AEW Rampage Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights From March 29

Mariah May has spent months trying to prove herself to her idol, AEW women's champion "Timeless" Toni Storm, and Friday night on Rampage, she had another opportunity to do just that.

The impressive protege competed in singles competition on a card that also featured a high-stakes AEW International Championship Eliminator Match featuring Roderick Strong, a physical battle between Dustin Rhodes and The Butcher, and the latest from The Bang Bang Club.

Find out what went down on the TNT broadcast with this recap of the March 29 episode.

Announced in advance for Friday's show were:

• AEW International Championship Eliminator Match: "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard vs. Roderick Strong (c)
• Dustin Rhodes vs. The Butcher
• Mariah May vs. Nikita
• Bang Bang Gang Family Dinner
• Deonna Purrazzo in action
• "Timeless" Toni Storm promo
  

Dustin Rhodes and The Butcher rekindled a longstanding rivalry in AEW Friday night to kick off the night's broadcast.

The Natural was forced to overcome a bum hand and arm while Butcher found himself nursing a bad knee. Each man took turns exploiting the others' weaknesses before Rhodes caught his opponent with the Final Reckoning to emerge victoriously.

The effort was there, and the focused work on the established injuries was a welcome change of pace, but a practically silent crowd hurt the overall presentation.

As did a lack of effort by the commentary team to explain the history between the performers and why fans watching at home should care about their latest match.

Result

Rhodes defeated Butcher

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Rhodes delivered a dragonscrew leg whip to his opponent, with Butcher's head smacking into the ring apron.
• The total lack of crowd reaction was more of a distraction than if the audience had been red-hot. 
• Both competitors targeted a limb of their opponent and worked it over at points in the match, a distinct difference from what AEW fans may be used to.

• The Bang Bang Gang's Jay White and The Gunns invaded the home of Billy Gunn in a pre-taped video, trashing it before the hall of famer returned home and the video cut off.

Deonna Purrazzo sought to continue climbing her way back to the AEW Women's Championship and a shot at "Timeless" Toni Storm as she battled local competitor Rose.

The enhancement talent received more offense than one would have expected, and this went a minute or so too long, but Purrazzo showed great intensity and scored a mostly uncontested victory.

With that said, this felt like it belonged on an old episode of Dark: Elevation more than anything.

Result

Purrazzo defeated Rose

Grade

C-

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Tony Schiavone put Purrazzo over for winning eight championships in 10 years, a nice stat to legitimize The Virtuosa.

AEW women's champion "Timeless" Toni Storm revealed before the match that she would not be able to compete due to an injured hamstring, but here "more than capable protege" Mariah May would battle local competitor Nikita in her place.

May controlled the match throughout the commercial break, only for Nikita to fire off a brief attempt at a comeback. The heel halted it and scored the win with Mayday.

Like its predecessor, the match was a perfectly OK enhancement match for the victor that ran too long and gave more offense to the unknown competitor than it should have.

A quick squash is not a bad thing. Not every match has to be drawn out.

Result

May defeated Nikita

Grade

C

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Storm's antics at ringside were more interesting than anything in the match.
• May's running hip attack is nearly as impressive as her mentor's. 

Undisputed Kingdom's Roderick Strong, the AEW international champion, defeated "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard in Friday's main event, thwarting the Quebec native's title aspirations in front of his family and friends.

Menard fed off the energy of a partisan crowd but found himself trapped in a Boston Crab by Strong and in need of a comeback. He got one, and appeared to have the match in-hand, when Matt Taven and Mike Bennett interfered on behalf of the champion, putting his foot on the bottom rope to break a pinfall.

Menard would take out the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions but fell victim to a running knee strike as Strong retained his title.

This was the best match on the card, with some great fire from Menard. He was the unquestioned star here, even overshadowing his much more prominently featured opponent.

After the match, Orange Cassidy and Trent Berreta hit the ring to break up a three-on-one beatdown, only for The EVPs, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, to deliver low blows and send the show to its conclusion ahead of their tag team title tournament match Wednesday on Dynamite.

Result

Strong defeated Menard

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Backstage, Angelo Parker attacked Zac Knight, to the dismay of Ruby Soho, who walked off in disappointment and frustration.
• A new vignette for The Righteous' Vincent and Dutch aired.
• Menard's home province fans in Quebec City greeted him with a hometown hero reception.
• Chants of "Papa Magi" filled the arena as Menard unloaded on the champion heading into the commercial break. 

This may have been the most inconsequential episode of Rampage ever and considering the state of the Friday night broadcast, that is saying something.

Outside of the quick low blow from the Young Bucks to Best Friends to close out the show, one would be hard-pressed to look at this episode of TV and honestly find one thing about it that was of legitimate consequence to AEW at this moment.

The Angelo Parker-Ruby Soho stuff has been a lot of fun, and was represented here in dramatic fashion with Soho walking away from her beau, but the rest of the show felt like matches and segments strung together for the sake of having the show.

Until AEW and Tony Khan take this property more seriously, it is going to struggle to find an audience.

Daddy Magic was great in the main event, but that was about it for this particular broadcast. The lackluster crowd did not help matters.

Grade: C-