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AEW WRESTLEDREAM ZERO HOUR COVERAGE

Renee Paquette, RJ City and Stokely Hathaway are hosting the pre-show, and they start by going over the card for the night. 

We have four matches for Zero Hour that were announced late in the week:

The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn (AEW Trios Champions) vs TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Bad Dude Tito)

The Mighty Don’t Kneel is a faction in New Japan Strong that have been around since 2010. 

Luchasaurus vs Nick Wayne

Josh Barnett vs Claudio Castagnoli

Josh has been in MMA and Japanese wrestling for a long time, and did commentary for New Japan back when Jim Ross did commentary on the original AXS TV run.

Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty), Diamante, and Mercedes Martinez vs Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena, and Billie Starkz.

They use a lot of the footage from the hype special on TNT during the first half hour of the show interspersed with speculation on who will win from RJ, Stokely, and Renee. We also get footage of people arriving and giving a quick promo about how they will win tonight.

During Eddie Kingston’s backstage interview, Stokely Hathaway shows and tells him that as part of the Ring of Honor Board of Directors, he will have something to tell Eddie about the Ring of Honor World Title on Wednesday. 

At the one hour to showtime mark, we get short video interviews about Antonio Inoki. We then go to Tony Khan in the ring who gives a speech about Antonio and introduces Katsuyori Shibata, Rocky Romero, Naito and Hirota Inoki (Antonio’s grandsons). The grandsons are presented with flowers.

Christian Cage is not happy as he watches back stage.

Our commentary team for the pre show is Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, and Jim Ross.

Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty), Diamante, and Mercedes Martinez vs Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena, and Billie Starkz

Starkz starts out and Diamante and Matrinez work her over, and Athena comes in to even the odds. Athena hits a move where she has Martinez on her shoulders, drops her down and drops back to slam her before we start getting dives.

Taylor tags in and Anthena is upset she can't fight him, but Lee tags in. Lee hits a hurricanrana and Moriarty distracts Lee until Taylor comes in, and they work over Lee with quick tags. Lee tags in Kojima and he works with Moriarty. He hits the machine gun chops in the corner before Kojima hits a DDT, and the pin is broken up by Martienz and the women start to fight. They roll from the ring and we go back to Lee and Taylor.

Lee hits an F5 on Moriarty, followed by Kojima hitting the clothesline for the pin and the win.

Winners: Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena, and Billie Starkz

Josh Barnett vs Claudio Castagnoli

This match is too cool to be on a pre-show.  Jon Moxley joins the commentary team.

They start with grappling and Claudio is able to pick the leg but Josh goes for an arm bar immediately, and Claudio escapes. They grapple again and Barnett lifts Claudio and drops him. Claudio goes for his own arm bar and Josh reverses to a knee bar. They trade headlocks and work to their feet. 

Claudio brings Josh down and nearly gets a crucifix pin, but Josh rolls over. Claudio gets a few elbows and then as they grapple, Josh gets a dragon screw. Clauido tries for the big swing, and Josh makes it to the ropes. Josh gets a pair of kicks to Claudio’s leg. He keeps working the leg and going for strikes. Claudio is able to get uppercuts, and Josh locks on an abdominal stretch. 

Claudio escapes and they throw hands. Josh is battered down in the corner, but Josh recovers with a series of knee strikes while holding Claudio's head. Josh takes Claudio down with a kick for two. They grapple on the mat and Claudio is able to get the big swing, and Claudio tries for a leg bar, and Josh gets a rope break.

Josh gets in strikes and a suplex. Claudio is able to hit a neutralizer, but Josh is able to block the effect. Claudio is able to get Josh on his back for a pin and the win.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli!

They shake hands and Josh grabs a mic. He puts over Claudio as one of the best fighters and most people don’t know how great he is. He says Inoki would be a fan of his. He then says it ain’t over and he will come back and reclaim his time. Claudio says any time, any place. 

Luchasaurus vs Nick Wayne

 

Luchasaurus tosses Wayne around like a rag doll. Luchasaurus batters Wayne down with chops and then hits a sidewalk slam. He holds Wayne down with a boot on his head. Wayne escapes a suplex and hits a series of kicks and Luchasaurus chops him down when he comes off the ropes. 

 

Wayne is choke slammed over the ropes and onto the apron, which I hear is the hardest part of the ring. Wayne crawls to where his mom is in the front row and Luchasaurus slams him into the barricade in front of her. Luchasaurus keeps up the attacks and then tosses Wayne into the ring. Wayne climbs to the top for a moonsault for two. Luchasaurus blocks Wayne’s World and hits a clothesline to Wayne’s back for the pin and the win.

Winner: Luchasaurus

 

The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn (AEW Trios Champions) vs TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Bad Dude Tito)

Max starts with Tito and Tito shoves Max back when they lock up. They run the ropes and Tito shoulder tackles Mox down. Max hits Tito with a big back body drop after getting attacked in Tito’s corner. Gunn tags in and Hastre tags in. They do some shenanigans with teasing a greco roman knuckle lock, but Gunn drops Haste with a shoulder tackle. Thai causes the tag team siren to go off and all six men are in the ring. 

Nicholls has to take the Scissor Me Timbers before the scissor party. Bowens is taken down in TMDK’s cover, and Tito works him over to keep him from tagging out. They keep Bowens in the corner with quick tags. They do the bit where Bowens leaps and stretches to get the tag and he has to work INCREDIBLY hard NOT to tag in Gunn or Max. 

Bowens finally rolls through and tags in Gunn, who runs wild but Tito cuts him off with a belly to back suplex for two, and the tag team siren goes off again and everyone is in the ring. TMDK dominates the multi man fight until Gann comes back in the ring. They hit the Famouser, the arrival and the mic drop on Tito for the pin and the win.

Winners and still AEW Trios Champions: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

 

 

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