**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s first-ever Saturday Fight Night: Battle of the Belts—aired live on TNT from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means!
Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s show!
Interim TNT Championship Title Match!
-“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes (with “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson) vs. “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara to crown an interim TNT Champion!
During yesterday’s RAMPAGE episode, Excalibur announced that TNT Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes had not been medically cleared to compete for tonight’s title defense against “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara.
Stepping in to replace Cody was his brother, “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes, to face Sammy Guevara to crown an interim TNT Champion!
“This is a rubber match with very high stakes here tonight,” said Excalibur.
Dignitaries Humpy Wheeler and David Crockett were sitting ringside.
Dustin and Sammy showed mutual respect by shaking hands at the start of the match.
Sammy grabbed a headlock on Dustin, but Dustin shoved him off. Dustin slowed the pace, apparently needing a minute to collect himself.
“I think Dustin knows he can’t compete with Sammy’s speed,” said Excalibur.
Sammy hit a dropkick on Dustin. Outside the ring, Sammy rammed Dustin into the guardrail. Dustin fired back with knife edge chops. Dustin rammed Sammy’s knee into the steel ring steps! Dustin nailed Sammy with a piledriver on the arena floor!
“Dustin going for broke with that,” said Tony Schiavone.
Sammy pointed to his knee, and barely jumped back into the ring in time to break ref Aubrey Edward’s 10-count. It seemed that Dustin’s strategy of slowing down the pace was paying off. Dustin powerslammed Sammy for a near fall!
Daniel Garcia was watching the match from ringside.
Sammy countered a monkey flip from Dustin. Sammy flew through the air with a double springboard onto Dustin outside the ring. A wobbly Sammy attempted a double springboard cutter but Dustin caught him with the Cross Rhodes for a near fall! Dustin followed up with the Code Red for another near fall!
“Give Sammy credit as Sammy has kicked out of two well executed moves from Dustin,” said Tony Schivaone.
Dustin climbed to the top rope but Sammy ran up, grabbed Dustin, and clocked him with the GTH for a near fall! Fuego Del Sol was underneath the ring. Fuego popped out and set up a table. Arn Anderson confronted Fuego and Fuego retreated.
Sammy connected with a pump kick on Dustin’s jaw. Dustin rallied back with a Canadian Destroyer off the apron, sending Sammy crashing through the table!
“This is awesome!” chants filled the packed arena.
Dustin planted Sammy with two consecutive Cross Rhodes. Dustin was looking for the Tiger Driver 98 but Sammy defended himself with a thrust kick. After several roll-up reversals, Sammy rolled up Dustin for the pin!
Pro wrestling luminary David Crockett presented Sammy Guevara with the Interim TNT title!
“Sammy can once again call himself a champion. But we know the unification match with Dustin Rhodes is around the corner,” said Excalibur.
Daniel Garcia jumped into the ring and he slapped Sammy! They began brawling and had to be separated!
Tony Schiavone interviewed Sammy Guevara backstage!
Sammy challenged Daniel Garcia for the next week’s DYNAMITE, putting the Interim TNT Title on the line!
FTW World Title Championship Match!
-FTW World Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks (with Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Matt Sydal!
Taz joined the commentary team for this match.
Sydal got right in the face of Ricky Starks, taking the fight to him, not wanting to waste the opportunity. Sydal swept the leg and hit a standing moonsault on Starks. Sydal rolled up Starks for a near fall.
Hobbs was sitting ringside, holding onto the FTW title.
Matt Sydal chopped at Ricky’s legs, then hit him with a question mark kick. He capped it off with a sliding knee strike to Ricky! Sydal spiked Ricky with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall!
Starks hoisted up Sydal but Starks’ leg gave out. Sydal rallied back with a lightning spiral for a very near fall on Starks! Sydal smashed into Starks with the meteora! Starks placed his boot on the ropes, breaking the ref’s count.
Starks speared Sydal! He finished off Sydal with the roshambo and scored the pin!
Powerhouse Hobbs and Starks continued the beat down on Sydal after the match. Lee Moriarty sprinted down to even up the odds but Hobbs outpowered Lee! Finally Dante Martin ran down and forced Hobbs and Starks to back down!
Main Event Time!
AEW Women’s World Title Championship Match!
-AEW Women’s World Champion Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (with Rebel & Jamie Hayter) vs. RIHO!
Before the match, Jamie Hayter threw the championship down onto the ring canvas. Jim Ross noted it was very disrespectful on Hayter’s part.
RIHO hit two consecutive dropkicks on Baker. She followed up with a diving cross body press onto Rebel on the outside. Baker fired back with the sling blade on the floor!
Hayter and Baker pulled a table out from underneath the ring. RIHO evened up the odds with a dragon suplex on Baker. Then RIHO ran up the table and dropkicked Hayter, who had been holding the other end of it!
Back in the ring, Baker was waiting for RIHO and began stomping a mudhole into her. Baker suplexed RIHO for a near fall. RIHO rallied back with a double foot stomp onto Britt Baker.
“RIHO has a great second gear and is extremely resilient,” noted Jim Ross.
RIHO blasted Baker with a big knee strike in the corner! RIHO locked Baker into a leg submission but Baker grabbed the bottom rope to force the ref to break the hold. RIHO climbed to the top turnbuckle but Rebel grabbed Baker and shielded her. RIHO jumped off the top with a double foot stomp onto Rebel!
RIHO tried for the double foot stomp onto Baker but Baker moved and countered with an Air Raid Crash! RIHO avoided the curb stomp from Baker. Baker reversed a dragon suplex from RIHO and tried to put the Lock Jaw on, but RIHO had it scouted! RIHO escaped when she grabbed the bottom rope.
Britt went right back with a curb stomp for a near fall on RIHO for a near fall!
“RIHO will not be denied!” said Excalibur.
Jamie Hayter tossed Britt’s world title into the ring. When ref Paul Turner turned around, he saw Rebel with the belt and he ejected Rebel. Baker was puzzled by the interference from Hayter and turned to ask her what she was doing. RIHO dropkicked Baker into Hayter, knocking Hayter off the ring apron! RIHO hit the crucifix bomb and then a Northern Lights Suplex on Baker for a near fall!
RIHO charged at Baker but Baker kicked up at RIHO. Baker curb stomped RIHO and then applied the Lock Jaw, forcing RIHO to tap out!
“What a tainted win for Dr. Britt Baker. She finally defeated RIHO but it was not without assistance,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE live on TBS next Wednesday from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC!
Don’t miss AEW RAMPAGE next Friday on TNT!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Article source: allelitewrestling.com