Riho’s on a Rampage!

Just 48 hours ahead of AEW Revolution, there’s an All Star Scramble qualifier, CMLL stars debuting, and Riho returning to action!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Claudio Castagnoli VS Rugido; Claudio wins.
• Six Man Tag: Lance Archer & The Righteous VS Anaya, Vaught & Luke Langley; Archer & The Righteous win.
• Riho VS Trish Adora; Riho wins.
• All-Star Scramble Qualifier: Magnus VS Matt Sydal; Magnus wins and advances to AEW Revolution.

PLAY BY PLAY

Claudio Castagnoli VS Rugido!

To prepare for tag team action this Sunday, the Swiss Superman decided to take on one half of the CMLL Mexican National Tag Team Champions! Will Claudio get into the swing of things against the Lion of Lucha? Or will he be the one left feeling dizzy?

The bell rings and the fans rally up. The two tie up, Claudio SHOVES Rugido down, then flexes. The fans cheer, Rugido gets up, and the two circle. They tie up, Claudio SHOVES Rugido down again, and flexes again. Rugido shakes that off, gets around, then waistlocks to ripcord and arm-drag! Rugido headlocks, Claudio headscissors, but Rugido moves around, pops free and he pushes Claudio’s legs in a butterfly lock! Claudio powers his way through to drag Rugido into an armlock, then CROSSFACE! Rugido endures, fights back to a cover, but Claudio makes that a ghost pin! ONE, and Rugido waistlocks and rolls with Claudio.

Claudio switches on Rugido to roll him around. Rudigo switches back, flips Claudio with a half nelson, ONE! Rugido wrenches, arm-drags, and flexes! The fans cheer while Claudio cools off. Claudio and Rugido circle, feel things out, and knuckle lock. Rugido then shoots in to fireman’s carry takeover. Cover, ONE, Claudio sweeps! cover, ONE, Rugido sweeps! Cover, ONE! Rugido dodges, runs, and CLOBBERS Claudio with forearms! Rugido runs up, goes up, and SPINNING RANAS Claudio outta the ring! Fans fire up as Rugido runs and DIVES! The ropes get Rugido but he still takes Claudio down!

The fans fire up while both men are down at the ramp side. Claudio sits up first but clutches his chest. Rugido goes back to the apron, the fans rally for him as he goes to the apron. Rugido climbs a corner while Claudio gets in the ring, CROSSBODY! Rugido bounces off, Claudio LARIATS him down! The fans fire up and Claudio stomps Rugido around. Claudio looms over Rugido, clamps on for a double wristlock but Rugido fights it. Rugido reaches out with his legs, ROPEBREAK! Claudio lets off but then drags Rugido up to TOSS him out! Rugido lands on his feet like a cat, but Claudio runs up to whip him into railing!

Rugido falls in a heap, Claudio gets him up and trophy lifts! SNAKE EYES off the railing! The fans fire up while Claudio leaves Rugido behind for the ring count to climb. Rugido stirs at 4 of 10, rises at 6, and he hobbles over at 8 to slide in. But Claudio stomps away on Rugido! The ref reprimands but Claudio scrapes Rugido to the apron. Then Claudio gets the legs, for a ROPE GUILLOTINE! Rugido sputters, Claudio drags him to a cover, TWO! Claudio is frustrated but he drags Rugido up. Rugido CHOPS! And CHOPS! And CHOPS again! Claudio knees low, whips him to a corner, then runs up to cltohesline!

Claudio whips corner to corner but runs into a BOOT! Rugido goes up, BOOTS again, but Claudio UPPERCUTS! Then SUPER ARM-DRAG! Cover, TWO! Claudio is frustrated but Rampage goes picture in picture.

Claudio looms over Rugido, brings him into a chinlock and he squeezes tight! Rugido kicks and flails, fights around, but Claudio traps an arm. The fans rally, Rugido fights up, and Rugido throws body shots and elbows. Claudio shoves Rugido, Rudigo ducks ‘n ‘dodges but Claudio catches the crossbody! Claudio pops Rudigo around to a GERMAN SUPLEX! Claudio dusts off his hands and waits on Rugido to stand. Rugido runs up, but Claudio blocks another crossbody to sit on the cover! TWO, but Claudio scoops and SLAMS Rugido right down! Cover, TWO! Rugido toughs it out but Claudio keeps his cool.

Rampage returns to single picture as Claudio drags Rugido back into a double wristlock. Rugido endures again as the fans continue to rally, and Rugido fights around. The fans rally, Claudio whips Rugido to a corner, but Rugido dodges the splash! Rugido CHOPS Claudio, runs, but into a knee! Claudio whips Rugido to ropes, but Rugido ducks ‘n’ dodges and headscissors! And then headscissors again! Rugido DROPKICKS Claudio out and the fans fire up! Rugido mule kicks from the apron, then springboards, ASAI MOONSAULT! Down goes Claudio at the ramp and the fans fire up again!

The ring count starts but both men sit up at 3 of 10. Rugido stands first and he KICKS Claudio! Rugido puts Claudio in the ring, covers, ONE!! Claudio is up but Rugido cradles, TWO!! Claudio escapes but Rugido rallies the fans. Rugido kicks Claudio, fires forearms, then whips corner to corner. Claudio reverses, runs in and UPPERCUTS! Claudio reels Rugido in, short arm LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Rugido is still in this and Claudio is a bit frustrated. Claudio pushes Rugido around, taunts him, but Rugido SOBATS! And KICKS! Rugido whips, Claudio reverses but Rugido dodges and clotheslines!

Rugido runs again, to clothesline again! Rugido runs, but dodges Claudio to OVERHEAD SUPLEX Claudio! Cover, TWO! The fans continue to rally for Rugido and he runs up to kick Claudio. Rugido ROCKS Claudio, ROCKS him again and again, then whips. Claudio blocks by holding ropes so Rugido kicks away on him. Rugido whips, Claudio stops himself and ELBOWS back! But Rugido hits a SNAP POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! Claudio goes to ropes, Rugido runs up to ARM-DRAG! And then armlock, HEADSCISSOR ARMBAR! Claudio endures, fights around, stacks Rugido up, and into the SWING!

The fans fire up as Rugido goes around and around, and then THROWS Rugido away at ten! Claudio covers, TWO! Rugido survives but Claudio sits him up, for HAMMER ‘N’ ANVIL ELBOWS! Then Claudio drags Rugido into the Gotch hold, and NEUTRALIZER! Cover, Claudio wins!

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli, by pinfall

A big win against a tag team champion, and now Claudio is rolling into Revolution! Claudio shows respect to Rugido by having the fans applaud, and he even shakes Rugido’s hand. Only to reel him in, atomic drop LOW BLOW!! Fans boo the show of disrespect for CMLL! But wait, Rugido’s tag partner, Magnus, runs out here and with a chair! Claudio runs away from that fight, but will he and Jon Moxley prove they are better than even #7StarFTR?

Six Man Tag: Lance Archer & The Righteous VS Anaya, Vaught & Luke Langley!

The Murderhawk Monster is in the All-Star Scramble this Sunday at Revolution, but he is looking to stay strong in the Trios Division alongside good ol’ Dutch & Vincent. Will there be some Autumn Sunshine when #EverybodyDies?

The teams sort out and Vinnie starts against Vaught. Vinnie snaps, the rhythm of his own theme song still in his head. Vaught runs up but Vinnie dodges to then CLOBBER Vaught! Vinnie says, “Dig what I’m saying~?” The fans boo but Vinnie drags Vaught up. Vaught throws body shots but Vinnie ROCKS him, kicks a leg out, then runs to SLIDING BOOT! Vinnie keeps moving, and he SLIDING FLATLINERS! The fans and even Archer applaud that one. Vinnie bumps Vaught off buckles, tags Dutch, and The Righteous mug Vaught. Dutch then gets Vaught up for a Canadian Rack and BOMB!

Dutch ROCKS Vaught with a right, points to the corner, and scoops. Vaught slips free, hot tag to Langley! Langley runs up, into the BOSS MAN SLAM! Dutch grins, tags Archer, and Archer BLASTS Anaya! Then he suplexes Vaught high and hard into the ring, and CLOBBERS him! The fans fire up with Archer as he ROCKS Langley, dragon sleepers, then he grabs Vaught! CHOKE SLAM DDT COMBO!! The fans fire up again, Anaya runs in but into AUTUMN SUNSHINE! The Righteous place Anaya at center while Archer puts Langley up top. STEP-UP KNEE! And then the reverse crucifix, BLACKOUT BOMB onto Anaya!!

Archer stands on Langley for the cover, he and The Righteous win!

Winners: Lance Archer & The Righteous, by pinfall

This dangerous trio continues to roll on through trios competition, but Archer says he’s gonna feed on Hobbs, Wardlow and “whoever else shows up for the party!” Will nothing keep the Murderhawk Monster away from that AEW World Championship opportunity being put on the line at Revolution?

Riho VS Trish Adora!

While “Timeless” Toni Storm defends the AEW Women’s World Championship against Deonna Purrazzo this Sunday, the title chase never ends! Will the inaugural champion find her way back into the picture? Or will the AfroPunk make huge strides of her own towards the top?

The bell rings and the fans rally up as the two circle. The fans cheer Riho on as she and Adora approach. Riho dodges Adora and smiles. Adora calls for a knuckle lock, but she mocks Riho’s height with it. Riho still jumps up to get the knuckle lock, but with just the one hand, Adora powers Riho to ropes! The ref counts, Adora lets off, and then whips Riho to ropes. Riho RAMS Adora but Adora doesn’t budge! Adora says try that again, so Riho runs, only for Adora to run her over! Cover, ONE as Riho goes Matrix! Riho runs, fakes Adora out, and DOUBLE STOMPS Adora on the back! Riho then runs to SHOTGUN Adora!

The fans fire up while Adora bails out. Riho goes up the corner, takes aim, and SUPER CROSSBODIES! Down goes Adora at the ramp and the fans fire up with Riho! Riho gets Adora back up, back in the ring, and then hurries to cover, TWO! Adora is still in this but Riho keeps her cool. Riho facelocks, but Adora blocks the suplex! Adora suplexes, Riho fights free then dodges, but Adora catches the crossbody! SWINGING BACKBREAKER! Riho is down in a heap and Adora pushes her to a cover, ONE?!? Riho is showing that championship level toughness while Rampage goes picture in picture.

Adora looms over Riho, brings her back up, and then Alabama Lifts her. Adora pops Riho into the REVERSE NECKBREAKER and stretch! Riho endures as Adora twists her, but Riho fights free! Adora still snapmares Riho into the motorcycle stretch! Adora stands over Riho, sits on her for even more pressure, but Riho still endures! So Adora rolls Riho to a cover, TWO! Riho escapes again but Adora kicks her around. Adora stomps Riho, but Riho just gets angry! Riho fires forearms, but then Adora ROCKS her with just one! Riho drops back, Adora storms up and bumps her off buckles. Aodra then RAMS into Riho an ddigs her shoulder in!

The ref counts, Adora lets off, and she CHOPS Riho! Riho sputters, Adora CHOPS her again! Adora CHOPS Riho again, snapmares her down, then KICKS her in the back! Riho grits her teeth but Adora puts her in the motorcycle stretch again. Riho fights around, reaches out, and has the ROPEBREAK! The ref counts, Adora lets go, and Rampage goes to break.

Rampage returns and Adora has Riho in the corner again to CHOP! Adora runs corner to corner but Riho dodges, comes back, and tilt-o-whirls, only for Adora to make it a BACKBREAKER! Riho writhes and Adora says she’s gonna break Riho! Cover, TWO! Riho isn’t broken yet so Adora keeps cool. Riho goes to a corner, Adora runs up but Riho slips to the outside! Adora hits buckles, then Riho HOTSHOTS her! Fans fire up, Riho climbs up, and Riho CROSSBODIES Adora down! Cover, TWO! Riho fires up again, but so does Adora! Riho ducks ‘n’ dodges and tilt-o-whirls to RANA Adora to a corner!

Riho has Adora on ropes now, and she runs for the 619! Adora staggers, Riho brings her around and reels her into a full nelson! Adora breaks free, but Riho ducks the elbow! NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO!! Adora escapes and Riho is frustrated now! Riho runs from the corner, but into a BOOT! Adora snarls, then runs, but the senton misses! Riho runs back in, gets around, CRUCIFIX DRIVER! Cover, TWO!! Adora survives but Riho won’t stop! SLIDING METEORA!! Cover, Riho wins!

Winner: Riho, by pinfall

The original AEW Women’s World Champion got quite the fight out of Adora, but she still comes out on top! Is Riho going to be primed to face whoever leaves Revolution with the title?

Backstage interview with Ruby Soho & Angelo Parker.

Alex Marvez is with The Runaway and Cool Hand Ange, bringing up how AEW cameras were invited along to watch their first date. Are they really an All Elite couple? Parker says that was so cheesy, but hey, they won’t put labels on it like that. But they’ve got the truck waiting for them, Parker gives Ruby his jacket so she isn’t chilly. But then in walks The Outcasts, Saraya & Harley. Ruby tells Parker to give her a minute. But wait! Is that Saraya’s brother, Zak, sneaking up from the truck?! Ruby asks what they want out of her. Haven’t they done enough damage?! NOPE, because now Zak CHOP BLOCKS Parker!!

Ruby is shocked, and then Harley CLUBS her down! Saraya says they’re gonna make Ruby watch this! Saraya then tells Zak to “finish it!” Zak drags Parker up, and he CLOBBERS Parker with a blackjack!! Aren’t those things illegal?! Ruby hurries to Parker’s side, and Saraya says it was Ruby who needed her! The Outcasts leave Ruby calling for help, is this love story going to have a tragic ending?

Mark Henry welcomes us back to Rampage!

The World’s Strongest Man says, “The CMLL invasion continues, as the mysterious Magnus makes his AEW debut against the enlightened, energetic Matt Sydal.” The winner here moves on to the All-Star Scramble this Sunday, so it looks like there’s been enough talk. “IT’S TIME… for the MAIN~ event!” Will Rugido’s tag partner have better luck here tonight? Or will the Zen Assassin make sure both Mexican National Tag Team Champions come up short tonight?

All-Star Scramble Qualifier: Magnus VS Matt Sydal!

The bell rings and the fans rally up. Sydal offers a handshake but Magnus kicks it away, there is still tension between AEW and CMLL with all this invasion stuff. Sydal says okay then, and claims he was gonna leave Magnus hanging on the handshake anyway. They tie up, go around, and Magnus waistlocks. Sydal spins out but Magnus arm-drags him down. Magnus grinds the arm, but Sydal kips up to arm-drag back! Things speed up. Sydal wheelbarrows and arm-drags again! Then he RANAS! The fans fire up and Sydal keeps moving. Sydal sunset flips, TWO! Magnus escapes but Sydal runs up to RANA again! Cover, TWO!!

Magnus barely pops free of that one but the fans fire up as Sydal SOBATS Magnus outta the ring! Sydal then goes up the corner, and SUPER CROSSBODIES! Down goes Magnus and the fans fire up with Sydal! Sydal gets Magnus up, puts him in, and then goes up the apron. But Magnus UPPERCUTS Sydal back down! Magnus builds speed but Sydal returns to WHEEL KICK! The fans fire up for the STANDING MARIPOSA! Cover, TWO! Sydal keeps his cool while Magnus goes to ropes. Sydal KICKS Magnus, whips corner to corner then runs to WHEEL KICK again! Magnus falls, Sydal brings him up and KICKS!

Sydal gets Magnus up again but Magnus avoids the clothesline to spin Sydal around! Underhooks and BUTTERFLY BACKBREAKER! Sydal writhes, Magnus covers, TWO! Sydal is still in this, Magnus argues the count, and Rampage goes picture in picture.

Sydal goes to a corner but Magnus storms up on him. Magnus wraps Sydal’s arms around the ropes and pulls! Then Magnus BITES Sydal’s chest?! That’s a new one! The ref counts, Magnus lets go, and he BOOTS Sydal down! Magnus stomps away, CHOKES Sydal on ropes, but lets off as the ref counts 4. Magnus drags Sydal back up, and snapmares him into a seated cobra twist. Sydal endures and fights around. Magnus pushes Sydal over to get a leg for a HALF CRAB! Sydal endures, fights, but then Magnus makes it a full BOSTON CRAB! Sydal still fights around, so Magnus shifts into an STF! Sydal continues to endure as he pries at the hold!

Magnus shifts again and now he has a FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Sydal reaches out, Magnus drags him up and wrenches to YANKS the arm! Magnus HEADBUTTS Sydal, Sydal KICKS a leg! Sydal CHOPS and Magnus ends up on ropes. Sydal DROPKICKS Magnus down! Sydal fires up, he brings Magnus up, but Magnus RAMS him into a corner! Magnus bumps Sydal off buckles, does it again, and again! Magnus lets off as the ref counts, and Magnus drags Sydal back up. Magnus suplexes, holds Sydal up, then SLAMS him down! Cover, TWO! Both men are down but Magnus clamps onto Sydal’s arms, and then wraps on a headscissor squeeze!

Sydal endures, reaches out, but Magnus grabs an arm. Magnus BITES Sydal’s hand, but the ref reprimands! Magnus lets go of the arm to focus on the headscissors. Sydal moves around, pops out the back, but Magnus mule kicks him! Magnus goes to a corner while Sydal clears his vision from that shot to his nose. Rampage returns to single picture, Magnus runs up but Sydal dodges! Sydal goes up and up and leaps, into a kick! Magnus underhooks again, ANGEL’S WINGS! Cover, TWO!! Sydal survives, he knows that move well from Christopher Daniels! The fans rally, but Magnus drags Sydal up to back suplex, but Sydal CROSSBODIES it! Cover, TWO!

Sydal grows frustrated but the fans rally up. Magnus drags Sydal up and underhooks again, BUTTERFLY- RANA!! The fans fire up and Sydal rises, only for Magnus to run up on him again. Sydal KICKS, and KICKS and KICKS! Sydal runs, to JUMP KICK! Sydal runs to JUMP KICK again! Magnus stands back up, into a QUESTION MARK KICK! Sydal got Magnus with the made-ya-look, and he covers, TWO! Magnus crawls but the fans rally. Sydal runs corner to corner, blocks a boot to GAMANGIRI! Then he hooks a leg to FISHERMAN BUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Magnus survives and Sydal isn’t sure what to do!

The fans fire up behind Sydal, he gets them even hotter, and he goes to ropes. But Magnus trips up the springboard! Sydal lands hard and Magnus fires himself up! Magnus drags Sydal up, but Sydal fires forearms! Magnus gives them back, but Sydal gets the edge! ROUNDHOUSE! ROUNDHOUSE! Magnus falls over! Sydal hurries to a corner, climbs up top, but Magnus rises! Magnus trips Sydal up again, then goes up top! Magnus slashes his throat to say this is done, but Sydal fights the superplex with body shots! Sydal DECKS Magnus, then adjusts! Magnus stands again, into a METEORA!! Cover, TWO!!!

Sydal is shocked that Magnus survives and the fans fire up again! Magnus drags Sydal up first, fireman’s carries, and WASTELAND SLAMS! Then LEG DROP! Magnus says it’s over now, and he goes up the corner! But Sydal trips Magnus up in return! The fans are thunderous for “MATT! MATT! MATT!’ as he goes up to the very top! But Magnus trips Sydal up and he takes a tumble off the corner!! The fans boo but Magnus aims his arrow. CIEN SHADOWS! Cover, Magnus wins!

Winner: Magnus, by pinfall (advances to the All-Star Scramble)

Sydal tried his best for his home state of Missouri, but now he faces the misery of defeat! Magnus is in the Scramble, will a CMLL star really earn himself an AEW World Championship opportunity?

My Thoughts:

A great go-home Rampage here, with recap/hype packages filling a lot of time, so of course I skipped them. But the matches were all still great, too, and it was good stuff to bookend the show with the CMLL luchadores. Claudio beats Rugido to have momentum, this adds to the math from Dynamite that makes me think FTR wins at Revolution. Magnus running Claudio off as Claudio goes all Heel was a nice touch, too. No offense to Sydal because he and Magnus had a great main event, but I figured Magnus was winning one way or another. Magnus isn’t winning the All-Star Scramble but having a luchador high-flyer like him is a great addition to that match. Also, how great that they finally had Mark Henry back to introduce the main event again?

Meanwhile, of course Archer & The Righteous win a squash match, that was just so Archer can have momentum into the scramble. I do wish they’d get something going between Archer & Righteous VS some trios championship team before the Bang Bang Scissor Gang falls apart. If anything, use Archer & Righteous as part of why the BBSG falls apart, since Vince & Dutch made a point of exposing fake friendships like back when Adam Cole & MJF were brochachos. And then a really good match from Riho VS Adora. Riho wins, of course, but I’m not sure she’ll be set up for a Women’s World Championship match right after Revolution. She already had a match for the title against Toni Storm, Riho should get in on the TBS Championship scene or something.

My Score: 8.7/10