AEW Rampage Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 13
Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of AEW Rampage on May 13.
Once again, Rampage was bumped back a day due to the NHL playoffs, so we got another taste of what a potential Saturday show might feel like for AEW.
Brian Cage and Swerve Strickland tested out their new alliance when they battled John Silver and Alex Reynolds in a tag team match.
We also saw Toni Storm face Allysin Kay, Kyle Fletcher took on Action Andretti, and The Acclaimed teamed up with Daddy Ass to take on Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade in a trios bout.
Let's take a look at what happened on this special Saturday episode of Rampage.
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass vs. Kip Sabian, Butcher and Blade
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The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass made their entrance for the opening match of the night to kick off the show, but their opponents were already in the ring.
Anthony Bowens and Kip Sabian got things going. The Blade tagged in but was unable to combat the double-team offense of Bowens and Max Caster.
The heels mocked the scissoring taunts of their opponents as they began to control the pace of the match. They maintained control all through the commercial break by isolating Bowens from the rest of his team.
The former Smoking Gunn was the difference-maker for his team. He helped turn the momentum so his team could win with The Mic Drop.
This is one of those fun matches that will ultimately be forgettable. The right team won and the action was decent, so it worked as a show opener.
Winners: The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Sabian's hair was a deeper shade of punk than The Acclaimed's gear.
- Sabian has a great moonsault.
- The way The Butcher was mocking The Acclaimed was really funny because it seemed so out of character for him to jump around like that.
- Penelope Ford is such an underrated talent. It seems like she is only used by AEW in short bursts. It would be nice to see her get a sustained push.
- Gunn powerslammed The Butcher and made it look relatively easy.
Toni Storm vs. Allysin Kay
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Kay was not given an entrance for her match against Storm, but she wasn't about to play the role of a jobber.
The indie star quickly recovered from Storm's initial attack and stomped her into the corner. Saraya grabbed Kay's boot to distract her so Storm could regain control.
Ruby Soho and Saraya attacked Kay at ringside while Storm kept the referee busy. Kay had the strength advantage, but even with a few bursts of offense, she was unable to overcome the numbers game with Soho and Saraya at ringside.
Storm won a decent match with Storm Zero. Kay got in more offense than expected for somebody booked in her position, so that helped keep this from being just another squash match.
Winner: Toni Storm
Grade: C
Notable Moments and Observations
- Storm had a new style of gear this week. She ditched her usual short trunks for a set of bell bottoms.
- Kay's ability to sell is great. Her facial expressions and screams were convincing.
- The seated pin Kay used to almost win the match looked fine, but the execution was a little slow.
Action Andretti vs. Kyle Fletcher
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One half of Aussie Open was in action this week when Fletcher took on Andretti in the third match of the night. Darius Martin was there to support his friend, but Mark Davis was nowhere to be seen.
Both of these men are young with limitless potential. Even though Fletcher had the experience advantage on TV, Andretti had him beat in the agility department.
These two engaged in a highly energetic and physical contest that saw both men hit a few really impressive spots.
Andretti is doing his best to stand out, but AEW is building Fletcher up to challenge Orange Cassidy for the international title, so it was obvious the IWGP tag champ was going to win before this match even got going.
Everyone knew this would be a fun one, but it ended up being even better than expected. Both of them are ones to keep your eye on.
Winner: Kyle Fletcher
Grade: A-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Fletcher has been getting more singles matches in AEW and ROH lately. Tony Khan clearly sees something special in this kid.
- Andretti looks comfortable whenever he hits a springboard. Some people have an extra level of agility, and he is one of them.
- Andretti lost his balance after a split-leg moonsault, but he recovered immediately and didn't miss a step.
- Andretti's superplex looked awesome, but the springboard 450 that followed was even better.
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The Mogul Embassy vs. Dark Order
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John Silver and Alex Reynolds represented The Dark Order this week in a match against Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage.
Evil Uno and Prince Nana were both at ringside to support their respective teams. For some reason, Kaun and Toa Liona did not join them even though they were shown in the pre-match interview.
Reynolds and Strickland started with a high-energy exchange that showed off their quickness. Silver and Cage traded poses when it was their turn in the ring. Both men also hit headscissor takeovers and bodyslams to show off their versatility.
This was a standard AEW tag team match. Both teams looked good, but Mogul Embassy had The Dark Order on defense more often than not.
Cage and Swerve scored the win and were joined by Kaun and Liona to beat Evil Uno until Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes made the save.
Winners: Mogul Embassy
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- Swerve called his new affiliates an upgrade, which is true.
- AEW needs to do more with Silver. He is always great no matter what he does.
- Cage has no business being as versatile as he is. The fact that he isn't being pushed as a major singles threat is ridiculous.
- Silver and Reynolds have some awesome double-team sequences.
- Prince Nana was grabbing Silver's foot right in front of the ref and nothing happened. This should not be an issue but it keeps popping up.
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