This week's edition of AEW Rampage promised to be another action-packed episode of wrestling. The show featured Darby Allin squaring off against The Butcher and Keith Lee going to war against Max Caster.
Plus, House of Black and Leyla Hirsch were also in action on the latest edition of AEW Rampage.
AEW Rampage Results (18th March 2022): Darby Allin vs. The Butcher on AEW Rampage
The match started with Allin unleashing a series of punches on The Butcher, but the AFO member quickly retaliated back thanks to his size advantage. The former TNT Champion then began playing mind games with The Butcher and hit a picture-perfect suicide dive on him.
Allin bit The Butcher's hand, but the latter hit a stiff punch on the former to take him down. The AFO member was now in the driver's seat in this match as he methodically wore down and manhandled Darby Allin. The action spilled to the outside, where The Butcher hit a brutal lariat on his opponent.
The veteran performer then had a face-off with Sting on the outside as we went to a commercial break. Back on the show, The Butcher continued to assault Darby Allin as he locked him in a submission maneuver, but the former TNT Champion managed to reach the ropes.
Allin finally found an opening in the match when The Butcher hit his knee into the steel stairs.
Following this, Darby Allin delivered a beautiful Coffin Drop on his opponent on the outside. The former TNT Champion managed to enter the ring just in time as The Butcher got counted out.
Darby Allin defeated The Butcher on AEW Rampage
Grade: B-
Post-match, Private Party attacked Allin and Sting, with Andrade, The Blade, and The Bunny also entering the squared circle. However, just then, The Hardy Boyz came out to the rescue of The Icon and Allin.
Matt Hardy then laid down a challenge for an eight-man Texas Tornado Tag Team match against AFO on next week's AEW Dynamite.
In a backstage segment, TNT Champion Scorpio Sky boasted about retaining his title against Wardlow. At the same time, Paige VanZant claimed that she was the best fighter in the company, irrespective of gender.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet on AEW Rampage
Even before the match officially started on AEW Rampage, Hirsch attacked Velvet on the entrance ramp. However, Red Velvet retaliated and hit a German suplex. Once the match began, Hirsch quickly gained an advantage and began wearing down her opponent as we went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Velvet finally found an opening in the match and unleashed a flurry of offense on her opponent. However, Leyla Hirsch quickly recovered and locked in Velvet in a cross armbreaker, but the latter managed to break the submission by reaching the ropes.
Just when Hirsch pulled out a weapon to attack Velvet, Kris Statlander came out and distracted her. This allowed Red Velvet to capitalize, as she pinned her opponent after hitting a Corkscrew Kick for the win on AEW Rampage.
Red Velvet defeated Leyla Hirsch on AEW Rampage
Grade: B
House of Black vs. Bear Country and Feugo Del Sol on AEW Rampage
Bear Bronson and Malakai Black started things off with the latter using his speed to deceive the behemoth performer. The former NXT North American Champion took down all three of House of Black's opponents single-handedly. Buddy Matthews then unleashed a flurry of strikes on Bronson.
Next, Brody King took down Del Sol with a brutal punch, which knocked out the masked star.
The House of Black then began attacking Bear Boulder. Fuego Del Sol then hit some aerial maneuvers on Black, King, and Matthews, but it just wasn't enough as the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion hit his finisher out of nowhere to secure the win on Rampage.
House of Black vs. Bear Country and Feugo Del Sol
Grade: C
Keith Lee vs. Max Caster on AEW Rampage
The match on Rampage started with the San Antonio crowd chanting 'Bask in his Glory' for Keith Lee. Though Caster attacked The Limitless One with an uppercut and a dropkick, it wasn't enough to bring down his opponent.
The former NXT Champion was then distracted by Powerhouse Hobbs, who stared down at Lee from the entrance ramp, allowing Max Caster to finally find an opening in the match.
Back from the commercial break, Caster was in the driver's seat as Hobbs and Starks looked on from the commentary box.
However, Keith Lee then retaliated by using his size advantage to manhandle Caster. Despite a couple of superkick attempts from The Acclaimed member, Keith Lee easily took him down with a Big Bang Catastrophe for the win on AEW Rampage.
Keith Lee defeated Max Caster
Grade: C
Post-match, Hobbs, and Lee finally came to blows, with Starks, Caster, and Anthony Bowens joining in on the attack on the former WWE star. However, Shane 'Swerve' Strickland then came out to the rescue of Keith Lee.
Strickland and Lee shared a handshake to tease an unlikely alliance as the show went off the air.
This week's Rampage didn't boast of many memorable matches, but it was still a decent hour of wrestling that flew by. The biggest takeaway from the show was Strickland and Lee's alliance in All Elite Wrestling.
Grade: C