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AEW Rampage Recap and Reactions (November 25, 2022): Despicable Heel Turn

November 26, 2022

AEW Carnage (November 25, 2022) emanated from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. The Black Friday afternoon show featured 10 spinning heels on the Dark Order, Claudio Castagnoli risking his pro wrestling status for a shot at the ROH World Championship, FTR defending the ROH tag titles against Top Flight, and much more.

Let’s start straight with a recap of the show followed by reactions.

Excalibur, Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone were commentators. Ian Riccaboni joined the team for the ROH tag title fight. Justin Roberts handled ring announcer duties.

ROH World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. Top Flight

Top Flight used its speed to frustrate FTR. Champions often fought defensively. FTR relied on robustness to create opportunities. Dax Harwood smashed a slingshot powerbomb into Dante Martin, then Cash Wheeler flew in for a splash. Darius Martin bulldozed the pile to break the pin. Top Flight quickly rebounded for a DDT from Darius to Harwood, then Dante landed a flying splash. Wheeler tackled Darius to the stack to break the pin.

The match broke down into moves all around. Standing Spanish flight from Darius to Wheeler, brainbuster from Harwood to Darius, then Dante went for a series of roll-ups on Harwood. With Darius still outside, Dante played cat and mouse jumping over FTR like a gummi bear drinking gummiberry juice. FTR finally grabbed it to win a Big Rig.

FTR beat Top Flight.

Afterwards, the Gunns took to the stage with a huge bag of popcorn to get FTR’s attention.

Will Hobbs said The Book of Hobbs would roam the streets of Oakland on his ride. Just as everyone took whatever meant something to them, they will take whatever meant something to you.

Chris Jericho was joined by the entire Jericho Appreciation Society to rejoice at the Ocho. Claudio Castagnoli interrupted asking for another title shot. Access denied by Le Champion. Papa Magic stepped in with an idea. Claudio was a fantastic sports entertainer and he would make a great addition to JAS. This suggestion made Jericho’s nipples hard. If Claudio loses, he joins the JAS. Claudio agreed to the terms. Although Claudio thinks he would be a huge asset to JAS, he thinks he’s an even better pro wrestler. This championship fight will be the main event of ROH final battle PPV on December 10.

Toni Storm was solemn in her reflection on her Full equipment loss. She’s proud of Jamie Hayter, but she couldn’t look in the mirror if she won like that by cheating. Storm broke her face losing the Women’s Championship, and she’ll break her face again if that’s what it takes to get it back.

Darby Allin vs. Anthony Henry

Sting and JD Drake had front row seats. Allin and Henry had a deep familiarity through the matches in the Indies. Henry used this to his advantage to timely counter Allin’s signature offense to gain the upper hand. Henry also had Drake on the outside for physical assistance. After Drake blasted Allin with an uppercut, Sting stalked Drake for a heavy clothesline and threw him into the barricade.

Henry hit a superplex and rolled to the mat for a second suplex. Allin countered for a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin finished with the Coffin Drop to win.

Darby Allin defeated Anthony Henry.

Athena was suspended for punching referee Aubrey Edwards. The fallen goddess replied about the punishment and apologized apologetically. Athena turned her attention to Mercedes Martinez. It was time for her to show up. When will Martinez defend the ROH Women’s World Championship? Athena is gone.

Hikaru Shida vs Queen Aminata

Bunny and Penelope Ford entered the stage before the opening bell. Aminata took advantage of the distraction to attack. Shida quickly recovered for a Falcon Arrow slam and a Katana knee for the win. Bunny and Ford came out once Shida won.

Hikaru Shida defeated Queen Aminata.

Mark Henry interviewed key event attendees. 10 was missing and the Dark Order didn’t know where he was. Regardless, the harassment of Los Ingobernables ends tonight. Newsflash, smooth. Blade is ready to kick ass. Butcher added that the Dark Order was invited to a kicking ass party. Rush is tired of the chatter. He is ready to fight. Enough talk. Henry concluded with “It’s main event time!”

Dax Harwood was grateful to step into the ring with top singles wrestlers this year. He called his shot for one more challenge. Harwood vs. Bryan Danielson has been cautioned for dynamite.

Rush, Butcher and Blade vs. John Silver, Alex Reynolds and 10

Bunny and Jose The Assistant had front row seats. 10 was not found. The Dark Order struggled at a disadvantage, but they did not back down. Unfortunately, the numbers game was too much. Whenever the Dark Order gained momentum, Los Ingobernables worked smart to regain control.

All of a sudden, Evil Uno and -1 came out on stage waving 10 to sprint to the ring. The masked man walked over to Rush. It seems that words were exchanged. Rush raised his fist in the air Ingobernables fashion, then 10 turned back to the Silver clothesline. The boos rained down.

Evil Uno rushed to the ring, but Butcher and Blade held him back. Rush hit the Bull’s Horns running dropkick into the corner to pin Silver for the win.

Rush, Butcher and Blade beat John Silver, Alex Reynolds and 10.

The sequel was disgusting. Rush sent Reynolds into a discus lariat from 10. Same for Evil Uno. Rush and 10 double chokeslamed Reynolds from the apron across a table. -1 was on stage in disbelief. 10 approached, took off his mask, threw it at -1’s feet, and laughed at the child’s tears.

Newsflash, smooth. (Love this line from Blade.) 10 is now officially a heel. And a wanderer on the run, a wanderer of scud background. It will fit in perfectly with Los Ingobernables.

The effectiveness of the heel turn is difficult for me to judge. I never really cared about the Dark Order except when Hangman Page was involved. They certainly deserve a spot in AEW for the depth of the quality roster. It’s just that I was never invested in rooting for their success. At 10, I didn’t feel an emotional reaction.

That said, I recognize that all the elements were in place. The drama of the 10 missing, the excitement on his arrival, then the turn of a bastard. 10 cemented their decision by hitting the Crew after the match. There was no hesitation in his choice. 10 was all the way to join Rush. If there was any doubt, 10 ended it by tormenting -1. This connection is well known in AEW lore. Mr. Brodie Lee selected 10 for the Dark Order, and 10 became -1’s favorite wrestler. It was the equivalent of spitting in -1’s eye and throwing yourself at your father’s grave. For any fans who deeply love the Dark Order, I could imagine this turn of events as genuinely unsettling.

The Gunns had the right attitude about FTR vs. Top Flight, even if the Ass Boys were sarcastic. Grab the popcorn and enjoy the action. Top Flight’s athleticism and creativity always amaze. FTR handled the meat and potatoes with big dollops of sauce. FTR used this match to pitch Top Flight as the future of the tag team division. Mission accomplished. Top Flight shone in defeat.

It’s Sting! His involvement in the Darby Allin match was a lot of fun. The match itself highlights the common enigma of AEW. The action was solid. The problem is that Henry is a relative unknown and he pushed Allin to the limit. The story of past history in independent matches makes sense, but it needs to be referenced in a hype package. Explaining this angle on the comments isn’t good enough to invest in the game. AEW has done this same storyline many times over the years and has yet to find the perfect mix. This is often the difference between adequate content and great content.

I have mixed feelings about the ROH World Championship stipulation. The PPV match is going to be good, so that’s positive. The stipulation seems hokey, although it fits into the realm of sports-entertainment and also justifies Claudio getting another shot without deserving it. The stipulation gains momentum playing on the idea of Blackpool Combat Club’s uncertain future after William Regal crossed paths with Jon Moxley in favor of MJF. This leaves Claudio’s future in AEW a mystery. Joining JAS could very well be the next step in his career. If that happens, I hope Claudio embraces it to be the sports artist he was born to be. I’m not interested in servant/slave stuff doing acts against their will to test their allegiance.

As for Claudio being the one who finally dethroned Jericho, this choice seems disappointing due to JAS fatigue against BCC. Jericho may be out of ROH champion opponents, which would wrap up the story in a neat little package. However, I love The Tale of Ocho and want to see it continue for as long as possible.

The best part of this promotional segment was that Jericho’s nipples were getting hard at Daddy Magic’s suggestion. This has got to be the ultimate compliment for Daddy Magic. You can tell by the reaction of other JAS members.

Thumbs up for the Hobbs Book thumbnail. I enjoy these types of outdoor scenes that add flavor to the broadcast, not to mention the personality of the wrestlers. I think that was a general message, but Hobbs could still have Wardlow and Samoa Joe in mind. Mentioning a higher being made me wonder about Miro. If Miro returns to face Hobbs, it would be a glorious fight.

For the women’s division, the scenes with Toni Storm and Athena were good for keeping them on screen and furthering their motivations. Shida has taken care of business, and it’s nice to see a potential feud brewing against Bunny and Penelope Ford. More activity for the division is always a plus.

Category B-

Typical Carnage quality. This particular episode had a bit more story development than usual. The rating can swing up or down depending on the viewer’s personal investment in the story being told with the 10 heel turn.

Share your thoughts on Carnage. How would you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show?