A clash of former tag team partners headlines this week's AEW Rampage.
Mike Santana will face Ortiz as the former Proud & Powerful duo settle their differences in the ring.
In a battle of a current Don Callis disciple and a potential future addition to the Callis Family, Konosuke Takeshita will take on Aussie Open's Kyle Fletcher.
A four-way to determine who will challenge Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women's World Champion on Saturday's Collision episode will be held, as Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, Anna Jay, and Abadon will compete. The match is the first match on AEW programming for Abadon since an episode of Dark that aired last December.
Before they square off for the title on this Saturday's Collision, AEW World Champion MJF and his challenger Kenny Omega will speak on their upcoming confrontation on tonight's show.
Rampage airs beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern time on TNT.
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Taped in Philadelphia, PA.
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Ian Riccaboni were on commentary.
Mike Santana defeated Ortiz in a No Disqualification Match (10:34)
It didn’t take long for the fight to go to the floor, and Ortiz worked over Santana’s surgically repaired knee with a kendo stick. Ortiz pulled all kinds of plunder out from underneath the ring. Santana suplexed Ortiz back into the ring. Ortiz rolled out of the ring, and Santana followed him with a perfect Asai Moonsault. Ortiz countered a powerbomb attempt with a backdrop, then powerbombed Santana through a table. Back in the ring, Ortiz got a near fall. Santana countered a suplex on the apron with a suplex of his own, sending both guys crashing to a stack of chairs on the floor with a sick thud.
After a split-screen break, both men exchange German suplexes and clotheslines. Both men are down while the crowd chants “This is awesome!” And it is pretty awesome. Both guys exchange enziguris before Santana hit a rolling cutter for another near fall. Santana went for a discus lariat, but Ortiz caught him with a spinning powerslam for a near fall. Ortiz hit a brainbuster for another near fall.
Santana and Ortiz exchanged open-handed strikes. Ortiz tried for a cutter off the ropes (like a Tower of London), but Sanata escaped. After exchanging cradles, Santana hit the discus lariat, then a cannonball in the corner. Santana finished off Ortiz with a sit-out powerbomb out of a torture rack. This was an excellent match. They told the perfect story of two tag partners who knew each other well, and Ortiz put over Santana like a million bucks.
After the match, Santana tried to offer a fistbump to Ortiz, but he refused. Santana left. Sonjay Dutt came out to try and recruit Ortiz to his group.
– An absolutely tremendous video package put over the Kenny Omega v. MJF match. Footage from New Japan and the various independent promotions MJF competed for before AEW complemented the commentary from the usual talking heads (as well as the competitors).
At the end of the package, Jay White interrupted Omega to wish him luck, and challenge Omega for Full Gear should Omega win. Don Callis then interrupted MJF to offer him a spot in the Don Callis Family. MJF declined, and advised Callis to get his forehead checked out.
– Renee Paquette interviewed Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander, at Kris’s request. Statlander wants to know what is up with the other two after they got misted by Julia Hart. Blue doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her, but Willow and Kris think otherwise.
– Kip Sabian was in the ring with Penelope Ford to make fun of Philadelphia sports. “There’s no better time to be a Phillies fan!” Penelope reminded Ford that the Phillies lost. But that’s okay, they’ll win the Super Bowl next time! All the Philly trash talk brought out Mark Briscoe, “a man with as many teeth as the Eagles have Super Bowl rings!” Briscoe dumped Sabian from the ring to the delight of the crowd.
– Renee interviewed the former JAS in the back. Don Callis hit up Matt Menard and Angelo Parker to team up against Jericho and Omega, but tonight it's all about Anna Jay and her match up next. Then, the weird angle between Parker and Ruby Soho continued with Soho returning Parker’s comb.
Abandon defeated Anna Jay, Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue in a #1 Contender’s Match (7:17 aired)
How can you tell it’s Halloween? Abandon is getting a title match on Collision.
Abandon is wearing some kind of hockey mask now and has neon green hair. The match was going nowhere when Toni Storm came out to watch the match from the entrance stage.
Every women’s match on Rampage follows the same pattern: two minutes of the match, then two minutes during the split screen break. Then a full commercial break.
When we return, Skye Blue and Abadon have a stare down in the middle of the ring. Nightingale hit them both with a middle rope dropkick. Nightingale hit a series of corner clotheslines on Blue and Abadon, then took out Anna Jay with the pounce. Willow hit a spinebuster on Jay for a pin attempt, broken up by Skye Blue. Blue sent Nightingale into the rinbost and to the floor.
Blue and Jay double teamed Abadon. Jay locked in a sleeper, but Blue hit Jay with a superkick. Nightingale pulled Blue out of the ring, and Abandon finished off Jay with an inverted DDT for the pinfall.
– The Acclaimed will be celebrating the 69th day of their World Trios Title reign in eight days on Collision, and MJF is invited.
– Jay White v. AR Fox and a match with the House of Black were announced for Collision during the main event.
“The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Kyle Fletcher (11:17).
Callis and Hobbs hung out at the commentary table.
Takeshita caught Fletcher with a blue thunder bomb for a near fall just before the break.
Fletcher ran into an elbow in the corner. Takeshita followed up with a knee to the back. Fletcher caught Takeshita with a gamingiri to send Takeshita to the floor, and Fletcher followed up with a tope. Back in the ring, Fletcher hit a top rope crossbody for a near fall. Fletcher and Takeshita exchanged strikes. Fletcher hit a half-and-half suplex, but Takeshita came back with a poisoned rana and a lariat. Fletcher countered a suplex attempt with a sheer drop brainbuster for a great near fall. That sequence was tremendous.
Fletcher took Takeshita to the top rope, but Takeshita fought out of it. Takeshita then hit a middle rope tombstone for a near fall and why in god's name wasn’t that the finish?? Takeshita missed a knee strike, but rolled up Fletcher into a wheelbarrow suplex. In a last gasp of offense, Fletcher hit a thrust kick, but Takeshita hit a knee strike, then hit a running knee strike for the pinfall.
Tremendous match.
After the match, Takeshita dumped Fletcher to the floor to celebrate with the rest of the Family in the ring. Fletcher came back with a chair and hit both Takeshita and Hobbs. Hobbs no-sold the chair and tried to murder Fletcher, but Callis pulled him off and called Fletcher his “apprentice.” “That’s what we wanted, the hate!” Boos reigned down from the crowd as Fletcher left with the Don Callis family.
It looks like Kyle Fletcher is the newest memeber of the Don Callis Family.
Final Thoughts:
Oh man, Mark Davis might be screwed if they’re going all the way with Fletcher as a single in the Callis family. Callis was looking for a tag team earlier (when he was recruiting Parker & Menard) so maybe Fletcher and Davis will join as a team once Davis is healed up.
Between two very good matches book-ending the show and a great package on tomorrow night’s main event, this was an excellent episode of Rampage.
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