AEW Battle of the Belts VI 4/7/2023

AEW Battle of the Belts VI 4/7/2023

AEW International Title - Orange Cassidy (c) vs Dralistico

Julia Hart was still leaving from her Rampage match with Anna Jay as OC came out. She didn't look pleased. Dralistico's only AEW singles victory was in December 2022 on Dark, so how he got this shot is beyond me. Dral stalls to start things out then throws his gear at him.

OC tried the pocket routine but had his chest slapped. OC armdrags him then tries off the ropes but Dral flips out of it. Dral moonsaults over him then hits a hurricanrana. OC goes out and walks around then argues with Preston Vance. OC does goofy comedy chest slaps, finally hits a real one then walks the top rope. He puts his hands in his pocket without doing anything else. OC armdrags him with his hands in his pockets then kips up. OC goes up top and Jose pulls him down and crotches him as LFI and Best Friends fight outside. Dral tope con hilos Best Friends and Rush out there then pounds on OC in the corner.

We go to PiP break and return. OC comes off the top and crossbodies Dral then runs at him into a michinoku driver. OC satellite ddt's him for 2. Dral does a springboard codebreaker for 2. OC stuns Dral  and they fight up top. OC is on the middle rope and Dral springboard hurricanrana's him into a la mistica. OC quickly hits the ropes.

Dral hits canadian destroyer then a corkscrew kick for 2. OC hits an orange punch on Jose outside then rolls up Dral after a move. OC hits an orange punch and wins it.

I hated this as you would expect. It's a title match and OC is goofing around, putting his hands in his pockets and not taking his possibly losing his title seriously. I also didn't like the canadian destroyer not counting for much.

OC holds his fist in pain after then House of Black does a promo on the tron. Black said he's glad OC got his win back because he could tell that losing to the HoB was eating him alive. Buddy said since they put their titles on the line, OC should put his on the line. 

Mark Briscoe is interviewed. He says he is looking forward and not looking back. He says there is a lot of fight left in him. Jay Lethal then comes in. Jay says he didn't let anyone down and we all love Mark. Jay says they knew each other 20 years and asks why they aren't working together. Jay offers his hand and Mark accepts. Mark is then shocked when Sonjay, Jarrett and Satnam walk in and seem to think he has joined their group. 

TBS Title - Jade Cargill (c) vs Billie Starkz

JR said he thought Billie was someone's kid in catering today. They say Billie had the day off from school. How Billie earned this shot is unknown since she has never won an AEW match with an 0-6 record.

Billie gets in her face and slaps Jade then Jade forearms her down. Jade hits forearms to the chest then backbreakers and spanks her. Billie hits forearms then backcrackers her. Jade hits a fallaway slam and Billie tries to 2nd rope hurricanrana her. Jade throws her through the ropes and she lands hard on the floor.

Jade suplexes her on the floor during the break. They continue to fight on the floor and Jade kicks her. We return from break and Jade bangs her head off the mat. Billie hits bad kicks with no force behind them then Billie hurricanrana's her out of the electric chair. Jade running boots her into the gut then dropkicks her in the back of the neck between the ropes. Billie roundhouse kicks her in the face then flatliners her.

Billie comes off the top with a swanton and Jade gets her knees up. Billie armdrags out of a jade end then takes a pump kick to the face. Jade then does a double chickenwing bomb and wins it.

Look, we knew Billie had no chance here. They had some sloppy moments and it just wasn't that interesting.

Taya Valkyrie's music hits and she comes down the ramp after. Taya forearms her down and tries to hit a jade end but Jade gets out.

Alex Marvez tries to interview the Elite. Nakazawa and Cutler are in their locker room. Cutler said he's been in too many ambulances and hospitals lately and said the BCC are bullies. Cutler says you stand tall up to bullies, don't back down and be elite. Nakazawa says no more.

We get a split screen promo with The Lucha Brothers and QT Marshall and Powerhouse Hobbs. QT says Hobbs beat Fenix and Penta, so it only makes sense that they will win the titles tonight. Hobbs says him and QT walk out as the ROH tag champs tonight. Rey Fenix says they are looking for revenge. Penta talks in Spanish and supposedly says that they cancel QTV tonight.

ROH Tag Team Titles - The Lucha Bros vs QTV (QT Marshall and Powerhouse Hobbs)

QTV has never teamed together, so them getting a shot is silly. Penta does his taunt and QT does it back to him. QT leapfrogs and is spinkicked in the gut then they do a stand off soon after. QT amd Penta trade forearms then Penta superkicks him. Hobbs accidentally hits QT on a failed double team then Rey 2nd rope dropkicks Hobbs. Fenix topes QT then is caught and powerslammed when he jumps on Hobbs.

Fenix hook kicks QT then Penta chest slaps both opponents. Penta takes a double shoulder and we go to PiP break. We return from break and Penta enzugiri's Hobbs. QT pulls Fenix off the apron on a tag attempt then QT does a cartwheel into a back elbow. QT then does a suplex into a sitout powerbomb on Penta for 2. Penta sling blades QT the goes up and over on Hobbs and hits a backcracker.

Fenix 2nd rope spin kicks QT in the head then walks up the buckles and jumps off with a hurricanrana on QT. Hobbs takes a double superkick then Fenix is spun onto QT for 2. Penta top rope crossbodies QT then is rolled into a ddt on QT. Fenix top rope crossbodies QT for 2.  QT handsprings into an enzugiri on Penta then is superkicked by Fenix. Penta backcrackers Hobbs then QT hits a cutter on Penta. Fenix rolls into a canadian destroyer on QT.

Penta and Hobbs trade chest slaps then Fenix walks the top rope and hits Hobbs with a kick. Fenix gets on Penta's shoulders while he sits on the top rope and hits a splash. Penta then comes off of Fenix's back and hits a canadian destroyer on QT. Hobbs takes a double superkick then lariats both Lucha Bros. Fenix hits a hook kick and Aaron Solow gets on the apron. Harley, QT's secretary, low blows Alex and sends him into the post. Fenix has something sprayed in his eyes and is rolled up for 2. Hobbs powerbombs penta on the apron and QT tries for the suplex into a powerbomb but Fenix hurricanrana's him and wins it.

I thought this was fine for 3/4ths of this but then they did too much during the last part of it. I thought QT was put over too strong here and the shenanigans didn't help anything. 

Overall thoughts: Specials are just supposed to be that - special. They are supposed to have big matches and stuff so you tune in. AEW's Battle of the Belts specials never have that though. They just have random matches where you know the outcome ahead of time. I wasn't a fan of this one as the results were predictable and there was just no explanation for how people who never had matches or won matches in a promotion are getting title shots.