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Rampage TV report for 11/18/2022

By
Paul Hemming
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Arena: Prudential Center

City: Newark, NJ

Last Week’s Rating: 456,000 overall; 0.11 in 18-49 demo

That’s the joint-lowest demo in the show’s history, to go along with its worst ever cable position.  After watching last week, not at all surprised.

It’s Friday Night, and you know what that means…  it’s time for our Rampage Review!

…..

JR once again welcomed us to Dynamite.  That is not a typo.  The guy’s been through some stuff so I didn’t mention it last time but that’s twice in quick succession.  Unlike Dynamite, Rampage thankfully came to us from the Prudential Center, because that crowd Wednesday needed an obituary.

Joined by Schiavone, Jericho and Excalibur, they ran down the show.

Lance Archer vs Ricky Starks, Eliminator Tournament 1st Rnd

Backstory: Winner will face Cage in semis, match rearranged after Archer attacked Starks last Weds

(The final of this tournament will now take place next Wednesday, rather than at Full Gear.  While the semi vs Cage will be on the pre-show.)

Jericho was the only announcer not surprised that this began backstage despite Starks saying he’d do just that Wednesday.  Archer dominated until attacking random people, leaving an opening for Ricky, who led Archer through the curtain and into the arena.

Both were dressed for a fight rather than a wrestling match.

Quickly back on top, Archer dragged the smaller man up the steps into the fans where they continued to brawl until Starks launched himself back over the guard rail via diving forearm.

Reciprocating, Archer pulled off essentially the same move, finally dragging Ricky into the ring as the bell rang.  After a brief flurry from Starks, Archer planted him on the apron with a chokeslam to bring the break.

‘You know who’s going to be ROH champion after the show tomorrow?’ began Jericho, who’d barely got the words out when Schiavone deadpanned ‘Bryan Danielson’.  These two are great together.

Still well in control, Archer choked the younger guy in the corner before firing in shots as a ‘Let’s go Ricky!’ chant briefly got going.  Dangerously close to a Blackout, Starks fired back, freeing himself on the buckle, from where he launched a diving shoulder, following up with a big clothesline to finally take the big guy down.  A tornado ddt attempt was blocked; Archer absolutely drilled Ricky with a lariat for a close two.

Schiavone mentioned an interview he’d done earlier with Jericho & Sammy, noting that when it aired he wanted Chris to watch Sammy’s reaction after he walked away.  Tony’s out here droppin’ dimes.

To a duelling chant of ‘Let’s go…’, Archer hit a clubbing blow to the back, Starks ducked under a clothesline, this time hitting the tornado ddt for two.  Then set up the Rochambeaux; Archer flippantly shook him off, then went for a pounce, which Starks kinda avoided (he was certainly meant to) before hitting a Spear as Archer attempted a big boot, for the win.

Post-match, Brian Cage came out, distracting Ricky and leaving him open to be chokeslamed onto the ring steps by Archer.  The former Team Taz-ers will go at it tonight on the pre-show.

This was just there.  Not much happened, a lot of brawling in the crowd.  Starks never took his shirt off.  Suggesting he might not be 100%.

WINNER: Ricky Starks

The aforementioned interview aired – Schiavone with the Sex Gods.  The champ reiterated that at some point in the match, the BCC boys will turn on each other, whereas he and Sammy guarantee that the belt will remain with him.  Jericho left, Guevara said ‘We’ll see about that.’

On comms, Jericho tried to cover by saying Sammy has a lot of dreams etc.

Lee Moriarty vs Hook

Backstory: Moriarty said last week that it’s time he won gold and Hook just happened to hear

It’s a day ending in ‘day’, so no-one cared about Lee Moriarty or his awful music.  El Diablo Guapo got a nice response.  This crowd are already far more enthusiastic than on Dynamite.

An aggressive lockup ended with a Moriarty cheapshot, Hook dived for a double leg, thinking submission as Moriarty fought him off and backed away into the corner.  When they met in the middle again, Hook landed a judo throw, rolling through looking for a wristlock, maintaining his grip into a northern lights suplex.  Very, very smooth.

An elbow to the face shook Moriarty free – very briefly – Hook coming straight back with a float under into a gut wrench suplex, the youngster posing before a receptive crowd.  Until Hathaway interfered, leaving him to be blasted by a Moriarty big boot.

Laying in crossface shots to a downed Hook as we returned, Hook then took out Moriarty with a lariat as he rebounded off the ropes, blocked a right, laying in a barrage of bodyshots as the ref called for a ropebreak.  A hiptoss followed, back-heel trip, up into a fisherman throw.

This kid really is just so smooth the way he chains things together.

Another cheap shot from Lee bought him space to deliver a diving knee off the top to the back of the head.  Racing to cover, Moriarty got two, transitioning straight into the kimura lock.  This time Hook got the rope break, Moriarty sweeping him into a cradle as he got up for a second two count.

Then into the Border City Stretch.  Hook rolled the hips, out and up into the Redrum.  Night night.

Really enjoyed this.  Hook absolutely dominated a guy who got more against Moxley last week.

WINNER: Hook

Footage aired of Silver’s interference in last week’s Rush/Bandido match.  Leading to Schiavone backstage with Silver, Ten, Rush & Jose.  The latter of whom painted it as Silver costing Ten a title shot (Rush had promised him one when he won the Eliminator tournament and then the AEW title).

Silver denied this but admitted to costing ‘Ruuushbag’ a shot.  Jose said that Silver didn’t take things seriously, challenging him to a tag.  Silver said ‘us two’ will beat you, at which Ten took umbrage – must be having a bad week.  Rush then got in Silver’s face, cutting a promo in Spanish.

Madison Rayne vs Athena

Backstory: None

We were shown footage of Athena essentially turning heel over recent Darks by attacking her opponents after the bell.

So, instead of firing her for taking liberties and beating up an enhancement talent, they’ve turned it into a storyline.  Interesting decision in a company where discipline has been lax, to put it mildly.

While a Madison Rayne promo aired, Athena had attacked her from behind as she posed on the ropes.  The cringing started early as Athena almost dropped Rayne out of a wheelbarrow position, finally managing to fling her into the guardrail.

Then continued as Athena sold after a delayed suplex which she had performed.  The commentators had to speculate that Rayne must’ve turned it into a ddt.  Rayne then ran through her with a couple weak-looking clotheslines, set up CrossRayne, Athena fought out into a flipping stunner, then hauled her into an off-the-shoulder chestbreaker for the win.

Short and still sucked.  Post-match, Athena popped Aubrey in the mush as she tried to drag her off Madison.  I repeat, a mid-level, at best, performer took liberties in the ring and they rewarded her with a storyline.  Mercedes Martinez then came out to no reaction whatsoever.  Athena took a powder.

The only thing the crowd cared about in this whole sequence was Aubrey being cheap-shotted.

WINNER: Athena

Backstage with Renee, the Best Friends and the Factory.  We were shown QT piledriving Danhausen on the steps last Friday.  Cassidy challenged the Factory to a 5-on-5, QT said there were only three of them as Rocky Romero stepped forward.

Protesting that this was still only four, Chuck handed Renee a videotape – ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’.  ‘Watch the spooky video, we’ll see you tomorrow,’ replied Trent.

The video was Danhausen doing some stuff, ending with him dropping a pile of teeth on a table.  Chuck handing over a tape was amusing, but this was supposed to be a bunch of people pissed at a guy who’d injured their friend.

…..

Another HOB video – a voiceover talked about a world full of ‘idleness, vanity and complacency’ as footage aired of the four destroying a bunch of people in the dark.  ‘Members of the House of Black, please… rise’.

Seems they’re returning sooner than later.

…..

Ortiz spoke for Eddie, saying they were ready and quoting DJ Khaled.  Takeshita said it might be a dream match for them but it’d become a ‘nightmare’.

Eddie Kingston & Ortiz vs Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita

Backstory: Kingston always wanted a match vs Akiyama, who found out and made it happen

Kingston and Takeshita got us going: lockup, back away, ‘Eddie’ chant as they locked-up once more, intensely, Takeshita go-behind, switch to a headlock from Kingston, who slipped out, Takeshita couldn’t budge him with a shoulder block, tried again and ate a belly to belly.

Leaving Kingston to tag his partner then race across the ring to cheap shot his idol Akiyama on the apron.  The veteran in via tag, he quickly knocked down Ortiz then reciprocated the cheap shot, sending Kingston to the ringside mats.  A couple elbows to the head and a piledriver brought Eddie in to break things up – Akiyama didn’t even wait for the contact, springing up to lock eyes with Eddie as the ref cajoled the illegal man back to the apron.

Takeshita back in, he and Akiyama taking turns attacking Ortiz in the corner, culminating in a combo belly-to-back/reverse-bulldog as Takeshita got a two count.  Trying to fight back, Ortiz was dropped with a wicked right from Takeshita as the ads arrived.

An Ortiz northern lights got two slaps of the mat as we returned, quick tag to Eddie, Takeshita fighting, keeping both at bay until hooked into a dragon sleeper then passed to Kingston for a ddt and a close count.

The commentators were by now talking up the fact that Eddie and Akiyama hadn’t faced off and it was distracting Kingston.  Who baited the youngster into an exchange of chops, eyeing Akiyama as if trying to impress him – irish whip, Takeshita ducked under before exploding with a leaping clothesline.  This guy’s acceleration is up there with Omega & Ospreay.

Both made tags, boot to the face from Akiyama, Ortiz fired up, launching chops and strikes but was big boot-ed once more then hit with a leaping knee as Akiyama motioned that it was over, setting up the Exploder.

Bringing in Kingston as the two finally went at it – forearms and chops to the chest – leading to Eddie being dropped by his idol, who was then taken out by Ortiz, leaving Takeshita to attack but be caught in a powerslam.

Despite this, he popped back up, striking with a blue thunder bomb but being dropped via a Kingston backdrop driver, all four down.

Scrambling to their feet, Kingston & Akiyama were right back to it, each hit an exploder but both popped right back up, Eddie hit an enziguri but was blasted with a knee to the face, taking him outside.  Leaving Ortiz to be squashed in the corner with a knee to the back of the head then hit with the Exploder for the 1, 2, 3.

WINNER: Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita

…..

Added to Full Gear pre-show:

  • The Factory vs Best Friends, Danhausen & Rocky Romero
  • Ricky Starks vs Brian Cage
  • Eddie Kingston vs Jun Akiyama

Next Dynamite:

  • Eliminator Tournament Final

Next Rampage:

  • Airs at 4pm EST

…..

Overall impressions

Solid enough hour of wrestling – really enjoyed the Hook match.  But this episode highlighted like no episode before that the show’s an absolute afterthought.  Because on the company’s last nationally televised broadcast before a ppv, not a single solitary star appeared and outside of Jericho/Sammy, the same can be said for angles.

Almost as if this show exists separately to the important stuff.

Check Out

  • Hook vs Lee Moriarty

Thanks for reading.  Have a great weekend!

Early betting odds for Full Gear 2022 top matches

By
Colin Vassallo
-

We’re just over 24 hours away from AEW’s final pay-per-view of the year with Full Gear live from Newark, New Jersey.

It’s a big card but we will look at the betting odds of top matches of the show today and then tomorrow we will bring you the latest odds for the full card. Remember, odds will change so be careful if you’re placing any real money.

In the AEW World title match, Jon Moxley will defend his title against MJF. Change seems to be in the air as the devil himself is 2/9 favorite to win the title while Moxley is 3/1 to retain.

The interim Women’s title will be up for grabs as champion Toni Storm takes on Jamie Hayter. Storm is the favorite as of today with odds of 4/6 while her challenger is 11/10 to get her first gold in AEW.

A four-way match will determine who will walk out of New Jersey as the ROH World champion. The reigning champion Chris Jericho is favorite 4/9 to retain, with Bryan Danielson next with 3/1, Claudio Castagnoli with 6/1 odds, and Sammy Guevara is last with 9/1.

The Elite are back and they want their Trios titles back. Unfortunately for The Death Triangle, The Elite are the favorites to win them with odds of 4/11 while the champs are 15/8 to retain.

Three matches announced for Smackdown as road to Survivor Series continues

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The road to Survivor Series continues tonight on Friday Night Smackdown and with the show just a week away, the men’s Survivor Series match will be made official tonight.

The big question is who will be the fifth person joining McIntyre, Sheamus, Butch, and Holland, as the rumored Kevin Owens suffered an injury and might not recover in time for the pay-per-view. Their opponents will be The Bloodline, including Sami Zayn.

Speaking of Sami Zayn, he will be challenging Butch tonight in a Smackdown World Cup first round match. Also set for tonight is Ricochet vs Mustafa Ali in another first round match and the number one contender for the Smackdown Women’s title Shotzi takes on Shayna Baszler.

Impact rating for 11/10/2022

By
Colin Vassallo
-

Last week’s episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV drew 94,000 viewers, up 38,000 viewers from the previous week record low. The show did a 0.02 in the 18-49 demo, up 0.01 but did not chart in the cable rankings. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

Full Gear 2022 preview and predictions

By
Paul Hemming
-

‘Here’s how we gon’ do this’ – there are three categories: star quality, match quality, build.  For each we’ll assign a score out of ten.  To get a total score with which to rank the matches.

Star quality is within the company/to the company’s fans.  A ten does not mean they’d be known on the street like Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin.  If scores are even, matches’ll be ranked according to preference.

We’ll then predict the winners of each contest.

Without further ado.

  • Jade Cargill vs Nyla Rose, TBS Title

Star quality: 3 – Jade’s aura slips with every defense – a lack of believable opponents doesn’t help; Nyla disappears for months at a time and has lost a lot.

Match quality: 1 – Cargill’s still bad & Nyla’s unlikely to be able to carry her.

Build: 0 – This has been some of the worst tv in the company.  Including threatened show-long hi-jackings which don’t materialize, and the less said about the segment where Nyla & Vickie did ‘commentary’, the better.

And with each week that passes, it’s increasingly difficult to figure out who the heel is in this feud.  Which is bad in any rivalry but particularly in one guaranteed to be a letdown between the ropes.

Overall Score: 4

If there are any fans out there looking forward to this, genuinely hope you enjoy it.  For everyone else, you can look forward to when it’s over.  Let’s hope it’s a short one.

WINNER: Jade Cargill

  • Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett vs Sting & Darby Allin

Star quality: 7 – Let’s be honest, that number is all the babyface side.

Match quality: 6 – Lethal’s very good in the ring, Darby will kill himself to make the match good, neither vet should get in the way.

Build: 2 – That 2 is based purely on Lethal attacking Darby, which at least provides some reason for the match happening in the first place.  Because the ‘someone from your past who knows your weakness’ story was a massive letdown.

A backstory like that should be clear – e.g. ‘This guy and Darby were struggling together on the indies and he feels like Darby left him behind’.

And it damn sure shouldn’t feel like a TNA invasion.  Certainly not in a company which feels like WWE & ROH are already doing so.

Overall Score: 15

Any outcome other than a babyface win is inconceivable, largely because it would mean Jarrett’s return to our screens isn’t temporary.

WINNER: Darby Allin & Sting

  • Wardlow vs Powerhouse Hobbs vs Samoa Joe, TNT Title

Star quality: 6 – It should be higher – Joe’s very over, Hobbs would be if he didn’t disappear for weeks at a time & Wardlow should be but he’s been booked abysmally.

Match quality: 6 – Three-ways can be tricky & Wardlow’s still not wrestled a ton of longer, competitive matches.  Willing to be proven wrong.

Build: 3 – If WarJoe had been together nine months, this’d be higher: teaming people just to have one turn on the other is among booking’s lowest-hanging fruit.  Likewise if the title had been better protected and Wardlow’s stellar run was threatened by two behemoths.

Overall Score: 15

There are only two winners here.  Either they decide that Wardlow’s been used so badly that he needs a boosting win or they decide Wardlow’s been used so badly that they need to get the belt onto Will Hobbs.

Either way, the most popular guy in the match will likely be losing.

WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs

  • Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter, AEW Interim Women’s Title

Star quality: 5 – Jamie’s as over as any woman on the roster; Toni’s cold as champion.

Match quality: 7 – both can be very good and know each other well.  Hayter has a ton of cool power moves and works well with smaller opponents.

Build: 4 – The real-life backstory is a very compelling one – if it hadn’t been dropped on us two weeks ago, it could’ve been special.

Overall Score: 16

This is a really tough one to predict.  Storm’s never actually been the true champion.  And Thunder Rosa’s rumored to be fairly close to returning.  Meaning a unification match makes sense.

On the other hand, Hayter & Britt vowed that one would end the year as champion.  The assumption being that the one would be Jamie, sparking Britt’s jealously & finally leading to a split between the pair.

Not to mention, Hayter’s clearly more popular with the crowd than Storm.

Personally, I think she should be the one to end Jade Cargill’s streak.  Obviously, that would involve a face turn, but she’s got the size to believably pose a threat to Jade & the crowd want to cheer her – and basically do already.  Not to mention, she and Saraya are about the only viable candidates left to defeat Cargill.

Perhaps the clincher though, is that Toni can’t seem to keep Rosa’s name out her mouth. An angle? Or another to add to those who don’t seem to like the women’s champ? Either way, it suggests a match is coming. So…

WINNER: Toni Storm

  • The Acclaimed vs Swerve in our Glory, AEW Tag Titles

Star quality: 8 – The champs are as over as anyone on the roster, Lee’s very popular, Swerve slightly less-so.

Match quality: 6 – They’ve had two matches.  One excellent; one clunky.  Lee’s still too big, Caster’s fine; Bowens and Strickland can be really good, though on Wednesday, when the best worker on either team went at it, it was a little underwhelming.

Though Strickland’s clear win and attacking of Bowens’ shoulder did at least add a little more intrigue to the outcome tonight.

Build: 3 – Billy Gunn blatantly cheated to help the Acclaimed win the belts.  Fortunately, such is the champs’ popularity that they’re able to overcome the booking and remain good guys.

Then, there’s the weird pliers angle with Daddy Ass.  Which portends his gaining revenge by costing Strickland the titles once again.  Though it shouldn’t.  The Acclaimed should win clean.

Overall Score: 17

On the subject, this one’s an easy choice.  They’ve clearly already begun building to the Acclaimed vs FTR, nor is there any chance of them taking the belts off one of their most popular acts so soon after winning them.

WINNER: The Acclaimed

  • Saraya vs Britt Baker

Star quality: 7 – Saraya hasn’t quite hit her stride yet but should be the biggest female in the company; Baker’s very popular.

Match quality: 5 – This match is a risk.  Britt’s a great personality but she’s not yet at the point where she can cover for an opponent.  And the former Paige certainly didn’t used to be in need of such help.  But there are five years of ring-rust to shake off.

Build: 6 – While acknowledging that they began to suggest this match Saraya’s first night in. And that some people really liked last week’s promo segment.  This still doesn’t feel as big as it should.

However, Wednesday’s promos really helped make this match more intriguing.  Just for all the wrong reasons.  Britt Baker’s promo was excellent.  It felt very personal.  Almost as if Saraya legitimately touched a nerve the previous week by basically saying – ‘I was with WWE, so I’m a bigger star.’

It was also a total babyface promo – re-asserting her commitment to AEW in an era when many fans have become increasingly fed-up with the constant influx of ex-WWE.  And totally undercut Saraya, who already had to undo the damage of the previous week when she’d almost turned herself heel.  Hence her own very humble interview.  It was noteworthy that her speaking was kept to a minimum.

Who the crowd choose to cheer, and how the two interact with each other out there, will be more interesting than the match itself.

Overall Score: 18

Obviously, the new girl’s not losing her first outing in the company.

WINNER: Saraya 

  • Luchasaurus vs Jungle Boy Jack Perry, Steel Cage

Star quality: 6 – Jack’s pretty popular; not so sure about Luchasaurus, particularly as a heel.

Match quality: 7 – JB’s good, they know each other well & should work a classic big man/little man cage match.

Build: 6 – None of these guys are exactly favorites of mine and there’s been too great a reliance on ‘cheap heat’.  But we were shown their relationship over a number of years and thus this does feel like a match with a story behind it – of broken trust and betrayal between friends.

Overall Score: 19

Jungle Boy lost to Christian in ten seconds at All Out, then lost to Luchasaurus.  He’s not losing here.

WINNER: Jungle Boy

  • Death Triangle vs The Elite

Star quality: 9 – Two sets of former tag champs, the first double champion in the company & a former world champion who’s among the biggest stars in the company.

Match quality: 10 – If this isn’t the match of the night, something’s gone badly wrong here or very, very right in another.  The Bros & the Bucks had one of the best outings of the year last September; it’s almost impossible to see Omega or Pac doing anything other than improving on that.

Build: 3 – The videos hinting at the Elite’s return were cute and all, but unless there’s a deeper story yet to be unveiled, pretty one-dimensional.  And much as I love a return, one promo isn’t enough to bump up the score.  This one’s being sold on match quality, rather than story.

Overall Score: 22

This might be one of those matches where the winner’s so obvious that they’re not actually going to win.  Death Triangle were very clearly positioned as consolation champions – the best of what was left.  And AEW even delayed debuting these titles until Kenny Omega was back because the division was to be built around the EVP’s.

Not to mention the obvious dissention among Pac and the Bros – providing an easy ‘out’ if a change is going to occur.

And in the end, that’s probably what’ll occur.  Pac will give one of them the hammer, they’ll refuse to use it, it’ll cost them.  (Unless of course, they’re all going to turn heel?  Aaargh).

WINNER: The Elite

  • MJF vs Jon Moxley, AEW World Title

Name value: 10 – There isn’t a bigger match the company could put on atm.

Match quality: 8 – Mox rarely has bad matches, MJF’s really underrated in the ring: he had the best match at the same event last year.

Build: 6 – This should have been so much higher.  And actually was, a little, until Wednesday’s show-ending promo.  Which only served to highlight how muddy they’ve made things.  As noted below, there’s an exceptionally simple storyline here about two guys who are total opposites and the promo work from both has largely been stellar.

But everything involving the Firm has been a detriment to the story.  Their backstory and connection to Max still hasn’t been properly explained.  And even the parts that have don’t make sense.  On top of which, no-one among the group is anywhere near main-event level.

So please, please, please don’t let the beatdown Max endured from them be a swerve.  Please.  Because it seems highly likely that MJF will reveal that he was never a good guy.

Which is fine.  The whole premise behind his title bid is optimizing his value ahead of the ‘bidding war of 2024’.  But not like that.  The idea that a competitor would allow himself to be destroyed two weeks before a world championship match is just ludicrous.  Even more so if it was all just to ‘fool’ us.  Something akin to breaking your leg to convince us it’s broken.

Overall Score: 24

Back to the bidding war stuff.  February would probably be a better time for him to win the belt.  Because the alternative is him holding it from now until the very end of next year as he threatens to take it with him if he decides to leave.  But it does seem that the plan all along was to have him take it here from Punk.

And actually, beating Moxley makes the story even better.  The guy who is so fiercely loyal to the company, who bleeds and sweats for it, the guy who would least like Max to take the belt he cherishes so much to the place he most despises.  If done right, that’s something they could come back to next year.

All of which opens the window slightly for another possibility.  That MJF will indeed be a ‘good guy’ for a bit, maybe a few months.  Before revealing who he truly is as we draw closer to the time when he can leave.  Or at least threaten to.

WINNER: MJF

  • Chris Jericho vs Sammy Guevara vs Bryan Danielson vs Claudio Castagnoli, ROH Title

Star quality: 9 – Two top guys, two mid/upper mid-carders

Match quality: 9 – All four are excellent.  Jericho has his critics but he’s had good matches lately with a variety of opponents.  Slight knock for it being a four-way, which tend to be busy.

Build: 7 – While ROH does feel like it’s been shoved down fans’ throats, and the BCC/JAS feud is on its last legs, the very simple story of Jericho feeling a company that’s been around for twenty years is beneath him, and doing everything he can to dis-honor it, has been very enjoyable.

In an ideal world, this would’ve been one-on-one vs a Danielson who’d mowed down each member of the JAS having finally snapped at Jericho’s disrespect for the company that made him who he is.

Overall Score: 25

While history would tell us a match like this is a way to change the title without beating the champ, and that Sammy is the perfect pawn, it’s just as likely this was made a 4-way to fit guys on the show.  As we’re all aware, AEW have rather too many.

And until any ROH TV deal is sealed, it’s hard to see Jericho dropping his title.

WINNER: Chris Jericho

Overall Thoughts

An interesting way to look at the show, in the sense that while it’s obviously somewhat tainted since I wrote it, the scores don’t necessarily reflect my own interest level (the six-man & AEW title matches are what I’m most looking forward to, the tag title match not-so-much).

What really stands out is the lack of stipulation matches – definitely a good thing.  But also a lack of men’s singles due to the bloated roster.

Even more than that, the quality of build.  Or lack thereof.  In several cases, there’s a good possibility the crowd will react contrary to the company’s wishes – something that’s almost never happened in the past because they booked smartly and listened to the fans.

Whatever else, AEW tends to deliver on PPV.  So enjoy the show, have a great weekend and of course, if it does happen to suck, there’s always the post-show presser 😉.

PS (Erm… where are FTR?)

Owen Hart Foundation tournament returning for second edition in 2023

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The Owen Hart Foundation tournament will return next year according to AEW President Tony Khan. Khan revealed the news yesterday during a media call with the press ahead of the Full Gear pay-per-view.

The inaugural tournament was held this year with the winners – Adam Cole and Britt Baker – crowned at the Double or Nothing PPV this past May.

“I’d like to continue my great relationship with Dr. Martha Hart and her family,” Khan said during the call. “Oje Hart recently attended the Jaguars-Broncos game at Wembley Stadium. I really like Oje, he’s a tremendous guy, and Martha and the whole family, they’re great. We loved having them in AEW and the Owen Hart tournament tradition will continue.”

Khan also credited Chris Jericho for getting the two parties to sit down and come up with a plan to work together. This was the first time that Martha Hart allowed her late husband’s name to be attached to a pro wrestling event since his death in 1999.

AEW World Title Eliminator undergoes a small change due to Ricky Starks injury

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The AEW World Title Eliminator tournament needed some adjustments due to the injury sustained by Ricky Starks.

The final match of this tournament will now take place on the November 23 episode of Dynamite next week rather than on the Full Gear pay-per-view tomorrow.

Ethan Page has advanced to the finals but his opponent is still yet to be determined. Starks will face Lance Archer tonight on Rampage after the mach was originally scheduled last week but Starks was not cleared to compete and the match was postponed.

The winner of tonight’s match will then meet Brian Cage in the semi final match on tomorrow’s Zero Hour pre-show.

Dynamite rating for 11/16/2022

By
Colin Vassallo
-

This week’s episode of Dynamite, the go-home episode for Full Gear, drew 818,000 viewers, down 112,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This was the least-watched episode of Dynamite on a Wednesday night since June. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite was #4 with a 0.28, down 0.04 from last week. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

Over Drive live tonight on Impact Plus

By
Colin Vassallo
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Live tonight from the Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, Impact Wrestling presents Over Drive exclusively on Impact Plus. The full card is as follows:

Josh Alexander vs Frankie Kazarian for the Impact World title; Jordynne Grace vs Masha Slamovich in a last Knockout standing match for the Impact Knockouts title; Heath and Rhino vs The Major Players for the Impact World Tag Team titles; The Death Dollz vs Savannah Evans and Tasha Steelz for the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team titles; Black Taurus vs Trey Miguel for the vacant Impact X Division title; Mickie James vs Taylor Wilde in a career threatening match; Bully Ray vs Moose in a tables match; Ace Austin and Chris Bey vs The Motor City Machine Guns in the pre-show; and Kenny King vs Yuya Uemura vs Rich Swann vs Mike Bailey vs Jason Hotch vs Bhupinder Gujjar in a six-way match in the pre-show.

Two former NXT stars expected to return

By
Colin Vassallo
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Dave Meltzer of the Observer is reporting that two former NXT stars have been contacted to return to the company.

The two individuals are Chelsea Green and JONAH, better known in NXT as Bronson Reed.

Meltzer said that Green is highly likely going back to WWE and was offered a contract. She was released last year following a string of injuries that derailed her WWE journey. Green recently wrapped up her duties with Impact Wrestling.

JONAH was also offered a contract to return and now has to decide if he is going back or remain with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The former NXT North American champion was surprisingly released last year and wrestled for Impact and NJPW since then.

MJF praises boss Tony Khan in post-Dynamite speech

By
Colin Vassallo
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MJF showered Tony Khan with praises in a post-Dynamite speech which obviously got recorded and uploaded on the Internet by fans who were inside the arena.

MJF admitted that there’s “a lot of bullshit” that goes on in AEW and while he’s not always on the same page with his boss, he said that one thing no one can deny is the way Khan runs things.

“Imagine for one second if you had the opportunity to bring your love of professional wrestling to the world and create an alternative. Would you do it?” MJF asked the crowd.

“This man right here busts his ass week in week out to give not just you, but to give all the boys in the back an opportunity to show the world how much we love professional wrestling,” he continued as Khan stood across him in the ring.

MJF said that wrestlers risk their lives every time they go in the ring and they don’t take that lightly and something else he doesn’t take lightly is “somebody coming in to my company, dropping trow, and taking a dump.”

He said that that’s not happening anymore and the only reason why AEW is here is because of “Tony f*cking Khan.”

The number one contender for the AEW World title added that he loves WWE but wrestlers don’t get paid properly without an alternative.

Before he left, MJF reminded Khan that he needs to pay up in January 2024 or he’s out and he told fans to buy the PPV this Saturday. He then teased shaking Khan’s hands but in typical MJF style, he walked off and left.

NXT rating for 11/15/2022

By
Colin Vassallo
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This week’s episode of NXT drew 663,000 viewers, down 1,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This is the third week in a row that the viewership number ticked down, although not by much. In the 18-49 demo, NXT did a 0.17, up 0.02 from last week and the best number in a month. It placed #26 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

AEW to make debut in Phoenix, San Francisco, and London in 2023

By
Colin Vassallo
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On Dynamite last night it was announced that the promotion will make its debut in Phoenix, San Francisco, and London in 2023.

The February 22 episode of Dynamite will be held at the Footprint Center in Phoenix and then a week later on March 1, the show moves to the Cow Palace in San Francisco. A live Rampage on March 3 will be held at the Cow Palace as well.

There was no date announced for the United Kingdom debut but the company finally announced London as the host city, although no exact location was announced.

The Footprint Center is a huge arena which holds over 17,000 seats while the Cow Palace, a famous arena in the history of pro wrestling, seats over 16,000.

Chris Jericho unmasked as The Bride on The Masked Singer

By
Colin Vassallo
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Last week, wrestling fans quickly figured out that The Bride on FOX’s reality singing competition The Masked Singer was highly likely to be Chris Jericho.

And the ROH champion was unveiled last night after he was eliminated from the show after two weeks. Last week, Jericho sang Shut Up And Dance and yesterday sang White Wedding.

Jericho was eventually eliminated by the vote from the studio audience and the AEW star told Entertainment Weekly that he was pissed that he got eliminated and that’s why you never let the fans be in charge of a vote!

“It was something that I was kind of angry about, but that’s just because I’m a professional and I don’t like to lose,” Jericho said in the interview. “It was a lot of fun, to be honest with you. I thought we had a lot that we could do with the Bride costume and character.”

Jericho told EW that he originally was against the show and thought it was stupid. But he realized that it was a lot of fun and was just waiting for an invite.

You can see the unmask video from the show below.

The Elite get AEW World Trios title shot at Full Gear

By
Colin Vassallo
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The Elite will have a chance to reclaim their AEW World Trios titles at Full Gear this weekend as Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have received a title shot against The Death Triangle in their first match back since their suspension.

The Elite won the inaugural titles at All Out but were stripped off the titles a few days later due to their involvement in the backstage brawl with CM Punk.

A match to crown new champions was then held three days later where PAC, Penta El Zero M, and Rey Fenix defeated Best Friends to win the titles.

The AEW World Trios titles were established on July 27 with the inaugural tournament kicking off a month later.

Dynamite TV report for 11/16/2022

By
Paul Hemming
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Arena: Total Mortgage Arena

City: Bridgeport, CT

Last Week’s Rating: 930,000 overall; 0.32 in 18-49 demo

It’s Wednesday night, it’s Dynamite.  Let’s go.

…..

Excalibur welcomed us alongside Taz, Tony & Ian Riccaboni.  And you know what that means… Jericho’s opening.

Le Sex Gods vs Claudio Castagnoli & Bryan Danielson

Backstory: The 4 participants in Saturday’s ROH Title match; in addition to disliking the other side, both teams have teased infighting in recent weeks

All four flew at one another: Claudio took Jericho outside, the other two remained in the ring.  The BCC started strong, culminating in double hammer and anvils right in the middle.  Riccaboni was less than objective on comms.

With Sammy wrapped in a Romero Special, Danielson tagged Claudio for a boot to the face, Sammy responded by just about keeping his balance on his flips-into-a-dropkick as boos rained down.  Claudio hauled Guevara up for a delaaaaaaayed suplex, down to one knee, before dropping first him, then Jericho as he ran in.

Danielson back in, Sammy still stuck in there, to the corner, stiff chops and kicks, until Sammy targeted the eye.  Allowing the tag to Jericho, who fired off chops of his own before posing for the crowd, double-birding them as Riccaboni noted that ‘the feeling’s mutual’.

BD got the tag, Claudio forcing Sammy to watch as he worked over the arm of Jericho.  Quick tag back to Danielson, quickly backed into the heel corner by Jericho, Sammy in, Danielson down, Le Sex Gods Pose.

Responding, BD flew at Sammy, who drop toe hold-ed him face first into the buckle, where Jericho continued to attack the injured eye as the break beckoned.

Both heels had Danielson up for a delayed suplex of their own as we came back, Jericho with his foot-on-chest pin for a quick kick out.  More chops to the chest in the corner, Danielson in big trouble.

Fighting out, BD fired off chops, flipped off the buckle, duck under, flying elbow strike, both down in the middle.  Tag to CC, who hauled-in Sammy like he was nothing, then flung him into Jericho, flurry of uppercuts to Le Champion, a good minute of them.  Before running over Jericho with a shoulder for a two count.

As he was setting up the Ricola Bomb, Jericho flipped out, Claudio ducked a clothesline, hit another uppercut, another two.  Then set up the swing but Guevara stopped it, Castagnoli into the Walls, Sammy took out Danielson with a flipping dive as Claudio struggled to the ropes, the hold finally broken via a Danielson shotgun dropkick off the top.

The Dragon the only man on his feet, tags to he and Sammy, the pair faced off in the middle – flurry of forearms from Sammy met with one discus elbow strike, knocking Guevara to his knees, open for yes! kicks, he again ducked the last, targeting the eye once more, jumping knee, Danielson slipped out of the GTH, between the legs, LeBell Lock, Sammy got his legs on the ropes.

Taking Sammy topside, Guevara again bit the injured head/eye, allowing him to hit a cutter from the top, tag to Jericho, Lionsault, Claudio broke it up at 2.5.  An elevated uppercut blasted Sammy to the outside, Jericho shoved Claudio out there too, he and Danielson collided mid-ring, both down.

Castagnoli came back in, Dnaielson took out Sammy with a tope through the ropes, Jericho grabbed Floyd but Claudio swept the legs, into a big swing with more than enough rotations to make both nauseuous.  The Swiss then got the Sharpshooter while resting the bat on his shoulder for the tap and the win.

Very good opener.  They’re clearly trying hard to convince you Claudio has Jericho’s number.

WINNER: Claudio Castagnoli & Bryan Danielson

Moxley/MJF video package – the two and various others commenting on the upcoming title match.  Short and effective.

…..

Another of those weird videos Darby does.  Soundclip at the start had the heels talking about bodybags.  Darby emerged from one in the backeat, joining Sting as he drove.  The vet noted that at Full Gear, ‘it’s showtime’.

…..

Jarrett then stepped in front of the rest of his heel crew to say Sting’s match on Sat would be his last.  Before again threatening the camera guy.  Run! He’s trying to sell you Cash for Gold!

Anthony Bowens vs Swerve Strickland

Backstory: One-half of the upcoming tag title match

Huuuge pop for the Acclaimed.  Bowens introduced their new music video, which began with Paul Wight alongside the champs as Captain Insano.  ‘Keith Lee’ & ‘Swerve’ called-in to speak to their hero.  They asked what were their chances of winning on Saturday as the Captain & Acclaimed howled with laughter.

On the song itself: nice beat.  Best line called Lee ‘Cleveland Jr.’

Daddy Ass attacked before the bell and was again sent backstage.  In the intro rap, Caster made a Jay Leno/burns joke.  As the match started, Schiavone felt the need to send out best wishes to Jay, so the Acclaimed might be in trouble for that one.

Rapid action started with Bowens delivering a thrust kick and a leaping legdrop to the back of the head.  To the apron, Swerve fought Bowens off, snapping his arm cross the ropes, into a tejeiras, low dropkick, Bowens to the outside where Swerve launched himself with a dive, absolutely clocking Bowens with his feet, then launched a pump kick from the apron.

Aiming to drop Bowens on the barricade, Swerve dropped him into the crowd.  Didn’t look planned.  Nasty landing as the fans tried to help Bowens up.  Unclear if he landed on somebody.

Ads.

Bowens was bleeding from the mouth when we returned, Strickland continuing to work the arm, kick to the spine, Swerve poised on the top but Bowens swept the leg, avoided a diving punch, then hit a running back-elbow as the crowd chanted his name.  They were silent while Swerve was in control.

Shoulder tackle, shots to the face and back, Swerve sent to the corner where Bowens struck again with an elbow, Olympic Slam, count of two.

After targeting the arm again, Swerve hit a brainbuster, Bowens down on his knees in the middle as Strickland hit a stomp to the head, kickout at two.  Annoyed, Strickland went back to the arm with a sickening looking and sounding kick which looked like it dislocated the shoulder.  Made you wince.

Another stomp attempt saw Strickland’s leg caught, but he again struck the injured arm to fight out into the JML Driver for the dominant victory.

Commentators wondered about the shape of Bowens’ shoulder for Saturday.

WINNER: Swerve Strickland

Nyla/Jade video package.  Cargill has apparently bled, sweated and cried for AEW.  Nyla said she’s Jade’s ‘wake-up call’.

….

Schiavone in the ring to talk to Samoa Joe, who still got his usual positive response, despite what the commentators said.  Sparse ‘Wardlow’ chants from the crowd.  Joe began by threatening Schiavone (that’s when you know they’re worried about someone being cheered).

Then asked if it was wrong to take action when someone threatened to take something from you?  Wardlow didn’t recognize the most dangerous man in the room.  He refuses to sit around and be a victim, like those in the audience.  Here, he did draw boos.  If anyone has a problem with that… they can take it up with him.

Cue Will Hobbs.  He’s been the one kicking Wardlow’s ass, so why doesn’t he do the same to Joe?  Just about to go at it, Wardlow joined them.  The champ came through the crowd, hitting Joe from behind but quickly clobbered by Powerhouse.  A bunch of wrestlers came out to separate them.  Wardlow then hit a senton onto the majority of them.

Joe was great on the mic as usual.  Hobbs too in his short time speaking.  If this had been built a bit longer, and the TNT title better protected, this could’ve felt really big time.

…..

Britt backstage promo.  Solo.  Saraya said she couldn’t be a superstar but in three years, she went from nervous and happy-to-be-there, to the top of the pile.  She took her opportunity until she became undeniable, until every fan says here catchphrase with her.  (She did it to illustrate the point)  And no, she didn’t wrestle at MSG, but she did at Daily’s Place.

‘When the fans couldn’t come to us, we came to them.’

She respects various things about Saraya, but ‘this business owes you nothing’.  ‘You’re not going to belittle me… or my accomplishments’.  She’s the ‘heart and soul of AEW, if you don’t like that, you can get the hell out.  This is my house.’

Very serious, almost emotional interview from Baker.  An excellent promo.  But it’s again a bit confusing that she seems to be cutting promos bound to receive cheers.  Definitely made the match feel very personal.

Death Triangle vs Top Flight & AR Fox

Backstory: Pac has been trying to turn his teammates to the darkside

Should be a belter of a match.  And is the last chance to build a trios match for the ppv if indeed they are going to.

Darius wasted no time, starting off against Rey, lots of quick-twitch mat-work and exchanges on the mat and in the grapple, Darius avoided Fenix’ rebound heelkick, Fenix did the same on an attempted legsweep.  Stalemate.  Excellent start.  Refreshingly different.  Needs to be seen to be truly appreciated.

Now Dante and Penta – a ‘Zero Miedo’ preceded pushing Dante back to the ropes, where he avoided a rushing Penta with a flip, a run-up flip off the chest, another off the middle ropes, swinging ddt, dropkick, Penta to the outside.  Incredible fluidity from Martin, it doesn’t seem like he’s moved and he’s halfway across the ring.

Lastly, Fox and Pac went face to face.  Both exchanged flips and athletically avoided the other until a spinning boot to the midsection caught the newcomer.  Who avoided a shot from Pac by matrixing, up into a dropkick, both rolled out of the corner at the same time, into a Fox cutter before Pac fled outside, where Fox vaulted into a moonsault (incredible), straight back in, senton atomico, Penta blasted him with a kick to break up the count as the ref got to two.

Top Flight then flung Pac into another cutter from Fox.  Bringing all of DT in, thrust kicks, three way dropkick to the face, cazadora/moonsault combo, two slaps of the mat.

Darius had Pac down as we came back, kick to the face, brainbuster, very quick kick out.

A flipping ddt off his brother’s chest from Darius preceded a violent suicide dive, soaring springboard splash from Dante, Fox followed with something crazy which I missed, he and Fenix back in, Spanish Fly off the top, 450 splash, Pac saved the belts at 2.5.

Fenix hit his rebound heelkick on Fox, kick to the ribs by Penta, Fear Factor – Fenix wiped out Top Flight with a tope on the ramp – Black Arrow, that’ll get the job done everytime.

Schiavone mentioned ‘London 2023’.  But that was about all he said re: AEW coming to England.

Post-match, Pac quickly got on the mic.  ‘Do you think we haven’t seen the videos?  Heard the rumors?  If there are certain individuals who think they can make their triumphant return at Full Gear, mosey in and best the Death Triangle… that’s ridiculous.  You know who you are… this Saturday, please bring the heat, cause Death Triangle runs from no-one, (Penta) Zero! Miedo!’

Screen then showed Death Triangle vs The Elite for the PPV, for the titles.

Pac said that they’ve ‘been waiting’ for them.

WINNER: Death Triangle

Ricky Starks promo – he wants Archer on Friday, and wants to start backstage.  So presumably one of the semis will take place on the ppv pre-show?  Probably to give Starks an excuse for losing on the show itself.

Ethan Page vs Bandido, Eliminator Tournament Semi

Backstory: Page has promised to win the tournament & defeat Mox for the title

Starks stopped on the ramp to heel on the crowd, promising to win the tournament and beat whoever wins the belt on Saturday.

Starting slow with Page working a headlock, he then worked the arm, Bandido flipped out then pointed his fingers like a pistol.  Flip over the back of Page, headscissors, Page blocked the delayed suplex, but Bandido hit at the second attempt, though didn’t delay it long.

Hathaway grabbed the boot, giving Page the advantage as we went to break.

Up for the Ego’s Edge as we returned, Bandido slipped out, drop toe hold into the corner, running dropkick sending Page to the floor, thrust kick off the apron, to the top, moonsault to the floor.  Took an age to set-up.

Back to the top, this time for a tornillo into the ring, buying a count of two.  Setting up the 21-Plex, Page grabbed the ropes, then hit a cutter through them, before hoisting Bandido up top for the Avalanche Ego’s Edge.  Bandido turned it into a hurracanrana mid-flight (breathtaking), military press, topside once more, killer frogsplash for a very close two.

Atop the ropes once more, Page crotched him, Bandido clutching his knee, though meeting Page atop the buckle, from where Page chucked him with a bodyslam, diving shoulder block off the top, up for the Ego’s Edge, dead centre, Page advances to the final.

Aside from a some of Bandido’s spectacular moves, the crowd were very quiet here.  If Ethan Page is indeed going to main-event Winter’s Coming, they’ve got work to do.

WINNER: Ethan Page

Video package for Jungle Boy/Luchasaurus.  Heavily featuring Renee talking about needing to settle their differences without interference.  Hopefully that’s the case.  Another really good package.  They made this feel big-time.

…..

Saraya with Renee from ‘earlier in the day’.  Saraya counted herself very lucky to be able to wrestle again, she ‘chose to be here, I’m sick of this back and forth (with Britt), I’ll see you Saturday.’

Much better, making the newcomer seem humble and like she wanted to be in the company.  Undoing much of last week’s promo.

…..

Video package for the inter-promotional tag match on Friday.  Ortiz said he was nervous to be facing a legend like Jun Akiyama.  Kingston quoted a match from 1998 (think he said vs. Hase) which first made him want to face the vet.

Toni Storm vs Anna Jay, AEW Women’s Title

Backstory: None

The Bunny’s ill, so Anna gets the shot.

On the subject, these are so frequent now that I either have to accept them or complain endlessly.  So at least until the new tv deal’s sorted, I’m going to accept them as part of the show.

Anna avoided the champ for a bit but was clutched into a headlock, kick to the face, boot to the chest which knocked Anna on her ass, monkey flip out of the corner.  Storm missed a very slow charge into the corner, allowing Jay to hit a kick from the floor (a bit like the really bad one Skye Blue does).  Crowd absolutely silent.

Yay/boo punches somewhat woke them: Storm launched a Thesz Press, dragged Anna by the hair, hit a lariat, fisherman’s suplex for two.  Sweet Cheeks Music sent Anna outside, where Anna flung her into the steps.  Back inside, she hit a kick then planted Toni face-first off her back for two.

Jay started to ‘snap’ again, looking for the Queenslayer, Storm avoided it, then blasted Anna with the hip attack in the corner, into the Texas Cloverleaf.  Tapout.

What it should’ve been.  Dominant win for the champ.  Whose victory brought Jamie Hayter storming (npi) to the ring, the two going face to face in the middle as the champ held up her belt.

WINNER: Toni Storm

They showed an image this time announcing ‘London 2023’.  But no further info.

MJF/Moxley Face to Face

Mox brought Regal along, taking his time getting to the ring.  It’s incredible how some fans still don’t understand that he’s not going to return a fist-bump.  A few loud boos; mostly cheers.

‘They say the man makes the championship, so who is Jon Moxley?’  The best wrestler, the baddest SOB, ‘I have defined the AEW world championship.  I’m sick in the head, I am addicted to the rush of adrenaline, the pain…’ inflicted on both himself and his opponent.

Last week he’d asked who MJF was.  Mox had done some research.  ‘A really good singer, one win in the last six months, took a summer vacation, someone handed him a poker chip in the worst ending to a ladder match I’ve ever seen,’ and now he has a title shot.  ‘So excuse me if I’m not shaking in my boots’.

The fans see the man MJF wants them to see.  Moxley sees someone ‘playing wrestler’, afraid to live up to the hype.  MJF isn’t challenging him, he’s challenging MJF.  ‘Show me somethin’.

At which point the Firm attacked, going after Regal too.  MJF’s music hit: dressed in all black he ran through the Firm, though in a way that kinda looked like they were allowing him to do it.  He then threatened to shove his boot up the ass of the group.

He only saved Moxley because he didn’t want excuses.  ‘No Dynamite diamond ring necessary’.  He knows hes in for the fight of his life, but he’s not the kid he was when they first fought.  ‘I need that belt more than I need water, more than I need food, and more than I need oxygen’, because that belt ‘means you’re the best wrestler on God’s green earth’.  Said the devil’s greatest trick line again, then went to say his catchphrase but Moxley snatched the mic away.

This weekend, they’ll find out what he’s made of, Mox will pull it out of him, ‘the training wheels come off’.

By the incredibly high standards of these two, this didn’t totally hit.  Both are always good on the mic but this didn’t make the match feel bigger.  Britt’s promo was the best on the show.

…..

Next Rampage:

  • Eddie Kingston & Ortiz vs Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita
  • Athena vs Madison Rayne
  • Hook vs Lee Moriarty
  • Lance Archer vs Ricky Starks, 1st Round Eliminator Tourn.

Added to Full Gear:

  • Death Triangle vs the Elite, Trios Titles
  • Wardlow vs Samoa Joe vs Powerhouse Hobbs, TNT Title

…..

Overall impressions

An entertaining show refreshingly low on outside interference or refs looking dumb, which built several ppv matches really well (primarily through very good video packages) and had good action almost throughout.

Check Out

  • BCC vs JAS
  • The trios six-man was a blur of cool spots
  • Everything else but the women’s match was good without really grabbing me – depends on your taste – a cold/small crowd didn’t help

Thanks for reading.

Logan Paul wants John Cena at WrestleMania 39

By
Colin Vassallo
-

After having a stellar match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel, Logan Paul is ready to call out his preferred next opponent: John Cena.

During his latest podcast Impaulsive, Paul said he saw that John Cena posted his photo on his Instagram and he hit the favorite button and replied with the eyes emoji.

“I mean, truthfully…I think me vs John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream matchup, dude,” Paul said. “At WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. And that’d be crazy.”

The YouTube star, who impressed everyone at Crown Jewel, unfortunately blew his knee when wrestling Reigns and it’s not known how long he’ll be out for, but he suggesting that he wants Cena at WrestleMania means that he thinks he’ll be ready by the time April comes around.

“This week, we’re meeting with them [WWE], I’m just going to be like, ‘Hey, this works for me. Put me up against the best you all have and I’m gonna f*cking deliver,” he continued. “You know that for a fact. Not only to put on an amazing match, but I’m going to put asses in seats and eyeballs glued to the television.”

Paul’s match against Reigns was only his third one in WWE and he recently signed a multi-event deal with the company.

The smartest way to bet on wrestling

By
Daniel Street
-

If you are a fan of wrestling, you can turn your sports passion into a betting hobby, as betting sites offer multiple markets and odds for different wrestling events. However, to know the sport is probably the most important, but not the only factor to make your betting experience thrilling and fun. Before placing bets on wrestling, there are a few things to keep in mind. This article explores the smartest ways to bet on wrestling online.

The basics: all the same as betting on other sports

Before diving into the factors that can help you make the most of your wrestling wagers, it’s worth focusing on the basics that are common for betting on any sport.

  • First and foremost, you are to choose a betting site and register with it. The first step to betting online is choosing a legal bookmaker with offerings that suit your betting preferences. Once you’ve found such a betting site, sign up by following the onscreen instructions.
  • Then you have to make a deposit. After registration, you must top up your betting account, as this money is what you’ll use to bet. For this, open a cashier section of the betting site, pick a payment method, and enter the amount you want to deposit. Fill in other necessary details and complete the transaction.
  • Check out the available markets and place your bets: You can choose to place pre-match wagers or bet on live events. Choose whatever market you prefer and place your bets.

4 tips for placing profitable bets on wrestling

If you want to make the most of your wagers at online bookmakers, you need to keep a few things in mind. That said, here are some simple tips that can help you place profitable bets on the sport:

  • Find the best wrestling betting sites
  • Understand the odds
  • Catch up on the game
  • Use reliable sports tips and predictions

Find the best wrestling betting site

The first thing you must do is pick up the best bookmakers that accept wagers on wrestling events. When evaluating a betting website, you must be sure the operator is regulated and uses adequate security measures to safeguard your details. Other aspects you should consider before gambling on the site are the betting markets available, bonuses, and site functionality.

You must also be aware of the legislation in your jurisdiction pertaining to online gambling. This is because laws differ from one country to another. Thankfully, gambling in the United Kingdom is legal. So, you’ll have no problem finding a safe and regulated bookmaker for wrestling betting.

Understand the odds

The odds in sports betting are what determines how much you’ll get for your winning bets. So, before choosing a betting site, you must understand how it calculates its odds. That’s because these odds vary from one bookmaker to another, with some being better than others.

Catch up on the game

If it has been a while since you watched wrestling, we don’t recommend that you immediately begin betting. You’ll have a lot of catching up to do, and you may need to go back years to grasp what’s currently happening.

You must be aware of which new wrestlers are on board, their gameplay, rivalries, etc. This will give you a good idea of how a match will turn out.

If you want to learn more about what’s happening in the WWE, you should begin by joining a few discussion groups. You can also watch matches on YouTube and check the comment section to see what other punters say about these matches.

Use reliable sports tips and predictions

Even if you don’t know much about what’s currently happening in the wrestling world, the right prediction can help you place informed bets. These tips and predictions tell you the likely outcome of a match. Consequently, you’ll know how to place wagers so that they have a chance of winning.

There are different prediction sites where you can get these forecasts. However, ensure that they are from reputable tipsters who have a good knowledge of the sport.

The most popular wrestling bets

Like other sports, there are tons of things to bet on in wrestling. Below are the most common wrestling betting markets:

  • Match winner: This is the simplest bet you can place. All you need to do is wager on which wrestler will win the match.
  • Method of victory: You can also bet on how a wrestler wins or is defeated in a match. For instance, you bet on a wrestler losing by submission, pinfall, or disqualification.
  • Prop bets: Online bookies can also let you place prop bets. These stakes are not necessarily tied to the outcome of a match. For instance, you might be able to wager that a wrestler will be thrown through the table during the fight.
  • Futures: This is simply betting on long-term developments. For instance, you can wager on who will be the WWE champion.

Post-show press conference to return at Full Gear despite All Out fiasco

By
Colin Vassallo
-

Despite the fiasco from All Out, the post-show press conference will return at Full Gear on Saturday.

The All Out press conference will forever be remembered for the explosive comments by CM Punk and the consequent backstage brawl involving himself, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega. That brawl led to The Elite and Punk to be stripped off their respective titles and a lengthy suspension for Omega and The Bucks while Punk is unlikely to ever return.

But AEW President Tony Khan is moving ahead with the post-Full Gear press conference and will be taking questions from the media along with other stars from the show. What questions he will answer though remains to be seen as Khan has become a master at avoiding many topics.

Meanwhile, Khan has tweeted that Full Gear is close to being another $1 million live gate and the person who puts them over that figure will get a Full Gear chair signed by everyone participating in the PPV. Full Gear is currently well over $900,000 in gate money with over 11,000 tickets sold at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Final build towards Full Gear 2022 tonight live on Dynamite

By
Colin Vassallo
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It is the last stop before Full Gear and tonight’s Dynamite is yet another fully-loaded episode.

The show will be headlined by a tag team match featuring Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli taking on ROH World champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. All four will battle each other for the title this weekend.

Also on tonight’s broadcast will be The Death Triangle defending their AEW World Trios titles against Top Flight and AR Fox, AEW Interim Women’s champion Toni Storm vs Anna Jay, Anthony Bowens vs Swerve Strickland, and the next match in the AEW World Title Eliminator tournament with Ethan Page vs Bandido.

Segments with Samoa Joe, Jon Moxley, MJF, Britt Baker, Saraya, and The Acclaimed music video of “A hand for a hand” will also be part of the show.

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