- AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. ???
- AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, & Daniel Garcia
- AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Willow Nightingale
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AEW Battle of the Belts VIII
Live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee! Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone are on commentary.
The Blackpool Combat Club are still in the ring and make their way to the back as Cassidy walks out from the back. Moxley shoves Cassidy a few times and here we go.
Match #1. AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. John Silver
Silver puts his hands in Cassidy’s pockets to start. Cassidy hits a suicide dive on Reynolds on the outside and then gets bieled by Silver across the ring a few times. Cassidy runs Silver’s head into the top turnbuckle for reps. Silver catches Cassidy on the apron and brings him in the hard way with a deadlift superplex. Both men find themselves on the apron and Silver lays in some roundhouse kicks to the body. Cassidy goes to the top but Silver crotches him and military presses him with one arm, dropping him hard on the apron. Biel in front of the announcer’s table out on the floor as we go to commercial. Back from break, Cassidy is down and eating roundhouse kicks. Cassidy ducks a clothesline and fires a shotgun dropkick back. Running boot by Silver but he runs into a Michinoku Driver out of nowhere! Two count. Satellite DDT by Cassidy but SIlver counters with a roll up for two. Big knee and a superkick by Silver. Silver looks for the sheer drop brainbuster but Cassidy counters with Stundog Millionaire. Beach Break! One, two, no! Silver sends Cassidy into the ropes and Reynolds hits him with the belt behind the referee’s back. Airplane Spin Bomb by Silver gets two. Silver charges and Cassidy trips him into the middle turnbuckle and the Orange Punch out of nowhere!
Winner and STILL AEW World International Champion: Orange Cassidy
Rating: ***1/2. These two guys had a heck of an opening match. Fast-paced, and they made you believe Silver had a chance down the stretch.
Lexi Nair is with Andrade. Lexi asks Andrade how he’s feeling, but CJ Perry is here. Perry says with a little bit of guidance, Andrade could become the biggest, the best, and even the most handsome. Andrade ponders and wonders off.
Match #2. ROH World TV Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Tony Nese w/ Smart Mark Sterling
Huge right jabs by Joe to start. Sterling provides a distraction and Nese does the Macho Man neck drop over the top. Nese tries a springboard moonsault but Joe does Joe things and walks away. Lariat by Joe. Muscle Buster. Finito.
Winner and STILL ROH World TV Champion: Samoa Joe
Rating: NR. The crowd loved every second of this and it ruled, though.
Match #3. AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Willow Nightingale
Both women exchange shoulder blocks to start. Outside in elbow by Statlander and Willow retreats. Standing moonsault off the apron by Statlander to Willow on the floor. Willow posts Statlander on the outside and throws her by the hair. Cannonball by Willow in front of the steel steps. Back in the ring and Willow gets a two count before we hit a commercial break. Back from break and Willow biels Statlander into the corner and follows up with a big splash and rapid-fire clotheslines. Statlander sweeps the leg and connects with a somersault senton. Running European uppercut by Statlander and a big knee in the corner. Blue Thunder Bomb by Statlander gets two. Saturday Night Fever is countered, and Willow nails the POUNCE! Straps are down. Death Valley Driver but Statlander counters with a DDT for two. Statlander goes up top and Willow catches her… Avalanche Death Valley Driver! One, two, no! Willow now picks up Statlander with a choke and throws her in the corner. Running cannonball in the corner and Willow goes up top for a moonsault but Statlander counters with a powerbomb. 450 by Statlander and she gets the win!
Winner and STILL AEW TBS Champion: Kris Statlander
Rating: ***1/2. Heck of a match between these two women. Willow is going to need a big win soon, as she loses every single big match she’s in. Both women are powerful and displayed it here, with Statlander digging down just a bit deeper to get that win.
Statlander offers the hand after the match and Willow tries to accept, but Skye Blue runs in and pulls it away. Willow shakes anyway.
Match #4. AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, & Daniel Garcia
The mascot of the Memphis Grizzlies is in the ring with The Acclaimed and it’s a four-way scissor party. Bowens and Menard trade right hands as Parker comes in and eats a combo himself. Daddy Ass gets the tag and it’s a pair of back elbow to Menard and a scissor elbow drop. Double axe handle by Caster to the arm of Menard. Garcia tags himself in and beats down Caster in the corner as we go to commercial. Back from break and Bowens catches Parker with an enziguiri, but still can’t make the tag. Menard gets tagged and Garcia comes in the ring to take Caster off the apron, but Bowens tags Daddy Ass who clears the ring. Clotheslines and body slams for everyone. Scissor Me, Timbers to Menard. Three-way scissor party but Garcia and Parker dump them from behind. Garcia in the ring with Caster now. Garcia finally dances but Caster rolls him up for two. Lariat and a back elbow to Caster and a back suplex. Garcia dances again but Daddy Ass is here with the Fameasser. Double team powerbomb/Iconoclasm and this one’s over.
Winners and STILL AEW World Trios Champions: The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass
Rating: **1/4. This existed. Maybe it’s just me, but all of The Acclaimed matches feel the same anymore. The House of Black returned on Collision, but they don’t seem interested in the trios championships so who knows where The Acclaimed go next.
Final Thoughts: Battle of the Belts, historically, feels like an elevated episode of Rampage. I don’t know, at least I don’t think, if any championship has ever changed hands, but you can expect competitive matches. Cassidy and Silver opened the show hot, the fans love Samoa Joe, and Willow and Kris Statlander tore it up. Easy watch, tonight. 7/10.
