AEW Rampage 8/30/2024

Taped in Champaign, Illinois.

Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Matt Menard were on commentary.

Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal (w/ Karen Jarrett) won a three way over the Undisputed Kingdom & Private Party (9:51)

***1/4

Thumbs Up

Taven hit a dropkick then reminded us that he is, in fact, Matt Taven. Taven got caught in the Private Party corner and it was not much of a party for Taven. They worked over his arm and hit him with a flapjack. Bennett ran in and Private Party delivered a dropkick/hangman’s neckbreaker combination, and Quen floored both members of the Undisputed Era with a crossbody. But back in the ring, Taven clotheslined Zay to take control. 

Jay Lethal got the tag and teased getting the figure four on all four of his opponents. Bennett popped up Lethal into a forearm from Bennett to take control going into the commercial break. 

Lethal got the tag to Jarrett, who got a pop. Jarrett cleaned Bennet’s clock in the corner with punuches and gave Zay a high back body drop. Jarrett set up Taven for a neckbreaker from his partner. 

Private Party got the silly string on Bennett, and Quen followed up with the 450 for a near fall. Bennet hit a rolling forearm and a Death Valley Driver on Bennett. Lethal caught Zay with the Lethal Injection. Jarrett went for the The Stroke on Taven, but Taven blocked it. Jarrett and Lethal got a Bennett and Lethal in stereo figure fours, and both Taven and Bennett eventually tapped out. 

Mina Shirakawa defeated Missa Kate (3:03)

**

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Shirakawa has the RevPro Women’s Championship belt with her, as well as a “Queen of Southside” belt.

Shirakawa hit a frog splash for a near fall. Kate countered a reverse suplex with a superkick for a near fall. Shirawaka hit a rolling elbow and a backfist. Shirawaka hit a sit out reverse suplex and got the pinfall. 

– Stokely Hathaway & Kriss Statlander talk some trash about Willow Nightingale, and Statlander knocked out a stagehand with a steel chain. 

Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) defeated The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum) (w/ Erica Leigh) (8:45)

**1/4

Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down

Lots of impressive trash talk from Gibson. Gibson fell victim to a double elbow for a near fall. Drake tripped up Turbo Floyd and Gibson hit him with a sliding kick. 

After a long commercial, The Grizzled Young Veterans continued to work over Magnum. Turbo finally got the hot tag and slammed both Veterans. Gibson set up Floyd for a boot from Drake. Turbo came back and clotheslined both men. Magnum went to the top, but Drake shoved him down. Gibson and Drake hit Magnum with a Doomsday Device (which really should have been the finish… I mean, Drake took Magnum’s head off with that lariat), then finished him off with a High Lo. This was twice as long as it needed to be. 

Nyla Rose defeated Aminah Belmont (1:31)

**

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Rose won this quickly with a spinning Beast Bomb. 

Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) won a four-way by pinning Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes) that also included The Beast Mortos & Lio Rush (13:53)

***1/2

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Hype videos for each man in the match were shown throughout the show,  making this match feel a bit more special than your average Rampage main event. Also, good to see Abrahantes isn’t out of a job with the Lucha Bros likely leaving AEW.

Takeshita and Mortos overpowered their much smaller opponents early on. Takeshita and Mortos caught their opponents when they went for dives on the floor, and did the old Aussie Open spot where they rammed them into each other. Mortos and Takeshita got into a brawl on the floor, and then Rush and Komander caught them with a pair of tope con hilos. Back in the ring, Rush and Komander had a speedy exchange. Rush looked fantastic, but just as he got the edge on Komander, Takeshita and Mortos ran in and mauled him. Takeshita put Rush down with a big boot. Komader pushed off Takeshita and hit him with a dropkick. Rush hit a rope walk tornio on Takeshita and Rush. Mortos then hit his own through the ropes tornio on Komander. 

Takeshita floored Mortos with a forearm. Takeshita blocked a rana from Rush and went for a powerbomb, but Rush escaped. Takeshita tossed Rush into the ropes, but he rebounded off the bottom rope and into a stunner on Takeshita. Mortos caught Komader with a lung blower, and Mortos and Takeshita clotheslined each other. 

Mortos went to the top, but Komander caught him with a kick and followed him up. Komander set up a Spanish Fly, but Takeshita got up there and suplexed Komander, who gave Mortos the Spanish Fly. Insane spot. Takeshita went for the cover on both Komander and Mortos, but Rush broke it up with a splash off the top. 

Komader went for a poisoned rana, but Takeshita blocked it. Komander turned it into a victory roll for a near fall, avoiding a dive from Mortos at the same time. Takeshita went for an outside in superplex, but Komader escaped.  Komander hit a springboard poisoned rana on Mortos for a near fall. Komander missed a  shooting star press on Mortos when he dropped to the floor. Rush hit a tope on Mortos. He went for a frog splash on Komander, but missed and Mortos broke Rush in half with a spear. Mortos powerbombed Komander on his knee, and Takeshita hit Mortos with a knee. Takeshita hit Komander with a spinning Blue Thunder Bomb, then a Falcon Arrow to get the pinfall. 

Overall: Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down