‘AEW: Battle of the Belts 9’ Review
We’ve got a bonus show from AEW this week, the ninth instalment of the quarterly Battle of the Belts, which – as per the last couple of specials – followed directly from this week’s episode of Collision. Let’s get into it…
Match #1: AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight – Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks def. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both teams were brawling outside the arena! Jericho cracked Starks in the head with a garbage can. Big Bill choke slammed Jericho onto the dirt. Sammy rammed into the champs with a golf cart. Big Bill had a backpack with bricks inside. Big Bill threw a brick at Sammy, but Sammy moved. The brick broke a car windshield. Jericho and Sammy suplexed Big Bill onto the hood of the car. Rhett Titus was outside with a crowd watching the fight. Titus yelled at Jericho, “That’s my car!” Jericho answered with a Judas Effect to Titus. Starks and Jericho fought backstage. Starks put a plunger on Jericho’s face! Jericho retaliated with a traffic cone! Sammy and Big Bill traded strikes. Sammy sprayed Big Bill in the face with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed Ricky next. Starks cracked Jericho in the back with a kendo stick. Jericho had a kendo stick of his own and began to whack Big Bill with it. Jericho picked up a table from ringside. He put two tables side by side. Jericho and Big Bill brawled on top of a crew case. Takeshita smashed Jericho with a kendo stick from out of nowhere. Big Bill power bombed Jericho off the crew case and down through the tables below. Sammy climbed a lighting truss. Sammy was thirty feet in the air and went for a senton. Powerhouse Hobbs pulled Starks out of the way, and Sammy crashed and burned on the senton! Starks put his arm over Sammy and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: TBS Championship Match – Julia Hart def. Anna Jay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Anna Jay stunned Julia with a running snap mare. Julia ducked a round kick. Julia yanked on Anna’s arm, and Anna’s shoulder collided with the turnbuckle. Anna was doing her best to fight with one injured arm. Anna connected with a backstabber for a near fall. Anna applied the Queen Slayer, but Julia rolled out and put a choke of her own on Anna. Anna escaped and wiped out Julia with a flatliner. Julia locked on Heartless out of nowhere and made Anna Jay tap out!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: AEW International Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Preston Vance
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Undisputed Kingdom walked down the ramp and sat on chairs watching from ringside. Preston walloped Orange with a discus lariat. Orange fired back with an Orange Punch! Preston blocked the Beach Break. Preston shoulder tackled Cassidy from off the ropes. Preston connected with a pump kick, sending Orange spilling outside the ring, right in front of the Undisputed Kingdom. Orange got his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Preston. Orange followed up with a tope suicida. Preston planted Vance with a spinebuster. Preston stomped on Orange in the corner. Orange rallied back with a thrust kick and stomps of his own, pummeling Preston to the mat. Cassidy drilled Preston with the Stun Dog Millionaire and then a spinning DDT for a two-count! Orange jumped from the top turnbuckle, out of the ring, but Preston caught him! Preston used Orange as a weapon, throwing him overhead with a fallaway slam, taking out the members of the Undisputed Kingdom! Preston flipped off Roderick. Back in the ring, Preston locked on the full nelson. Cassidy stomped on Preston’s foot and broke free. Orange cracked Preston in the face with the Orange Punch! Orange pulped Preston with the Beach Break and pinned him, retaining the championship!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
There’s one HUGE issue with all of AEW’s Battle of the Belts shows… You know absolutely none of the titles being fought for will change hands! It’s become something of a huge flaw in this quarterly show and one that, ultimately, detracts from the in-ring action and makes everything you watch during Battle of the Belts irrelevant in terms of impact on the company and its storylines. Until that changes, the Battle of the Belts specials will remain forever mid.
