AEW Rampage Review - May 5, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo and The Lucha Brothers def. QT Marshall, Aaron Solo and Powerhouse Hobbs

The mini feud between Lucha Brothers and Hobbs continues and I'm not sure why. These six interacted during the Tres de Mayo Battle Royale on Wednesday's Dynamite, so that's how this match came about. Vikingo and Lucha Brothers are a terrific trio and them working so well together was the highlight of this otherwise average outing. Marshall and Solo do not belong on television, or at least not in an act that drags down Hobbs.

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill def. Gia Scott (Non-Title)

This was your typical squash from Cargill in that it was over almost immediately and was quicker than Cargill's entrance. It got Cargill in a match to extend her undefeated streak but didn't accomplish anything else. Despite Taya Valkyrie not showing up afterwar, I still think we're in for a rematch between them at Double or Nothing based on the fluky finish to their last encounter.

Mark Briscoe def. Preston Vance

Vance already feels like another guy on the roster despite his hot heel turn six months ago. Nothing new, I suppose. He's a good hand and they had a quality contest, but this only existed to give Briscoe a win in his home state and that's totally fine by me. His family came into the ring to celebrate with him afterward. Maybe the story will end up being that Jay Lethal and his crew didn't have Briscoe's back against Vance despite the numbers not being in Briscoe's favor.

The Hardys, Isiah Kassidy and FTW Champion Hook def. The Firm ("All Ego" Ethan Page, Lee Moriarty, Big Bill and Stokley Hathaway) in a Firm Deletion Match

It's a bummer this couldn't air uninterrupted. Thankfully, there was only one commercial break, but I think this issue could have been avoided had it aired on Dynamite. Personally, I've enjoyed most of the stuff with "Broken" Matt Hardy over the years, so I was happy that they finished his feud with Page at The Hardy Compound. If you're in the opposite camp, I'm sure you thought this was awful. It was a fun time, I'll say that much. It also perfectly ended the Hardy and Page saga so everyone involved can now move on.

Overall Show

My biggest criticism of Rampage in recent weeks (aside from feeling like an inconsequential show like it has been for the better part of the past year) is that they've attempted to shove way too much into the episodes. That wasn't the case this week as they gave the matches more time (other than Cargill vs. Scott, of course). This was another forgettable show other than the Firm Deletion main event, which you either loved or loathed depending on what you thought of Matt Hardy's past cinematic stuff.

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