AEW Battle of the Belts X 4/13/2024

AEW Battle of the Belts X 4/13/2024

The last Battle of the Belts is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/aew-1132024-battle-of-belts-ix.html  

Lexi Nair interviews Hook and Katsuyori Shibata. Shibata talks via his translator and says he will have Hook's back. Hook says he has to do this on his own tonight.

FTW Title - Hook (c) vs Shane Taylor

Shane misses a shot and takes a punch and forearm combo. Shane is pulled over the top then Hook bangs Shane's head off the rail and steps. Shane sits in a chair and Hook hits forearms. Hook hits knees then takes some punches. Shane hits big chops.

Hook hits punches to the body then Shane punches him in the gut. Shane drops him gut first on the top rope and we go to PiP break. Shane legdrops him on the apron as we return.

Shane hits more shots to the body and punches him. Shane hits more shots, knocking him down in the corner. Shane misses a corner splash and Hook starts hitting some forearms. Hook running lariats him then germans him. Hook exploders him for 2. Shane corner uranges Hook then 2nd rope splashes him for 2.

Hook puts redrum on him then Shane falls back and gets him to drop it. Hook then puts it on again and makes him pass out to win it.

I thought they should have ended it before the corner uranage but I liked what they did here. Shane stuck with the punches here then Hook made his comeback and won it. Not great, but a solid match here with some good shots thrown.

Rocky Romero is interviewed by Lexi. He says Best Friends are his best friends. He said he doesn't know what's going on and can't focus on it. He said he will be one step closer to becoming the AEW International champ when he beats Strong. Kyle O'Reilly comes in and says good luck.

AEW International Title Eliminator - Roderick Strong vs Rocky Romero

Strong throws his shirt at Rocky. Rocky reverses a wristlock then side headlock takeovers him. Rocky arm wringers him then Strong hits chops. Rocky flying headscissors him then does a single kneepress off the buckles.

Rocky chops him then stomps and foot chokes him in the corner. Rocky snapmares him and basement dropkicks him. Rocky PK's him from the apron then double stomps him on the floor off the apron. We go to break and return.

Strong pulls both of Rocky's arms back. Rocky hits spin kicks then rewind kicks him. Rocky topes Taven and Strong outside then he hits sliced bread on Strong for 2. Rocky hits corner clotheslines and Strong chops him. Strong flying kicks him for 2.

Rocky hurricanrana's him from the fireman's carry and ddt's him. Rocky hits a shiranui off the buckles for 2. Rocky comes off the top and takes a jumping knee. Strong then pins him.

This went over 10 minutes, so Rocky earned his title shot, right? It was an average match with the heels cheating some and them going pretty even with each other.

Kyle O'Reilly helps up Rocky after. Wardlow running lariats Rocky. Kyle asks Kingdom what's going on then Strong jumping knees Kyle. He tells him he made the wrong decision.

Lexi Nair interviews Serena Deeb. She said she watched a great wrestler in Yuka Sakazaki and said she wants to get in the ring with her. She said she hasn't gotten her title opportunity and is undefeated since she returned. She said week by week she is climbing the rankings. She said consider last week an invitation to Deeb's Dojo. She said Yuka can show her how good she is and Deeb said she can show her that she's better.

ROH Women's Title - Athena vs Red Velvet

If you want to know how Red earned this shot, I got nothing for you. Queen Aminata just beat her and Billie beat Queen, so Billie should be getting this shot instead.

They lock up and roll on the mat. Athena forward cartwheels out of a wristlock. Red kips up out of a wristlock then side headlocks her. Red shoulders her over and Athena kips up. Red headscissors her and Athena lands on her feet.

Red hits armdrags then taunts Athena after Athena taunted her. Red armdrags her then leg lariats her. Red moonsaults her off the apron. Red is dropped face first on the top rope from the apron then takes a backdrop on the apron.

We go to PiP break and full break then return. Red hits lariats on Athena then headscissors her into the ropes. Red double knees her on the ropes then reverse ddt's her for 2. 

Red is pulled into the buckles then Athena hits wasteland on her twice. Red hurricanrana's her then Athena does a wheelbarrow into a spinebuster for 2. Athena goes up top and Red high kicks her. Red rolls her off the buckles into a bomb.

Red spin kicks her in the face then ddt's her right on her head. Red jumps off the buckles onto her outside, gets caught then Athena slams her on the floor. Athena grabs her by the hair and throws her into the LED board ring skirt. Red rolls her up for 2 then superkicks her. Athena forearms her then hits a diving cutter off the top and wins it.

It was a pretty good effort by both girls. Their stuff looked good here and they stiffed each other good. It wasn't always the cleanest at the times but I thought it was a solid main event. I thought this was a real good showing for Red who has improved.

Billie grabs Red by the hair after. Athena does Red's stirring taunt at her. Red slams her then Red takes a 2v1. Queen Aminata then comes out to help Red. She forearms Athena and headbutts Billie. Queen hits a running air raid crash on Athena.

Overall thoughts: There were only 3 matches here. None of them were bad and they all got enough time. In particular, the main was good and the opener was good too. As usual, it was a really weak line-up with no AEW titles even on the line here and one of the matches not even being a title match. I don't know why they do this when they have so many titles and champs. The show was good overall but not must see.