AEW Rampage Results and Review (8/5/22): New Challenger for the TBS Title
AEW Rampage was quite an entertaining show. With four matches on the card, the action was nonstop. Although Rampage is only one hour long, it always feels like two hours’ worth of entertainment. AEW really knows how to make the most out of any amount of time. In case you missed the show, here’s my review and the results for it.
AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Match
Mance Warner vs Jon Moxley (c) (of Blackpool Combat Club)
AEW has been doing these eliminator matches quite frequently as of late. Eliminator matches are usually non-title matches where if the challenger wins, they earn a future title shot. Moxley faced MLW star, Mance Warner. This match was exactly like one would imagine: a hard-hitting slugfest. Warner and Moxley have similar styles of fighting, so it didn’t take long before one of them was busted open. The match featured some weapons getting used along the outside of the ring.
This was Warner’s main show debut in AEW. I don’t love or hate Warner, he’s a decent wrestler with a decent gimmick that seems to fit him well. It doesn’t make sense to me why AEW doesn’t do the eliminator matches with the main wrestlers on their roster. They usually come up with some odd reason why the person earned the opportunity. For example, Warner won the bunkhouse match at Ric Flair’s Last Match event, which earned him this shot. Overall, Warner was fine, but I think there’s a long list of wrestlers who deserve an opportunity to earn a shot at the title.
Result: Jon Moxley (c) def. Mance Warner
Konosuke Takeshita vs Ryan Nemeth
This match was added to the card about an hour before the show. Konosuke Takeshita is set to face off against Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH World Championship at AEW Battle of the Belts III. This match served as a warmup for Konosuke, and he didn’t waste any time defeating Ryan Nemeth. The match did what it was supposed to, which was to make Konosuke look strong. I think we could have done without this match. They have featured Konosuke a lot in recent weeks, so it’s not like AEW fans don’t know who he is. The match was pretty good and Konsuke was impressive as always. I understand why it was on the card, but I still don’t think it was needed. They could have given other wrestlers more television time in its place.
Result: Konosuke Takeshita def. Ryan Nemeth
Madison Rayne vs Leila Grey (of The Baddies)
Madison Rayne was recently announced as a new coach for the women’s division in AEW. Although she was hired as a coach, she is a decorated wrestler too. She has held titles across various wrestling promotions. She faced off against Leila Grey in what was an impressive match. Since I haven’t seen Rayne wrestle before I didn’t know what to expect, but she impressed me. Rayne looked strong in the match and was on the offensive for most of it. She didn’t have any issue beating Grey, picking up an impressive win.
After the match, TBS Champion, Jade Cargill, came out. Cargill challenged Rayne to accept her open challenge. Rayne accepted, but Keira Hogan tried to attack her from behind. But Rayne was one step ahead and taught Hogan a lesson. The match was great, and Rayne was impressive. She had numerous moves that she hit really well. I liked the segment after the match, although I think there are better opponents for Cargill to face. It’s only a matter of time before she has to face Athena.
Result: Madison Rayne def. Leila Grey
Street Fight
Josh Woods & Tony Nese vs Swerve Strickland (c) & Keith Lee (c)
AEW knows how to put on a hardcore match and this one was no different. This match on AEW Rampage was extremely entertaining but also filled with some brutal spots. You can tell these teams don’t like each other, but they did seem to have some chemistry in the ring. Josh Woods made his AEW main show debut and looked strong. Tony Nese was impressive as always and showed he is underappreciated by the fans. Meanwhile, Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee illustrated why they are the AEW Tag Team Champions. Itt seems like the feud is done, but it will be interesting to see who the next challengers are for the titles. With AEW All Out about one month away, we could be getting new challengers soon. Overall, this match was really fun and had some really awesome spots in it.
Result: Swerve Strickland (c) & Keith Lee (c) def. Tony Nese & Josh Woods
