AEW Rampage

This week, TNT Title Champion Wardlow faces former Ring of Honor World Champion Matt Taven. Plus, Jericho Appreciation Society's Tay Melo takes on Madison Rayne.





– This week's show kicks off inside the Uncasville, CT. based Mohegan Sun Arena where Jim Ross, Excalibur and Taz greet audiences at home as Jon Moxley heads to the ring. Matt Menard waits inside, with Angelo Parker by his side.

AEW Championship Eliminator: Matt Menard vs. Jon Moxley

The bell rings and Moxley delivers an elbow. He tosses Menard out of the ring, then sends him shoulder first into the barricade and follows it up with several right hands. Moxley bites Menard's ear, then whips him into the corner. Menard knocks Moxley to the mat, then sends him out of the ring. While the referee is distracted, Parker hits Moxley. Menard then sends him into the ring post.

Back from the break, Moxley fires off several right hands in the corner. Menard locks in the Boston Crab, but Moxley escapes and delivers a cutter. He follows it up with a series of forearms, then delivers a King Kong Lariat and a chop. Moxley delivers a suplex into the ring, then goes for a pin, but Menard kicks out. Moxley hits a knee before Menard sends him into the ringpost. Moxley locks in the Rear Naked Sleeper and Menard taps out.

Winner: Jon Moxley

– Stokely Hathaway and Lee Moriarty head to the ring. Hathaway says he knows Moxley is pissed, but he knows he'll do nothing. He says that if he wants to fight someone from The Firm, then he should go one on one with Moxley. Hathaway then throws it to a video hyping up Moriarty.

Moxley grabs a mic and tells Moriarty he's hanging out with the wrong crowd. He says he made the biggest mistake of his career and accepts the challenge.

– We return from the break and see Jade Cargill doing pull-ups in a room somewhere as she addresses Nyla Rose and vows to regain the title that is rightfully hers, the TBS Women's Championship.

Keith Lee vs. Serpentico

Keith Lee then heads to the ring, with Serpentico already waiting in the ring.

The bell rings and Fuego looks for a chop. Lee no sells it and delivers a powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Keith Lee

– Tony Schiavone then gets in the ring and asks Lee about his rematch against The Acclaimed for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Full Gear.

The Acclaimed head to the ring and Bowens says they have a problem. He says that they were with Billy Gunn all morning, but he's now missing. He says Swerve Strickland is nowhere to be found before Schiavone says he had a family emergency.

Swerve appears on the Titan Tron and says he is a movie mogul. He says his favorite genre is horror and we pan over to Gunn in an interrogation room. Swerve says that Gunn won't be ringside at Full Gear, then holds up a pair of pliers. He then uses them to pinch his back and says "spooky season has arrived."

– Tay Melo and Sammy Guevara head to the ring, followed by Madison Rayne.

Madison Rayne vs. Tay Melo

The bell rings and the two lock up. They exchange submissions before Melo slaps Rayne. Rayne hits a series of forearms, then follows it up with a drop kick. Melo hits a back breaker.

Back from the break, Rayne hits a DDT, followed by a series of chops. She delivers a neck breaker, then goes for a pin but Melo kicks out. Rayne sits Melo on the top rope and delivers a bulldog. She goes for a pin, but Melo kicks out. Rayne looks for a Cazadora, but Melo reverses it. Rayne fires back with a sliding lariat, then goes for a pin but Melo kicks out. The two women exchange chops before Melo manages to hit the Tay-KO for the win.

Winner: Tay Melo

– We head backstage to Ethan Page and Lexy Nair. Nair asks Page about The Firm's attack on MJF. He says The Firm didn't decide to change, but MJF did. He says Max thinks he can do everything himself, and once his plans changed, theirs did too. He tells Max to enjoy the week off and announces he is entering the World Eliminator Tournament.

– Back from the break, The Kingdom heads to the ring, followed by Wardlow.

TNT Championship: Wardlow (C) vs. Matt Taven

The bell rings and Taven delivers a kick to Wardlow's midsection. He follows it up with an enziguri before Wardlow hits him with an arm drag and several shoulders to his midsection. Wardlow tosses Taven out of the ring, then delivers a right hand to his back. He sends him into the apron face first before planting him into the ring post spine first. Kanellis and Bennett cause a distraction, allowing Taven to hit a tope suicida and Bennett to send him into the ring post.

Back from the break, Taven delivers a running knee to Wardlow. He goes for a pin, but Wardlow kicks out. Wardlow drops Taven and hits him with a vicious clothesline. He drops him with a rear throw, then follows it up with a modified spinebuster. He hits the Powerbomb Symphony for the win.

Winner: Wardlow

– After the match, Bennett launches an attack on Wardlow. Samoa Joe's music hits and he heads to the ring to make the save.

Powerhouse Hobbs' music hits and he heads to the ring. The Gates of Agony attack the pair from behind as Hobbs joins them.

WarJoe is laid out and the heels stand tall hoisting titles in the air as this week's show goes off the air.