AEW Battle of the Belts X
April 13th, 2024
By: John Siino
Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky
Commentary: Tony Schiavone & Matt Menard
Lexy Nair is backstage with Hook & Katsuyori Shibata and asks Hook for his strategy with Shane Taylor, but Shibata interrupts and says he has Hook’s back tonight. Hook appreciates it, but he says he’ll do this on his own tonight.
FTW Championship FTW Rules Match: Hook (c) vs. Shane Taylor
They start the match jabbing away at each other, but Hook sends Shane Taylor spilling to the outside where he follows him and starts brawling with him against the barricade and steel steps. When they go back inside, Taylor sends Hook down with a couple of punches as the referee goes to check on Hook. Taylor stays on top of Hook with punches and delivers a big liver shot knocking Hook down again. Taylor starts yelling at Hook saying they told him he’s a killer but now he has to go down to a killer that’s badder than him. Taylor drops Hook gut first onto the ropes and continues to talk trash to the crowd as we go to PIP.
We return with Taylor still in control, keeping Hook in the corner with body blows as the referee keeps checking on him. Taylor screams at Hook to quit or he’ll send him back to his dad in a body bag. Hook finally dodges Taylor in the corner and starts delivering his own strikes before taking Taylor down with a big German Suplex. Hook follows with an Exploder Suplex for a two-count. Taylor stops Hook in the corner with an STO, heads to the ropes, and hits a splash off the second rope for a two-count. A bit of a back-and-forth until Hook puts on the Redrum, but Taylor breaks it up by backing into the corners and down. Hook quickly puts the Redrum back on tho as the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Hook by referee stoppage at 10:23, to retain
Lexy Nair is backstage with Rocky Romero and asks what’s going on with the Best Friends. Romero says they are like brothers to him, but he can’t focus on that, he has to focus on tonight and Roderick Strong, and becoming one step closer to becoming the AEW International Champion. Kyle O’Reilly walks in and wishes Romero luck tonight, which he appreciates.
AEW International Championship Eliminator Match: Roderick Strong (c) (w/ Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & Wardlow) vs. Rocky Romero
Roderick Strong starts the match by taking down Rocky Romero with a side headlock, as they go back and forth trying to take each other down to the mat. Romero runs the ropes and takes down Strong with a hurricanrana, before hitting a diving knee from the ropes that Schiavone called a Meteora Light. Romero stays on top of Strong, sending him to the outside where he hits him with a PK off the apron followed by a double stomp to the outside as we go to PIP.
When we return, Romero is in control, hitting a Sliced Bread for two. Strong puts Romero on his shoulders, but Romero counters with a hurricanrana followed by a Tornado DDT for two. Strong puts Romero on the top rope, but Romero counters with an avalanche Sliced Bread for a two. Romero goes to the top rope, but Strong is able to block him with a knee to the face to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong by pinfall at 11:42
Kyle O’Reilly comes out after the match, congratulates Strong, but then goes and checks on Romero. As O’Reilly helps Romero up, Wardlow takes Romero down with a big clothesline. O’Reilly starts pushing The Undisputed Kingdom off, but Strong takes out O’Reilly with a big knee and starts screaming at him that he made the wrong decision.
Lexy Nair is backstage with Serena Deeb and asks her about coming out last week on Collision after Yuka Sakazaki’s match. Deeb says she was watching a great professional wrestler she would love to get in the ring with and tear it up, and tonight she’s at Battle of the Belts but has yet to receive her championship opportunity. She’s undefeated, she checked the rankings and she’s sitting pretty at #3, and she will climb her way to #1 to become champion and tells Yuka to consider last week an invitation into Deeb’s Dojo so she can show her how good she is but Deeb will show her that she’s better.
ROH Women’s World Championship: Athena (c) (w/ Billie Starkz) vs. Red Velvet
Lexy Nair is handling the ring announcing to introduce her Minion Overlord. They start with a left-handed handshake, that Schiavone & Menard call disrespectful from Athena. They start the match going back and forth as Red Velvet knocks Athena down with a shoulder block but she pops right back up and puts on a side headlock on Velvet. Velvet follows with a couple of arm-drags and starts mocking Athena as Schiavone says that Roderick Strong will defend the International Championship against Kyle O’Reilly at Dynasty. Athena & Velvet start fighting on the apron, with Athena in control going into PIP hitting a Snake Eyes & back body drop.
We come back to see Velvet in control hitting Athena with double knees to the back of her while draped on the ropes. Athena comes back with two back-to-back Fireman’s Carry drops, but on the third attempt, Velvet reverses with a hurricanrana for a two. Athena starts getting frustrated and heads to the top rope, but Velvet quickly kicks her down, joins her, and hits an avalanche Casadora. Velvet stays on top with a tornado DDT, but Athena just kicks out at the last moment. Velvet heads to the ropes, but Athena is able to crawl to the outside. Velvet leaps to Athena, who is able to catch her with one arm and slam her down on the floor. Athena starts whipping Velvet into the LED screens by the hair and sends her back inside. Back and forth until Athena knocks Velvet down with a big right hook, heads to the top, and hits the O Face to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Athena by pinfall at 12:43, to retain
Athena & Billie Starkz keep attacking Velvet after, as Queen Aminata runs out and takes out Starkz before hitting an Air Raid Crash on Athena to end the show.
