All Elite Wrestling will deliver an action-packed episode of AEW Rampage on December 30.
Tonight’s episode will see Orange Cassidy will defend the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against his close friend Trent Beretta. Wheeler Yuta and Swerve Strickland will also face off in a match, and Jade Cargill will take on Kiera Hogan in a TBS Championship bout.
Elsewhere in the night, we’ll hear from both Jamie Hayter and Jon Moxley, both of whom will likely have a lot to say as they prepare for the new year.
Orange Cassidy (c) defeats Trent Beretta via pinfall
In the opening match of the night, Orange Cassidy retained his title against his Best Friends comrade. Throughout the match, Cassidy looked much more aggressive than usual, while Beretta looked a bit hesitant, even holding back on some attacks when the two went at it. Things came to an end after Cassidy held back on using the Orange Punch, but ended up using it after a diving DDT from the top rope wasn’t enough to win the match against Beretta. However, Beretta caught the punch, and nearly won with a big piledriver.
Towards the end of the match, Penelope Ford came down, walking to ringside and distracting Beretta. Afterwards, Cassidy ended up hitting the Orange Punch on Beretta for the pin and win, and afterwards, Beretta left, leaving OC behind in the process.
Kip Sabian defeats a local competitor via pinfall
In a relatively quick bout, Sabian took down his opponent with a diving foot stomp, before putting on Orange Cassidy’s elbow pad from the previous match and then ending things with an Orange Punch.
Backstage interview: Preston Vance
In a segment backstage, Preston Vance said that he demanded to be called by a new name, Perro Peligroso, and said he has no remorse about what he did to Brodie Lee Jr. in order to get the spotlight that he did.
In-ring segment: Jon Moxley
In an interview with Tony Schiavone inside the ring, Moxley said that he’s been the true ace of the company for some time, and has proved it time and time again, the latest of which is when he knocked out Hangman Page in their match.
Moxley went on to say that he slept like a baby after doing so because he puts in the work to take his opponents out, and that he’s been hurt for 10 years so Page needs to “get over it.” Moxley went on to challenge Page to another match in Los Angeles on January 11, if the doctors will clear him. Moxley ended the segment by saying that he’d be wearing for Page’s answer, and to keep his hands up this time.
Jade Cargill (c) defeats Kiera Hogan
In a relatively quick match, Cargill made short work of her opponent, despite Hogan almost coming away with the win thanks to some late heroics. However, Cargill eventually put away her opponent with a vicious rendition of the Jaded. After the match, Cargill attempted to celebrate with The Baddies, but Red Velvet had walked away and up the ramp by then, leaving Cargill angry and wondering what had happened.
Swerve Strickland defeats Wheeler Yuta via pinfall
In the final match of the night, and the year for AEW, it was Strickland who would come out on top. In an incredibly back-and-forth bout between the two superstars, Yuta nearly came out on top during various points.
However, Swerve was able to regain momentum after the two superstars bumped into the referee, dropping him and knocking him out for a moment. With the referee unaware, Strickland hit a low blow on Yuta, and then hit the JML Driver for the pin and win to close out AEW’s 2022.