AEW Rampage: January 21, 2022
by Doc Allen
Live from the Sports and Entertainment Arena in Washington D.C. Our hosts are Excalibur, Taz, Ricky Starks, and Chris Jericho.
Jon Moxley vs. Ethan Page (with Scorpio Sky)
Ethan sends Sky away, he'll take care of business alone. Ethan gets the first takedown and flexes his muscles. Moxley takes Ethan to school in a chopfest and nails a back elbow shot. Moxley risks a DQ by biting the forehead, Ethan fires back with a hard shoulder block. Ethan pummels Moxley against an easily broken timekeeper's table (whoops), but Mox sends him into the barricade. Moxley takes a moment to appreciate the fans (Jericho: He's remembering how to be Jon Moxley) but Ethan takes advantage with a draping backbreaker. Ethan punches the jaw and Moxley misses a head of steam into the post. Back from commercials, Moxley blocks Ego's Edge and nails a pair of German suplexes. Ethan blocks the third, so Moxley counters with a rebounding straightjacket German. They stumble through a slugfest. Moxley absorbs a big boot and blasts a lariat. Ethan answers with a Brainbuster for 2. Moxley uses a low bridge to set up an elbow suicida! Ethan manages an avalanche power slam, but Moxley reverses the late cover and elbows the face. Moxley locks on the Bulldog Choke and Ethan fades at 10:18! Safe to say that Moxley is back and he looks meaner and leaner than the last time we saw him, ***.Winner: Jon Moxley
Moxley hits Ethan with the Paradigm Shift just because. Bryan Danielson meets Moxley in his exit tunnel and gives him a potentially sarcastic applause.
Jurassic Express talk to the camera. Jungle Boy says that Billy Gunn has always been a salty old b!tch, so it doesn't surprise him that his little “@ss Boys” are as entitled and sour as he is. They won't wrestle the Gunn Club, but they will stomp their heads into the ground.
Nick Jackson (with Matt Jackson and Brandon Cutler) vs. Trent Beretta (with Best Friends)
Nick scores first with a springboard arm drag. Trent fires back with stiff shots. Trent hits a mean overhead throw, but Nick snaps his neck against the ropes. Trent answers with a Northern Lights suplex, but can't hold on to the bridge. Back body drop by Trent, but he misses a running crossbody for an awkward landing in the ropes. Nick delivers a neckbreaker in the ropes, followed by a penalty kick right at the surgically repaired neck. Back from commercials, Trent blocks a Swanton Bomb with his knees. Trent dishes out a deadlift German suplex, follows with a running knee for 2. Nick tries to flip away, but Trent hits a spear at ringside. Trent hits a brutal back suplex and tornado DDT for 2. Nick shields himself with the ref and hits a German suplex, but Trent stands right up to hit another German. They take a breather for some applause. Nick uses the stage to hit a roaring elbow and Canadian Destroyer for a hot 2 count. Nick hits a KO kick and then a bulldog. Trent blocks the superkick and nails a half n half suplex and lariat. Trent's piledriver gets a somewhat comedic 2 count. Nick desperately counters with a back drop onto the stage and then nails a Swanton Bomb. Nick hits a 450 splash in the ring, but TRENT KICKS OUT! Nick hits one superkick, but Trent pulls him into Storm Zero and finally wins at 14:00! This turned into a mini-epic clash, but some of those false finishes walked the fine line between absurdity and drama, ***½.Winner: Trent Beretta
Mercedes Martinez talks to the camera. She doesn't owe anyone an explanation for her relationship with Jade Cargill, and her first order of business is removing Thunder Rosa from AEW. I was starting to worry that this feud had dropped into the world of Youtube.
Serpentico vs. Cold-hearted Handsome Devil Hook
Hook doesn't like the way Serpentico shoots streamers from his fingers and ambushes him before the bell. Hook hits an STO to the crowd's approval. Serpentico scrambles to break an armbar, but Hook catches him for an overhead suplex. The Redrum finishes it at 1:11. Squashtastic!Winner: Hook
QT Marshall interrupts Hook's celebration to complain about Hook taking liberties with his opponents. Hook is nothing but a delinquent! Hook shuts him up with a suplex on the stage and steps over him Iverson-style.
Mark Henry hosts the split screen interview between TBS Champion Jade Cargill (with Mark Sterling) and Anna Jay (with John Silver). Jade is 24-0 and the first TBS Champion, so Anna should feel elated to have a spot with her in the main event. Anna reminds us that she has a dark side, tonight TBS stands for “That B!tch Slayer.” It's on!
TBS Championship:
Jade Cargill © (with Mark Sterling) vs. Anna Jay (with John Silver)
They exchange taunts and lock up. Jade hits a shoulder block, Anna answers with a jawbreaker. Fallaway slam by Jade, who prematurely celebrates as Anna gets a sneaky rollup for 2. Jade hits a clothesline, forcing Anna to take a timeout. Jade and Silver stand face to face to flex their muscles, allowing Anna to hit a blindside clothesline. Back from commercials, Jade has taken control and Jay fights from behind with a heel kick and choke through the ropes, Jade breaks with a neck drop. Jay recovers with a Flatliner. Mark leaps up to distract, so Silver grabs him by the tie and hits a brainbuster! Anna backslides Jade for 2, but Jade leaps up for a pump kick. Anna blocks Jaded and applies the Queenslayer! Jade viciously escapes, but Anna reapplies from the top rope, Jade counters into an excellent one armed powerbomb. Jaded ends it at 8:43. Considering I'm not there's 100 matches of experience between these two, this was a really strong, well constructed match, ***.Winner and still TBS Champion: Jade Cargill
Final Thoughts: If you want an hour full of 3 star matches, this is the show for you. This was also noteworthy thanks to Moxley's in-ring return and Jade's first title defense. Check it out on your DVR.
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