AEW Battle of the Belts IV aired immediately following Rampage in Washington DC. FTR defended the ROH Tag Team Championships against Gates of Agony in the main event. PAC put the All-Atlantic Championship on the line against Trent Beretta. Jade Cargill defended the TBS Championship against Willow Nightingale.
Battle of the Belts Results
- PAC def. Trent Beretta to retain the All-Atlantic Championship
- Jade Cargill def. Willow Nightingale to retain the TBS Championship
- FTR def. Gates of Agony to retain the ROH Tag Titles
Here are the takeaways from AEW Battle of the Belts:
PAC Retained, Orange Cassidy Attacked
PAC defended the All-Atlantic Championship against Trent Beretta of Best Friends in the first match of the night. Death Triangle had just retained the Trios Championships on Rampage after Rush gave Pac the timekeeper’s hammer to use as a weapon. Pac bashed Reynolds over the head to retain the titles.
Trent dominated the match early and beat the weakened champion down against the ropes. The action spilled out of the ring and Trent connected with a Spear. Back in the ring, Trent went for the cover but Pac kicked out at two and the match continued.
The champion battled back and set up a table outside the ring. Beretta bashed him in the face a few times and set up the champion on the table. Trent charged but Pac rolled away and retreated to the ringside area.
Beretta caught him with a Dropkick through the ropes and rolled Pac back inside the ring. Trent climbed to the top turnbuckle but Pac hopped up with him. Pac connected with a Superplex and both men were down as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break.
When Battle of the Belts returned, Trent connected with a Double Stomp in the corner of the ring. Beretta hit a massive Belly to Back Suplex that sent the champion flying across the ring. Trent delivered a Splash in the corner and followed it up with a Tornado DDT but Pac kicked out at two.
Trent launched Pac face-first into the top rope and followed it up with a massive Clothesline. Beretta connected with a Piledriver but couldn’t keep the champion down for a three count. Pac and Trent battled to the entrance ramp and the champion connected with a Suplex through the table below.
The action returned to the ring and Pac climbed to the top turnbuckle. Pac went for Black Arrow but took too much time and Trent got his knees up. Beretta went for another Spear but Pac countered with a knee strike. Trent rolled Pac up for a close near fall and the champ climbed back up the turnbuckle.
It was a mistake as Trent shoved him and crotched the champion on the top turnbuckle. Trent sent Pac flying across the ring with another Belly to Back Throw for another near fall as an “AEW!” chant broke out. Pac got the Brutalizer locked in and Beretta fell to the mat. Trent got his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold and the match continued.
Pac grabbed the hammer once again and bashed Trent in the face while the referee didn’t see it. Pac fell on top of Trent for the pinfall victory. After the match, Orange Cassidy rushed the ring and got in some punches on Pac until AEW security broke it up. Pac versus Orange Cassidy for the All-Atlantic Championship was announced for Wednesday night’s Dynamite.
Chris Jericho Warned Bryan Danielson
Daddy Magic Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Chris Jericho were interviewed backstage about Daniel Garcia. Angelo said that they weren’t mad at Garcia, just disappointed and it is time for Daniel to come home.
Jericho suggested that Menard and Parker were Garcia’s dads, and he is his brother. Chris vowed to “pillage the legend of Bryan Danielson” as the Lionheart. Jericho ended the promo with “all hail The Ocho”. Chris will put the ROH Championship on the line against Bryan Danielson next Wednesday on Dynamite.
Jade Cargill Retained TBS Championship
Jade Cargill put the TBS Championship on the line tonight at Battle of the Belts against Willow Nightingale. Willow and Jade locked up to start off the action. Jade drove Willow to the corner and the two locked up again. Nightingale drove Jade to the corner this time and the two trash-talked.
Willow hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Nightingale connected with a Suplex and went for the cover but Cargill kicked out at two. Cargill went for a Powerslam but the challenger escaped. Cargill regrouped with the Baddies but Willow took them out with a big Crossbody that got a pop from the crowd. Jade bounced Willow’s face off the steel steps and taunted the audience as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break.
The TBS Champion dominated through the break and kept Willow on the canvas. When Battle of the Belts returned, Nightingale hit a Clothesline and fired up the crowd. Willow hit the champion with a Hurricanrana. Nightingale followed it up with a Dropkick off the top turnbuckle but Cargill kicked out at the last moment.
Jade went for the Pump Kick but Willow dodged it. Cargill showed off her power and hit a massive Powerslam. Cargill followed it up with Jaded for the pinfall victory. Jade Cargill is still the TBS Champion.
After the match, Vickie Guerrero interrupted and Nyla Rose ripped the TBS Championship away from Cargill. Nyla ran away with it as Jade and The Baddies chased her.
The Firm Confronted Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy, Ethan Page, and Stokely Hathaway were interviewed backstage. Page and Stokely mocked Matt Hardy for being a terrible boss to Private Party. Ethan used the term “contract tampering” and Stokely pulled out Jose the Assistant’s iPad. They rolled footage of Matt talking to Private Party and he vowed to “delete!” them to end the segment.
FTR Retained The ROH Tag Titles
FTR defended the ROH Tag Team Championships against Gates of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona) tonight. Prince Puma accompanied the challengers to the ring. Austin and Colten Gunn were dressed as FTR and mocked the champions in the front row of the crowd. The ROH Tag Champions got a great reaction from the crowd in DC.
Kaun and Dax Harwood started off the action. Kaun connected with a massive Clothesline and unloaded some punches to Dax’s face. Harwood battled back with some chops to the chest in the corner of the ring.
Toa Liona got into the ring but FTR unloaded some punches and knocked him to the outside. Dax planted Kaun with a Suplex and tagged in Cash Wheeler. Cash hit a Splash but Kaun powered out at a one count. Wheeler unloaded some chops to the chest but Kaun responded with a thunderous Clothesline as Gunn Club celebrated ringside.
Gates of Agony isolated Cash in the corner and took turns beating him down. Toa tagged in and hit a Body Slam. Liona followed it up with a diving Headbutt and unloaded some elbow strikes before applying a submission hold on Wheeler in the middle of the ring.
Wheeler went for a roll-up but Liona wouldn’t go down. Liona hit a Senton and tagged in Kaun. Gates of Agony whipped Cash to the corner and Liona hit a big Belly to Belly Suplex. Kaun went for the cover but Harwood broke it up at two. Outside the ring, Toa launched Wheeler into the barricade and charged. Cash jumped out of the way and Liona crashed into the steel as Battle of the Belts went to the final commercial break of the night.
When Battle of the Belts returned, Kaun and Cash Wheeler were battling in the ring. Kaun applied a Headlock but Cash escaped with an Atomic Drop. Liona charged again and Cash sent him into the ring post this time.
Cash went for the tag but Kaun stopped it. Cash escaped again and got the tag. Dax unloaded some punches but got planted with a Samoan Drop by Liona for a close two count. Toa perched Dax up on the top turnbuckle but Cash distracted him. Harwood went for a Crossbody but Liona caught him. Wheeler hit a Dropkick but Liona kicked out at two.
FTR grabbed Toa by the hair and planted him with a double DDT. Kaun tagged in and booted Harwood in the face. Wheeler ducked under a Clothesline but got distracted by Prince Puma. Kaun capitalized with a Gutbuster and went for the cover but Wheeler kicked out at the last moment.
Dax tagged himself in and FTR hit Kaun with a spike Piledriver for a two count. FTR tried for the Big Rig but couldn’t lift Liona up. Toa hit some headbutts but wound up running into the Big Rig in the middle of the ring. Kaun unloaded some chops but Dax rolled him up. Prince Puma hopped on the ring apron and Harwood launched Kaun into him. Dax then got Kaun in a backslide pin for the pinfall victory. FTR are still the ROH Tag Team Champions. After the match, Brian Cage ran to the ring and joined in on the beatdown of FTR.
TNT Champion Wardlow joined the party and got in some strikes before the numbers game caught up to him. The heels beat Wardlow and FTR down until ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe arrived. Samoa Joe unloaded some punches and Clotheslined Brian Cage out of the ring. The babyfaces stood tall with FTR as the heels retreated to close the show.
