CMLL superstar Mistico makes AEW debut on Rampage on TSN+

Lucha libre icon Mistico makes his AEW debut when he meets Rocky Romero. Plus, the Blackpool Combat Club's Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA are in tag-team action and Skye Blue meets Ruby Soho.

Two-out-of-three-falls match: NWA World Historic Welterweight Champion Rocky Romero vs. Mistico - One of CMLL's biggest stars arrives in AEW on Friday night when Mistico takes on Rocky Romero. The high-flying Mexico City native is one of lucha libre's most decorated performers, having held the CMLL Universal Championship, CMLL World Welterweight Championship, Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship among his many accolades. He is also a two-time holder of the title currently worn by his opponent on Friday night, the NWA World Historic Welterweight Champion Rocky Romero. Romero is no stranger to AEW fans, but the version of the CHAOS member who regularly works in Mexico might not be one you would expect. The CMLL Rocky Romero is significantly more aggressive and angry and more than willing to take shortcuts when it comes to picking up a victory. Romero is coming off of winning the Major League Wrestling World Middleweight Title this past Saturday night at MLW's Slaughterhouse pay-per-view by defeating AKIRA. He has held the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship since January when he defeated Volador Jr., with whom he's engaged in a bitter feud in recent months. While Mistico and Romero have shared the ring together on a number of occasions and even teamed together, this will be their first-ever one-on-one encounter. Because Friday night's match will be wrestled under CMLL rules, it will also be officiated by a CMLL referee. Which of these two men will emerge victorious in this showcase bout?

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Ruby Soho (w/ Saraya) vs. Skye Blue - In recent weeks, Skye Blue has seemingly begun what appears to be a familiar transition. She's been significantly more aggressive and violent with her in-ring style and there are fewer and fewer traces of her usual bubbly personality. This all started on the Grand Slam edition of Rampage late last month when she took the black mist from Julia Hart. Her behaviour appears to be mirroring the exact same descent that Hart herself underwent when she was misted by Malakai Black in late 2021. By the spring of 2022, she was a completely different person and aligned herself with Black's House of Black. Is Blue on that same path? On Friday night, she takes on a familiar foe in Ruby Soho, somebody who Blue has both teamed with and faced off with in the past. Blue has never been able to defeat Soho in three previous meetings including during this past summer's Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament semi-finals. Even with her traditional mastery over Blue, Soho will have to contend with her opponent's new change in attitude. Of course, she'll also have the former AEW Women's World Champion Saraya in her corner, somebody who's never been shy about getting involved in her Outcasts stablemate's matches. Will Blue's personality shift be enough to finally give her an edge over Soho?

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Three-way match for a shot at the AEW International Championship: "Superbad" Kip Sabian (w/ "The Superbad Girl" Penelope Ford) vs. "Brother Zay" Isiah Kassidy vs. John Silver (w/ Alex Reynolds and Evil Uno) - A huge opportunity awaits the winner of Friday night's three-way match featuring Kip Sabian, Isiah Kassidy and John Silver: the victor earns a shot at AEW International Champion "Freshly Squeezed" Orange Cassidy at Saturday night's Battle of the Belts. None of this trio has held gold in AEW and each wants to change that in a hurry. The nature of a three-way match lends itself to multiple strategies, but there is always going to be an aggrieved party who neither wins nor loses. While each man will be opposed by two others, he can also use them both to his advantage. The one who best treads that line will be the one who has the best chance of winning. Kassidy will be looking to earn a first-ever singles match with Cassidy, while it's a rematch that Silver and Sabian are after. Both men have fallen to Cassidy in the past with Sabian failing to unseat Cassidy as International Champion during his first reign back on the Jan. 6 edition of Battle of the Belts from Portland. Which of these three men will pick up a shot at gold?

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PLUS:

- Ahead of their title match against AEW World Tag Team Champions "Absolute" Ricky Starks and "Big Bill" Morrissey on Collision, the Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA) are in action