With a tag team match against "The Virtuosa" Deonna Purrazzo and a mystery partner looming, AEW women's world champion "Timeless" Toni Storm and her protege, Mariah May, teamed up Friday night on AEW Rampage from Boston's TD Garden in hopes of sending a message to their rival.

Their outing was part of a four-match card that also featured trios action involving Undisputed Kingdom, a tag team match involving former international champion Orange Cassidy, and the return of Konosuke Takeshita to in-ring action for the first time since his loss to Will Ospreay at Revolution.

How did those stars fare and what else went down on TNT Friday?

Find out with this recap of the March 15 broadcast.

Match Card

Announced in advance for Friday's show were:

• Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) vs. Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) and Action Andretti
• Komander vs. Konosuke Takeshita
• Best Friends (Trent Beretta and Orange Cassidy) vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno and John Silver)
• "Timeless" Toni Storm and Mariah May in action
  

Best Friends vs. Dark Order

With tag teams jockeying for position amid an impending AEW tag team title tournament to crown new champions, Best Friends' Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta battled Dark Order's Evil Uno and John Silver in the night's opening contest.

Cassidy overcame further damage to his previously injured back, not to mention desperation on the part of his opponents to prove they belong in tournament contention, to rock Silver with an Orange Punch.

Beretta followed with Storm Zero for the pinfall victory.

This was high-energy action and solid, acceptable work from both teams. There was not much to it beyond that, nor did there need to be. It highlighted the winners, allowed Dark Order to get some shine, and it hyped the upcoming tag title tournament, exactly as it should have.

Result

Best Friends defeated Dark Order

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Chris Jericho paid tribute to the late Jackie Crockett, who passed away earlier in the week. "Find my camera and I'll make you look like a star, kid," Jericho recalled the advice the longtime cameraman for Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW gave him. 
• Uno delivered a wicked senton through the ropes onto Cassidy on the floor. 

• A new vignette highlighted the latest from The Righteous' Vincent and Dutch.

"Timeless" Toni Storm and Mariah May in Action

For the first time, AEW women's champion "Timeless" Toni Storm teamed with protege Mariah May to battle Kayla Sparks and Little Mean Kathleen.

The champion and her most obsessed fan defeated the overmatched opposition quickly, with Storm allowing May to score the win.

Their celebration would be short-lived as Deonna Purrazzo revealed that Thunder Rosa would be her mystery tag team partner to battle the heels next week on Dynamite.

The match itself was a nice little enhancement match that highlighted the in-ring chemistry of Storm and May as a tag team, which was quicker-paced and more intense than we are used to seeing out of the champion of late.

The revelation of Rosa is an interesting development and could set her up for an opportunity to regain the women's title she never lost.

After the match, the commentary team revealed the brackets for the AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament:

• The Young Bucks vs. Private Party
• Ricky Starks and Big Bill vs. Top Flight
• Wild Card No. 1: Best Friends vs. Don Callis Family
• Wild Card: No. 2: Infantry vs. House of Black
• Undisputed Kingdom vs. Wild Card 1
• FTR vs. Wild Card 2

Of greatest interest is the return of Starks and Bill, who have not appeared on AEW TV since dropping the tag titles to Sting and Darby Allin prior to Revolution.

Result

Storm and May defeated Sparks and Kathleen

Grade

C

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Backstage, Saraya and Harley Cameron hyped up Zak Knight and sought out a fight. Angelo Parker accepted, looking to continue their feud, but referees and officials broke them up. 
• It is always nice to see the great Kayla Sparks on TV. 
• Storm showed some renewed aggression here. Everything hit harder.

Komander vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Konosuke Takeshita bounced back from his loss to Will Ospreay at Revolution and defeated Komander in a hard-fought match Friday night.

The Alpha overcame the game luchador, ultimately thwarting his lightning-quick, high-flying offense with his striking ability and aggression en route to scoring a much-needed victory.

Takeshita continues to impress, a worker beyond his years. Wins like this one are fine, but he needs to be allowed to string together some quality victories over top stars.

Beating Jericho with his own Liontamer submission was a nice win, but it was not followed up on adequately. When he competed against another top competitor, he lost to Ospreay on pay-per-view.

Result

Takeshita defeated Komander

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Komander broke out the Lionsault and Jericho did not miss the opportunity to remind everyone that he created the move during his time in Mexico.
• Takeshita's facial expressions have been great of late. They are essential to connecting with the audience beyond the number of cool moves a wrestler can execute.
• As long as the young star continues to turn in performances of this caliber, fans will eventually turn him babyface out of sheer respect for his work. 

Top Flight and Action Andretti vs. Undisputed Kingdom

Top Flight's Dante and Darius Martin teamed with Action Andretti to battle the Undisputed Kingdom's Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong in trios action to cap off this week's broadcast.

An action-packed match saw the babyfaces have their opponents reeling entering the commercial break, only for Undisputed Kingdom to wrest control of the contest away during the timeout.

Dante exploded into the match for his team and appeared to have his team on its way to a come-from-behind victory. The action broke down, however, and Strong rocked Andretti with a jumping knee, allowing Taven and Bennett to down him with a spike piledriver for the win.

Though the heels picked up the win, this was a showcase for Top Flight and Andretti more than anything. They showed up and out in this one, as has been the case of late. They have earned the spotlight, wowing crowds and winning them over with their athleticism and high-flying skill set.

It was the right call for the AEW international and Ring of Honor tag team champions to go over here, but one has to wonder how long Top Flight and Andretti can be this good without forcing management to give them more screen time and actual creative effort.

Result

Undisputed Kingdom defeated Top Flight and Andretti

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Jericho recalled that Andretti's standing shooting star press would have earned the babyfaces the win had the Undisputed Kingdom not broken up the pin. He knows because the move felled him in the shocking upset loss to the young star.
• "This is pro wrestling plagiarism!" Jericho said in response to a missed lionsault by Strong to Darius.

Overall Grade

This was a fun show, complete with some strong in-ring content and plenty of different stories either introduced or enhanced over Rampage's one-hour run time.

The main event and the Komander-Takeshita matches were notably good while we saw the continuation of Purrazzo and Storm's feud over the AEW women's title.

Shows like this make it even more frustrating when the television ratings inevitably come out. The effort is there from the talent, and there are enough side stories developed and introduced throughout, to make Rampage a show worthy of one's time.

When it is simply a collection of matches thrown together for the sake of it, then hardly promoted or hyped outside of a brief promo there or a graphic or two there, it is no wonder fans do not view it as much-watch programming.

Give fans a reason, or the show meaning, and the audience will watch.

Like they should have watched this one.

Grade: B