts:
Orange Cassidy and the acclaimed brought star power to the show this week. The live (almost) broadcasts of the last few weeks have been a real improvement.
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