Welcome to Indy Pro Wrestling.’s live coverage of AEW Rampage: “The First Dance” beginning at 10 pm ET from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Let others know about our coverage by giving this page a quick retweet or share on social media.
In-ring segment: CM Punk
The show opens with the most highly anticipated announcement in AEW history. CM Punk comes to the stage, and the crowd goes absolutely wild. He gets on his knees and soaks it all in. Punk dives into the crowd, and the arena is filled with deafening”CM Punk” chants. Punk is clearly emotional and he hugs several fans at ringside.
Punk finally gets into the ring. In the ring, surrounded by “CM Punk” chants, Punk says “You guys really know how to make a kid feel like Britt Baker in Pittsburgh.” He says he’s winging this, as he didn’t know what he was going to say. He tells Chicago, “I feel you” and “I hear you.” He says he’s heard “CM Punk” chants for seven years. He makes it clear that he won’t get to cover everything he wants to tonight, but he has time now.
“I ain’t going anywhere,” Punk says. He says if any of his choices have disappointed anyone. But he says he needs everyone to understand that he never would have gotten healthy if he stayed in the place that made him sick in the first place. He pulls off his sweatshirt, revealing a shirt much like his beloved WWE design. He sits down in his trademark style in the ring and says he felt like he had to leave. He goes as far back as his Ring of Honor exit.
Punk recaps his departure from ROH and says he left professional wrestling when he left the company. He says that he came back to professional wrestling tonight. Punk says he’s back for the fans and he’s also back for himself because he wants to face some of the young talent in AEW. He even says he has a couple of scores to settle in the locker room. Punk calls out Darby Allin, who’s watching from the rafters alongside Sting.
He tells Allin that he’s good, and he commends Allin for his toughness. Punk says he’s here to help, and Allin is first on his list. He tells Allin there’s nothing more dangerous he could do than wrestling CM Punk in Chicago and challenges him to a match at All Out.
Backstage, Christian Cage says he has Kenny Omega’s number because he beat him once. He vows to take the AEW World Championship and Omega’s soul at AEW All Out.
AEW World Tag Team Championship Eliminator Tournament match: Private Party (Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy) (with Matt Hardy) vs. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus)
The Young Bucks, the reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions, watch the match from the stage. Jungle Boy takes the fight to Private Party and initially fends them off when they try to gang up on him. Kassidy distracts the referee, and Matt Hardy helps Private Party capitalize by beating Jungle Boy up.
Quen and Kassidy isolate Jungle Boy for several minutes, but Luchasarus tags in and clears house. Quen gets a near fall with a super Canadian destroyer on Jungle Boy. Kassidy hits a guillotine on Luchasaurus and Quen drops him with a shooting star press to the outside.
Luchasaurus breaks up the Silly String, and Matt Hardy attacks Marko Stunt at ringside. Jungle Boy is distracted, and Kassidy takes advantage with a roll-up for a near fall.
Jungle Boy counters the Gin ‘n’ Juice. In the end, Jungle Boy pins Quen with a double-team powerbomb.
Winners: Jurassic Express
Backstage, Don Callis and Kenny Omega reflect on the champion’s loss to Christian Cage. Omega says he’s going to retire Cage at All Out and make him wish he never came back.
Jade Cargill vs. Kiera Hogan
Cargill shoves Hogan down and overpowers her. She drills Hogan with a kick and plants her with a Glam Slam for the win.
Winner: Jade Cargill
In an interview, 2point0 and Daniel Garcia hype up the main event match. Garcia says he wants to become a top star, and beating Moxley is the way to do that. Moxley says he’s pissed off and quips that Garcia has a better chance of getting him pregnant than beating him.
Jon Moxley (with Eddie Garcia) vs. Daniel Garcia (with 2point0)
Moxley takes the fight to Garcia and firmly controls the match early on. Garcia locks in a heel lock and grounds Moxley, but the former world champion escapes. Moxley takes Garcia down with a nasty clothesline. Garcia trades blows with Moxley, who rocks him with some headbutts.
Moxley tosses Garcia up and slams him down. Garcia keeps fighting, but Moxley locks in some sort of guillotine choke. Garcia taps out, so Moxley wins the bout.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Garcia and 2point0 attack Moxley and Kingston after the match. Sting and Darby Allin make the save, and the faces beat down 2point0 to close the show.