AEW Rampage Review - January 6, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley) def. Top Flight

I'm not sure what purpose this was supposed to serve considering Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli already beat Top Flight clean last week on Dynamite, but I'm not complaining because this was another very entertaining outing from the two teams. They worked a chaotic pace and I appreciated that Top Flight made to look like they were on Blackpool Combat Club's level, even in defeat. That said, I'd like to see Top Flight rack up some meaningful wins soon and eventually enter tag title contention.

AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker def. The Renegade Twins

This felt like it belonged on Dark. I know Baker and Hayter are bigger than Dark at this point, but it didn't work for me as a television match because the outcome was never in doubt. Plus, it was way more competitive than it should have been considering Baker is the biggest female star AEW has and Hayter is the current champion. I realize this was designed to give them a win before they face Saraya and Toni Storm (possibly) next week on Dynamite, but having them beat two enhancement talents was hardly impressive.

Perro Peligroso def. Sonico

Peligroso is the new name of the former Preston "10" Vance. It's a bit random, unless there's a meaning behind it that I missed. Regardless, I'm happy he's finally moved on from The Dark Order and is receiving the singles spotlight. He's been impressive these past few years, so let's see if he can rise to the occasion when it matters most. This was a simple squash for him. Are we going to see him get his hands on Dark Order one of these days or is he done with them completely? If so, why wouldn't any of Dark Order want revenge for what he did?

AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin def. Mike Bennett

This came together in a backstage segment that aired on AEW's social platforms immediately following Allin's AEW TNT Championship win on Wednesday's Dynamite. I don't think we've seen Bennett on his own since he signed with AEW, so I'm glad he got the opportunity and I thought he did well. Granted, he had zero chance of winning, but it was a quality contest, nonetheless. This is what I'd like to see more of from Allin's second reign as TNT champ as it gets underway.

Overall Show

By Rampage standards, this was an average episode, if not slightly better than what we got for most of 2022. There was a nice energy in the arena due to this being taped live and it wasn't a chore to sit through. The opening match in particular was great and the main event ended up being worthwhile. The Peligroso showcase was what it needed to be, though the women's tag match would have been better being on the shorter side. Otherwise, this was an enjoyable hour of wrestling.

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