AEW Rampage
New Year’s Smash
Episode 21
#AEWRampage
Original Air Date: December 31, 2021
Event Date: December 29, 2021
(aired on TNT)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Ricky Starks
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Match 1
Darby Allin w/ Sting vs Anthony Bowens w/ Max Caster
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Darby Allin wins via pinfall after the Coffin Drop
Time: 11:07
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Allin is always fun to watch, especially when opening a show. Bowens looked good in the match, but Allin attacked with his entire body whenever he got the chance. High-risk, high reward.
Ring Area
After the match Andrade El Idolo walks out to the stage with Jose. With Allin and Sting distracted, The Acclaimed attack them. Max Caster ends up hitting Allin in the face with a chain before leaving.
Technique by Taz
Taz explains Hook’s El Camino suplex, his side head-and-arm suplex, and his Redrum (katahajime/Tazmission) submission hold.
Match 2
Street Fight
The Bunny & Penelope Ford vs Tay Conti & Anna Jay
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Anna Jay submits The Bunny with the Queen Slayer (with barbed wire wrapped around her elbow, and while sitting in a pile of thumbtacks)
Time: 10:19
Match Thoughts
Great match. The Bunny and Tay Conti very clearly bladed early in the match, but otherwise everything looked very good even when some things didn’t go according to plan. For instance, Penelope Ford tried to do a diving moonsault onto Tay Conti from the top rope to the floor through a table, but Ford landed with her knees near Conti’s face. It looked ugly, but it also looked like it hurt a lot. That was kind of the theme of the match. Painful moves and lots of weapons, all done in way that looked like a heated grudge match.
Video
A look at Hangman Page and Bryan Danielson before their AEW World Title rematch coming up next week.
Backstage
Mark Henry speaks with the competitors in tonight’s main event via split-screen. Dan Lambert is with Ethan Page, and he talks about corporate conspiracies. Arn Anderson speaks for Cody Rhodes, issuing a warning towards Lambert for making things personal with Cody.
Match 3
TNT Title Match
Ethan Page w/ Dan Lambert, Scorpio Sky vs “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (TNT Champ) w/ Arn Anderson, Brock Anderson, Lee Johnson
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Cody Rhodes wins vis pinfall after two Cross Rhodes and a Tiger Driver ’98, Cody Rhodes retains the title in his first defense
Time: 14:13
Match Thoughts
Very good match. There were some shenanigans from the people at ringside early in the match, but after Dustin Rhodes came out to chase Scorpio Sky away, things settled down. This was a solid back-and-forth fight between Rhodes and Page.
Show Impressions
With the wrestling tonight’s episode, this was a very entertaining show. It felt like it went by quickly, which is a good thing.
Match of the Night
Penelope Ford & The Bunny vs Anna Jay & Tay Conti
Lots of heart, lots of violence. Very entertaining.