AEW Battle of the Belts VIII Results: Okada added to Dynamite, four title matches

October 21, 2023 Dave LeClair NEWS, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: AEW

Like Collision, Battle of the Belts aired live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN.

Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver

The show started with FTR and the Blackpool Combat Club still in the ring as Orange Cassidy’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring for the first title match at Battle of the Belts. Moxley shoulder-checked Orange Cassidy as they passed each other. He gave Cassidy a shove as the other members of the BCC stepped between him and Orange. 

Once the match started, Cassidy was overpowered by John Silver early. While on the second rope, he threw Cassidy to the outside of the ring onto the apron in a move that looked quite painful. Silver picked Cassidy up from the ground and tossed him with a huge biel. While Silver had the ref, Alex Reynolds ran over and kicked Cassidy. 

When the show returned from a commercial break, Orange Cassidy hit his kicks on Silver and followed up with a Beach Break for a near fall. Cassidy went for an Orange Punch, but Alex Reynolds managed to hit him with the TNT title, giving Silver a near fall. Shortly after, Orange Cassidy recovered and landed an Orange Punch on Silver to retain his belt.

Andrade El Idolo and CJ Perry

While attempting to do an interview with Lexi, CJ Perry walked in and said that with the right guidance, he could be a star. Andrade seemed interested. She’s going from Andretti to Andrade. 

Tony Nese vs. Samoa Joe

Tony Nese and Smart Mark Sterling tried to get the crowd to stand up for some group training, but Joe’s music hit, interrupting the exercise session. The match was short, and Joe won with a Muscle Buster. 

Joe called out MJF after the match. He said he brought MJF the gift of foresight. With that foresight, MJF will see Joe coming for the AEW World Championship. Joe said Max will either give him what he wants or he’ll force him to give it to him. He vowed to become the next AEW World Champion.

Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander

The commentators talked about how Blue and Nightingale are more aggressive than we’re used to, and Nightingale showed that in her wrestling style. She landed a cannonball into the steel steps and a series of headbutts while Statlander was on the ground. 

During the break, Willow and Statlander went back and forth with an impressive series of power slams, showing how strong each is. The match consisted of lots of power moves, with both using similar styles to try to get the upper hand on their opponent. Statlander hit a big DDT, and she attempted to climb to the top rope. Willow countered with an avalanche Death Valley driver, but she was slow to cover, which allowed Kris to kick out at two. Willow then choked Statlander and hit her with a cannonball into the corner. Statlander recovered and hit a powerbomb into a 450 for the finish.

After the match, Statlander extended her hand to Willow, but Skye Blue came out and tried to stop her. Willow shook hands with her as Blue looked on angrily. Willow high-fived the crowd on her way out, so it appears that she’s still the same, while Blue is going further towards being a heel.

Orange Cassidy interview

Orange Cassidy calls out Moxely for getting in his face. Orange Cassidy challenges Danielson and Claudio to a match against himself and Kazuchika Okada for Philadelphia this Wednesday.

Remnants of the JAS vs. The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass

Max Caster buried the former members of JAS during his rap and ended it by calling out “the skinny bitch who dates Travis Kelsey.” (Taylor Swift being that person.) The mascot for the Memphis Grizzlies came out with The Acclaimed, and the three wrestlers and the bear scissored each other in the middle of the ring before the match. 

Caster started the match against Daniel Garcia, and he took control early. Garcia teased his dance early, but Daddy Magic ran into the ring to stop him. From there, Caster tagged Bowens into the match, who encouraged him to do his dance. Anna Jay ran into the ring to stop him from dancing, prompting the ref to throw her out. At some point, Daddy Magic tagged himself into the match. Bowens tagged Daddy Ass, and the pair hit some tandem offense on Matt Menard. A series of tags followed, but eventually, the heels got the heat on Bowens as the match went to its first PiP commercial break. Billy Gunn got the hot tag eventually, leading to him quickly tagging Bownes back in the match for a Scissor Me Timbers. The heels ran in and attacked, cleaning the ring. This left Daniel Garcia in the ring with Caster, and he finally had an opportunity to do his dance, Caster rolled him up for a near fall. However, shortly after he escaped, another opening presented itself, and he did the dance to a huge pop from the crowd. The moment was short-lived, as Daddy Ass and Bowens hit a double-team move for the finish.

About Dave LeClair 47 Articles
A long time POST Wrestling fan and technology writer, Dave LeClair joins the POSTmarks to cover AEW Collision.
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