‘AEW RAMPAGE’ 08.27.2021 Recap + Review – Christian & Kaz vs. Omega & Cutler, Tag Team Eliminator Finals

VENUE: UW-Panther Arena (Milwaukee, WI)
COMMENTATORS: Excalibur, Taz, Mark Henry, & Chris Jericho

AEW Rampage this week features the finals of the Tag Team Title Eliminator as Jurassic Express take on The Lucha Brothers, the winner getting the right to challenge The Young Bucks in a STEEL CAGE at All Out. Also on the show Christian Cage teams with Frankie Kazarian to take on Kenny Omega and Brandon Cutler and Tay Conti battles The Bunny.

CHAMPIONS

• AEW WORLD CHAMPION: Kenny Omega
• AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
• AEW TNT CHAMPION: Miro
• AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

LINEUP

• TAG TEAM ELIMINATOR – FINALS: Jurassic Express vs. The Lucha Brothers (****)
• Tay Conti vs. The Bunny (**1/4)
• Christian Cage & Frankie Kazarian vs. Kenny Omega & Brandon Cutler (**1/2)

*****

TAG TEAM ELIMINATOR: FINALS
The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) [w/ Marko Stunt] vs. The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo y Rey Fenix) [w/ Alex Abrahantes]

Winner of this match faces The Young Bucks in a Steel Cage next Sunday at All Out for the World Tag Team Titles. After Justin Roberts handles the in-ring introductions, out come The Young Bucks to watch from the stage as they have been this entire Eliminator. No Brandon Cutler to spray them down this time though since he’s got an actual match to wrestle later in the show.

Jungle Boy drops Fenix with a shoulderblock and cartwheels over, Fenix hops over Jungle Boy and tries an apron kick, Jungle Boy hops up the apron and hits a headbutt. Fenix hops back into the ring, Jungle Boy swings around the post, flips in, and connects with a cazadora into an armbar followed by a dropkick into a nip up. GODDAMN. Luchasaurus tries to crotch Fenix on the top rope, Fenix bounces off the top rope using his back, kicks the dino, and connects with the move as the crowd goes wild, Jungle Boy rebounds and goes for the Snare Trap but Fenix escapes and both teams reset, Luchasaurus and Penta tagging in. Penta removes his glove, Abrahantes catches it to deny the crowd, Luchasaurus drops Penta with one chop. Flippy dos and superkicks and all four men are down, Giannis Antetokounmpo of The Milwaukee Bucks marking out at ringside (and one of the few people actually wearing a mask). Both teams struggle to recover as the show goes to commercial BUT ONLY FOR 90 SECONDS.

Fenix tags in and dropkicks Luchasaurus off the apron, Jungle Boy rolls him up for the 1…2…not yet. Both men duck clotheslines and connect with stereo tope suicidas, Luchasaurus and Penta getting flattened. “THIS IS AWESOME” chant breaks out as Luchasaurus and Penta both tag in. Luchasaurus drills Penta with a German suplex and throws Fenix across the ring, following up with a double clothesline. Luchasaurus drops Penta with a   heel kick and chokeslams Fenix on his own partner, Luchasaurus follows up with a standing moonsault for the 1…2…shoulder up. Penta lays into Luchasaurus with kicks and chops, Fenix tags in and connects with chops of his own, Luchasaurus misses a corner splash and eats a springboard back kick. Fenix channels his inner Eddy Guerrero and connects with a FROG SPLASH for the 1…2…LUCHASAURUS KICKS OUT. Luchasaurus headbutts Fenix, Jungle Boy tags in and connects with a lariat followed by a poison rana for the 1…2…FENIX KICKS OUT. Jungle Boy doesn’t waste time, hitting a Tiger Driver and locking in the Snare Trap; Fenix almost taps, Penta breaks it with a kick to the side of the head. Penta kicks in and connects with a Project Ciampa followed by Made in Japan for the 1…2…JUNGLE BOY KICKS OUT AND MAN LUCHASAURUS IS RELIEVED. Giannis continues losing his mind at ringside. Jungle Boy shoves Penta into Fenix, Luchasaurus holds him in place, Fenix ropewalks and attacks Jungle Boy from behind, connecting with a HURRICANRANA that sends Jungle Boy into Penta, Lucha, & Stunt. Back in the ring Penta covers Jungle Boy for the 1…2…NO! 

Crowd chants “FIGHT FOREVER” as Jungle Boy stuns Fenix with a superkick, Luchasaurus tags in, Fenix counters out of the Thoracic Express and trades blows with him on the apron. Penta runs in and connects with a CANADIAN DESTROYER ON THE APRON AFTER LAUNCHING OFF FENIX. Luchasaurus picks Fenix up, Fenix turns it into another Destroyer for the 1…LUCHASAURUS KICKS OUT. Lucha Bros connect with a host of superkicks followed by a cazadora splash for the 1…2…LUCHASAURUS KICKS OUT AGAIN. Lucha Bros pick Luchasaurus up, hit a hanging package DDT for the 1…2…3!

The Lucha Brothers defeated The Jurassic Express via pinfall (11:17 shown)

• JON’S THOUGHTS: Not a second of wasted movement there, so much going on that I had a hard time keeping up recap-wise but goddamn did I love every minute of this. What a f*cking match that was, hot damn. Bucks/Lucha Bros have battled a few times before in AEW already but they’ve always done good stuff, I can only imagine what’s about to happen in a steel cage. Fenix is going to do something really really stupid! (****)

Young Bucks cheap shot Lucha Bros, Jurassic Express chase them off. They’re all best friends. 

—

-VIDEO: Hype for CM Punk vs. Darby Allin happening next Sunday at All Out, with some brief new comments from Punk. I mean this HAS to be closing the PPV, right? I would be surprised if it didn’t, especially in Chicago. Would be pretty funny too considering CM Punk used to give WWE sh*t for not having the champion main event PPVs (when he was said champion). 

—

IN-RING SEGMENT

TNT Champion Miro makes his way to the ring, kicking the body of Fuego Del Sol down the ramp and into the ring, Tony Schiavone giving him the mic and getting right the f*ck out of there. Smart man. Miro tells Fuego he accepted something he shouldn’t have and will forgive him for it but first must reveal his face to the lord. Miro removes the mask, Fuego covers his face and Miro drops him with a thrust kick. Eddie Kingston interrupts but instead of talking he charges the ring and attacks, lighting him up with chops into the throat and an Exploder suplex. Miro charges back, AEW refs coming out and doing their damndest to separate the two. Miro gets forced out of the ring, Bryce Remsburg talks Kingston down. 

• JON’S THOUGHTS: Miro vs. Kingston is official for All Out and I can’t f*cking wait. That’s going to be a WAR.

—

Tay Conti vs. The Bunny [w/ The Blade]

Bunny interrupted Conti’s interview on Dynamite this past Wednesday, offering her a contract to join The HFO and to be her ally in the Women’s Casino Battle Royal at All Out. Conti ripped the contract up, the two brawled, and now we’re here.

Bunny attacks Conti before the bell, continuing the onslaught with a running sliding forearm in the corner for a two-count. Conti fights back with rapid-fire chops, Bunny stops the momentum with a rake to the eyes. Conti escapes a headlock with shots to the midsection, Bunny drops her with a lariat and covers for the 1…2…Conti kicks out, frustrating her opponent. Conti throws Bunny around with Judo throws followed by a swinging facebuster and a hip throw into a Black Hole Slam. Hell yeah. Conti measures Bunny and connects with a trio of pump kicks and a TayKO. Penelope Ford climbs the apron distracting Conti & the ref, Blade gives Bunny brass knuckles, and Bunny lays her out for the 1…2…3!

The Bunny defeated Tay Conti via pinfall (4:31)

• JON’S THOUGHTS: Tay Conti rules so much. Good match, looks like Bunny has formed an alliance with Ford heading into the Casino Battle Royal. Did Kip Sabian get written off completely or something? He hasn’t been mentioned on TV at all in a long time. (**1/4)

—

-Excalibur runs down the STACKED card for All Out. My word. Bleacher Report better get its sh*t in gear so I can buy this thing.

-Video plays hyping next Wednesday’s match between Brian Cage and Powerhouse Hobbs. 

-Mark Henry speaks via split-screen to the participants in tonight’s main event: Christian Cage & Frankie Kazarian on one side, Kenny Omega & Brandon Cutler (and Don Callis) on the other. Henry asks if Omega is worried about getting injured before defending his World Title, Omega is not concerned. Christian says he’s already beaten Omega for the Impact World Championship and at All Out he’ll do it again to win the BIG ONE. HA! Kazarian demands Omega get in the ring tonight and not hide behind his stooge.

—

Christian Cage & “The Elite Hunter” Frankie Kazarian vs. Kenny Omega & Brandon Cutler [w/ “The Invisible Hand” Don Callis & Michael Nakazawa]

Callis tried to join commentary but Mark Henry scared him off during the commercial break so he’s back at ringside. Man I wish they recorded that part. Naturally Cutler starts for his team and Kazarian easily beats the sh*t out of him; Cutler gets thrown into the corner and Kazarian demands Omega tags in, which he does. Nakazawa trips Kazarian, Omega attacks him from behind and chokes him with his boot in the corner. Omega takes too long to gloat and gets tossed in the corner, Kaz lighting him up with chops. Christian gets the tag but Omega quickly bails to his corner and forces Cutler to tag in to be the sacrificial lamb. Christian drops Cutler with an uppercut, Kaz tags back in and hits a springboard legdrop. Kazarian hangs Cutler out to dry and follows up with a kick that sends him crashing to the floor. Nakazawa hits Kaz from behind with a laptop, Christian throws Nakazawa into the crowd and Omega drops a distracted Kaz with a clothesline. 

Omega continues the attack on Kaz, connecting with a rolling fireman’s carry followed by a moonsault off the middle buckle for a two-count. Cutler kicks Kaz from behind to stop a comeback and Omega drives him into the canvas. Cutler asks for the tag and does a little jog around the ring, dropping elbows but misses the third one after dancing TOO much. Christian gets the tag, Omega refuses to tag in so Cutler bears the brunt of Christian’s fury, getting ripped with a series of chops. Omega tries to hit Christian with a One-Winged Angel, Christian escapes and sends him into Cutler, connecting with count along rights in the corner. Christian hits a reverse DDT on Omega, Cutler missing a leaping whatever and eating a reverse DDT as well. Christian measures Cutler, Omega trips him up and yanks him jewels-first into the post. Callis distracts the ref, Omega accidentally drills Cutler with a V-Trigger, Omega escapes a Killswitch and scoots up the ramp. Christian spears Cutler and hits the Killswitch as he stares daggers at Omega for the 1…2…3.

Christian Cage & Frankie Kazarian defeated Kenny Omega & Brandon Cutler via pinfall (8:37)

• JON’S THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this one so much more than I expected. Cutler being used a sacrificial lamb was fun, Omega chickening out of tagging whenever Christian was in (the shell shock of his loss two weeks ago weighing on his mind). Cutler is a dork but he takes a beating well and I’ll admit I laughed at his dancing between elbowdrops so whatever he’s fine. (**1/2)

*****

FINAL THOUGHTS

Hour-long wrestling shows are the best, man. Fun episode of AEW Rampage tonight, to be honest I enjoyed this WAY more than I did Dynamite. Jurassic Express/Lucha Brothers started things off WHITE hot with an excellent match that set the tone/excitement level, AEW and TNT making sure to get as many Giannis reaction shots as humanly possible. Conti/Bunny and the main event were good as well with their own respective moments but most importantly Miro vs. Kingston was made official for All Out. God what a PPV that’s going to be.

• FAVORITE MATCH: Jurassic Express vs. Lucha Brothers
• FAVORITE MOMENT: Eddie Kingston teases cutting a promo on Miro but instead turns his hat around and charges the ring to fight. Second favorite promo tease I’ve ever seen behind CM Punk attacking Jeff Hardy with a mic that one time on a SmackDown.