AEW is closing in on a Women’s Championship Contender!

AEW Revolution is only one week away and Hikaru Shida still awaits a challenger! Who takes that pivotal step closer to her championship?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Six Woman Tag: Hikaru Shida, Rin Kadokura & Mei Suruga VS Emi Sakura, Maki Itoh & Veny; Shida, Kadokura & Suruga win.
• Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament, Japanese Finals: Yuka Sakazaki VS Ryo Mizunami; Mizunami wins and advances.
• Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament, US Bracket Semifinal: Thunder Rosa VS Riho; Rosa wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

Six Woman Tag: Hikaru Shida, Rin Kadokura & Mei Suruga VS Emi Sakura, Maki Itoh & Veny!

The Full Metal Warrior jumps into the action alongside #Marvelous and the Biggest Smile in the World to take on the Queen of Wrestling, the Fallen Idol and the Genderless Artist! But will Mei be able to fight properly when Emi-sensei is on the other side of the ring?

Shida and her team offer handshakes, but no one from the other side accepts. And then Maki, Emi and Veny ambush Shida’s team! They knock Mei and Rin out and then mug Shida 3v1! Emi underhooks and Veny helps out, ASSISTED FACEBUSTER! Maki fires up that iron head but Shida avoids the Kokeshi! Shida clubs Maki, bumps her off buckles, and whips her corner to corner. Maki reverses, runs in, and back body blocks! Maki fires up and then runs back in, to climb up. Maki asks, “Who is the cutest in the world? Itoh-chan, desu~!” Maki rains down fists and fires up, but Shida carries her off the corner! Maki fights free and fires off forearms, but Shida pie faces her!

Maki and Shida glare, and Maki fires off more forearms! Shida DECKS Maki with one! Maki gets mad now! She bumps her iron head off buckles, and HEADBUTTS Shida! Maki roars, tells Shida BLEH~, then runs, into a GAMANGIRI! Maki’s head is iron but her face is fragile! Maki tags in Emi, and Rin tags in to clobber her! Rin rallies, pushes Emi down, then hits a DOUBLE STOMP! Emi staggers up into Rin’s shotgun dropkick! Rin goes corner to corner CANNONBALL! Rin drags Emi up, wrenches and wristlocks to then crucifix, but Emi fights free to give Rin BACKBREAKER! And then the BUTTERFLY BACKBREAKER!

Tag to Veny, and Veny kicks Rin around. Veny toys with Rin, gives more kicks, and drags Rin up. Rin throws a forearm but Veny brushes that off. Rin forearms over an dover and over, but Veny just SLAPS Rin down! Veny runs, but Mei trips Veny up! Mei is learning much from Emi-sensei! Rin basement dropkicks Veny against ropes! Rin climbs, Veny stands, missile dropkick knocks Veny down! But Veny rolls through and comes back with a SHOTGUN BOOT! Veny hoists Rin up, blocks the rana counter, but Rin slips out to NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO! Veny narrowly escapes but Rin SUPERKICKS! Rin runs, SATELLITE DDT!

Rin and Veny crawl, Mei pushes Shida away to take the hot tag! Mei springboard STOMPS Veny down! Mei full nelsons to the CATTLE MUTILATION! Mei has a high bridge, but Veny gets the ropebreak with a foot! Mei lets Veny go to bring Veny up and whip. Veny reverses, runs in, but Mei boots Veny away! Mei goes up, leaps, but Veny catches Mei and pops her around, only for Mei to wheelbarrow! Veny blocks the victory roll, drags Mei back up, FACEBUSTER! Veny LIONSAULTS, covers, TWO! Mei survives but Veny tags Emi in. Sensei now stomps student around! Emi sucker punches Shida and Rin then brings Mei around for a TOSS!

Mei flounders to a corner, Emi elbows Shida down, and then Emi goes back to Mei. Emi gets the legs, sings and the team echoes it. Emi reels Mei back as Maki sings it loud and proud for her! ROLLING ROMERO as Maki holds out the note! Maki runs and KOKESHIS the surfboard apart! Did she forget Emi was underneath Mei? Emi gets mad at Maki for it, but Maki gets mad at Emi for getting mat at her! Veny tags in to stop all that and then BLASTS Shida’s corner! Veny stands on Mei’s head, digs the heel in, and then drags Mei back up. Mei throws forearms but Veny blocks the suplex! Mei stomps Veny’s foot! And then scoops, only for Veny to scoop back and SLAM Mei down!

Veny drags Mei up, scoops her again and SLAMS her again! Splash down for the cover, TWO! Veny tags Maki, Maki stomps away on Mei. Maki puts Mei through ropes and pulls her back in a rope camel clutch! The ref reprimands, Maki holds on until 4, and then mockingly keeps counting to 8. And then Maki goes after Mei for more stretching! Maki CLUBS Mei on the back, Emi gets a cheap shot in, Maki throws Mei down to cover, TWO! Maki is on the camel clutch again, Rin attacks Maki! Maki ROCKS Rin, stomps Mei, and tags out to Emi. Emi DECKS Rin, hits Shida, and goes back to Mei to throw her down! Emi pulls WAY back on the camel clutch!

Mei endures, Emi pushes Mei away, and then drags her up. Mei breaks free to fake the chops and leg scissor roll Emi! TWO, Mei runs and hops onto Emi’s shoulders for a spinning sunset flip! Emi punches but Mei goes Matrix! Mei runs, Emi spins her to underhook, but Mei fights off the driver to ROCK Emi with a right! Mei reels Emi in, scoop and SLAM! Mei shows her sensei that she has power! Shida pushes Rin aside to tag in from Mei! Shida runs to KNEE Emi in the corner! Maki runs in but Shida scoops her and wedges her above Emi! Veny runs in, Shida kicks Veny and snap suplexes Veny into both Emi and Maki!

Shida sets Emi up on the apron and gets some space. Shida runs back in to KNEE Emi back in! Shida’s fired up and she gets in the ring. Emi stands, Shida runs and reverse wheelbarrows to sunset flip! KNEE DROPS! Cover, TWO! Shida goes to suplex but Emi claws her back! Emi runs, but Shida tilt-o-whirl BACKBREAKERS back! Shida runs but into Emi’s tilt-o-whirl BACKBREAKER! Emi and Shida are forehead to forehead as former teacher and student are evenly matched! But then Mei and Veny get in to boot their respective opponents! Mei and Veny run, and they BOTH get tilt-o-whirl BACKBREAKERS!

Shida and Emi go after each other again with forearms and CHOPS! Shida ROCKS Emi, Emi CHOPS back! They keep going back and forth, Shida gets the edge, and she hammers away on Emi! Shida fires up, reels Emi in, but Emi fights to the dragon sleeper, TWISTING REVERSE DDT! Emi sings, “We Will~, We Will~ Rock You!” Maki sings along as Emi runs in and BODY CHECKS Shida! Emi CHOPS and runs, but into Shida’s KNEE! Maki runs in and gives Shida a TORNADO DDT! But Rin SUPERKICKS Maki! Veny SUPERKICKS Rin! Mei fakes Veny out, springboards and SUPER PUNCHES!

Mei shouts to Shida-senpai! They work together on Emi-sensei, SUPER FOREHEAD POKE! Full nelson and… SUPER FOREHEAD POKE! Shida gives Mei a boost, and Mei hits a SPLASH! Shida brings Emi up to whip but Emi holds the ropes! Mei kicks Emi’s arm from the rope, and whips Emi, only for Emi to crisscross them up! Emi uses Mei to sunset flip Shida, and then she traps them both in some kind of double Bow ‘n’ Arrow stretch! Mei tries to get free, Shida gets the ropebreak! Emi lets go, runs, and BODY CHECKS both of them!

Veny tags in and climbs up top! Veny ARIHARA MOONSAULTS Shida down! And then kips up! Veny swaggers about, slaps Shida and drags her up. Veny puts Shida in, drags her up, but Shida breaks free! Shida dodges a heel kick, Veny deflects the knee, Shida ducks another kick but Veny ducks the enziguri! Veny ripcord lariats but Shida dodges, only to run into the WINDMILL! Emi sets Shida up in a drop zone, VADER ELBOW! Veny goes up, MOONSAULT! Cover, Mei breaks it! Emi kicks Mei and Rin back out and Veny drags Shida up. Veny reels Shida in, fisherman but Shida fights out to roll up. Veny rolls through but Shida ROCKS Veny with that right!!

Shida suplexes, Veny slips out and Veny GERMAN SUPLEXES! Maki HEADBUTTS Shida into Veny’s lift, for a SIT-OUT BOMB! Cover, TWO!?! Shida survives and shocks Veny! Veny climbs up again, Rin intercepts with haymakers! Rin climbs up now, and hits a SUPER STEINER on Veny! Shida gets in as Veny goes to the apron. Shida drags Veny up to bump her off buckles! Shida dead lift SUPERPLEXES! And rolls through, to dead lift suplex! Cover, TWO!! TAMASHI!! Cover, but Maki and Emi break it! Maki and Emi intercept Rin and Mei, but Rin and Mei turn that around! Shida, Rin and Mei throw Emi, Maki and Veny into each other! Mei and Rin crisscross to dropkick Veny and Emi!

Shida drags Veny back up, suplexes, and hits a FALCON ARROW! Cover, TWO!?! Shida is shocked by Veny’s toughness! Shida sits Veny up again, runs and hits the TAMASHI!! Cover, Team Shida wins!

Winners: Hikaru Shida, Rin Kadokura & Mei Suruga, by pinfall

The AEW Women’s World Champion finishes it off! Mei is so happy for her senpai, and the three stand tall. But Emi-sensei attacks! Mei and Rin go after Emi, shove her out, but Maki goes after them! Shida grabs Maki by her pigtails and bumps her off buckles! Shida throws Maki out hard, Emi stomps Maki?! Emi is upset that Maki failed, it seems. But again, Shida stands tall with her team! Will she be standing tall against whoever it is that faces her at Revolution?

Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament, Japanese Finals: Yuka Sakazaki VS Ryo Mizunami!

This is it for the Magical Girl and Aneki! It’s win or go home, so who is heading to the overall tournament finals?!

Ryo again gets impatient with the ref and smacks him on the back again. The two shake hands to show there is sportsmanship. But Ryo’s handshake is so strong, Yuka falls to a knee! Ryo lets go, Yuka shakes her hand out, the bell rings, and the two circle. They tie up, Ryo powers Yuka right to ropes, but lets off as the ref calls for a break. Yuka composes herself again and circles with Ryo. They tie up, Yuka waistlocks, but Ryo pries free and wrenches to a wristlock. Yuka rolls, handsprings, wrenches again and has another wristlock. Ryo pretends to be worried but she body shots then wrenches through to a wristlock.

Ryo clubs away on Yuka’s arm, wrenches it more, and Yuka drops to her knees again. Yuka gets up but Ryo wrenches the wrist again. Yuka endures, Ryo lifts her up by that arm to then drop her down! Ryo keeps on the hand, Yuka fights back up, and Yuka runs to flip and wrangle Ryo down with a keylock! Ryo fights up, Yuka shifts to a facelock then chinlock. Ryo powers up, powers out, but Yuka dropkicks! But Ryo just fires up! Yuka is a bit put off by that, and tries another dropkick! Ryo still stays up! Yuka gets frustrated now and she runs, but Ryo dodges the dropkick to stomp Yuka down! Ryo clubs Yuka, whips her to a corner, but Yuka goes up and over!

Yuka gets around to waistlock, but Ryo elbows. Yuka avoids the elbows and pokes Ryo in the eye! Yuka giggles but Ryo reels her in! Ryo waistlocks but Yuka slips under to roll Ryo up, TWO! Yuka cradles, TWO! Another roll up, TWO! Yuka is frustrated but so is Ryo, and Ryo bails out. Ryo catches her breath but Yuka builds speed to WRECK Ryo with a dropkick! Yuka fires up, Ryo cools off, and Ryo takes her time returning. Yuka waits as Ryo gets in, and Yuka dropkicks the legs out! Yuka clubs away on Ryo, brings Ryo around, but can’t scoop Ryo up! Ryo scoop slams Yuka down! Ryo drags Yuka up, whips her to ropes, and runs her over with a shoulder!

Ryo drags Yuka back up, ROCKS her with a forearm, then scoop slams her again! LEG DROP! Cover, TWO! Ryo keeps cool as she drags Yuka back up. Ryo whips Yuka to a corner, Yuka dodges, and then Yuka runs back in to back elbow! Ryo catches Yuka to RAM her into the corner! Yuka falls but Ryo drags her up into a DEEP camel clutch! Yuka gets one arm free, reaches and gets the ropebreak! Ryo lets go fast, stomps Yuka, then drags her up again. Ryo CHOPS Yuka to a corner, CHOPS again, and then CHOPS and CHOPS and unleashes the machine gun CHOPS! Satoshi Kojima would be proud! Ryo fires up, does a dance, but Yuka ducks and the chop hits buckles!

Yuka kicks from below, but Ryo boots back! Ryo scoops, Yuka slips out and RANAS Ryo to a corner! Yuka runs to SHINING WIZARD! Yuka hops up, leaps, flying elbow! Ryo is down and Yuka brings her back up! Ryo resists the suplex, Yuka clubs her and rolls her to a CALF KILLER!! Ryo endures, reaches around, Yuka twists the foot, but Ryo gets a ropebreak with a hand! Yuka lets go, runs and hits a SLIDING LARIAT at the ropes! Yuka goes to the corner, goes up top, but cartwheels to avoid Ryo! Yuka runs, but into a POWERSLAM! Both women are down because of the bad leg, but Ryo fires up!

Ryo picks Yuka up, but Yuka wheelbarrows, only for Ryo to block the victory roll! WHEELBARROW GERMAN SUPLEX! Ryo runs and CLOBBERS Yuka at ropes! Then hits a ROUGH RYDER! Cover, TWO, but into the katagatami!! Yuka endures the head-and-arm, but Ryo squeezes tight! Yuka fights up, rolls back, and slips free to get Ryo for a TRIANGLE HOLD! Ryo endures and fights up, but she starts to fade! Yuka pulls even tighter, the ref checks on Ryo, but Ryo gets a second wind! Ryo powers up, dead lifts and POWERBOMBS Yuka down! Yuka flounders to a corner while Ryo catches her breath and fires herself up with slaps to her face!

Ryo runs and CLOBBERS Yuka! Yuka ROCKS Ryo, dodges, and ENZIGURIS! Ryo LARIATS right back!! Ryo fires up, Yuka sits up in a daze, and Ryo brings Yuka in for forearms from all sides! Ryo powers up but Yuka ROCKS her back! Yuka fires forearms from all sides, and ROCKS Ryo again! Yuka cravat rolls Ryo to KICK her down! SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Ryo survives but Yuka puts her in a drop zone. Yuka goes to the apron, climbs the ropes, MAGICAL GIRL SPLASH! Cover, TWO!! Ryo survives but Yuka keeps her focus. Yuka goes to the apron again, goes up the ropes again, and hits the MAGICAL GIRL 450, but has to bail out! Ryo catches Yuka for an URENAGE!!

Both women are down, the ref checks on them, but they’re stirring. Ryo fires herself up, she grabs Yuka’s hair, but Yuka grabs Ryo’s ears! Ryo HEADBUTTS Yuka in the chest! Torture rack and- VICTORY ROLL FROM YUKA! TWO, and Yuka RANAS to a cover, TWO!! Yuka runs, into a LARIAT! Cover, but Yuka rolls it over, TWO!! Ryo gets to a corner, runs and SPEARS Yuka! Then drags Yuka up to SHORT ARM LARIAT!! Cover, TWO?!?!?! How did Yuka survive!?! Ryo won’t stop to worry about it, she drags Yuka up to fisherman and DRIVER!! Cover, Ryo wins!!

Winner: Ryo Mizunami, by pinfall (advances to the tournament finals)

And Aneki is heading to Dynamite this Wednesday! But will she be able to go from the Crossroads and to Revolution?

Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament, US Bracket Semifinal: Thunder Rosa VS Riho!

Nyla Rose awaits an opponent for the US Bracket Finals! Will the former NWA Women’s World Champion take one step closer to one of her goals? Or will the inaugural AEW Women’s World Champion end up facing an old foe in the finals?

The bell rings, these two shake hands and then circle. They tie up as fans fire up, and they go around the ring with the collar ‘n’ elbow. Riho wrenches, Rosa wrenches back and then headlocks tight. Riho pries free, headlocks back and hits a takeover. Rosa headscissors, Riho kips out and fans cheer this opening exchange. The two circle, tie up, and Rosa trips Riho to get a facelock. Riho slips out of the facelock but so does Rosa. Rosa drags Riho up to then use a leg to hook Riho and bring her down. Riho fights out of the headscissor, rolls Rosa and runs. Rosa dodges, drops and hurdles, to arm-drag Riho! Riho arm-drags back! Rosa sweeps, covers, Riho goes Matrix to run and basement dropkick!

Fans fire up as Riho drags Rosa back up. Rosa kicks low, reels Riho in and snap suplexes! Una amiga, another snap suplex! Dos amiga, and then she hangs Riho out to dry on ropes! Rosa goes side to side to BOOT Riho down! Cover, TWO! Rosa sits Riho up to throw clubbing elbows, then bumps Riho off buckles. Rosa digs her boot in, lets off as the ref counts, and then CHOPS Riho down! Rosa digs her knee into Riho now, then drags Riho out to a cover, TWO! Rosa keeps cool and brings Riho up for a hanging neckbreaker! And another! Rosa reels Riho into a rack as she hooks a leg! Riho endures but Rosa THROWS Riho over her shoulder! Cover, TWO!

Rosa drags Riho up, bumps her off buckles, then goes corner to corner, only for Riho to dodge! Riho KNEES Rosa, runs and tilt-o-whirls to headscissor Rosa to ropes! Fans fire up, Riho dial sit up, 619 hits! Cover, TWO! Riho runs again, but Rosa catches the crossbody, only for Riho to SATELLITE DDT! Cover, TWO! Riho keeps close, drags Rosa up but Rosa hits back! Rosa EuroUppers, and hits another neckbreaker! Cover, TWO! Rosa grows annoyed but she drags Riho around and stomps her. Rosa kicks but Riho just gets mad! Riho gets up and throws heavy forearms! Fans fire up as Rosa throws a heavy body shot and then a boot! Cover, TWO!

Rosa drags Riho around, hooks up a leg, and then goes after arms! It’s a full nelson STF! Riho endures, but Rosa SLAMS her down! Cover, TWO! Riho also gets a foot on the ropes for good measure, but Rosa pulls that away to cover again. TWO, and Rosa grows frustrated. Rosa snapmares Riho, clamps on a dragon sleeper, but Riho fights up! Fans rally, Riho gets up and throws shots to spin around, NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO!! Rosa escapes and goes to a corner, but Riho goes to the opposite. Rosa runs in but Riho boots her away! Riho leaps for a FLYING RANA! Riho keeps moving, wheelbarrow, STOMP 182! Fans rally and duel as both women are down!

Riho goes to a corner, climbs up top, and leaps for a BIG crossbody! Cover, TWO!! Riho can’t believe how close that was! Riho drags Rosa up, reels her in, but Rosa blocks the Northern Lights! Rosa clubs away, RAMS Riho into the corner, RAMS her more, then runs corner to corner for an A-LIST LARIAT! And SWINGING METEORA! Rosa isn’t done, she hobbles and then comes back in, to BASEMENT DROPKICK! Cover, TWO!!! Riho survives and Rosa can’t believe it! Rosa vows to end this, and she drags Riho up again. Rosa scoops, Riho fights out and full nelsons! Rosa elbows free of that, fireman’s carries Riho and spins, but Riho fights that, too! SNAP DRAGON SUPLEX!!

Fans fire up as Riho gets back up. Riho staggers but makes her way to a corner. Riho climbs but Rosa SHORYUKENS! Rosa climbs up, clubs Riho, but Riho throws body shots and a headbutt! Rosa is in a Tree of Woe, Riho adjusts, WOE STOMPS! Cover, TWO!! Rosa is still in this but Riho drags her up by her hair. Rosa throws body shots but Riho returns fire! They brawl with slapping palm strikes and heavy forearms! Rosa CHOPS, runs, but Riho CLOBBERS her at ropes! Riho runs but Rosa LARIATS! Cover, TWO!!! Rosa is losing her cool but Riho gets her with a victory roll! TWO, and Riho wheelbarrows again, but Rosa throws her off! Leg hook roll, cradle, ROSA WINS!!

Winner: Thunder Rosa, by pinfall (advances to the US Bracket Finals)

In a blink of an eye, this battle of former champions is over! But Thunder Rosa doesn’t have much time to rest, she’s up against the Native Beast on Monday’s last-minute special! Who makes it through to face Ryo Mizunami on Dynamite?

My Thoughts:

A very good, very fast hour and change for what ended up not being a B/R Live special. B/R Live went down, this ended up on YouTube where it should’ve been anyway, and here we are. The 3v3 was a pretty fun match, a lot of energy and chaos. I’m a little surprised they didn’t play up Mei being Emi’s current protégé, but I did appreciate that they played to the history between Shida and Emi, and likewise Mei being Shida’s “kouhai,” or “junior.” Everyone got to shine, Maki is again a very great character, but naturally Shida wins for her team. Shida needs momentum going into Revolution or else it’ll all be with her challenger.

The Japanese Bracket Final was a great match, though I’m a touch surprised that Ryo won. I suppose it makes some sense, she is a very strong opponent both physically and overall. She’s got a great character, and is a strong contender, but something tells me it’ll be the American finalist that goes to Revolution. Rosa VS Riho was great stuff, fast paced and Riho was not as clunky as last week. But in the end, Rosa wins, a little surprising to me as I thought we’d get a rematch of Riho VS Nyla Rose from over a year ago. Rosa’s story of the goals she’s after is still in play, but Rosa VS Nyla could go either way. Rosa or Nyla facing Shida at Revolution seem the more likely to me, and Nyla VS Shida in a rematch from Double or Nothing 2020 seems even likelier.

My Score: 8.4/10