**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s AEW RAMPAGE aired live from the James L. Knight Center in Miami, FL!
It’s Friday and you know what that means!
Our commentary team was “Absolute” Ricky Starks, “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz, and Excalibur!
The Buy-In portion of tonight’s event, which aired on YouTube, began with:
Tay Conti (with Anna Jay) vs. Santana Garrett!
Santana used two deep arm drags to take Tay down, but Tay blocked a third attempt. Conti rolled around with a waist lock and then an ankle lock, “almost a variation of a calf slicer,” said Excalibur. Tay kicked Santana in the face for a near fall.
Santana rocked Tay with a forearm and followed up with a back elbow in the corner. Santana kicked Tay in the sternum but then ate a pump kick from Tay!
“She’s motivated,” said Taz.
Tay nailed Santana with four running pump kicks! She pinned Santana after the DD-Tay!
“Good competition, good fight, but not enough to topple Tay Conti,” said Taz.
Next: Bobby Fish vs. Lee Moriarty!
Lee tripped up Bobby Fish and went to work over Fish’s elbow. He hit Fish with a crossbody for a near fall.
Bobby Fish used a sliding lariat for a one-count on Lee. There were dueling chants in the arena.
Bobby knocked the wind out of Lee with a senton! Fish hit a snap suplex for another near fall.
“Moriarty has heart,” said Taz.
Fish applied a key lock on Lee. They traded strikes and then Lee went back to attacking Fish’s elbow. Lee busted out a jumping stomp from his arsenal onto Bobby Fish! Lee connected with body shots but then Fish fired back with a big-time roundhouse and a back drop suplex for a two-count on Lee!
“This is a great back and forth contest,” said Excalibur.
Bobby Fish wrecked Lee with an exploder suplex onto the ropes. Fish finished off Lee with the knock out shot roundhouse kick and pinned Lee!
“Bobby Fish scores his first victory inside the AEW ring here tonight,” said Excalibur.
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki!
“Tony Khan once again kicking down the Forbidden Door,” said Excalibur.
“Putting this match together…insane,” replied Taz.
There was a stare down between the two pro wrestlers before the match began.
They tied up and Suzuki brought Danielson to his knees. Dragon popped up and began working on the joints of Suzuki.
“This is wrestling!” chanted the fans.
Danielson went for a rolling kneebar and Suzuki immediately went for the ropes, showing great ring awareness. Danielson kicked to the outside of Suzuki’s thigh. Suzuki smiled and invited Danielson to do it again. Suzuki got to his feet and he and Danielson traded chops and kicks and forearms!
“Both these men are battle-tested and we’re witnessing a battle,” said Taz.
Danielson used the hammer and anvil strikes to Suzuki. The action spilled outside the ring and Suzuki clobbered Danielson with a straight punch to the head!
Suzuki encouraged Danielson to kick him, so Danielson obliged!
“Danielson will kick all day,” said Taz.
Bryan applied the cattle mutilation but Suzuki rolled with it. Danielson transitioned into a pinning position, but Suzuki escaped. Bryan went back on the offense with kicks to Suzuki in the corner! Suzuki whipped Bryan out of the corner and then waffled him with a kick!
Suzuki almost locked in an armbar but Danielson got the rope break with his foot before Suzuki could fully sit out with it. Suzuki turned his attention to the referee and walked right back into a LeBell Lock from Bryan! Suzuki rolled into the ropes for the ring break!
“This is awesome!” clapped the fans in unison.
There was an epic exchange of forearms! Suzuki transitioned to the sleeper but Bryan rolled out. Suzuki attempted a Gotch-style suplex but Bryan escaped and caught Suzuki with a busaiku knee strike, and Bryan pinned Suzuki!
“One for the ages!” said Excalibur.
“What a piece of history we just witnessed,” added Ricky Starks.
RAMPAGE on TNT began!
The first match aired commercial free!
CM Punk vs. Matt Sydal!
Punk used a side headlock takeover. Sydal grabbed Punk’s arm with an inside wrist lock, following up with an arm drag. Sydal used a crucifix pin for a near fall on Punk.
“Sydal is so shifty and crafty,” said Taz.
Sydal had a bow and arrow stretch on Punk but Punk popped out and body slammed Sydal. Punk tried for another body slam but Sydal countered with an arm drag! Sydal turned Punk inside out with a flying mare. Sydal had Punk in a neck crank while tearing at Punk’s knee. Sydal was looking for the lightning spiral but Punk countered with a dropkick!
Sydal charged in with a sliding knee strike on Punk!
“Nothing but impact there,” said Excalibur.
Punk body slammed Sydal on the ring apron! Punk came over the top with a rolling senton. Punk hooked Sydal in the corner in the Tree of Woe. Punk ran into the corner but Sydal sat up, dodging Punk! Both men climbed to the second turnbuckles and knocked each other down to the arena floor!
Sydal clocked Punk with a jumping knee! Sydal was looking for the lightning spiral again but Punk countered with a neck breaker. Punk used a rising knee strike and then a short arm lariat on Sydal!
Sydal ducked a Pepsi Twist from Punk and hit the lightning spiral! Punk barely kicked out in time!
“I have no idea how Punk kicked out of that,” said Taz.
Sydal was searching for a shooting star press but Punk sensed it. Punk caught Sydal with the GTS and pinned him!
“A win is a win, but CM Punk just barely defeated Matt Sydal,” said Excalibur.
Punk and Sydal hugged after the match, a sign of mutual respect.
“The Runaway” Ruby Soho vs. The Bunny!
Ruby backed The Bunny up, but The Bunny shoved back. Ruby kicked The Bunny in the midsection and followed up with two deep arm drags. Ruby blasted The Bunny with a knee!
The Bunny charged back, knocking Ruby for a loop with a knee. Ruby tripped up The Bunny. Ruby climbed to the top rope but The Bunny pulled her down, with Ruby hitting her head on the way down! The Bunny followed up with a sliding lariat.
Ruby fired back with running kicks to The Bunny’s head. She followed up with a backdrop suplex.
“Ruby Soho is building momentum here,” said Excalibur.
The Bunny rallied back with a German Suplex to Soho off the ropes! The Bunny tried to pin Ruby but Ruby kicked out. Ruby caught The Bunny with a backslide and pinned her!
Penelope Ford ran out and attacked Ruby Soho from behind! The Bunny held Ruby up and Penelope Ford dropped Ruby after punching her with the brass knuckles!
Main Event Time!
Trios Match!
Inner Circle’s “Demo God” Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, & TNT Champion “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara vs. The Men Of The Year (“All Ego” Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky) and (making his pro wrestling debut) former UFC Champ Junior Dos Santos (with American Top Team’s Dan Lambert and “bodyguard” Jorge Masvidal)!
Austin Vanderford, Paige VanZant, and Dalton Rosta were watching from the front row.
Sky rammed Sammy with elbow strikes! Sammy connected with a back elbow! Sammy backflipped over Sky and hit Sky with a nice dropkick!
Jericho tagged in and then Junior Dos Santos tagged in. JDS bludgeoned Jericho with body shots. JDS dropped hammer fists on Jericho! Hager tagged in but Dos Santos drove him back. Hager picked up JDS and used hammer fists of his own! JDS had Hager seeing stars after a knee to the face!
On the outside, Jericho got in the face of Jorge Masvidal. While Jericho was distracted, Ethan Page attacked Jericho from behind! Back in the ring, JDS powerslammed Jericho. Sammy tagged in with a springboard cutter and then a Spanish Fly to Sky for a near fall!
Jericho took down Sky with a double sledge and then a lionsault for a near fall! JDS dropped Jake Hager with a knee strike! Hager picked up JDS and drove him through the timekeeper’s table!
Sky and Jericho traded forearms in the center of the ring. Sky attempted the TKO but Jericho countered with the Walls of Jericho. Paige VanZant distracted ref Aubrey Edwards while Jorge Masvidal hit the running knee on Jericho! Ethan Page wasted no time and pinned the stunned Jericho!
American Top Team jumped in the ring and began a beatdown on Jericho! Santana and Ortiz sprinted to the ring, coming to the aid of Jericho and the Inner Circle!
Be sure to tune in TOMORROW for AEW DYNAMITE live on TNT (8/7c) from the James L. Knight Center in Miami, FL!
Tomorrow night:
-“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Bobby Fish!
-AAA & AEW World Tag Team Champions The Lucha Brothers vs. A Masked Tag Team Known Only To Be Close Friends Of Andrade El Idolo!
-Jon Moxley vs. Wheeler Yuta!
-Dante Martin vs. Malakai Black!
-And the Bracket Announcement for the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!