It’s Saturday night and it’s all right for fighting, as we will get to the men’s Owen Hart Tournament where the main event will feature Samoa Joe and Roderick Strong in the ring for the first time in seventeen years.  

But before we dive into that, let’s provide you with a…

Rapid Rampage in Review

(Author’s Note: I would’ve given this a limerick in review or directed you to Bob Kapur’s ringside coverage. However, because we received photos from the show, I’ll give it a little more emphasis).

Excalibur and Tony Schiavone have the call for the show and that includes a title match for the…

ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Komander

  • Castagnoli overpowers with a giant swing and almost lands the Ricola Bomb
  • Komander displays of aerial offense are a thing of beauty, especially a balance beam shooting star press from the guardrails onto Castagnoli’s back.
  • The end comes when Komander goes up top for a high-risk maneuver and Castagnoli catches him on the chin with a European uppercut to the back of his head and drops him like a sack of potatoes.  The ref calls for a stoppage and that secures the win for Castagnoli.
ROH World Championship match: Claudio Castagnoli swings Komander at AEW Rampage at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Friday, June 30, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

ROH World Championship match: Claudio Castagnoli swings Komander at AEW Rampage at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Friday, June 30, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

Shawn Spears vs. The Blade (w/The Butcher)

  • The Niagara Falls, ON native Spears comes out to a Heroes Welcome.
  • C-4 ends the match, and with it any chance of Blade having relevancy

Shawn Spears teaches The Blade to count to ten at AEW Rampage at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Friday, June 30, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

Matt Hardy and Brother Zay (with Ethan Page) vs. QT Marshall and Johnny TV (with Harley Cameron)

  • Cameron does have some pipes when she signs the entrance for Johnny and Marshall.
  • Speaking of Johnny TV, he has not lost a step, and everyone chanted “Delete!” with Hardy
  •  Zay git some nice hang time on Johnny and Marshall
  • Johnny TV manages to deliver with the Starship Pain for the win
  • Page is goaded into a fight by Marshall and Johnny, until The Acclaimed rush in for the save

Owen Hart Women’s Qualifying Quarterfinal Match:  Hikaru Shida vs. Taya Valkyrie

  • Back-and-forth action between the two women and they are equally matched
  • Valkyrie tries to land the Road to Valhalla but Shida gets a rollup for the win to advance in the tournament.

  • Hikaru Shida rolls up Taya Valkyrie at AEW Rampage at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Friday, June 30, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

    Hikaru Shida rolls up Taya Valkyrie at AEW Rampage at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Friday, June 30, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

And now you know the rest of the story.

So lat’s head into…

AEW Collision

We come to you from the FirstOntario Center in Hamilton, ON, and Happy Canada Day. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuiness have the call and the First Match of the Night is…

MJF vs. Kip Morst

Before the match gets underway, MJF attacks from behind and delivers a heatseeker and covers, but comes up as the ref counts two.  He adds insult to injury and cinches a crossface to the poor jobber to make him submit.

Your Winner via Submission:  MJF

MJF gets the mic and offers a title shot to anyone from Hamilton. A local comes out, but Ethan Page comes in, and slaps the mic out of his hands.  Page gives an impassioned promo, and speaks to his dad working the local steel mill and becoming more than what others told him he would amount to.  Page isn’t afraid to step up to the world champ, and at one point calls MJF, “a bare minimum bitch.”  Page ends it by declaring to MJF, “You may be the AEW world champion, but Ethan Page actually champions AEW.”

So the Triple B is now on the line, and this is the…

AEW World Championship Match:  MJF vs. Ethan Page 

MJF once again tries to attack from the onset, but Page is able to take advantage.  However, Friedman chop blocks Page at the knee and he focuses his offense on the bad wheel of Page.  He goes for a single-leg Boston Crab, and Page manages to reach the ropes to break the submission.  During Picture in Picture, MJF continues to target his bad leg but Page comes back with a cutter between the ropes.

Page signals for the Ego’s Edge, and props up MJF, but he escapes.  Page manages to catch him with a Twist of Fate, an then he goes up the top turnbuckle but MJF knocks him off.  They battle up top and Page gets the upper hand to land the avalanche powerslam to cover, but MJF gets a foot on the ropes.  Once again, Page attempts the Ego’s Edge but his bad knee gives out.  MJF takes advantage with a dragon screw leg whip followed by a heatseeker and that’s all she wrote.

Your Winner via Pinfall, and Still AEW World Champion:  MJF

And now we start with the first of the…

 

Courtesy of AEW

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Match: Powerhouse Hobbs (with QT Marshall and Harley Cameron) vs. Dustin Rhodes

Hobbs’ strength is too much for The Natural to overcome.  As he sends Rhodes to the outside, Marshall shoves him headfirst to the ring post, and he’s bleeding from the forehead.  During Picture in Picture, Hobbs gives pages of power from his book to Rhodes and then…

Ads. (Ugh!!!  Why is this necessary?!)

We’re back and Rhodes turns things around and gives Hobbs the Cross Rhodes for a two count.  He follows with a Canadian destroyer (Happy Canada Day!!)and it’s still another two count.  Marshall tried to interfere and Rhodes halts him at the pass. Hobbs gets the spinebuster for a count of one.  As he tries to get momentum back on his side, Marshall gets in a cheap shot, and now Hobbs delivers the spine buster to get the three count

Your Winner, and Advancing in the Owen Hart Tournament:  Powerhouse Hobbs

Are you there, God?  Well, it looks like we have a match between…

Miro vs. Anthony Henry

Do you feel it as well?  I know I feel like this needs a Haiku in Review™:

*ahem

Are you there, Miro?

For Henry, he knows it is

Game Over. Redeemed.

Your Winner via Submission:  Miro

That brings us to the second hour, and Tony Schiavone is in the ring to bring in the members of Bullet Club Gold in Robinson and White alongside The Gunns, after last week’s win. They lay the claim they are the Best in the World, and it’s Gunns Up.  As Schiavone tells White they will be barred at ringside, the Switchblade takes over and tells him not to say such unkind things.  That brings us Lexy Nair backstage with CM Punk, Starks, and FTR. The gist is they are the measuring stick in  the company, and after Starks gets past Robinson, the rest with deal with the Gunns and everything else.  Top guys, out.

But let’s get to the next…

Courtesy of AEW

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Quarterfinal Tournament Match: Ricky Starks vs. Juice Robinson

The fans have dueling, “Let’s go Ric-key/ Let’s go Juice!” chants, but it is Starks in full control early on.  He gets tripped up by Robinson and lands neck first to get whiplashed by the ring ropes.  From there he works on the leg of Starks and they get to a vertical base and he throws him again into the ropes to cause more damage to his ligaments.  During Picture in Picture, Robinson targets the bad leg and then he follows up with a corner cannonball that gets a two count.

Rock Hard just can’t put away Starks, and the Absolute flips overhead and gets snake eyes to Robinson followed by a tornado DDT for a two count.  He gets stunned on the top rope and Robinson nails him with a leg lariat for another two count.  He cinches the Texas cloverleaf on Starks, and he squirms but he claws on the mat and finally reaches the bottom rope.  There is a series of near falls by both men, and they battle up the top turnbuckle.  He goes to a huracanrana and Starks hangs on.  He dives onto Robinson, but he ducks and nails him with a spear to cover, but can’t quite capitalize.  Starks gets his spear to a roll-up and covers Robinson for the pin.

Your Winner, and Advancing in the Owen Hart Tournament Semifinals:  Ricky Starks

Bullet Club Gold comes out to surround the ring, but then Punk and FTR ran from the back to give support. Starks has a tall order ahead of him facing Hobbs in the semis, so best of luck to him

Lexy Nair is backstage wih Luchasaurus and Christian Cage. Before they can get a chance to talk, Shawn Spears interrupts and wants a shot at the TNT title (still) curiously held by Cage.  

Now for women’s action, and it’s a title match for the…

Courtesy of AEW

AEW TBS Championship Match: Kris Statlander vs. Lady Frost

Statlander is too powerful for Frost, and during Picture in Picture, she gets Frost in a delayed vertical suplex for two.  Frost begins to fight back and…

Ads (Double Sigh!!!)

We come back and a Michinoku driver gives Statlander a two count.  Frost side steps and counters with a German suplex.  The action goes back and forth until Stalander delivers with Saturday Night Fever (a Tombstone piledriver) to retain her title.

Your Winner, and Still AEW TBS Champion:  Kris Statlander

Lexy Nair is backstage with Andrade El Idolo. He wants the mask the House of Black stole from him, and they appear on the big monitor and tell El Idolo tranquilo.  Andrade is anything but Tranquilo as he shoves the camera away from him.

CM Punk comes out to commentary to (oh, let’s be kind and say 50/50 cheers and boos), and that leads to the Main Event and it’s for the…

 

Courtesy of AEW

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Quarterfinal Tournament Match: Samoa Joe vs. Roderick Strong

As the bell rings, both men light each other up, and this is seventeen years of history coming to a head.  They go outside the ring and they chop each other.  During the melee, Punk talks about who he would face in the tournament, and notes he has beaten Strong in his career, but has never beaten Joe, and that can be a challenge.

Back in the ring, he sends the Samoan Submission Machine into the corner, and Strong charges but an ST Joe stops that momentum.  During Picture in Picture, Joe is killing Strong but he fires back with a high knee for a two count.  Joe fires back with his inverted atomic drop followed by a running single-leg dropkick into a running senton combo and a lackadaisical cover gets him a two count.  He goes for another senton that misses and Strong tries to take down the big tree trunk that is Joe to no avail. A dropkick finally accomplishes the task, and then a backbreaker.

Strong lands with a Sick Kick to cover for a two count, and the Messiah of the Backbreaker goes up the top turnbuckle, but Joe attempts the musclebuster.  Strong pushes him off and a dropkick is enough to cover, but still gets a two count.  Strong now utilizes the Olympic slam and that still gets him another two count.  He tries a suplex and Joe reverses to the Coquina clutch and the ref calls it.

Your Winner via Submission, and Advancing in the Owen Hart Tournament:  Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe looks out at CM Punk at AEW Collision at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

Samoa Joe looks out at CM Punk at AEW Collision at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

Punk and Joe share words after the match, and Joe grabs a chair and Punk does the same. Staff and refs run out and try to break up the fight before it truly goes off the rails.  Joe walks off…to go back into the ring and slams Strong on the steel chair. Now Adam Cole runs out to check on Strong and he gets stretchered out as Punk looks on as the show fades to black.

 

Top Photo: Ethan Page and MJF battle at AEW Collision at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, taped on Thursday, June 29, 2023, and airing on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Photo by Steve Argintaru, Twitter: @stevetsn Instagram: @stevetsn

3.5

Final Thoughts:

Joe/Strong was awesome in the main event, as was Page getting the hometown boost facing MJF.

For now, see ya next Saturday!