AEW Rampage: Slam Dunk Results (02/17) - Two Title Matches, Swerve Strickland Vs. Dustin Rhodes, Daniel Garcia Vs. Ricky Starks
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "AEW Rampage: Slam Dunk" on February 17, 2023, coming to you from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas!
AEW World Trios Champions The Elite will be putting their titles on the line against Top Flight and AR Fox in a rematch from the February 8 episode of "Dynamite". The two teams came face-to-face backstage this past Wednesday after Top Flight and Fox confronted The Elite in order to receive a second shot. While The Elite may have come out victorious in their first encounter, will Top Flight and AR Fox be able to capture gold tonight?
Dustin Rhodes will be going one-on-one with Mogul Affiliates' Swerve Strickland. Tensions between the pair have meteorically risen over the past few weeks, with Swerve taking issue to Rhodes' standing as a second generation professional wrestler. Swerve and his Mogul Affiliates teammates Parker Boudreaux and Trench got the better of Rhodes on last week's "Rampage" after blindsiding him with an attack during an interview with Lexy Nair. Which man will come out on top?
"Absolute" Ricky Starks will be taking on Jericho Appreciation Society's Daniel Garcia. The Jericho Appreciation Society has been after Starks since he beat Chris Jericho on the January 4 episode of "Dynamite". Garcia got the better of Starks in the Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet last Wednesday, squashing Starks' chance to get his hands on Jericho once more. Will Starks be able to get his retribution?
An open challenge was issued for Jade Cargill's TBS Championship and Vertvixen was the one to answer the call. The two are set to collide in the ring as Cargill looks to make her undefeated streak 53-0 tonight. Vertvixen has been featured on multiple occasions on "Dark" and "Dark: Elevation", and is also known for her appearances in promotions such as DEFY Wrestling and Women of Wrestling. Will Vertvixen be the first to beat Cargill and become the second ever TBS Champion?
AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy is also set to appear on tonight's show, as he will be sitting down with Mark Henry.
We are live! Jim Ross, Chris Jericho, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur greet audiences at home as Top Flight, and AR Fox make their way to the ring with a basketball in hand, followed by The Elite.
The Elite (c) vs. Top Flight and AR Fox for the World Trios Championship
Dante and Nick begin the action. The bell rings and the referee throws a basketball in the air for a top-off. Dante catches the ball, but Nick catches him with an atomic drop mid-air. Dante then fires back with a dropkick. Matt and Fox tag in, and Fox and Top Flight hit Matt with a few kicks that send him to the outside before Fox goes flying. The Elite throw the basketball between one another before Omega tags in and delivers a shoulder tackle, then follows it up with several stomps.
Back from the break, Nick delivers a forearm to Fox. He delivers a knee to Fox's jaw, but Fox fires back with a cutter. Omega and Dante tag in. Omega delivers a pair of elbows, but Dante delivers an Atomic Drop and tosses Omega to the outside. He tosses Omega to the outside, then delivers a tope suicida and gets him back inside. He hits a high crossbody, but Omega manages to hit a snap suplex. Matt and Darius tag in. He delivers a Standing Spanish Fly to Matt, then tags in Fox. Fox hits a 450 Splash, then tags in Darius. Matt sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle, then tags in Omega. Omega looks for the V-Trigger, but Darius ducks it. Omega looks for it again and successfully hits it, then follows it up with One Winged Angel for the win.
Winners (and still): The Elite
After the match, Brody King and Malakai Black appear on the ramp to call out The Elite and put them on notice.
Back from the break, we head to Mark Henry and Orange Cassidy. Yuta says the best thing he ever did was leave Cassidy and Best Friends to join the Blackpool Combat Club. He says BCC taught him more than he ever did, then says he doesn't think Cassidy even cares about his title and he will take it from him to teach him a thing or two. Cassidy says he was there to be his friend, not to teach him. He tells Yuta that if he wants the All-Atlantic Championship, then he can come and take it.
Back at ringside, Daniel Garcia heads down, followed by Ricky Starks.
Ricky Starks vs. Daniel Garcia
The bell rings and the pair stare one another down. Garcia slaps Starks before Starks fires off several right hands. He lands a vicious forearm, then follows it up with a back body drop. Garcia delivers a chop, but Starks fires back with an elbow and several rights. Garcia sends Starks onto the apron, then delivers a Dragon Screw and follows it up with a right hand that sends Starks to the outside.
Back from the break, Garcia delivers a belly-to-belly suplex. Garcia shoves him into the corner and delivers several boots, but Starks catches him and plants him. Garcia shoves Starks, then delivers a Dragon Screw. Starks delivers several stomps, but Garcia delivers a spinebuster. He goes for a pin, but Starks kicks out. Garcia locks in the Dragon Tamer, but Starks escapes. Sammy Guevara runs down to the ring to try and help out Garcia, but Action Andretti appears and the two begin to brawl up the ramp. Starks hits a Spear, then follows it up with Roshambo for the win.
Winner: Ricky Starks
After the match, Guevara grabs a mic and calls out Tony Khan. He demands a match with Andretti.
Jade Cargill and Leila Grey head to the ring, with Vertvixen already waiting inside.
Jade Cargill (c) vs. Vertvixen for the TBS Championship
The bell rings and the two lock up. Cargill shoves Vertvixen into the corner, then delivers a knee to her midsection and tosses her across the ring. Cargill shows off by doing some push-ups, then delivers a big boot and follows it up with Jaded for the win.
Winner (and still): Jade Cargill
Back from the break, Swerve Strickland and Parker Boudreaux head to the ring, followed by Dustin Rhodes.
Dustin Rhodes vs. Swerve Strickland (w/ Parker Boudreaux)
Boudreaux tries attacking Rhodes at the behest of Swerve, but Rhodes hits him with a wrench to take him out before getting in the ring. The bell rings and Rhodes goes straight after Swerve. He tosses him to the outside, then delivers a series of open palm strikes and sends him into the barricade. He tosses Swerve back inside, then sends him into the corner and fires off ten right hands. Swerve takes a shot at Rhodes' jaw, but Rhodes fires back with a release German suplex. Swerve shoves Rhodes into the corner and bites his hand, then sends him to the outside and delivers a pump kick to his face off the apron. He hits a dropkick that sends Rhodes crashing into the barricade, then fires off several right hands on his head.
Back from the break, Swerve delivers a kick to Rhodes' head. He goes for a pin, but Rhodes kicks out at one. Swerve delivers a series of right hands and bites his head, but Rhodes fires back with a powerslam and a pair of lariats. He follows it up with his signature uppercut, then delivers a Code Red and goes for a pin. Swerve kicks out and delivers a boot. Rhodes returns the favor before the two level one another with clotheslines.
The two men end up on the apron and exchange right hands, but Swerve gains the upper hand and delivers a Death Valley Driver. He gets Rhodes back in the ring and pins him, but Rhodes kicks out. Swerve ascends to the top, but Rhodes meets him there and hits a superplex. He follows it up with a piledriver and goes for a pin, but Swerve kicks out. Rhodes looks for Cross-Rhodes, but Swerve counters it into a pinning predicament. He goes for a pin, but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes then delivers Final Reckoning and goes for a pin but Boudreaux pulls him out of the ring, causing a disqualification.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes (via DQ)
After the match, Swerve and Boudreaux beat down Rhodes. Swerve hits Rhodes repeatedly with a chain as security heads down to the ring. Boudreaux levels them and tosses them out of the ring, then grabs a cinderblock out from under the ring. He sets Rhodes' head up on it, but before things go any further Keith Lee's music hits and he appears behind Swerve and Boudreaux to make his return! Lee levels Boudreaux and Swerve, then tosses them to the outside and checks on Rhodes.