AAW presents Defining Moment
Date: 8/31/2017
From: Berwyn, IL
Phil Colvin & Tyler Volz start the show in the ring to promote the event. They promote the mask vs. title main event where AAW Heavyweight Champion Sami Callihan defends against Rey Fenix. Cody also makes his AAW debut. They are making it sound as if tonight is mostly a mystery in terms of matches aside from the main event.
Opening Contest: PACO vs. Connor Braxton: The crowd is heavily behind PACO. PACO avoids a kick and chops Braxton, but runs into a big boot. Braxton mounts PACO with several right hands and taunts the crowd. Braxton overhand chops PACO in the corner and tosses PACO across the ring out of the corner. Braxton tosses PACO overhead with a suplex. Braxton sends PACO hard into the corner and is met with a kick. PACO charges, but is lifted into the air and met with a headbutt. Braxton misses PACO in the corner and PACO gets a rollup to pin Braxton for the win! (*. Not much to the match, but the crowd responded well to PACO picking up an upset victory. It sure feels like PACO is an AAW version of Spike Dudley with his underdog gimmick and tendency to win matches against larger opponents.)
After the match, Jeff Cobb attacks PACO and sends PACO into the guard railing. Cobb sends PACO into the ring post as Braxton heads backstage not wanting to get involved. Cobb rolls PACO into the ring and hits the Tour Of The Island powerslam. PACO is helped backstage by several referees. Cobb wants a fight right now.
Second Contest: Joey Janela vs. Jeff Cobb: Cobb takes Janela down to the mat and tosses Janela into the corner for the early advantage. Janela kicks Cobb on the knee and follows up with a dropkick. Janela comes off the ropes to deliver a dropkick to the head. Cobb shoves Janela away and is met with a chop and strikes against the ropes. Janela forearms Cobb off the apron to the floor and hits a suicide dive into the railing. Janela rolls Cobb back into the ring and heads to the top rope. Janela tries for a moonsault, but Cobb avoids it and gets a waist lock on Janela. Janela elbows free and hits a running uppercut in the corner. Cobb nails Janela with a running elbow strike to stop Janela in his tracks. Cobb works over Janela in the corner with a chop and a quick clothesline. Cobb sends Janela hard into the corner to keep the momentum. Cobb tosses Janela with a wrist clutch suplex. Cobb forearms Janela into the corner, but misses a splash in the corner. Janela tries to lift Cobb up, but Cobb avoids it and clubs Janela over the back. Cobb forearms Janela on the lower back to maintain the advantage. Cobb controls Janela with a bearhug in the middle of the ring. Janela fights out with forearm strikes. Cobb delivers a strike to the midsection to cut Janela off. Cobb headbutts Janela into the corner and rams Janela into the corner face first.
Janela elbows Cobb in the corner, but Cobb dropkicks Janela sitting on the top turnbuckle. Cobb grabs Janela for a suplex and hits a delayed suplex off the middle rope. AR Fox tries to come into the ring, but is stopped by officials. Janela boots Cobb in the corner and hits a crossbody off the middle rope. Janela delivers a running uppercut and spikes Cobb with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Janela dropkicks Cobb to the floor. Janela pump kicks Cobb into the front row. Janela gets a running start and cannonball splashes Cobb over the railing into the crowd. Janela climbs to the top looking for a senton, but Cobb got his knees up and hits a German suplex for a two count. Cobb drives Janela into the corner back first, but Janela breaks free to deliver a roaring elbow a couple of times. Cobb doesn’t budge, but a third one knocks Cobb down for a two count. Janela tries for a Death Valley Driver on the apron, but settles for a superkick. Cobb stops Janela and messes up an exploder suplex causing Janela to crash to the floor hard. Back in the ring, Janela flips off Cobb and delivers a superkick. Cobb hits a German suplex and the Tour Of The Islands to win the match. (**1/4. A decent match, but nothing special. Janela getting dropped onto his head from the apron to the floor certainly looked dangerous and considering the match ended right after that I’m wondering if it was cut short.)
Backstage, Besties In The World are interviewed. Vega says that Alex Daniels isn’t there and left him in the dust similar to his old bestie Fitchett thought he was a mega singles star. ACH enters the scene and tells them to get over it because they are still besties going through a rough patch. ACH gets them to do their hand symbol.
Third Contest: ACH & Besties In The World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. Colt Cabana & Team Tremendous (Bill Carr & Dan Barry): Vega and Cabana kickoff the tag match. Cabana backs Vega into a corner but backs off after doing a high-five. Cabana takes Vega down to mat and keeps arm control. Vega breaks free and shoulder blocks Cabana. Cabana tells Vega to stop running the ropes and puts a wrist lock on for a moment. Cabana dumps Vega to the apron and slingshots Vega into the ring. Barry slingshots Fitchett into the ring, but ACH lands on his feet until Carr delivers a shoulder block. Barry tags into the match and Cabana slams Vega. Barry hits a senton splash for a two count. Barry forearms Vega into the ropes. Barry heels kicks Vega coming off the ropes leading to a near fall. Vega eye rakes Barry and tags in Fitchett, who gets dropkicked by Barry. Barry is tripped by Vega from the floor to allow Fitchett to keep control of the match. Vega tags into the match and works over Barry against the ropes. Vega chokes Barry in the corner, but ACH tags in and axe handles Barry over the back. ACH continues with a knee drop for a two count. ACH backs Barry into his corner and Fitchett tags back into the match to deliver a knee drop for a two count. Fitchett nails Barry with an elbow strike for a two count. Barry backs Fitchett into a corner, but Vega enters and continues to work over Barry with strikes. ACH enters the ring and runs into a boot. Barry fights free to tag in Cabana. Cabana cleans house with chops and jabs Vega. Cabana tries for a springboard moonsault, but is caught leading to Carr to push Cabana down for a near fall.
Carr sends Vega into the corner and does the same to Fitchett and ACH. Carr keeps them in the corner allowing Cabana to hit a flying back splash as does Barry. Carr back splashes Vega in the corner and hits a swinging side slam. Cabana has the cover on Vega, but Fitchett breaks the cover at two. ACH dropkicks Carr and Barry to the floor. Cabana is stuck in a tree of woe leading to Vega to hit a double stomp for a two count. ACH tags in and goes to the top rope missing a double stomp, but trips Cabana to deliver a double stomp and dropkick. ACH slaps Carr on the nuts and tries to do the same to Barry, but Barry closes his legs. Everyone trades kicks until Carr nails Fitchett with a lariat. Cabana decks Fitchett and ACH with strikes before nailing Vega with an elbow strike. Vega saves ACH from top rope flipping neckbreaker, but is knocked off the apron. Fitchett hits a double Pele to Team Tremendous. ACH dives onto Cabana on the floor. Barry and Fitchett trade strikes on the middle rope until Fitchett hits a middle rope DDT. Vega boots Carr and Fitchett delivers a knee strike to Carr leading to the three count. (***. The closing moments made this a little more enjoyable than I was expecting it to be. ACH didn’t get a bunch of shine throughout the match, which was a little surprising. I thought they all looked good in the ring and the comedy didn’t take away from the action too much.) After the match, Fitchett offers a fist pump, but Vega shoves Fitchett. ACH tries to play peacemaker. They end up dabbing up for Super Besties.
Backstage, AAW Heritage Champion Pentagon Jr. cuts a promo on Brian Cage saying that he doesn’t are that Cage s bigger or stronger. He’s not afraid and he’s going to a double champion in AAW.
Fourth Contest: Shane Strickland vs. Matt Riddle: They shake hands before the match starts. Early on, the trade a few basic holds until Riddle gets Strickland on the mat with a choke, but Strickland manages to counter and gets back to his feet. Riddle takes Strickland down with a drop toe hold and works over the arm for a moment. Strickland rolls over for a two count and they have a standoff. Strickland takes Riddle down to the mat and gets arm control for a moment. Riddle tosses Strickland with a gut wrench suplex a couple of times. Riddle forearms Strickland a few times in the corner. Riddle splashes Strickland in the corner followed by an exploder suplex for a two count. Strickland avoids a senton splash and puts an arm bar on Riddle in the middle of the ring. Riddle rolls towards the ropes to break the hold. Strickland kicks Riddle a few times, but Riddle kicks Strickland away. Strickland head scissors Riddle and hits a dropkick. Riddle powers out of a pin attempt quickly. Riddle chops Strickland, but is met with a quick kick for a two count. Strickland puts a top wrist lock on Riddle, but doesn’t get a submission. Riddle forearms Strickland, but Strickland responds with a forearm of his own. Riddle forearms Strickland a few times, but Strickland hits a cutter for a two count. Strickland controls Riddle on the mat with an arm submission, but doesn’t get a submission. Riddle gets up and tries for a gut wrench, but Strickland counters and backs Riddle into a corner. Strickland nails Riddle with a kick to the face to drop Riddle to the mat. Strickland knee strikes Riddle for a two count. Riddle chops Strickland, but Strickland responds with strikes to drop Riddle to the mat. Riddle gets fired up and is slapped by Strickland. Riddle delivers a flurry of strikes. Strickland avoids a kick, but Riddle hits the Bro To Sleep and a German suplex for a two count.
Riddle kicks Strickland followed by a senton splash for a two count. Riddle kicks Strickland across the chest a few times. Riddle misses a kick and is kicked to the mat. Strickland nails Riddle with a cutter and delivers a knee strike out of the Gory Special for a near fall. Strickland drags Riddle to the corner and climbs to the top rope, but Riddle forearms Strickland. Riddle overhand chops Strickland and puts Strickland on his shoulders. Riddle switches for a tombstone, but Strickland breaks free and spikes Riddle with a DDT for a near fall. Strickland puts Riddle on the top turnbuckle, but Riddle forearms Strickland to the apron. Riddle hooks Strickland for a suplex, but Strickland punches Riddle to avoid it and kicks Riddle. Riddle ends up in a tree of woe, but Riddle sits up for a moment. Strickland punches Riddle and hits a double stomp out of the tree of woe. Strickland hits another double stomp for a two count. Strickland stomps Riddle in the face while keeping arm control. Strickland puts an arm bar on Riddle, but doesn’t get a submission as Riddle reaches the ropes. Riddle knee strikes Strickland on the apron and hits a fisherman buster on the apron! Riddle spikes Strickland with a tombstone piledriver and delivers several elbow strikes before locking in a crank submission forcing Strickland to submit for the win. (****. That was great. Hard hitting action and some great spots throughout the match. Riddle is a natural at wrestling thanks to his MMA background and Strickland is an up and comer at his point. These two have great chemistry and this was a lot of fun to watch. The AAW crowd enhanced it, too.)
Backstage, DJ Z cuts a promo regarding his match with Cody. Z notes that everyone saw Cody has a hero for leaving WWE to bet on himself on the independents. Z remembers seeing that and thinking it was a crock of shit. Z wonders how Cody is betting on himself when he’s made hundreds of thousands of dollars. Z is certain that Cody could go back to WWE at any point. Z says pro wrestling is all he’s ever done and loves to do. Z notes that wrestling has almost killed him and put him in more debt than he’ll ever be able to crawl out of. Z says his family has begged him to get a real job, but he continues to gamble on himself as there is no guarantee that he’ll make it to WWE. Z knows that the fans are going to cheer for Cody and not for him. Z is still expected to deliver despite not being fully recovered from his injuries. Z says this is life or death for him while it’s just another town for Cody. Z says he’s willing to die for this, but wonders if Cody is willing to die.
Before the next match, Trevor Lee cuts a promo about being an Impact wrestler and tries to connect with Keith Lee. It doesn’t work very well.
Fifth Contest: Trevor Lee vs. AR Fox vs. Keith Lee: Fox takes Trevor out with a suicide dive on the floor. Keith catches Fox on a springboard, but is elbowed. Fox kicks Keith and Trevor delivers a few strikes to the back. Keith splashes Trevor and Fox in opposite corners. Keith avoids Trevor and Trevor splashes Fox. Keith tosses Trevor out of the corner after a chop and does the same to Fox out of the corner. Keith tries to send both men to the floor, but is double teamed. Fox hits a springboard cutter onto Keith. Trevor works over Fox for a moment and taunts the crowd. Trevor misses a clothesline and double stomps Fox. Trevor nails Keith with a running kick on the apron and covers Fox for a two count. Trevor stomps Fox on the mat and continues to taunt the fans. Trevor uppercuts Fox in the corner and sends Fox hard into the corner for a near fall. Trevor baseball slides Keith on the floor. Fox kicks Trevor over the middle rope and kicks Keith on the floor before hitting a moonsault off the post! Fox nails Trevor with a somersault cutter for a two count. Trevor dumps Fox to the apron and forearms Fox on the middle rope. Trevor hooks Fox for a suplex, but Keith enters to prevent the superplex. Keith grabs Trevor and hits a powerbomb causing Trevor to superplex Fox at the same time! Keith covers Trevor for a two count and does the same on Fox.
Trevor low blows Keith to prevent a powerbomb. Fox tries for as springboard, but lands on his feet and strikes Trevor several times. Keith gets involved, but Fox avoids Keith to deliver a kick and spikes Trevor with a tornado DDT. Fox kicks Keith over the middle rope and hits a splash while also dropkicking Trevor on the floor. Fox springboard dropkicks Keith to the floor. Fox suicide dives onto Keith and does the same to Trevor. Trevor trips Fox from the floor and kicks Keith from the apron. Fox nails Trevor with a pump kick. Fox climbs to the top rope and hits both Trevor and Keith with a somersault dive on the aisle. Fox stands on the apron, but Jeff Cobb comes out and headbutts Fox on the floor. Officials come out and demand Cobb to go backstage. Trevor gets a rollup on Keith with a handful of tights for a two count. Trevor uppercuts Keith, but Keith delivers a headbutt. Trevor kicks Keith on the knee. Trevor kicks Keith on the elbow and delivers a superkick. Trevor hits a German suplex on Keith! Trevor decks Keith with a lariat for a two count. Trevor kicks Keith, but Keith plants Trevor with the Spirit Bomb to win the match. (***. A solid match between these three. Clearly they are going to do a Fox/Cobb match at some point to justify the interaction throughout the show thus far. I enjoyed the action here and Keith Lee stood out with some great offense. Trevor Lee is a great heel, but also hitting a German suplex on Keith was an impressive move.)
Backstage, AAW Heavyweight Champion Sami Callihan, JT Davidson, Dave & Jake Crist cut a promo. Sami wants the fans to look at them TV wrestling stars. They are winning titles and retaining titles on a weekly basis. Sami reminds us that he had said that they would change professional wrestling. Sami isn’t going to give credit to Cody Rhodes, but rather because he’s in the building. Dave chimes in and says the last time they were there they won the tag titles and they will win them again tonight. Sami promises they will stay down for the three count tonight. Sami hypes the biggest match in AAW history between himself and Rey Fenix tonight. Sami promises that he’s going to take Rey’s mask tonight. Sami wants to win the match on his own that’s how confident he is. Sami is going to hurt Fenix and walkout as the champion.
Sixth Contest: AAW Heritage Champion Pentagon Jr. vs. Brian Cage: Pentagon tries to shove Cage into a corner, but fails to do so. Cage backs Pentagon into the ropes and backs off after a shove. Cage delivers a kick to Pentagon and rams Pentagon into the corner. Cage delivers a few clothesline strikes. Cage uppercuts Pentagon in the corner. Pentagon superkicks Cage and kicks Cage into the corner. Pentagon does a handstand in the corner and dropkicks Cage. Pentagon kicks Cage leading to a near fall. Pentagon kicks Cage over the knee. Pentagon kicks Cage on the left thigh. Pentagon kicks Cage several times on the hamstring area. Cage drives Pentagon over his knee and comes off the ropes, but counters with a forearm and a few knee strikes. Cage plants Pentagon with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Pentagon tries for a backstabber, but Cage counters only to be met with a superkick. Cage pump kicks Pentagon and delivers a superkick. Pentagon ducks a clothesline to hit a couple of sling blades for a two count. Pentagon kicks Cage several times, but is caught on a springboard. Pentagon plants Cage with a sit out pump handle driver for a near fall. Pentagon locks in an arm bar and tries to get a submission, but Cage refuses to give in. Cage arm drags Pentagon and hits a sit out wrist clutch flapjack for a two count.
Cage tries for a deadlift suplex from the apron and drives Pentagon to the mat. Cage plants Pentagon with an F5 for a two count. Pentagon kicks Cage in the corner a couple of times. Pentagon tries for a Canadian Destroyer, but Cage counters by driving Pentagon down to the mat for a near fall. Cage misses a springboard moonsault and Pentagon hits a Canadians Destroyer twice for a near fall. Cage blocks a kick and delivers a backbreaker out of a powerbomb. Pentagon superkicks Cage and delivers a kick to the head after a kick to the knee. Pentagon spikes Cage with a Package Piledriver for a near fall. Pentagon spikes Cage with a second Package Piledriver to win the match. (***. An entertaining match that largely consisted of them hitting moves and not telling much of a story. The finish seemed a bit abrupt and I wasn’t expecting this kind of match. I thought it would be more power based, but instead it felt like high spot after high spot. Nonetheless, an enjoyable match.)
Backstage, PACO is checked up on with an icepack on his neck. Connor Braxton enters the segment saying he deserves the spotlight. Braxton tries to cut a promo, but is told to leave by an official and does.
Seventh Contest: AAW Tag Team Champions Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs. Dave & Jake Crist: Xavier tries for a dive, but is kicked by Dave. Wentz dives over the ropes to hit a dive. Jake hits a suicide dive, but Wentz hits a suicide dive to the floor. Jake dives again to the floor onto Wentz. Wentz suicide dives onto Jake again. Wentz superkicks Jake against the railing. Xavier strikes Jake against the railing. Wentz pump kicks Jake, but Dave nails Wentz with a kick from behind. Jake sends Xavier into the railing upside down. Jake hooks Xavier to deliver a suplex onto the apron. Wentz kicks Jake away, but Dave hits Wentz with a briefcase and kicks the briefcase into Wentz groin several times. Xavier and Wentz sit Dave on a chair and deliver several kicks at ringside backing Dave into the railing. Jake runs into a double superkick. Dave kicks Xavier, but Wentz hits a running knee strike to knock Dave into the railing. Dave uses the ring bell on Xavier’s groin several times. Jake suplexs Wentz onto the apron a few times. Xavier nails Jake with a running kick and they finally enter the ring. Xavier superkicks Jake, but Jake responds with a kick as well. Jake nails Xavier with a neckbreaker for a two count. Wentz knee strikes Jake in the corner and drives Jake down to the mat followed by a German suplex. Wentz hits a springboard corkscrew crossbody for a two count. Dave elbows Wentz in the corner and hits an elevated Tower of London. Xavier delivers a few kicks to Dave and Jake. Wentz nails Jake with a running knee strike.
Jake boots Wentz in the corner a couple of times and slams Wentz into the corner. Xavier kicks Jake in the corner and hits a handspring leg kick for a near fall. Dave stops Xavier on the top rope, but Wentz pulls Dave off leading to Dave hitting a DDT. Xavier gets a rollup on Dave out of the corner and pins Dave for the win. (**1/2. The start of the match was an interesting approach to have the majority of the match occur on the floor. I expected a lot more out of these two teams and I’m sure if they approached this differently along with more time it would have been a better bout. It wasn’t boring or bad by any means, but I thought we’d get a bit more out of these two teams.)
Backstage, Brian Cage cuts a promo. Jeff Cobb enters the scene and tells Cage that being a nice guy got him nowhere in AAW. Cobb says that he and David Starr need a machine to join them. Cage tells Cobb that he’ll think about it and walks off.
ROH World Champion Cody Rhodes cuts a promo in the ring about making his AAW debut. Cody wanted a hotdog with some ketchup and the crowd boos him for that request. Cody took a while to come to Chicago because he simply hates Chicago. Cody says the crowd doesn’t deserve to see his wife Brandi Rhodes. Cody says his wife is there and tells her to come out, but then reveals that she’s not actually there. Cody tells Z to kiss his ring. Z instead flips off Cody.
Eighth Contest: ROH World Champion Cody Rhodes vs. DJ Z: Z powerbombs Cody off the middle rope and hits a missile dropkick to send Cody to the floor. Cody escapes into the crowd as Z goes to the apron. Cody calls for someone to get the ring and a referee escorts the ring to the backstage area. Z nails Cody with a suicide dive into the railing. Cody sends Z into the railing back first and puts Z’s helmet on to deliver right hands. Cody does a cartwheel and taunts the crowd. Z superkicks a charging Cody and sends Cody into the crowd. Z dives over the railing to take Cody out in the crowd. Z tries for another dive, but Cody cuts Z off with a forearm strike. Cody flips off the crowd and kicks Z over the middle rope before hitting a flatliner for a two count. Cody continues to work over Z with stomps and chokes Z over the middle rope. Cody delivers a punch to drop Z to the mat to maintain control of the contest. Cody springboards off the ropes to stomp Z several times. Cody does a few pushups until Z pulls Cody’s arm out. Cody regains control by hitting a delayed vertical suplex. Cody taunts the fans on the middle rope and goes to the top rope. Cody rolls through and is met with an elbow in the corner. Cody nails Z with a cutter for a two count. Cody jabs Z into the corner and taunts the crowd by dancing a bit. Cody elbow strikes Z to the mat. Cody controls Z on the mat with a front face lock.
Z stomps Cody a few times, but Cody nails Z with a clothesline to regain control of the contest. Cody stands on Z’s chest and taunts the crowd. Cody stomps Z on the fingers as the crowd taunts Cody. Cody continues with strikes to back Z against the ropes. Cody shows off Z in a powerslam and drives Z down to the mat. Cody avoids a dropkick attempt, but Z nails Cody with a dropkick and a running elbow strike. Z clotheslines Cody and delivers a jawbreaker. Z hits a springboard back elbow. Z attempts a rolling move, but baseball slides Cody on the floor into the railing. Z heads to the top rope hitting a crossbody onto Cody in the crowd! Z somersaults off the stage to take Cody out. Cody kicks the middle rope to low blow Z. Z superkicks Cody and tries for a springboard, but Cody catches Z to hit the Cross Rhodes for a near fall. Cody misses a clothesline and Z almost wins with a rollup. Cody counters into a Crossface, but Z rolls backward for a two count. Cody grabs Z for Cross Rhodes, but Z avoids it. Cody decks the referee on accident and misses the Disaster Kick. Z hits a rolling DDT, but there isn’t a referee. Cody removes the middle turnbuckle pad. Z stomps on Cody in the corner. Z sets Cody up for Shattered Dreams in the corner, but the referee stops it. Cody sends Z into the exposed buckle and hits the Cross Rhodes for the win. (***. As the ROH World Champion there was never going to be a win for Z in this match. This felt like the kind of match you’d see on WWE TV, which is exactly what you’d expect from Cody. It was a solid match and the crowd seemed invested in the action. I wish there was a bit more intensity from Z considering the promo he put together earlier in the show.) After the match, Cody admits he had a hotdog with ketchup and loves Chicago. Cody says he’ll be back if they’ll have him. Cody reveals that Z had food poisoning and got hurt at a Crash Wrestling show, but still came to compete. Cody believes that Z would have beaten him if Z was at 100%.
Backstage, AAW Tag Team Champions Wentz & Xavier cut a promo about being the champions and having their defining moment tonight. They talk about the tournament next month and the fact they could possibly compete against each other. Wentz isn’t worried about it because they are a solid team.
A video package promoting the match between Sami and Fenix is shown. Back in September 2016 Sami took Fenix’s mask off and tried to do it again in October 2016. In December 2016, Sami retained the title by defeating Fenix. Sami kicked Fenix in the nuts after and hit Fenix with the championship. Fenix pinned Sami in February 2017 leading to another title shot. In March 2017, Sami ripped the mask off to retain the title. August 2017, Sami beatdown Fenix after a match and tore off Fenix’s mask a third time. Fenix challenged Sami to a mask vs. title match for this show.
Main Event: AAW Heavyweight Champion Sami Callihan vs. Rey Fenix in a title vs. mask match: Sami kicks Fenix, but Fenix responds with a spin kick. Fenix avoids a suplex and kicks Sami again. Sami strikes Fenix, but Fenix hits a cutter and dropkick to send Sami to the floor. Fenix hits a springboard crossbody to the floor onto Sami and JT. Sami pump kicks Fenix against the railing and taunts the fans. Sami chops Fenix against the railing. Sami runs around ringside, but Fenix is behind Sami and delivers a kick. Fenix nails Sami with a springboard somersault dive into the crowd. Fenix kicks Sami at ringside and plays to the crowd. Fenix rolls Sami into the ring and misses a 450 splash, but rolls through. Fenix spikes Sami with a Destroyer for a one count. Fenix kicks Sami, but runs into a boot. Sami spikes Fenix with a Money Maker piledriver. Sami misses Fenix in the corner, but Fenix misses a kick and Sami trips Fenix into the corner upside down. Sami follows up with a running boot in the corner. Sami runs into a superkick by Fenix and delivers a pump kick. Fenix delivers a springboard kick to the face, but Sami decks Fenix with a clothesline causing both men to be laid out in the middle of the ring. Sami rolls to the floor and grabs a trash can before looking under the ring to grab a steel chair and tosses the chair into the ring.
Sami tosses several chairs into the ring. Sami sets a chair up in the middle of the ring and looks for a piledriver onto the chair. Fenix avoids a suplex by dropping to his knee. Sami tries to ripoff the mask, but Fenix prevents it being fully ripped off. Sami tries for a brainbuster, but Fenix breaks free and kicks Sami. Sami tosses Fenix overhead onto the chair for a two count. Sami wedges the chair in the corner and rips a mask off a fan. Sami spits in the mask and tosses it back at the fan. Fenix boots Sami in the corner followed by an elbow strike. Fenix hits a springboard moonsault and lays a chair onto Sami before hitting a rolling splash for a two count. Fenix forearms and chops Sami a few times. Fenix springboards off the ropes to arm drag Sami across the ring. Sami rolls to the floor to regroup. The crowd erupts for Fenix. Fenix grabs Sami, but Sami whacks Fenix with a trash can a couple of times. Sami tosses the trash can onto Fenix in the ring. Sami jabs Fenix with a chair on the chest several times. Sami spits into the crowd again. Sami lays the trash can onto Fenix’s body. Fenix kicks Sami on the middle rope. Fenix kicks Sami on the top turnbuckle. Sami tries to rip the mask off again and leaps off the middle rope to drive Fenix onto the trash can for a two count.
Sami sets up a couple of chairs on the floor. Sami hits Fenix with a trash can on the apron. Sami grabs Fenix on the middle rope looking for a suplex to the floor, but Fenix fights free. Fenix punches Sami followed by a headbutt, but misses a double stomp on the apron. Fenix double stomps Sami on the floor over the back. Fenix rolls Sami into the ring and hits a springboard moonsault for a two count. Sami catches Fenix on a springboard to hit a twisting tombstone for a near fall as Fenix got his boot on the bottom rope. Sami low blows Fenix and rips the mask off, but Fenix covers up and kicks out at two. Fenix steals a mask away from JT. Fenix puts that mask on and Sami isn’t aware. Fenix plants Sami with a Destroyer and does the same to JT. Fenix waits for Sami in the corner. Sami avoids a Destroyer and locks in the Stretch Muffler. Fenix counters with a rollup for a two count. Fenix hits a tornado DDT and locks in a submission forcing Sami to submit and Fenix wins the championship! (****. This is a great main event and I love that they played into the history and previous matches between the two of them. Sami removing the mask felt like he was going to steal another match against Fenix, but Fenix regaining the mask from JT to defeat Sami was a great feel good moment. Sami has been a fantastic heel for AAW and his main event work has been memorable. It’s great for Fenix to get the ultimate revenge and dethrone the hated heel. The crowd loved it and it was a great match.)
Sami remains in the ring and tosses Fenix his mask back. Sami holds the AAW Heavyweight Championship and hands it over to Fenix on his knees. Sami offers a handshake and promises he’s not messing around. Sami kisses Fenix’s boot and offers his hand again. Fenix accepts and they embrace. Sami raises Fenix’s arm and goes to his knees again. Fenix gives his mask back to Sami and the crowd chants for Fenix.
AAW Heritage Champion Pentagon Jr. comes out and takes the Heavyweight Championship to taunt Fenix and suggest he wants to be double champion. Pentagon raises Fenix’s arm, but is clearly suggesting that he’s coming for the title.
Backstage, Shane Strickland and Keith Lee cut a promo about them teaming up and Strickland suggests they should have been teaming up earlier. Lee thinks they are going to be even more dynamic in AAW. Lee says they will be wrestling Zack Sabre Jr. and Matt Riddle in October. Their team name is Swerve In Our Glory.
Backstage, Pentagon Jr. cuts a promo on Rey Fenix. Pentagon says they run AAW, but he wants a match on October 7th for Fenix’s title.
Backstage, JT Davidson says tonight couldn’t have gone any worse than it did. Davidson says Wentz and Xavier stole their titles. Jake suggests that the kids watch their backs for October 7th. Dave is pissed because he got beat. They challenge the champs to a TLC match for October 7th.
Backstage, Rey Fenix cuts a promo about living the dream as champion. Fenix respects Sami Callihan, but doesn’t like him. Fenix knows that everyone comes for the champion. Fenix knows what Pentagon is all about and the challenge will not be easy.
Final Thoughts:
This was an easy watch. It’s not often that I can sit and review a three hour indie show and it feels like it was a breeze to get through. I enjoyed the show from beginning to end. I’d recommend checking this out.
Thanks for reading.