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It's time for the biggest match of Tay Conti's career as she challenges Britt Baker for the AEW Women's title. They gave Conti a great entrance with flames as she came out with the colors of the Brazilian flag painted on her face while draped in an American and Brazilian flag.
They had Rich Ward of Fozzy play Baker to the ring.
This was OK starting out but the energy really ramped up when Conti attacked Baker's previously injured hand and then caught her with a running knee strike to the side of the head. Conti nailed some nice running kicks in the corner and from that point, you felt like the crowd was getting behind her offense and work. Baker caught her with a big curb stomp and went for the glove to set up the Lockjaw but was nailed with a stunner for a two count.
Rebel and Jamie Hayter argued with Conti on the apron. She went for a Gotch piledriver on the apron but Britt nailed the nastiest looking Air Raid Crash in history on the apron. Conti kicked up and fought to block the Lockjaw. They went into several exchanges. Conti scored a near fall after ther Tay-K-O.
They went back and forth, sometimes with timing issues. Conti escaped the Lockjaw. Britt was kicked to the outside. Conti went for a moonsault onto everyone on the floor but Baker moved out of the way and no one really caught her. Conti scored several near falls. She went for a series of kicks, but in the end Baker scored the pin.
This was something.
It's time for CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston. They've had some great momentum for this leading into the PPV with just a few weeks' build, so let's see what they can do with this one.
We got angry Punk AND angry Kingston. Kingston nailed the spinning backfist before the bell even rang and the place went nuts.
Very intense bout with lots of good brawling and a feeling that these were two guys who were PISSED at each other, so this had an intensity unlike anything else on the show thus far. Punk was busted open.
In the end, Punk nailed a GTS and scored the pin, but the idea was they beat the living hell out of each other and that it could have gone either way because it was so raw. I could have watched this for an hour and this was shorter than I expected.
They showed BARON VON RASCHKE at ringside! That was cool. He mugged for the camera as only he can.
Time for the Minneapolis Street Fight and for some reason everyone is doing traditional tags. The idea is all the weapons are things made in Minnesota. Does that mean Greg Gagne is a weapon?
The MMA contingent got to look strong early. Junor Dos Santos even nailed a standing moonsault press. When Jericho had been beaten down, Dan Lambert, doing his best Jim Cornette, wanted in and he was pretty damn entertaining.
When Jericho got his hands on Lambert, everyone remembered it was a street fight and started brawling. Lambert's team went overboard like it was the Titanic, leaving Lambert with the Inner Circle. It turned into a series of spots and dives with even Jake Hager hitting one off the top to the floor. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky took a lot of punishment here.
Lambert grabbed a pipe. Jericho used a Prince symbol and the crowd chanted PURPLE RAIN. That was great. Everyone brawled with weapons galore. Ortiz and Santana locked Sky and Page in an awesome double submission. Page was in a camel clutch and Boston crab at the same time while Sky was also in a Gori Guerrero Especial.
Arlovski and Page worked over Santana and Oritz but Hager attacked them with a toaster. I guess that was invented in Minnesota!
The Inner Circle went nuts on Page and Scorpio with offense as Junio Dos Santos slammed Jericho into a the stairs. Lots of chaos. Page was going to put Sammy throught a table but Jericho made the save. Sky was placed on the table and a massive ladder was set up. Santana and Ortiz nailed a superplex on Junior Dos Santos. Guevara nailed a big swanton off the lader, crashing through Sky. That was shot to look awesome.
Ethan Page began screaming at Jake Hager's wife so Baron Von Rashke put the CLAW on Page. OK, I popped huge for that.
Ortiz hit a flip dive in the crowd, wiping out rows of the pretty PPV chairs.
Lambert escaped into the ring but didn't realize Jericho had recovered and here was the moment of vengeance. He nailed Lambert but when Jericho went for the quebrada, Dos Santos drilled him. They teased Lambert pinning Jericho, but it didn't happen. Jericho began beating everyone in sight including Lambert with the Singapore Cane.
Jericho stapled Lambert in the nether-regions and clotheslined him. Jericho looked to the sky, paid tribute to Eddy Guerrero and scored the pin after a frog splash.
Man, that was nuts. It's either going to be a spectacle people love or hate. Live, the place was rocking for a lot of it.
Jay Lethal debuted after this in an interview with Tony Schivaone. If anything represents the end of an era for Ring of Honor, it was Lethal leaving the company. It's Jay vs. Sammy Guevara on Wednesday.
Blog continues on Page 4!
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