DENVER, CO – AEW Rampage New Year’s Smash promised hard-hitting matches as Orange Cassidy defends his All-Atlantic Championship and Jade Cargill seeks to retain her TBS Championship and make her undefeated streak 46-0. And to finish the night off, Swerve Strickland and Wheeler Yuta main event.
Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Trent Beretta – AEW All-Atlantic Championship
After a strong handshake to start the match, the two go back and forth without anyone having a clear advantage. Beretta opens his arms for a hug, calling it a draw for the moment. Using this to his advantage, Cassidy pretends to go for a hug but pushes Beretta outside of the ring instead. Beretta quickly recovers, throwing Cassidy outside the ring before attempting to follow with a dive. However, Beretta dives into Chuck Taylor, giving him the perfect opportunity for a hug.
Beretta attempts to spear Cassidy into the barricade, but Cassidy avoids it. Turning the spear around on Beretta, Cassidy sends him into the barricade again before throwing him back in the ring.
Beretta and Cassidy are ready for anything the other throws at them. When Cassidy lands a thrust kick, Beretta has a lariat. When Cassidy decides to go for the Stundog Millionaire, Beretta responds with a half-and-half. Finally breaking the pattern, Cassidy lands a Michinoku Driver, pinning Beretta for two.
Debating whether it’s time for an Orange Punch, Cassidy opts for a Beach Break, which Beretta counters. Cassidy picks up momentum, sending Beretta to the mat with a DDT before climbing to the top to land a second one. Beretta kicks out at two.
It’s no longer a debate about the Orange Punch as Cassidy removes his elbow pad, but Beretta blocks him again. After Beretta lands a twisted tombstone, Cassidy kicks out of a pin. Trying to capitalize on the two-count, Beretta goes for a piledriver, but Cassidy kicks out again.
Penelope Ford comes down to the ring, distracting Beretta long enough for Cassidy to regain control of the match. After Beretta kicks out of a quick pin, Cassidy lands an Orange Punch to defend his All-Atlantic Championship successfully.
Kip Sabian vs. Ativa
Sabian kicks off the match with a massive headbutt before sending Ativa into the corner. After a cannonball strike, Sabian pulls Ativa into position for a diving stomp from the top rope.
Penelope Ford throws Orange Cassidy’s elbow pad to Sabian inside the ring. Making a mockery of Cassidy, he puts it on before going through the all-too-familiar motions of the Orange Punch. Sabian picks up the win.
Jade Cargill (C) vs. Kiera Hogan – AEW TBS Championship
With a kick, Cargill gets Hogan in position to lift her into a delayed vertical suplex. However, Hogan reverses it into a pin for one.
Although Hogan avoids Cargill’s pump kick, she can’t get away that easily as Cargill lands a back elbow. Not letting up, Cargill chokeslams Hogan into the mat, forcing her to roll outside the ring to recover.
Cargill doesn’t let up as she follows Hogan outside the ring before throwing her into the barricade. Hogan tries to crawl away, but she can’t escape Cargill. It’s only a matter of time before she’s launched into the barricade.
Hogan finally starts to fight back again as she lands a kick to the face from the top rope. However, when she goes for a crossbody, Cargill easily catches her. Hogan ducks a lariat from Cargill but doesn’t have the same luck next time as Jade lands a pump kick. Cargill covers Hogan, but she kicks out at two.
When Cargill goes to hit Hogan back outside the ring, Red Velvet stops her long enough for Hogan to land a kick to Cargill’s midsection before landing another kick to her chin. Hogan can’t hold onto this control of the match once she throws Cargill back into the ring. She only gave Cargill the perfect amount of time to load a thrust kick.
Hogan reverses the Jaded before landing a hip attack, speeding up the pace with kick after kick. Climbing to the top rope, Hogan goes for a diving crossbody to pin Cargill, but she kicks out at two.
The pin doesn’t phase Cargill; she’s ready with a Jaded, pinning Hogan for three. Cargill retained the TBS Championship, remaining undefeated with a 46-0 record.
Wheeler Yuta vs. Swerve Strickland
Strickland leapfrogs over Yuta before trying to get him into a single-leg crab. Countering with upkicks, Yuta makes his way out of the submission attempt. Yuta slams Strickland to the mat before landing a senton. Yuta gets the first cover, but Strickland kicks out.
Strickland went for a vertical suplex, but Yuta gets Strickland into a single-leg crab before turning it into a bow and arrow stretch. Strickland quickly escapes before pinning Yuta for one.
Yuta dropkicks Strickland out of the ring, capitalizing on the position with a tope that sends Strickland into the barricade. Strickland doesn’t stay down long, as he goes to the apron and dropkicks Yuta’s knee. Strickland continues to target Yuta’s knee in submissions. Eventually, Yuta fights his way out with headscissors. Trying to keep his momentum as he’s fighting on a single leg, Yuta lands two back-body drops.
Yuta elbow strikes Strickland from the top rope, following it up with a German suplex. Strickland starts to come back with a rolling elbow strike into a Latigo and a brainbuster. He covers Yuta, but Yuta isn’t finished and kicks out.
After a dropkick to Yuta’s knee again, Strickland climbs to the top rope, but Yuta stops him with an enziguri. Yuta goes to meet Strickland on the top rope for a superplex. Yuta seems revitalized after landing on the mat and delivers hammer and anvil elbows to Strickland. Avoiding Yuta’s seatbelt, Strickland lands a massive kick before going to lift Yuta. Yuta escapes with an elbow that sends Strickland into the referee.
With the referee down for a moment, Strickland lands a low blow. But the referee is back in the match when Strickland lands a JML driver, pinning Yuta and winning the match.
Next on Dynamite
The fallout of Jade Cargill’s match tonight takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 4 in Seattle, Washington, where she and Red Velvet take on Kiera Hogan and Skye Blue. The first Dynamite of the new year will also see Samoa Joe defend his TNT Championship against Darby Allin, and for the first time ever, Ricky Starks takes on Chris Jericho.
