AEW Rampage Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Ahead of All Out

Doc-Chris Mueller@@BR_DoctorFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 2, 2023

AEW Rampage Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Ahead of All Out

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    Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of AEW Rampage on September 1.

    This is the final Rampage before Sunday's All Out pay-per-view, so not only did we see segments related to building up that show, but we also saw some of the fallout from last Sunday's All In PPV.

    A battle royal was held with several tag teams to determine who would get to challenge Adam Cole and MJF for the ROH tag titles at All Out.

    We also saw Nick Wayne team up with El Hijo Del Vikingo to take on Kip Sabian and Gringo Loco, "Hangman" Adam Page took on Bryan Keith, and Willow Nightingale teamed up with Skye Blue to take on Taya Valkyrie and Anna Jay.

    Let's take a look at everything that happened during Friday's episode of Rampage.

Ring of Honor Tag Team Battle Royal

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    Rampage opened up with several tag teams ready to compete in a Battle Royal to earn a shot at MJF and Adam Cole for the ROH tag titles at All Out on Sunday.

    Teams such as the Hardys, Gates of Agony, Dark Order, The Righteous and Aussie Open were among those vying for the win.

    Battle Royals are never a guaranteed hit, but this one ended up being a solid entry in the long list of Rampage Battle Royals. We saw some eliminations that fed into other storylines, some fun spots, and a conclusion that put a deserving team in the spotlight on a big stage.

    After several other teams were eliminated, it was down to just Best Friends, The Hardys, Aussie Open and Dark Order. Alex Reynolds was thrown out, but John Silver ended up surviving until the end to win the match for The Dark Order.

    Winners: The Dark Order

    Grade: B-


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Aussie Open was pulling people under the ropes and attacking them, so several people had to get back in before being eliminated. 
    • Eliminations were spaced out well. It never felt like we were getting a bunch all at once, so it was easy to keep track of who was being thrown out. 
    • Chris Jericho marking out for Johnny Hungie winning was hilarious. 
    • The Dark Order deserve this opportunity. 

Nick Wayne and Vikingo vs. Kip Sabian and Gringo Loco

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    Aussie Open tried to attack Jericho on the stage but Sammy Guevara made the save. It looks like Le Sex Gods might have a new tag team feud in the future.

    The next matchup saw Wayne team up with Vikingo for the first time to take on Sabian and Gringo. With Wayne being mostly associated with Darby Alling since his AEW debut, it was nice to see him step away from that story and have a match with some new opponents.

    This ended up being a fast-paced match with a lot of fun high-flying spots. Wayne looked good after only having had a handful of TV matches, and everyone else looked as good as they always do.

    This is just one of those matches that is fun without needing a feud or story to sell it. Some people would call it filler, but filler can still be highly enjoyable.

    Winners: Nick Wayne and Vikingo

    Grade: B+


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Excalibur mentioned that Darby Allin was in bad shape following his Coffin match at All In. 
    • The way Sabian pulled Vikingo off the apron looked good. Vikingo made it look like he really hit his face right on the apron. 
    • Watching Vikingo is always such a treat, but adding a guy like Gringo Loco to the mix means it's going to be even more fun. 

Bryan Keith vs. Adam Page

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    We got some cowboy-on-cowboy action this week when The Bounty Hunty Bryan Keith stepped into the ring with Hangman Page.

    This match ended up being short but more competitive than expected. Keith wasn't just there to job for Page. He put up a good fight and hit some nice moves before Hangman put him away with a Buckshot Lariat for the victory.

    Winner: Adam Page

    Grade: C+


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Keith's pre-match promo video was short and sweet. It's the kind of thing we used to see on wrestling shows all the time, but it has become less common over time. 
    • Page and Keith would make a fun tag team with their gimmicks. 

Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue vs. Taya Valkyrie and Anna Jay

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    The main event of Friday's show featured Blue and Nightingale taking on Valkyrie and Jay in a tag team match, but first, we got a sit-down interview with Renee Paquette and Roderick Strong.

    The crowd gave Skye and Willow a warm welcome during their entrance. Both of these teams had a similar vibe, but opposite at the same time.

    Willow and Taya were the powerhouses of their respective duos, while Skye and Anna are both young stars who favored a faster pace. It made for an interesting combination because it put both teams on the same playing field. Neither side felt like they outmatched the other.

    This bout wasn't perfect, but it definitely had more to enjoy than critique. The two best opponents in terms of chemistry were Valkyrie and Nightingale, so hopefully we get a singles match between them soon.

    Blue ended up getting the win for her team, but Jay and Valkyrie attacked her as soon as the match was over. Willow was unable to make the save right away, but she eventually drove off the heels to end the show celebrating with Blue.

    Winners: Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue

    Grade: B


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Get that paycheck, Mark Henry. 
    • Anna was wearing a jacket during her entrance that was more like what she would wear before joining the JAS. 
    • Blue had some new gear on with the Chicago flag and colors. 

The Final Word

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    This week's Rampage had to be three things. It was the fallout show for All In, the go-home show for All Out, and it had to be its own contained episode of AEW television, too.

    AEW managed to pack the usual four matches onto the card while still acknowledging what happened last Sunday and doing a little table setting for this weekend.

    The Battle Royal was a good way to get the show going with some high-energy action, and closing with the women's tag bout in the main event was also a good decision.

    Wayne and Vikingo was an interesting combo we may or may not see again, but the guy to keep an eye on is Keith. He was impressive in his showing against Page, and since AEW gave him a pre-match video, it's possible the company is considering hiring him.

    This weekend is going to be busy with AEW All Out and WWE Payback, but it should be a lot of fun for wrestling fans of all ages.

    Grade: B-

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