On Wednesday night, AEW returned to Garland, TX for DYNAMITE: WINTER IS COMING 2022, featuring the first AEW World Championship defense of MJF's reign, as well as a contest for ownership of the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Though an extremely game challenger, “Absolute” Ricky Starks could not overcome Maxwell's willingness to go low, and ended up leaving his adopted home state empty handed. But at least he wasn't the one running out of the arena with his tail tucked, that right was reserved for the champion after Bryan Danielson arrived on the scene.
In addition, Ruby Soho made her return to action in victory over Tay Melo but was stomped out by Anna Jay, Jungle Boy bested Brian Cage but was assaulted by Big Bill and Lee Moriarty until the FTW Champion HOOK made the save, and Hangman Page made it clear he was still coming for Jon Moxley.
And let's not forget, in the biggest upset in AEW's history, maybe even in professional wrestling history, Action Andretti shocked the world when he pinned Chris Jericho clean in the middle of the ring. Whatever excuse Jericho may have about his fight at FINAL BATTLE 2022, the intensive schedule he kept as ROH World Champion, the bottom line is he got pinned by Andretti. Also, Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, and company, sent a message to The Acclaimed, one that had a major impact on Max Caster...
With all that, AEW brings to you RAMPAGE this Friday night featuring Jon Moxley in action against Sammy Guevara, Skye Blue matching up with Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, the former TNT Champion Wardlow returning to action, FTR, and a huge 8-Man tag team main event! The action kicks off with Mox/Guevara at at 10pm ET/9pm CT and on AEWPlus.com for our international fans! Be sure to visit to the official AEW YouTube channel to catch-up on the week's excitement thus far with DYNAMITE highlights, AEW DARK: ELEVATION, AEW DARK, and the CONTROL CENTER with Tony Schiavone!
ONE-ON-ONE...
Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara
The issues between The Blackpool Combat Club and The Jericho Appreciation Society have dominated so much of AEW in 2022. We've seen Anarchy In The Arena, Blood & Guts II, titles changing hands, and multiple other unforgettable moments. But after FINAL BATTLE 2022 where Wheeler Yuta beat Daniel Garcia for the ROH Pure Title and Claudio Castagnoli took the ROH World Title back from Chris Jericho, it seems the issues have finally been laid to rest, or at least put on the back burner. That is, all the issues save one, because this Friday night “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara is going to try and do something he hasn't accomplished yet in his AEW career: defeat the 3-Time former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
As is par for the course with Moxley and his BCC fellows, a fight is exactly what he wants, it's what he is looking for and looking forward to, and it's made that much sweeter when it's a fight with someone he doesn't much care for. He may respect Guevara's guts in stepping to the fight, but that doesn't mean Jon isn't planning on showing Sammy what those guts look like on Friday night. The world saw what happened with Takeshita, and that's a man with whom Moxley has no personal issue or history, so what will he have in store for someone like this particular J.A.S. member when they lock horns?
And in the vein of personal issues...
There is a lot of business still to be settled between “Hangman” Adam Page and Jon Moxley; will it rear its ugly, violent head on RAMPAGE?
HEAD-TO-HEAD...
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D vs. Skye Blue
In her very first AEW match on the April 12, 2021 edition of DARK: ELEVATION, Skye Blue tried her best to defeat Dr. Britt Baker, but the Good Doctor was on the march towards winning her first AEW Women's World Championship a month later, and was not about to be bested by someone in their first AEW bout.
Now since that time, fans have rallied behind Skye Blue, watching as the young woman fought whenever the opportunity presented itself, earning her way to an AEW contract, and continuing to improve her game every single day. She's stepped into competition with Nyla Rose, Jade Cargill, Tay Melo, and Serena Deeb because you only get better by fighting the best. Skye has also united with women such as Ruby Soho, Hikaru Shida, and Madison Rayne to help her learn and grow as a competitor.
That experience earned over the 20 months in AEW has put Skye Blue into the position where she clearly feels ready to dance with Britt one more time, and led her to make the challenge rather than wait for the opportunity to be presented. With Baker wrapped up in these issues with Saraya, and overly involved in Jamie Hayter's status as AEW Women's World Champion, is this the perfect time for Skye to knock The Good Doctor down a peg?
THE WAR DOG RETURNS...
For the first time since losing the TNT Championship to Samoa Joe at FULL GEAR 2022, “The War Dog” will be in action this Friday night on RAMPAGE. Wardlow has made it clear he is not down with the self-proclaimed “King of Television”, not by a long shot, and no doubt this fight will be Wardlow sending a message to Samoa Joe. With a month away from the fight spent stewing about the title loss, about how Joe went about getting that championship, and without an outlet for his rage, “Mr. Mayhem” is sure to live up to that nickname on Friday night at the expense of whoever is standing across the ring...
EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM ACTION...
Kip Sabian, The Blade, The Butcher, & Trent Seven
vs.
All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, Dustin Rhodes, & Trent Beretta
In the main event of the night, on the heels of Orange Cassidy topping Trent Seven last week on RAMPAGE in their All-Atlantic Championship match, as well as the assorted issues from the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale on last week's DYNAMITE, we've got ourselves this eight-man tag team bout going down in Dustin Rhodes' home state!
Never one to back down from a fight, “The Natural” is ready to take it to the four men standing across the ring from him, and he'd probably even do it alone if he had to, but thankfully he's got some friends to stand by his side in the fight, and one spooky guy to watch their backs at ringside. And there's no doubt someone has to be watching at ringside given the people involved in this fracas, because wherever Kip goes, there's a Penelope Ford to be found, and wherever Butcher and Blade may be, there's probably a Bunny lurking about as well.
So which quartet (and friends) will score the victory in this volatile situation? Tune into TNT this Friday night to watch the madness unfold!
FTR SPEAKS...
Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood had a very rough week last week; on DYNAMITE, they failed to defeat The Acclaimed in their AEW World Tag Team Championship bout, and then at ROH's FINAL BATTLE 2022 event, they lost those World Tag Team Titles to Jay & Mark Briscoe in a Double Dog Collar Match. Now that was one of the most amazing, violent, visceral, tag team spectacles you'll ever experience, and it certainly left an indelible mark on the bodies of FTR, particularly that of Dax Harwood. While it also left a lasting memory for the fans who experienced it, it also left FTR ripe for the picking by the vultures hovering overheard, vultures named Austin and Colten Gunn, who have become dead set on desecrating the legacy of FTR.
This Friday night, we will hear from Dax and Cash about this situation, and about their physical well-being after that wild affair with The Briscoes. No matter what condition FTR may be in though, it's safe to say there's almost nothing that will stop them from coming after “The Ass Boys” in retaliation for everything they've done.
The city of Garland, TX has always been good to AEW, and AEW is giving it back with this wild edition of RAMPAGE coming your way at 10pm ET/9pm CT and kicking off with Jon Moxley versus Sammy Guevara! In addition, “The Pillar” will be in action against Skye Blue, we will hear from both FTR and Preston Vance, Wardlow will be back in the fight, and then there's that unpredictable 8-Man tag in the main event! Get ready for the action over at the official AEW YouTube channel for DYNAMITE highlights, as well as episodes of AEW DARK: ELEVATION, AEW DARK, and the CONTROL CENTER with Tony Schiavone!