AEW Rampage: Mercedes Martinez is on Britt Baker’s payroll

Tonight’s AEW Rampage is from Chicago, IL.

A few weeks ago, Ricky Starks lamented that people don’t need to stick their nose in Team Taz’s business. Lethal didn’t like Team Taz’s treatment of Dante Martin. He also said that the FTW Championship isn’t an officially recognized championship, but he knows it means a lot to Starks and challenged him for title.

Adam Cole said that everyone will see a different side of him after tonight because he doesn’t get the respect he deserves.

Matt Hardy chose Isiah Kassidy to face Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship. Marq Quen said he could beat Guevara, but Hardy reminded him that he “got beat last week”. Kassidy has been taunting Guevara and his girlfriend, Tay Conti on Twitter.

Mercedes Martinez cost Thunder Rosa her the match where she would’ve moved on to the TBS Championship Tournament final. Since then, they’ve been exchanging heated words and will finally face each other tonight.

Adam Cole vs. Evil Uno

Evil Uno didn’t get an entrance. Adam Cole came to the ring solo. As soon as the bell rang, he put Uno on the his back and pummeled him with right hands. He hit a backstabber and tried to hit a pump kick, but Uno reversed into a hanging neck breaker. Uno followed with a back elbow and a knife edge chop. He went for a senton, but Cole got his knees up. Cole leveled Uno before kicking him multiple times. Cole beat Evil Uno in the length of a women’s match on Dark Elevation.

After the match, Cole listed all the men he’s defeated. Cole said his match last week doesn’t exist and a new, ruthless Adam Cole does.

Adam Cole def. Evil Uno via pinfall

Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Isiah Kassidy w/ Matt Hardy

Isiah Kassidy also didn’t get an entrance. Guevara’s ribs are wrapped. Kassidy and Guevara chase each other over the ring before Kassidy took Guevara down. Guevara took down Kassidy with a dropkick. Guevara took Kassidy with a tope suicida. He quickly got Kassidy in the ring and go him in the corner to chop him. While the ref was distracted, Hardy hit a Side Effect on Guevara on the apron.

During picture-in-picture, Kassidy slung Guevara into the barricade. Guevara did the same to Kassidy. After the break, Guevara went for the GTH, but struggled to stand. Kassidy elbowed him in the back. Guevara hit him with a boot and climbed to the top rope. Andrade and his assistant, Jose, came out and distracted the champ. Guevara rolled through and Kassidy hit a swinging neck breaker.

Guevara tried to get out of the ring and hit Kassidy with an elbow strike, Kassidy hit his own tope suicida. Andrade and Hardy argued on the outside.

Kassidy hit a senton and nearly pinned Guevara. Kassidy hit a corkscrew kick and Guevara hit one of his one. Guevara struggled to get up, but was able to kick Kassidy’s head. Guevara did a moonsault on Quen and a cutter on Kassidy. He hit the GTH for the win.

After the match, AHFO got in the ring and surrounded Guevara. Darby Allin came out to assist Guevara.

Guevara def. Kassidy via pinfall

Before the break, QT Marshall said he was sending “his top student” to face HOOK.

After the commercial break Tony Schiavone was interviewing Kris Statlander when she was attacked by a chair-wielding “Legit” Leyla Hirsch.

Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Martinez

If you’re keeping score, both women had entrances. Thunder Rosa hit Martinez with a shotgun dropkick. She kept the heat on Martinez with hit several back body drops. Thunder Rosa had Martinez on the outside and continued to dominate her. Martinez fought her way out by punching her in the midsection. Rosa returned the favor with punches. Martinez hit a spine buster.

During picture-in-picture, Martinez got in more kicks and forearms. Rosa kneed her in the head. Martinez put her in a delayed vertical suplex and then nailed her with a DDT. Martinez had Rosa on her shoulders, but Rosa got away and then hit her with a bronco buster and a dropkick. Rosa tried to pin her, but couldn’t.

After the break, Martinez hit Rosa with an avalanche Death Valley Driver. Martinez couldn’t put her away and was going to try a Splash Mountain. Rosa reversed it into a reverse DDT. Martinez rolled out of the ring, but was followed by Rosa. Martinez hit Rosa with a steel pipe and was disqualified.

Martinez was being interviewed after match and was still clutching the pipe. It was revealed that Britt Baker had paid Martinez to “soften” her up.

Thunder Rosa won by DQ

Ricky Starks (c) w/Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jay Lethal

Both wrestlers had entrances. This is Starks’ second defense of the FTW Championship. On commentary, Taz said he doesn’t want Lethal to hold that title. He also calls FTW a “renegade” championship and says it’s “more of a lifestyle.”

The pair start in a lockup and Lethal moved into a side headlock and then a shoulder tackle. Starks is undeterred and they lock up again. They’re evenly matched with side headlocks before Lethal went for another shoulder tackle. Starks slapped his opponent, which led to chops between the two. Lethal dropped Starks with a right hand. Lethal tried to suplex Starks, but Starks hit him with an elbow. Lethal leapfrogged Starks and then followed with a tope suicida. Lethal hit another one and was face to face with Hobbs. Starks clotheslined Lethal on the outside.

During picture-in-picture, Starks put Lethal into the barricade. Lethal sat Starks in a chair and chopped him. Starks tossed Lethal back into the ring, stepped on his chest, and hit his pose. The pair exchanged right hands. Starks got Lethal into the corner and kicked him a few times. He went up top, but Lethal rolled away. In the corner, Starks hit Lethal with a right hand. The two continued to battle through the break, including a belly to belly.

After the break, Lethal punched Starks repeatedly in the ribs. Starks went for a DDT, but was caught. Lethal put Starks down on his back. Lethal had him in an undertook, but Starks got out. Lethal tried several pinning combos. Lethal put Starks in the corner, but is hit with a boot. Lethal had Starks over his shoulder, but Starks held the ropes. He hit Lethal with a thunder bomb. Starks hit Lethal with a forearm and Lethal hit him in the face. Lethal got in some knife edge chops.

Lethal drop kicked Hobbs off the apron. He went for tope con hilo, but was spiked. Dante Martin hit Hobbs with a tope sucidia. Starks was taken down and set up for a Lethal Injection, but took too long. Starks went for a double undertook, but Lethal rolled out. Starks nailed the Rochambo for the win.

Starks def. Lethal by pinfall