AEW Rampage: RIHO earns a guaranteed title shot

Tonight’s AEW Rampage comes to us from Chicago, like Dynamite. Since it fell on Black Friday, the show featured a Black Friday match in which the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion, RIHO, faced the current champion, Britt Baker. If RIHO won, she got a guaranteed world title shot.

On the last AEW Rampage, Eddie Kingston told Daniel Garcia that he doesn’t respect him because he lets two men (2point0) call him “son”. Things escalated on Dynamite when Garcia threw hot coffee in Kingston’s face.

Adam Cole and Bobby Fish believe that Best Friends shouldn’t call themselves that because they’re better best friends and because Trent is injured. They also dissed Wheeler Yuta in the process, leading to a showdown between the former reDRagon and Yuta and Orange Cassidy.

Adam Cole & Bobby Fish vs. Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta

Fish and Cole lost their first AEW tag team match on last week’s Rampage. Fish and Yuta started off the action. Cassidy got serious and took off his sunglasses. Before Cassidy could put his hands in his pockets, Cole stopped him to do his “BAY BAY” pose. Every time Cassidy tried to put his hands in his pockets, Cole found a way to stop him. While Yuta ran up on the Cole in the corner, Cassidy moved across the ring in the way only he can to grab Cole’s arm and toss him into Yuta.

Cole and Fish got Yuta into the corner to take turns taking shots at Not Trent. After the commercial break, they isolated Yuta again. Yuta eventually got a missile dropkick on them and was able to tag in Cassidy. With his hands in his pocket, Cassidy alternates kicking Fish and Cole in the back of the legs. He hit the hurricanrana on Cole and a DDT on Fish. Yuta nearly pinned Cole. Cassidy hit Stundog Millionaire, but it isn’t enough. Cassidy gets flipped into the kneebar. Cassidy nailed a beach break, but can’t hit the Orange Punch. Yuta nearly pinned Fish twice in a row. Cassidy threw off his elbow pad to set up the Orange Punch, but Cole pulled him out of the ring and slammed him into the steps. Fish hit an Avalanche Falcon Arrow and Yuta didn’t kick out.

Adam Cole and Bobby Fish defeat Orange Cassidy and Wheeler Yuta via pinfall.

Backstage segment with Tony Schiavone and Tony Nese. Nese has been scouting the competition. He wants to become the TNT Champion. He says other competitors didn’t do their homework. Guevara says he doesn’t take criticism from “someone who hasn’t done s–t since he’s been here”. Nese cold-cocked the champion. The two will face off next week on Rampage.

FTR challenged Lucha Bros. in a two out of three falls match since they feel cheated after the illegal man was pinned during their last match. This match will also take place on next week’s Rampage.

Britt Baker (c) vs. RIHO

This match was officially called the “Black Friday Deal Match” since RIHO got a deal if she beat Baker.

Jamie Hayer wouldn’t get in the ring with Baker and Rebel because she was still salty about Baker costing her the match on Dynamite, keeping her from advancing for the TBS Women’s Championship. This doesn’t factor into this match but is planting seeds.

RIHO had all of the offense early on. When Baker can finally overtake RIHO, she immediately went for the lockjaw but is unsuccessful. Baker’s stooges tried to help her out by roughing up RIHO. RIHO hit a diving crossbody to take out Baker and Rebel. RIHO took advantage of a staggering Baker in the corner, but Baker slammed the former champion into the turnbuckle.

RIHO reminded everyone why she was the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion. She easily handled Baker. Excalibur reminded viewers that Baker has never beaten RIHO in a singles match. The women traded offense equally throughout the second half of the match. Baker nearly pinned RIHO, who countered with a Northern Lights suplex.  Baker was able to get RIHO down to pin her.

RIHO defeats Britt Baker with a pinfall.

Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia with 2point0

Kingston immediately had Garcia in the corner and started pounding away. He kept the pressure on Garcia on the mat. Garcia rolled out of the ring to break up Kingston’s momentum. Kingston once again got Garcia in the corner. 2point0 pulled Garcia to safety, only for Kingston to take them both out.

The two take turns in the corner and pound the other with hard strikes. Kingston even got in a headbutt. Kingston dropped a knee onto the back of Garcia. Kingston’s knee buckled on him and was visibly limping around the ring. During picture-in-picture, Garcia took control of the match and targeted the Mad King’s knee. While Kingston was down, 2point0 took turns yelling at him.

Garcia repeatedly kicked Kingston in the neck and head. Kingston’s knee continued to be a concern. Kingston hobbled around while Garcia rained down elbows to the back of his head. Garcia repeatedly finds ways to hurt Kingston’s knee, but Kingston hits a powerbomb. Garcia moved on to pounding Kingston with punches. Towards the end of the match, both men are breathless and weakened. They exchanged a flurry of punches. Kingston hit a spinning back fist, which caused Garcia to drop and Kingston was able to pin him.

Afterward, 2point0 beat up Kingston. Chris Jericho left commentary to clean house. Kingston tweeted after the match that the clip cut off before fans could hear him tell Jericho he didn’t need his help.

Eddie Kingston defeats Daniel Garcia via pinfall.