The SmarK Rant for AEW Rampage – 04.05.24

The SmarK Rant for AEW Rampage – 04.05.24

Taped from London, ON. This was supposed to be on TSN tonight but it got bumped for a Braves game that ran long. So it’s back to FITE for this one. I guess it was taped with Collision last week?

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness & Ian Riccaboni

Malakai Black v. Christopher Daniels

In addition to the weird broadcast team, Bobby Cruise from ROH is doing ring announcing. They trade armbars to start and Daniels gets into a slugging match, so Black just levels him with a knee in the corner and then boots him to the floor. Back in the ring, that gets two. Black chokes him out on the ropes while Buddy gets some extra shots from the floor, and that gets two. Black with another knee strike for two, but Daniels makes a comeback with an STO. He goes for the Angel’s Wings, but Black SWEEPS THE LEG to escape that and then hits the Fade to Black kick for two. Daniels fights up again, so Black puts out the lights with the kick at 8:12 to finish. An OK opener. **

Roderick Strong v. London Lightning

Apparently London is a local guy, and he actually gets promo time, although Strong wonders why anyone would be dumb enough to name their kid after London, Ontario. “Usually in a tag team with Toronto Thunder” notes Nigel. Even the announcers are complaining that Roddy never defends his title now. London hits a high knee and slugs away in the corner, but Roddy goes to the eyes and takes him down with a slam and beats on him to take over. Backbreaker gets two. London gets a big crowd reaction fighting out of a chinlock, and a sunset flip gets two. Rollup gets two. Atomic drop and short clothesline, and London gets a gator roll into a suplex. But then he spends too much time playing to the crowd and that allows Roderick a chance to escape to the floor. Taven interferes and gets taken out, but then Wardlow returns from exile and clobbers Lightning, and Strong finishes with a cloverleaf at 5:41, thus eliminating London Lightning from International title contention. London looked good and this was fun. **1/2

Meanwhile, Leyla Hirsch wants to remind us why she’s legit, and challenges Julia Hart for next week’s show. Man she was looking like she was gonna be a star in the early AEW days and just never got the sustained push to put anything together.

Serena Deeb v. Trish Adora

Adora tries a full nelson and Deeb slides out of it and takes her down with a dragon screw. This sets up the dreaded PARADISE LOCK, but somehow doesn’t submit Adora. Deeb takes her down for a kneebar attempt, but Trish fights her off. Deeb takes her down with a top wristlock, but Adora hits a backbreaker and they trade chops in the corner. Adora with a surfboard and she forces Deeb to do the splits while pushing her head to the mat. Nigel: “Tony avert your gaze!” Cradle gets two off that. Adora chokes her out in the corner and adds a slam and FITE takes a break. Back with Deeb slugging away on her and taking her down with another dragon screw, and she catches Adora with a neckbreaker on the apron, THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING, and back in for the swinging neckbreaker. Another dragon screw, in the ropes this time, puts Adora down and they trade rollups for two. Adora with a full nelson bomb for two and she slugs away with forearms, but Deeb fires back and follows with a german suplex to set up the Serenity Lock to finish at 11:31. Another good match, with Deeb working the knee and then getting a submission with a half crab to pay it off. ***

Meanwhile, Julia accepts the challenge of Leyla, but the House always wins.

Meanwhile, Saraya and Harley issue one final challenge to Angelo Parker for next week to hopefully wrap up this endless storyline once and for all. Harley was funny here, though.

Final Four Elimination match: Daniel Garcia v. Action Andretti v. Bryan Keith v. Komander

The weird booking continues as they announce that Tony Khan is rewarding Trish Adora with a match against Yuka Sakazaki on Collision. SHE LOST. If you want to push her, why not put her over instead of booking her on a losing streak and acting like you’re elevating her? They did the same thing with Bryan Keith too. Apparently this is to get us excited for the Final Four tomorrow on TBS. Good thing there’s no other major events happening tomorrow. Speaking of weird booking, Daniel Garcia facing three guys who NEVER WIN makes the result a tad obvious. Komander and Andretti trade flips to start, but Keith lays out Action from behind, apparently bonding with Komander over poncho life. Double gutbuster on Andretti gets two. But then Komander dropkicks Keith by mistake and breaks up their team already, allowing Garcia to beat on both of them. Andretti tries to come in from behind and Danny slugs him down as well, but Keith hits Garcia with a kneelift for two. Komander goes up and Keith turns on him with a headbutt to put him down, and then tries a powerbomb, but Komander reverses to a rollup for the pin at 2:57. The remaining three all trade big moves and Komander gets a pair of rollups for two before a pair of lariats gives us a triple down. And the fans chant for Daddy Magic, who is on commentary, and he quips “Give them a little Larry Zbyszko” while taking a bow for them. Garcia and Andretti slug it out on the apron while Menard reminisces about throwing a fireball in Andretti’s face and then laughs it off with “Yeah, he’s a good kid”. They slug it out and Action hits a death valley driver on the apron, THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING, and follows with a moonsault to the floor. Komander follows with his own dive, but he tries a springboard on Andretti and gets caught in a cutter for the pin at 8:05. Well the two designated jobbers are gone. Back in the ring, Andretti gets a superkick, but Garcia clips the knee. Andretti manages to come back with a backbreaker and neckbreaker combo while selling the knee, but he tries a standing moonsault and Garcia catches the knee on the way down and anklelocks him. Action fights out of that and sends Garcia to the floor before hitting a pescado. Back in with a flying clothesline, but Garcia escapes the cutter and they slug it out until Garcia kicks the knee to end that. Andretti with a falcon arrow for two and he tries the cutter again, but the knee gives out and Garcia kneebars him for the submission at 13:22. This was an excellent TV match and I’m now super-psyched to watch some college sports tomorrow, just as they planned. Oh shit, we don’t get TBS or HBO Max in Canada. Well, never mind, they lost me again. ****

Hey, this was a fun show, filled with good wrestling, but I really wish they’d start fixing the issue of the incredibly obvious winners in every match. Especially at this level of midcarder, it doesn’t hurt anyone to put over an underdog one bit.