It’s Saturday night and you know what that means? Yes, the NBA playoffs are gonna make things miserable when watching AEW Rampage, and not in a Haiku way. This is going to be a lucha-rific show as Hijo del Vikingo goes toe to toe with Dralistico of La Facción Ingobernable for the AAA Mega Championship belt

We’re here from the Petersen Events Center in Brittsburgh, PA (Get better after the cane shots, doc!). Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross have the call as we go straight to the First Match of the night between…

Courtesy of AEW

Jon Moxley vs. Christopher Daniels

Mox is in full control from the start slowing the tempo, but Daniels is equal to the task.  The match spills out to the floor with Daniels adding a clothesline, but Mox adds the violence with a drop to the steel steps on the outside.  During Picture in Picture, Daniels climbs back but gets sent over the ropes to the floor. The ref almost counts to ten but Daniels gets back in, and then Mox places the Fallen Angel up the top of the turnbuckle and scratches his back, but gets knocked off and hits a crossbody for a two count.  Both men go for a series of near falls, but Mox with the King Kong Lariat and a spike piledriver, but transitions to the bulldog choke.  but Daniels escapes the hold.  He attempts the Death Rider, but Daniels escapes again and nails a flatliner, then the Angel Wings connect but it takes time for him to cover for a two count.  Mox regains and goes with a sleeper but Daniels escapes again, and then he lands with the hammer and tong elbows, and then the bulldog choke gains the win.

Your Winner via Submission:  Jon Moxley

Lexy Nair is backstage with Jade Cargill and “Smart” Mark Sterling. Cargill has no time to talk but Sterling chimes in and says they are gonna get rid of Valkyrie and she will not use the Road to Valhalla finisher because…let’s say gimmick infringement and go from there..

Hook comes out to ringside, as do the Hardys and Isaiah Kassidy.  Jeff starts out that it’s cool to be back and that he worked hard to be in this world. The smartest thing, he says, is to retire…from screwing up.

Then Matt talks about deletion from The Firm, and Stokely Hathaway appears on the ‘Tron, and he claims he wants to be patient, and that’s when The Firm strikes back attacking all four men in the ring.  

 

There are some recaps of AEW Dynamite but read it here if you missed the Pillar Talk.

Dustin Rhodes and Keith Lee promise that they will be back for Swerve Strickland soon.

And now we have…

Courtesy of AEW

Julia Hart vs. Kiera Hogan

Yeah, you know what gonna happen next, right?

You don’t?  Oh, you’re new here.  Allow me to introduce you to a Haiku in Review™.

*ahem*

Dark Hart faces a

Former Baddie, but Hart is

Heartless to Hogan.

Your Winner via Submission:  Julia Hart

After the match, Anna Jay.A.S. comes out and they go to blows after she recently poison-misted her, so this is far from over.

Lexy Nair is backstage with Christopher Daniels after his loss to Jon Moxley.  He states that at this stage in the game, he’s not here for respect.  He’s here for victory and championships. That’s when Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta come into the picture, in but Mox says he’s cool until Daniels mentions he has some honor left in him, and that’s when he slams his head into the  lockers

Speaking of honor (or lack thereof), here is your next match, and it’s an eight-man tag team between…

Courtesy of AEW

FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal vs. Slim J and Varsity Athletes (Josh Woods, and Ari Daivari) with “Smart” Mark Sterling

Harwood and Slim J start out, and he takes him to the woodshed.  Wheeler continues the beatdown, then Lethal comes in with a blind tag along with Jarrett, and they to fight go for a Jackie Fargo strut, and FTR struts alongside them, too.  During Picture in Picture, the Varsity gangs up on Cash and he is a Top Guy in Peril.  But he manages to fight his way out and gets the hot tag to Harwood and he is a Top Guy en Fuego (which is more than  I can say for his podcast…Oh, did I write that out loud?).  The match devolves into a donnybrook, and then Sterling gets into the ring.  There’s some miscommunication with Jarrett and Harwood on a double team, but then Jarrett connects with The Stroke on Nese for the pin and the win.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  FTR and Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett

The winner almost come t blows until Mark Briscoe gets in the ring to make peace with the different teams.  But how long with this last?

There’s a video promo on Orange Cassidy on hanging on to the AEW All-Atlantic…errr, Intercontinental Championship.  As much as I like the guy, until something different happens with his character or a real threat comes up to challenge him, he is just Jade Cargill 2.0.

Mark Henry goes over the history of Vikingo and Dralistico challenging the AAA Mega Campeon…

Now it’s time for the Main Event for the…

Courtesy of AEW

AAA Mega Campeonato:  El Hijo del Vikingo(c) vs. Dralistico

Dralistico is fronted by La Facción Ingobernable, and as Vikingo walks down the ramp he launches right at the champ before he gets in the ring.

Vikingo recovers and goes for a tope suicida but lands hard on the ramp, and then Dralistico nails with a springboard swanton for a two count.  Both men go back and forth until Vikingo returns with a corkscrew leg lariat for two, and then Dralistico goes for a German suplex then a poison ‘rana, and then a Mexican destroyer to leave both men on the mat.

During Picture in Picture, Dralistico and La Facción beat down the champ outside the ring, and that follows with a kick in the corner and Dralistico is Tranquilo on the top turnbuckle.  He nails a springboard codebreaker to Vikingo that gets Dralistico a two count.

There’s “Yay/Boo” chops up the top turn and then Vikingo nails a Mexican destroyer on Dralistico on the ring apron.

La Facción Ingobernable interfere with a beat down on the champ, but the ref sees the shenanigans and ejects all of them.  Back in the ring, Vikingo nails a corkscrew kick and then a double stomp for a two count.  Vikingo then hits the double knees into the corner and then delivers the 630 senton to secure the one, two, and three.

Your Winner, and Still AAAMega Campeon:  Hijo Del Vikingo

After the match, La Facción comes back out and attacks the champion and they stand tall, feeling tranquilo as the show fades to black.

AEW Rampage - 04/22/2023
3.5

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like a lucha main event to keep the action running.  Vikingo and Dralistico showed they can carry the action, and Daniels/Moxley provided a good story and match at the beginning.  The eight-man tag match was also good, and offer a lot of options in the tag picture down the road.

For now, see ya next Friday (hopefully, depending on the NBA Finals)!