‘AEW: Battle of the Belts X’ Review
We’ve got a bonus show from AEW this week, the tenth(!) 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: FTW Championship Match – HOOK def. Shane Taylor
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hook battered Taylor with stiff strikes outside the ring, taking it to the much bigger Shane Taylor. Shane Taylor waffled Hook with a thunderous chop, nearly caving in Hook’s chest. Taylor went to town with a liver shot. Shane Taylor headbutted Hook and taunted him. Taylor picked up Hook for a suplex and planted him across the top rope. Taylor splashed Hook with a leg drop on the ring apron. Taylor was decimating Hook with body shots. Hook crumbled to the mat. Ref Paul Turner checked on Hook, but there is no quit in Hook. Taylor went for a splash in the corner, but Hook side stepped it. Hook rallied back with strikes to Taylor. Hook suplexed Taylor. Shane Taylor splashed Hook from the middle turnbuckle, and somehow Hook kicked out before the three-count. Hook jumped on Taylor’s back and applied the Red Rum! Taylor tried to fight out of it, falling backwards with all of his weight onto Hook. The FTW Champ let go for a moment and then reapplied the Red Rum submission! Hook won via ref stoppage!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Roderick Strong def. Rocky Romero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rocky wrenched on Roddy’s arm. Rocky and Roddy traded chops. Roderick nailed Rocky with a back breaker for a two-count. Rocky retaliated with a dropkick. Rocky smashed Roderick with a double stomp off the apron onto the arena floor. Rocky wiped out Taven and then Roderick with tope suicidas. Rocky followed up with the Sliced Bread for a near fall. Roddy hit the sick kick on Rocky. Rocky countered a back breaker with a hurracanrana and then a DDT on the champ for a near fall! Rocky stunned Roderick with a Sliced Break from the top rope! Rocky tried for a high cross body press, but Roderick countered with a knee strike, knocking out Rocky! Roddy covered Rocky and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: ROH Women’s World Championship Match – Athena def. Red Velvet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Red Velvet dropkicked Athena and then took her back down with an arm drag. Red Velvet followed up with a leg lariat. Athena planted Red Velvet back first on the ring apron! Athena climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Red Velvet rocked her with a kick, followed by a reverse rana. Red Velvet spiked Athena with a DDT for a near fall! Red Velvet jumped off the turnbuckles to the outside, but Athena caught her and countered with a massive press slam on the arena floor! Athena cracked Red Velvet with a pump kick! Athena grabbed Red Velvet by the hair and whipped her into the LED boards. Athena smacked Red Velvet with a forearm and then rocked Red Velvet with the O-Face, scoring the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Well colour me shocked… Each and every time I review a Battle of the Belts special I mention the fact there never seems to be any tension to the matches. we know titles aren’t going to change hands on this show but… this episode of BotB felt different. It really felt like Hook could’ve lost his championship, same with Athena and Red Velvet. Titles were on the line and it felt like they actually were for once! And I really don’t get how, in the space of just this episode, Roderick Strong could overcome my disdain for this version of him – the “neck bro” never worked for me but now? I’m intrigued by just how far Roddy can go in AEW. A good end to AEW’s week; and a better episode of AEW TV than Dynamite to boot IMHO.
