AEW Dark rolls on and it’s main event time as the AEW World Champion Jon Moxley faces off against Robert Anthony. There’s some history here. Anthony was one of Moxley’s final opponents before he signed with WWE back in 2011, and he defeated him for the CZW Heavyweight Championship in his second-to-last match with the promotion. Of course there’s also the fact that the No. 1 Contender to Moxley’s title, Brian Cage is out here to watch this and his manager Taz is calling the action. Oh and there’s actually a crowd for this one, neat! Smaller than the ones they do on Dynamite but they got people there regardless.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Robert Anthony (Non-title)
Chant for “Moxley”, lock-up. Grappling for position, exchange of hammerlocks… Mox with a side headlock takeover! Anthony with a headscissor, Mox kips up to escape! Moxley with a trip, Anthony to the ropes to force a break on a waistlock. Moxley escapes an arm wringer by rolling through, trips for a 1 count. Solid chain wrestling going on right now. Blocks a kick, back heel trip takes him onto his back! Lock up, Moxley with a side headlock takeover. Anthony fighting his way up. Breaks the grip, gets the headlock as well. Moxley shoots him off, shoulder tackle but Mox stays up, shoulder block of his own gets him down! But an arm drag and dropkick from Anthony, Moxley has to slip away from a Fireman’s Carry, stand-off!
Moxley with a single leg takedown, into a rear chinlock. Takes him up to his feet, wristlock, backsweep. Trying a short arm scissor, Anthony up to his feet, cartwheel into an arm drag and Mox slides out of the ring! Anthony wants a plancha but Mox evades into the ring, hits the ropes, tope suicida sends him into the barrier! Takes him into the ring. Blocks a kick, Dragon Screw Legwhip! And then a second one! Anthony is favoring the leg now. Drapes the leg over the middle rope and grinds the boot against it in the corner. Shoulder capture, and there’s the Exploder Suplex out of the corner, direct homage to Taz! Working over that knee, Single Leg Boston Crab cinched in! Anthony struggles over, grabs the bottom rope for the break!
Wrenching the leg, folding it up now. Stomp to the face, pulls him up, there’s the X-Plex! Mox slips to the outside, grinds the back against the post! Moxley wraps his legs around the post, slamming that knee into the steel. And there’s the Ring Post Figure Four! Anthony is howling in agony! Mox can only keep it on for a few seconds before the break but the damage is done. Singles out the leg and stomps it. Throws him into the ring and pursues. Drapes the leg on the bottom rope and there’s the kneebreaker! Goes up top, but Anthony forces him to the mat, Mox charges but Anthony counters into a Tilt-A-Whirl Facebuster!
Pounding that knee to try and get some blood rushing, and he’s cinching in the Romero Special! Doesn’t have the strength in that leg for it though, kicks him away and covers for a 1 count. Chops him into the corner, and there’s another. Whip to the opposite corner, Mox floats over and there’s the big lariat! Pulls him to his feet, looking for the Gotch-Style Piledriver but Anthony with a back body drop, there’s the Death Valley Driver for a nearfall! Anthony and Mox both fighting to their feet now, Mox sidesteps a charge, roll through for a Paradigm Shift attempt but Anthony drives him into the corner! Charges, Mox sends him to the apron, Anthony with a shot, goes up top! Wants a Missile Dropkick but Moxley powerbombs him out of the air! Wheelbarrow Facebuster now! Cover for a narrow nearfall! Cloverleaf cinched in now! Tries to reach the ropes but Mox pulls him to the center and he has to tap!
Winner: Jon Moxley
Good stuff, you had to have Mox take the majority of it but they still managed to make Anthony look tough in the end. Also always cool to see him winning with an alternate finish and I did always like the Cloverleaf.
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