For the first time ever, AEW will be live-streaming a Battle of the Belts special after a Friday Rampage, as the fourth iteration will feature three title fights.
FTR will defend the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles for the first time since July as they face the Gates of Agony. This is FTR’s first traditional tag team match on an AEW TV show since late May and Kaun & Toa Liona’s first shot at the title.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill will be looking to go career unbeaten and face off as champion against Willow Nightingale. This is Nightingale’s second opportunity against Cargill, the first coming on June’s Road Rager edition of Dynamite.
Less than an hour after the trios defended their title, PAC will look to defend their AEW All-Atlantic title for a sixth time when they face off against Trent Beretta. PAC recently defended itself against fellow Beretta faction Orange Cassidy.
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Still Live! from Washington, D.C.
Tony Schaivone, Excalibur, Jim Ross and Chris Jericho acted as commentators.
PAC def. Trent Beretta to retain AEW All Atlantic Championship (14:22)
It doesn’t seem fair to PAC that Andrade beat up Sammy Guevara and he’s the one who ended up working twice. Not that I’m complaining as both games were great.
The crowd felt discouraged early on here, likely due to the lousy ending to the Rampage main event. But that didn’t last. Beretta hit PAC outward with a plancha and then slammed him to the ground.
PAC and Beretta continued to fight on the ground. Beretta put PAC on a table for a splash, but PAC rolled off the table. Beretta hits PAC with a dropkick. He went upstairs, but PAC followed him to a top rope superplex, and Breretta sold that he took the brunt of the impact on his neck. This seemed to get the crowd going again.
After a split screen interruption, Beretta countered an attack from PAC with a stomp. Beretta hacked PAC and then hit a German suplex and a half and half suplex. Beretta hit a Tornado DDT (which sold brilliantly) for a near miss. PAC tried to roll onto the floor but Beretta pulled him back into the ring. Beretta sends PAC headfirst into the turnbuckle and flips him with a clothesline. Beretta sold his bad neck but yanked PAC out of the corner and into a piledriver for another nearfall. That really got the crowd involved and shouting, “This is great!”
Pac and Beretta walked to the entrance ramp. Beretta sets up a suplex but PAC counters it and suplexes Beretta off the ramp and through the table set up on the floor. Beretta took the brunt of the suplex on his nick, and PAC was cut open in the back and shoulder. PAC threw Beretta in the ring and then went to the Black Arrow, but Beretta pulled her knees up. Beretta wants a javelin, but PAC keeps his knee up. Beretta quickly got a small package for two.
PAC hit a back elbow and went up, but Beretta crotch him. Beretta hit PAC with a half and half avalanche suplex from the top rope for another near fall. The crowd was now totally engrossed in this match, shouting “AEW! AEW!” Beretta tried to get Crunchy (his half of the Strong Zero) up, but PAC countered with the Brutalizer. Beretta fought back and got to the ropes. PAC looked frustrated that he couldn’t put the Beretta away while the crowd chanted “Fight Forever!”
PAC dropped to the ground and grabbed the bell hammer. Beretta tried to suplex PAC back in the ring and PAC hit Beretta between the eyes with the gavel and got the pinfall. And I was also absolutely ready to buy Beretta as a champion. Great match.
PAC’s scam brought out Orange Cassidy, who attacked PAC and chased him away. I thought that would result in the referee seeing the gavel and maybe continuing the match or reversing the finish, but that didn’t happen. I think they already dropped that angle when the referees were empowered that they started two weeks ago.
– Tony Schiavone interviewed Chris Jericho and 2point0. It’s time for Daniel Garcia to come home to JAS. They’re not mad at Garcia, they’re just disappointed. 2point0 is like Garcia’s two fathers and Jericho is like his older brother! Chris Jericho will be bringing back the Lionheart gimmick for his match with Bryan Danielson in Toronto.
-In a pre-taped promo, Claudio Castagnoli announced that he would be looking for whoever wins the ROH title match in Toronto next week.
– Ricky Starks joined the commentary team for the remainder of the show.
Jade Cargill (w/ the Baddies) def. Willow Nightingale to retain the TBS Championship (7:28)
Nightingale matched Cargill’s performance early on. Nightingale hits a shotgun dropkcik in the corner and then catches Cargill with a suplex. Nightingale counters a side suplex attempt and knocks Cargill to the ground. Nightingale took out the baddies with a crossbody through the ropes. She attacked Cargill on the ground, but Cargill picked up Nightingale in a cazadora and sent her face first onto the ring stairs.
After a long layoff, Nightingale took over Cargill with a clothesline and then brought her down with a spinning head scissor. Nightingale hit a cannonball in the corner, then a shotgun dropkick off the middle rope for another near fall. Nightingale pulled down her straps (JR: “Where is Lawler when you need him?”) and grabbed another headscissor, but Cargill countered with a tilt-a-whirl slam and immediately knocked out Nightingale with a jaded slam for the pinfall. This was a very good match by both women.
After the match, Vickie Guerrero came out and distracted Cargill. Nyla Rose emerged from the crowd and stole the TBS Championship Belt.
– Lexi Nair interviewed Ethan Page, Stokely Hathaway and Matt Hardy. Hathaway confronted Hardy with footage of his “contract manipulation” with Private Party. This will likely lead to a match in Toronto, I’m guessing Rampage.
– Lexi Nair interviewed Hook about the TrustBusters envelope. Hook tore up the envelope and walked away.
– Excalibur announced that PAC will defend the All Atlantic title against Orange Cassidy at Dynamite next Wednesday in Toronto.
– Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm edited a promo for their tag match with Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter next Wednesday.
– Bobby Cruise has announced the ring for the main event. He wore a neck brace to sell the beating he took from Chris Jericho in Philadelphia last Wednesday.
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) def. The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (with Prince Nana) to retain the ROH Tag Team Championships (13:26)
The Gunn Club were shown in FTR costumes in the front row. One of them had a skullcap and the other an exaggerated wig to mock Wheeler’s mullet.
FTR got a huge bang during their performance. Excalibur stressed that since this is a ROH match, there will be a 20 count on the outside and the code of honor will be upheld.
Kaun and Dax Harwood began. Harwood caught Kaun with a swinging neckbreaker. Toa Liona ran in but FTR cut him off. Hawrood hit Kaun with a suplex and tagged in Wheeler, who dropped Kaun a leg. Kaun interrupted Wheeler with a suplex and tagged in Liona, who slammed Wheeler and landed a diving headbutt. Liona slowed things down with a nerve clamp and then sat on Wheeler to block a sunset flip attempt. Liona hits Wheeler with a belly to belly suplex.
Wheeler and Liona fought on the floor where Liona sent Wheeler into the ring barricade. Liona attacked with a cannonball, but Wheeler ducked and Liona hit the barricade.
The Gates of Agony worked on Wheeler during the split-screen break. Wheeler ducked an attack from Liona and sent it into the ring post. Harwood got the tag and took the fight to Kaun, but Liona hit Harwood with a body block and a Samoan drop. Liona wanted the Tongan Spike (thumb at throat) but Wheeler broke it off. Harwood attempted a crossbody off the middle rope, but Liona caught him. Wheeler came in from the middle rope with a dropkick into Harwood to trip Liona. FTR hit Liona with a Double Team Hanging DDT (like Randy Orton’s) which was supported by the tired crowd.
FTR hit Kaun with a spike pile driver for a near fall. They chose the Big Rig on Lioa, but it was too big to get up for the move. But when Liona attacked Harwood, they were able to get Liona on her feet for the move. Prince Nana got up on the apron and Harwood sent Kaun headfirst into Nana. Harwood caught Kaun with a backslide and got the pinfall. Anti-climate finish, okay match.
After the match, Brian Cage ran in to help The Gates of Agony attack FTR. Wardlow ran in to help FTR but was soon overwhelmed 3v1 by the Gates of Agony and Cage. Samoa Joe came in to even the odds by defeating Cage with a right hand and a clothesline over the top rope. The babyfaces stood up to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
Overall a pretty good wrestling night. That’s to be expected when you get PAC to wrestle for half an hour. Nothing was really disappointing here, but PAC/Beretta was the standout game of the night. Both Trios matches on Rampage were great as well.
#AEW #Battle #Belts #FTR #Gates #Agony #live #results
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