12/31/21 AEW Rampage: New Year’s Smash Recap
The opening credits roll. Excalibur, Ricky Starks, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Jacksonville, Florida.
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Match #1 – Singles Match: Anthony Bowens (w/Max Caster) vs. Darby Allin (w/Sting)
Bowens applies a waist-lock, but Allin turns it into a side-headlock. Bowens gets free and goes for a chop block, but Allin dodges it. Bowens drops Allin to the mat, but Allin turns it into a wrist-lock. Allin rolls Bowens up for a one count, and Bowens rolls to the floor. Bowens comes back and chops Allin in the corner, followed by a few more shots. Allin comes back and delivers a few quick strikes, and then sends Bowens to the floor. Caster gets on the apron, but Allin flips him off and knocks him to the floor. Bowens takes Allin down from behind and slams him into the ring post. Allin falls to the floor as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Bowens is in control in the ring. Bowens delivers a chop and picks Allin up, but Allin delivers a knee strike to Bowens’ head. Allin sends Bowens to the corner and goes for the Coffin Splash, but Bowens catches him. Allin counters with a jackknife cover for two, but Bowens comes back with combination strikes and a superkick. Bowens chops Allin and sets him up top. Bowens delivers a right hand and climbs up, but Allin delivers a few shots and knocks Bowens back to the mat. Allin sets up for the Coffin Drop, but Bowens comes back and cuts him off. Bowens drops Allin with an avalanche DDT and goes for the cover, but Allin kicks out. Allin comes back and sends Bowens into the corner. Allin stomps Bowens’ hand into the ring post and sends him to the floor. Allin runs the ropes, but Caster gets on the apron. Sting gets a hold of Caster and Allin sends Caster into the barricade with a dive. Bowens comes back and sends Allin back into the ring, but Allin comes back and sends Bowens right back out. Allin takes out Bowens and Caster with a dive, and rolls Bowens back into the ring. Allin hits the Coffin Drop and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Darby Allin
-After the match, Andrade El Idolo comes to the stage and claps for Allin. Bowens hits Sting with the boom box, and then The Acclaimed double-team Allin. Caster knocks Allin out with a shot from the steel chain.
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A new edition of Technique by Taz airs, this one focusing on Hook’s Redrum submission hold.
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Match #2 – Tag Team Street Fight: Anna Jay and Tay Conti vs. Penelope Ford and The Bunny
Conti hits Ford with a trash can and Jay blocks the brass knuckle shot from Bunny with a chair right as the bell rings. Jay and Conti take advantage and Jay knocks Bunny out with the brass knuckles. Jay and Conti set up a table on the floor, but Ford comes back and takes them out. Ford drops Conti with a pump kick and lays her on the table. Ford connects with a moonsault knee drop on Conti, but the table doesn’t break. Ford rolls Conti into the ring and breaks a glass bottle over her head. Bunny has been busted open by the brass knuckles, but she and Ford set a table in the ring. Conti has been busted open as well as Ford and Bunny prop the table in the corner. They set up a few chairs, and then Ford kicks Conti in the head on the floor. Ford brings Jay into the ring, but Jay comes back and sends Ford to the floor. Jay counters Bunny and suplexes her onto the chairs as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Jay jumps on Bunny’s back and goes for the Queen Slayer, but Bunny drops down and sends Jay through the table in the corner. Bunny goes for the cover, but Jay kicks out. Ford and Conti are on the floor and Ford slams Conti onto a ladder. Bunny grabs a bag from under the ring and dumps thumbtacks onto the mat. Jay backs Bunny into the corner and sets her up top. Jay delivers a few shots, but Bunny fights back. They exchange shots and Jay superplexes Bunny onto the thumbtacks. Jay goes for the cover, but Ford breaks it up. Conti comes back as well and delivers an elbow to Ford on the apron. Conti delivers a Gotch-style piledriver on Ford, throught a table that was set up on the floor. Jay and Bunny get back into the ring. Bunny has the brass knuckles, but Jay has barbed wire wrapped around her arm. Jay locks in the Queen Slayer with the barbed wire, and Bunny taps out.
Winners: Anna Jay and Tay Conti
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The video package for the upcoming rematch between Adam Page and Bryan Danielson airs. Page defends the AEW World Championship against Danielson on this Wednesday’s Dynamite, the first on TBS.
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Announced for this Wednesday’s Dynamite:
-AEW World Championship Match: Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
-AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Lucha Brothers (c) vs. Jurassic Express
-AEW TBS Championship Tournament – Final Match: Jade Cargill vs. Ruby Soho
-Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Malakai Black
-MJF in action
Announced for next Friday’s Rampage:
-No Holds Barred Trios Tag Team Match: 2point0 and Daniel Garcia vs. Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and Santana
Announced for Battle of the Belts on January 8th:
-AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Riho
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Match #3 – AEW TNT Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) (w/Arn Anderson) vs. Ethan Page (w/Dan Lambert and Scorpio Sky)
Rhodes and Page exchange quick shots, and Rhodes applies a side-headlock. Lambert grabs Rhodes’ ankle, and Page drops him with a quick suplex. Page goes for the cover, but Rhodes kicks out at one. Rhodes fires back with a few shots that send Page to the apron. Rhodes comes to the apron and delivers a right hand. Rhodes goes for Cross Rhodes on the apron, but Page drops down and kicks Rhodes in the head. Page takes Rhodes down with a shoulder tackle on the floor, and then follows up with a few more shots. Rhodes slaps Page’s chest, but Page comes back with a chop. Page rolls Rhodes into the ring, but Rhodes trips him up. Rhodes stomps on Page’s ankles and locks in an Indian Deathlock as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Page slams Rhodes to the mat. Page drops Rhodes with a shoulder tackle, and follows with a few elbow strikes. Page drops Rhodes with a clothesline, but Rhodes comes back with a kick to the face. Page comes right back with a back body drop and flips off Anderson. Page drops Rhodes with a DDT and goes for the cover, but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes goes to the floor, but Sky stomps away on him behind the referee’s back. Anderson goes after Sky, and then Dustin Rhodes comes out and brawls with Sky into the crowd. Rhodes gets back into the ring and counters an attack from Page. Rhodes delivers Cross Rhodes and goes for the cover, but Page kicks out. Rhodes takes off Page’s knee brace and stomps on his exposed knee. Rhodes puts Page up top and goes for a Cody Cutter, but Page cuts him off and drops him with an avalanche power slam. Page goes for the cover, but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes and Page brawl to their feet, and continue exchanging shots. Page goes for Ego’s Edge, but Rhodes comes back with the Cody Cutter. Rhodes goes for the cover, but Page kicks out.
Rhodes locks in the Figure Four, but Page reverses the hold. Rhodes makes it to the ropes, and Page breaks the hold. Page gets a roll-up for two, and then gets Rhodes up top. Page slams Rhodes to the mat and goes for the Ego’s Edge, but Rhodes counters with the Cross Rhodes. Rhodes hits a second Cross Rhodes, and then hits the Tiger Driver 98 for the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW TNT Champion: Cody Rhodes
