‘AEW: Battle of the Belts 5’ Review
We’ve got a bonus show from AEW this week, the fifth installment of the quarterly Battle of the Belts, which followed directly from this week’s live episode of Rampage this past Friday on TNT. Let’s get to it!
Match #1: AEW World Tag Team Championship No Holds Barred Match – The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) def. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal locked on the figure four on Bowens on the ramp. It turned into a rolling figure four as they reversed it back and forth all the way down to the ring! Anthony Bowens booted Jarrett in the ring and followed up with a flipping neck breaker. Lethal drove Bowens into the barricade with a tope. Lethal and Jarrett strutted inside the ring to celebrate. Bowens turned Lethal inside out with a lariat. Caster tagged in and threw a thrust kick at Jarrett. Caster grabbed an ankle lock on Jarrett. Lethal dropped an elbow on the ref. Billy Gunn saw the ref go down and tackled Lethal, taking advantage of the moment. Jarrett grabbed his guitar but Bowens grabbed a boombox. Sonjay pulled out Bowens’ ankle, his head smashing into the boombox as he fell. Billy Gunn pulled the guitar away from Jarrett and then rocked Satnam with it! Satnam was infuriated and double chokeslammed the Acclaimed! He followed up with a chokeslam to ref Mike Posey! Lethal smashed Bowens with the Lethal Injection. Ref Aubrey Edwards sprinted to the ring and shoved Sonjay Dutt out. Bowens nailed Lethal with the Arrival while Caster followed up with the Mic Drop for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: TBS Championship Match – Jade Cargill def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jade blocked a crossbody block attempt from Skye but Skye used her agility to grab a near fall. Jade cracked Skye with a forearm to the face, sending her to the arena floor. Jade chokeslammed Skye on the ramp! Ref Aubrey Edwards ran to check on Skye. Red Velvet began to walk down the ramp, staring a hole into Jade Cargill. Skye Blue beat the ten count, jumping back into the ring. Jade quickly grabbed Skye and began ramming Skye’s head into the turnbuckles. Skye showed signs of life with a knee strike and then a kick to the back of Jade’s head! Jade fired back with a massive pump kick. Red Velvet walked closer to the ring. Leila confronted her and Red Velvet whipped her out with a slap to the face. Skye charged at Jade, looking for a hurracanrana, but Jade countered with Jaded and pinned Skye Blue!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: All-Atlantic Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Kip Sabian
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange grounded and pounded Kip Sabian at the start of the match. Kip went outside to collect himself. Kip mocked Orange by putting on Orange’s sunglasses. The Bunny skipped down the ramp and stood next to Penelope Ford. Orange was taken off his game and Kip kicked Orange Cassidy. Danhausen launched a curse at Kip. Orange connected with a tope suicida and then a diving crossbody on Kip. Orange smashed Kip with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Kip countered a tope with a neck breaker onto the arena floor. Kip attempted a cannonball senton but Orange dodged it. Orange superplexed Kip back into the ring. Orange removed his elbow pad but the Bunny grabbed Orange’s boot. Ref Paul Turner ejected the Bunny. Butcher and the Blade walked onto the ramp but Danhausen tried to fight them off. Butcher clobbered Danhausen with a high boot! Butcher and Blade grabbed chairs and sat at ringside. Orange and Kip Sabian exchanged elbow strikes in the ring. Kip Sabian lured Orange in and cracked him with a headbutt. Kip followed up with a knee strike to Orange. The Best Friends ran down to the ring and rocked Blade and Butcher with steel chairs. Kip nailed Orange with the corkscrew brainbuster and then popped him with the Orange Punch! Orange rallied back with a DDT and then a Beach Break for a near fall! Orange duked Kip with a double dose of the Orange Punch and then pinned Kip Sabian!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
By now everyone knows how I feel about the team of Jarrett and Lethal so the first match was not something I was excited about – though credit to Max Caster for pissing off the IWC with his opening rap once again! The big surprise of this show was the women’s title match, with Jade Cargill AND Skye Blue both delivering their best performances in AEW so far in a competitive match that was, for me, the match of the night – even over and over the fantastic main event. Not quite up to the standard of the Rampage it proceeded, this was still another great installment of Battle of the Belts.
