The SmarK Rant for AEW Battle of the Belts X – 04.13.24

The SmarK Rant for AEW Battle of the Belts X – 04.13.24

Not really in the mood for three hours of wrestling tonight, but one hour is workable. Oddly enough, TSN is carrying Battle of the Belts, but not Collision, so this is the show I’m reviewing.

Live from Highland Heights, KY. That is one dark building tonight.

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Daddy Magic

Meanwhile, Shibata promises to have Hook’s back tonight via his phone gimmick. But Hook has his own plan.

FTW title: Hook v. Shane Taylor

They slug it out and Hook low bridges Taylor to put him on the floor for some shots out there. Back in the ring, Taylor slugs him down and beats on him with chops in the corner. Hook tries to make a comeback but Shane hits him with not my shot, or a dog named Shot, but a LIVER SHOT, and puts him down to take over again. We take a break and return Shane still working the liver and really tenderizing him. But then he stops to talk trash and misses a blind charge as a result of his hubris and Hook makes the comeback with clotheslines and a german suplex. Oh man the match has a storyline, it’s CINEMA! Hook with an exploder for two. Taylor catches him with a chokeslam out of the corner and follows with a splash for two. This man has the liver resilience of someone half his age. Must be all the chips. Taylor tries slugging away again, but Hook grabs the choke and he’s on Taylor like a spider monkey and puts him out at 10:00. Hook doing the underdog comeback act works pretty well for him and this was a fun match. ***

Meanwhile, Rocky Romero doesn’t know what’s up with the Best Friends, and Kyle O’Reilly stops by to wish him luck.

Roderick Strong v. Rocky Romero

So here on Battle of the Belts, which is supposed to be all title matches, this is a non-title match. Is it any wonder no one pays any attention to these specials? Rocky tries for an abdominal stretch and Strong escapes with a hiptoss for two. Rocky takes him down with a headscissors and goes to work on the arm. They slug it out in the corner and Rocky dropkicks him for two. Rocky fakes him out in the ropes and sends him to the floor, and then follows with a dropkick off the apron and we take a break. Back with Roddy working on a surfboard, but Rocky makes a comeback with a pair of enzuigiris to put Strong on the floor again. Taven gets in his face, so Rocky hits him with a dive and then one for Strong bfore hitting a shiranui in the ring for two. They get signals crossed on a corner clothesline and regroup for the Sick Kick out of the corner from Strong, which gets two. Romero with a rana and tornado DDT for two. They head to the top and Romero brings him down with Sliced Bread #2 for two. Rocky goes up and Strong cuts him off and then hits him with a rising knee on the way down for the pin at 11:15. So again, if Strong is winning the match anyway, why not have it be a title match? Afterwards, Kyle hits the ring and he just wants to support everyone, but then Strong turns on him and lays him out, apparently making the choice on Kyle’s behalf. Well that could be a banger for Dynasty. This match was pretty great too as Romero just doesn’t have bad matches. ***1/2

Meanwhile, Serena Deeb still doesn’t have a championship opportunity despite being ranked at #3. Are the rankings still a thing?

ROH Women’s title: Athena v. Red Velvet

Lexy Nair does ring introductions here, which seems like a bit of a conflict of interest. They do a lockup battle to start and fight to a stalemate off that. Velvet with a headscissors, but Athena lands on her feet, so Velvet takes her down with armdrags and a leg lariat to put Athena on the floor. To the apron, where Athena puts her down with a backdrop suplex on the apron, the HARDEST PART OF THE RING. Of minor note, TSN is actually doing the PIP breaks for this show, which they usually only do for Dynamite. Back with Velvet making a comeback, but Athena cuts her off with a series of slams. Velvet with a rollup for two out of that, but Athena slams her again for two. They head to the top and Velvet brings her down with a Code Red and gets a tornado DDT for two. Red to the top and she tries a dive to the floor, but Athena catches her and deadlifts her into a slam on the floor. Athena hurls her into the LED boards and back in, where Velvet gets a rollup for two. But Velvet puts her down again with a high kick and goes up for the O Face to finish at 12:00. I have no idea why she’s been exiled from AEW for the past year when every other ROH champion hangs around the AEW TV shows like dogs sniffing around the kitchen while you’re cooking supper. ***1/4. The beatdown follows on Velvet, but Queen Aminata makes the save and we’re out.

Even though the show had no reason to exist and there’s never any title changes or even meaningful title matches on the so-called “Battle of the Belts”, this was a good hour of wrestling that flew by and was worth checking out.