AEW Rampage: The women stole the show in a street fight

Tonight is New Years Smash with three big matches and the return of Technique by Taz.

Last week on AEW Rampage, Cody Rhodes defeated Sammy Guevara to become the first-ever three-time TNT Champion. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky have been complaining for weeks that EVPs and friends of Tony Khan get title matches before wrestlers with better records. Page finally got his shot.

For nearly a year, Anna Jay and Tay Conti have been feuding with Penelope Ford and The Bunny. A few weeks ago, Conti beat Ford in a submission match. Afterwards, The Bunny hit Conti with brass knuckles before being chased away by Jay.

Max Caster said that in order to be in the main event, they had to wrestle “the main event tag team” and points out Sting & Allin are unranked. Anthony Bowens challenged Darby Allin and “beat his My Chemical Romance looking a– all over Jacksonville on New Year’s Eve”. Allin said it doesn’t matter if he wrestles first or in the main event and accepted Bowens’ challenge.

Darby Allin w/Sting vs. Anthony Bowens w/ Max Caster

Allin and Bowens started off evenly, although the crowd is firmly behind the former TNT Champion. Caster tried distracting Allin and got punched in the face for his efforts. Bowens, in turn, punched Allin.

After the break, Allin took control of the match and kept pressure on his opponent. Bowens quickly got back on equal footing. Bowens frequently laid chops in on Allin. Allin went for a Coffin Drop, but Bowens knocked him down and hit a DDT off the ropes. Bowens took Allin to the opposite corner, but Allin put Bowens hand in the ring post and stepped on his hand.

Sting pulled Caster off the ropes and threw him into the barricade. Bowens put Allin in the barricade while taunting Sting. Allin hit a Code Red, but Bowens got to the outside. Allin took out both members of The Acclaimed. He brought Bowens in the ring for the Coffin Drop.

After the match, Andrade El Idolo came out. Bowens hit Sting with the boombox. Caster hit Allin with chains.

Darby Allin defeated Anthony Bowens by pinfall.

Tay Conti and Anna Jay vs. Penelope Ford and The Bunny in a Street Fight

The street fight got underway quickly. TayJay brought out a table immediately. Ford sent Jay face-first into the ring post and then laid Conti on the table. Ford hit a moonsault knee drop, but the table no-sold them. Ford then grabbed a beer bottle and slammed it to the side on Conti’s head. Ford screamed when she saw Bunny bleeding from the face. Ford & Bunny got out their own table that has lips and brass knucks painted on it. Bunny put Jay through the table.

Conti could barely stand. Jay put Bunny through the chairs. During the picture-in-picture, TayJay gets yet another table. Bunny put Conti face-first into the chairs multiple times. After the break, a ladder is brought out and Ford took Jay out. Bunny brought out a bag of tacks, but Jay ran her into the corner. Bunny was superplexed into the tacks. Both women got the tacks, with Bunny getting the worse.

Ford broke up the pin. Ford stomped a chair down onto Conti repeatedly. Conti nailed Ford with a Gotch-style piledriver through the table. The Bunny had brass knuckles and slipped in tacks trying to get to Jay. Jay had barbed wire around her arm and put the Queen Slayer on The Bunny for the win.

This match should’ve been the main event.

Anna Jay and Tay Conti beat Penelope Ford and The Bunny via submission.

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Ethan Page

Rhodes hit Page in the stomach as soon as the bell ring. Dan Lambert grabbed Rhodes leg from the outside and Page took advantage. Once on the other side of the ring, Anderson grabbed Page by the leg and allowed Rhodes to take advantage. Very loud dueling chants from the fans when Page hit Rhodes with a flying shoulder tackle. Page continued assaulting the champ on the outside and in front of Anderson. Once inside the ring, Rhodes kept punishing Page’s leg.

During picture-in-picture, the two exchanged punches. Rhodes went back to focusing on “All Ego’s” leg. After the break, Page was limping. Page was still able to land several punches. Page clotheslined Rhodes followed by a back body drop.

Page then hit a DDT on Rhodes. Rhodes was on the outside and Scorpio Sky beat him up. Dustin Rhodes chased Sky through the crowd. Page hit the Cross Rhodes, but Page kicked out. Rhodes took of Page’s knee brace and stomped on it. Rhodes placed Page onto the turnbuckle and Page put Rhodes over his shoulder to nail an avalanche powerslam.

Rhodes and Page traded strikes and roundhouse kicks. Rhodes hit the Cody Cutter, but Page got his shoulder up. Rhodes pointed to Anderson before going for the Figure Four. Page was able to reverse it. Rhodes set up for a Pedigree, but Page got out of the hold. Page went for Ego’s Edge, but it was reversed into a CrossRhodes. Rhodes hit another one before winning with the Tiger Driver 98 in a similar fashion to last week.

Cody Rhodes beats Ethan Page by pinfall.