AEW Battle Of The Belts 10 Review – April 13, 2024
Kicking off Battle Of The Belts 10 with Lexy Nair is backstage with FTW Champion Hook & Katsuyori Shibata and asks Hook for his strategy with Shane Taylor but Shibata interrupts and says he has Hook’s back tonight. Hook appreciates it but he says he’ll do this on his own tonight.
FTW Title FTW Rules Match
Hook (c) vs. Shane Taylor
Hook & Shane Taylor starts the match jabbing away at each other but Hook sends Taylor spilling to the outside where he follows him and starts brawling with him against the barricade and steel steps.
When they go back inside Taylor sends Hook down with a couple of punches as the referee goes to check on Hook.
Taylor stays on top of Hook with punches and hits a liver shot knocking Hook down again.
Taylor starts yelling at Hook saying they told him he’s a killer but now he has to go down to a killer that’s badder than him.
Taylor drops Hook gut first onto the ropes and continues to talk trash to the crowd as we go to PIP.
After the break Taylor still in control keeping Hook in the corner with body blows as the referee keeps checking on him.
Taylor screams at Hook to quit or he’ll send him back to his dad in a body bag.
Hook finally dodges Taylor in the corner and starts delivering his own strikes before taking Taylor down with a German suplex. Hook follows with an exploder suplex for a two count.
Taylor stops Hook in the corner with an STO then heads to the ropes and hits a splash off the 2nd rope for a two count.
A bit of a back & forth until Hook puts on Redrum but Taylor breaks it up by backing into the corners and down.
Hook quickly puts the Redrum back on tho as the referee calls off the match.
Winner By Submission & Still FTW Champion: Hook (10:23) (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
Rate: 6
Backstage Lexy Nair is with Rocky Romero and asks what’s going on with Best Friends. Romero says they are like brothers to him but he can’t focus on that, he has to focus on tonight and Roderick Strong, and becoming 1 step closer to becoming the International Champion. Kyle O’Reilly walks in and wishes Romero luck tonight which he appreciates.
Non Title Match
International Champion Roderick Strong vs. Rocky Romero
If Romero wins he gets a International Title Match.
Roderick Strong starts the match by taking down Rocky Romero with a side headlock as they go back & forth trying to take each other down to the mat.
Romero runs the ropes and takes down Strong with a hurricanrana before hitting a diving knee from the ropes.
Romero stays on top of Strong by sending him to the outside where he hits him with a PK off the apron followed by a double stomp to the outside as we go to PIP.
After the break Romero is in control by hitting a Sliced Bread for a two count.
Strong puts Romero on his shoulders but Romero counters with a hurricanrana followed by a tornado DDT for a two count.
Strong puts Romero on the top rope but Romero counters with an avalanche Sliced Bread for a two count.
Romero goes to the top rope but Strong is able to block him with a knee to the face to get the win.
Winner: International Champion Roderick Strong (11:42) (Since Romero lost he doesn’t get a International Title Match)
Rate: 7
After the match Kyle O’Reilly comes out & congratulates Strong but then goes and checks on Romero. As O’Reilly helps Romero up Wardlow takes Romero down with a clothesline. O’Reilly starts pushing Undisputed Kingdom off but Strong takes out O’Reilly with a knee and starts screaming at him that he made the wrong decision.
Backstage Lexy Nair is with Serena Deeb and asks her about coming out last week on Collision after Yuka Sakazaki’s match. Deeb says she was watching a great professional wrestler she would love to get in the ring with and tear it up and tonight she’s at Battle Of The Belts but has yet to receive her championship opportunity. She’s undefeated, she checked the rankings and she’s sitting pretty at #3 and she will climb her way to #1 to become champion and tells Sakazaki to consider last week an invitation into Deeb’s Dojo so she can show her how good she is but Deeb will show her that she’s better.
ROH Women’s Title Match
Athena (c) vs. Red Velvet
Athena & Red Velvet starts the match going back & forth as Red Velvet knocks Athena down with a shoulder block but she pops right back up and puts on a side headlock on Velvet.
Velvet follows with a couple of arm drags and starts mocking Athena.
Athena & Velvet start fighting on the apron with Athena in control going into PIP hitting a Snake Eyes & back body drop.
After the break Velvet in control hitting Athena with double knees to the back of her while draped on the ropes.
Athena comes back with 2 back 2 back fireman’s carry drops but on the 3rd attempt Velvet reverses with a hurricanrana for a two count.
Athena starts getting frustrated and heads to the top rope but Velvet quickly kicks her down joins her and hits an avalanche Casadora.
Velvet stays on top with a tornado DDT but Athena just kicks out at the last moment.
Velvet heads to the ropes but Athena is able to crawl to the outside.
Velvet leaps to Athena but she is able to catch her with one arm and slam her down on the floor.
Athena starts whipping Velvet into the LED screens by the hair and sends her back inside.
Back & forth until Athena knocks Velvet down with a right hook then heads to the top rope and hits O Face to get the win.
Winner & Still ROH Women’s Champion: Athena (12:43) (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
Rate: 7
After the match Athena & Billie Starkz keep attacking Velvet as Queen Aminata runs out and takes out Starkz before hitting an Air Raid Crash on Athena.
