Tag: aew battle of the belts

Britt Baker will put her AEW Women’s title on the line against former champion Riho at Saturday’s first-ever Battle of the Belts on TNT.

Riho earned the shot by defeating Baker on the Black Friday edition of AEW Rampage. She will bring a 13-match winning streak into the match while Baker is looking for her sixth title defense.

In the first-ever interim TNT title match, Sammy Guevara will take on Dustin Rhodes due to current champion Cody Rhodes not being medically cleared to compete. Guevara lost the title to Cody on the Christmas night Rampage and Dustin is looking for his first taste of AEW gold.

An FTW title match was also added to the show as Ricky Starks will defend against Matt Sydal. Starks will look for the fourth defense of the championship he won last July.

The show is being held at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Bojangles Coliseum.

Our live coverage begins at 8 PM Eastern.

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Show Report —

Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross were on the call.

David Crockett was ringside to present the championship to the winner.

Interim TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes (w/ Arn Anderson)

The crowd was hot for this one, but this was the first time I’ve really felt like Dustin’s age caught up to him in AEW. Parts of it felt like they were in slow motion.

It took a while for someone to gain an advantage as they stared each other down, jockeyed for position, and tried to deploy some mind games. Guevara took control with a roll-up and then a dropkick, sending Dustin to the floor. He taunted Arn at ringside, leading to Dustin ramming Guevara’s knee into the steel steps. Dustin then hit a straight piledriver out on the floor, allowing him to maintain the advantage through a commercial.

Once back, Guevara attempted a comeback in the ring but was cut off by a snap powerslam from Dustin. He landed ten punches in the corner, but Guevara countered a monkey flip and downed Dustin with a clothesline. After Dustin regrouped with Arn, Guevara took him out with a double springboard flip dive. He tried to follow it up with a springboard cutter, but Dustin reversed it and hit Cross Rhodes for a near fall.

Dustin hit the Code Red for another near fall. He went up top, but Guevara stopped him before he could climb and turned it into the GTH for a near fall. Fuego Del Sol came out from underneath the ring and set up a table before Arn chased him off. Guevara tried to Spanish Fly Dustin through the table, but Dustin reversed it and hit a destroyer off the apron through the table. He brought Guevara into the ring and covered for two.

After Guevara kicked out, Dustin hit two Cross Rhodes. He teased the Tiger Driver, but Guevara escaped and downed Dustin with a kick. A quick cradle exchange later and Guevara pinned Dustin to win the interim title.

– After the match, David Crockett presented the title. Daniel Garcia entered the ring and slapped Guevara before they brawled, forcing officials to come out and separate them.

– After a commercial, Guevara challenged Garcia to a TNT Championship match on Dynamite.

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Taz joined commentary.

FTW Championship: Ricky Starks (c) (w/ Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Matt Sydal

Sydal landed a quick standing twisting moonsault and rolled Starks up for two. Hobbs ran interference out on the floor, allowing Starks to take control during the break. Once back, Sydal started a comeback with a sliding knee strike. They jockeyed for position up top, Starks went for Roshambo, but Sydal turned it into a top-rope frankensteiner and a Michinoku driver for two. A Lightning Spiral followed for a near fall.

After a meteora, Sydal covered but Starks’ foot was on the ropes. Starks came back with a spear and then the Roshambo for the win.

– After the match, Starks and Hobbs beat down Sydal. Lee Moriarty ran out to try and make the save, but was dropped by a right hand from Hobbs. Dante Martin ran out and dispatched Sydal before facing off with Hobbs. He dropkicked Hobbs out of the ring as Team Taz retreated back up the ramp.

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A video package before the match told the story that Baker had never beaten Riho.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (w/ Rebel & Jamie Hayter) (c) defeated Riho

This was such a waste of time. I don’t understand what part of the AEW audience enjoys Britt Baker matches that are just filled with constant, incessant interference and distractions and heat. Riho’s far too good to be a pawn in a budding story between Baker and Hayter.

Immediate interference from Rebel and Hayter allowed Baker to take control. Riho gave herself some separation and went for a diving crossbody, but Baker moved out of the way and Riho dived on Hayter instead. Hayter and Baker went to set up a table, but Riho attacked while they worked to set it up.

Back in the ring, Baker regained control with stomps through a commercial break. Riho came back with a double stomp for two. She followed it up with a tijeras and a rising knee. A tiger feint kick got two more. Riho locked on a bridging single leg crab, forcing Baker to fight to the ropes to force a break.

Riho set up for the top-rope double stomp, but Rebel took the hit. Baker avoided a second attempt and hit an air raid crash for two. She went for the Lockjaw, but Riho avoided it and slapped her across the face. Baker countered a dragon suplex into another Lockjaw attempt, but Riho reached the ropes.

More and more interference allowed Baker to finally go for the Lockjaw, but Riho rolled Baker up for a good near fall. Baker then hit a curb stomp for a near fall. Hayter brought the belt into the ring, but the official ejected Rebel as they sold more discord between Baker and Hayter. Riho used the distraction to hit a Northern Lights suplex for a good near fall.

Baker countered the Somato with an up kick. She then hit another curb stomp for another near fall before applying the Lockjaw for the win.