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Battle of the Belts VIII starts right after Collision from the Truist Arena in Highland Heights, KY.
Our commentary team is Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard.
In the back, Lexi asks Hook for his strategy for his upcoming match. Shibata’s phone says he will have Hook’s back tonight, and Hook says he has his own plan.
Hook (FTW Champion) vs Shane Taylor w/Anthony Ogogo - FTW rules
Hook jabs away at Taylor and Taylor shoves him off. Hook tries to grab Taylor and Taylor is able to shove him off. Taylor charges at Hook and Hook gets a low bridge. Taylor falls to the floor and Hook follows him and keeps laying in blows. Hook rolls Taylor into the ring and runs into a jab when he gets in the ring. Taylor walks Hook into the corner and hits a LOD chop. Taylor works Hook over while trash talking him.
Hook gets in a series of body blows and can’t get Taylor up for a suplex. Taylor drops Hook with a single blow. Taylor goes back to work on beating on Hook and then drops him across the top rope as we go to picture in picture.
When we return to full screen, Taylor hits a leg drop on Hook on the apron, which I hear is the hardest part of the ring. Taylor puts Hook in the corner and keeps up the pressure. Hook finally dodges a splash and goes for a belly to back suplex, but Taylor escapes. Hook gets in a series of blows and then hits a series of clotheslines before hitting the belly to back suplex. Hook then gets a t-bone suplex for two.
Hook charges into the corner and Taylot hits a chokeslam for two. Taylor misses a pair of strikes and Hook grabs the Redrum on Taylor’s back. Taylor slams Hook into the corner twice and then drops before Hook lets go. Hook grabs it again and Taylor starts to fade and then passes out.
Winner and still FTW Champion: Hook
In the back, Lexi is with Rocky Romero and she asks what is going on with Best Friends. He says he doesn’t know what is going on, but he has to focus on the match against Roderick Strong. Kyle O’Reilly shows and wishes him good luck.
Roderick Strong (AEW International Champion) w/Wardlow, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett vs Rocky Romero - Eliminator match
They lock up and go to arm bars and reversals quickly. Roddy gets a side headlock takeover. Rocky gets to his feet, turns it into an arm bar and two arm capture, Roddy reverses it into a slam and they get back to their feet, still grappling. They run the ropes and Rocky gets a tejaris. Rocky goes to the rope and hits a one knee meteora. He hits a series of chops and Roddy gets a sledgehammer blow. Roddy gets a back breaker for two.
Rocky gets a series of kicks in the corner, and then a drop kick in the middle of the ring. They trade uppercuts and Rocky lures Roddy to leap through the ropes to the floor.; Rocky hits a shotgun drop kick from the apron as we go picture in picture.
When we return to full screen, Roddy grabs a butterfly stretch on Rocky. Rocky gets to his feet and reverses it and lays in kicks. Rocky hits a flurry of strikes and kicks Roddy to the floor. Rocky dives on Taven and then on Roddy. Rocky rolls Roddy into the ring and then gets a HIGH sliced bread for two. Rocky then hits the Forever Clotheslines. Roddy catches him with a series of chops and a drop kick for two.
Rocky reverses a fireman’s carry into a hurricanrana, and follows with a spinning DDT for two. Roddy gets a gut shot on Rocky and puts him on top. Rocky is able to get a head butt and then a sliced bread from the top for two. Rocky goes to the top and Roddy meets him there. Ro9cky tosses him off and leaps into a rising knee strike from Roddy for the pin and the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Kyle O’Reilly shakes Roddy’s hand and then helps Rocky up. Wardlow takes out Rocky with a clothesline and Roddy nails Kyle with a rising knee strike. Roddy screams at Kyle that he should do it on his own, and shouldn’t have tried to help Rocky.
In the back, Lexi is with Serena Deeb and asks why she came out after the match of Yuka Sakazaki. She says she is watching someone she’d want to get in the ring with. She’s undefeated and is sitting at number 3 in the rankings. She invites Yuka to wrestle her.
It’s time for the main event:
Athena (Ring of Honor Women’s Champion) w/ Billie Starkz vs Red Velvet
They lock up and go to the corner with Athena winning the test of strength. They lock up again and go to arm bars and headlocks. Velvet gets a shoulder tackle off the ropes and ASthenia kips up. They run the ropes again and Velvet gets a tejaris. She gets a series of arm drags on Athena and then grabs a side headlock. Athena slams her down and Velvet gets a leg lariat, knocking Athena to the floor.
Velvet gets a moonsault from the apron onto Velvet on the floor. Athena is rolled into the ring and Athena grabs Velvet and drops her on the top turnbuckle from the apron as we go picture in picture.
We are also told that at Dynasty, we get Roderick Strong vs Kyle O’Reilly for the AEW International Championship.
When we return to full screen, Velvet gets running knees to Athena’s back and then pulls Athena down backwards for two. Athena pulls Velvet into the turnbuckle and then slams her down twice. Velvet is able to reverse the next slam into a rollup for two. Athena gets a slam for two. Athena goes to the top and Velvet meets her there. Velvet gets a body scissor takedown from the top and then a spinning DDT for two.
Velvet goes to the top and Athena rolls to the floor. Velvet switches and hits a cross body, but Athena catches her with one arm and slams her on the floor. Athena gets a pump kick and Athena tosses Velvet into the board by her hair twice and then rolls her into the ring. Velvet escapes a powerbomb with a rollup for two. Athena hits a straight right hand and then goes to the top. Athena hits the O face for the pin and the win.
Winner and still Ring of Honor’s Women’s Champion: Athena
Starks picks up Velvet and when Sthena does the “stir it up” motion, Velvet slaps her. They beat down Velvet and we hear Queen Aminata’s music and she clears the ring. She hits an air raid crash on Athena and she rolls Athena out of the ring and helps Velvet get to her feet and we’re out of time!
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