This Bleacher Report Special is due to this match. Riho’s return to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) brought in big ratings, as did Thunder Rosa’s match the week before. Now these two big names will clash on tonight in the semi-finals of the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator tournament. The winner will go on to face Britt Baker in the American Finals on Dynamite this coming week! These are two of the best wrestlers in AEW, and tonight should be a wrestling clinic.
Riho Gets Outpowered
After a handshake and a bow of respect, these two would lock up quickly. Riho would take Rosa to the mat with a headlock takeover. Rosa countered out with the head scissors, before they’d sprawl on the mat. Riho would end up in another headscissor, but was able to break free and nail the running dropkick.
Rosa would respond by going for the Three Amigos, but on the third suplex drop Riho over the top rope, before hitting the ropes and coming back with a dropkick. Riho would be choked in the corner by Rosa, before being hit with some hangman’s neckbreakers. Rosa just bent her to the point where she flung Riho to the mat with a reverse snapmare of sorts.
Riho came back by tripping up Rosa and hitting a 619, and followed up with a DDT for a near fall. Rosa hit a snap suplex, and then just some clubbing knee strikes to the back of the head. This fired up Riho who came back with some forearm strikes, before Rosa came back with a liver punch.
Thunder Rosa Catches Riho With The Pinfall
Rosa applied a full nelson stretch on the mat, only letting Riho go to apply a Dragon Sleeper instead. She’d nail the Northern Lights Suplex, before Riho hit the hurricanrana and rolled through into the double foot stomp. Riho went up high and came down with the diving crossbody, only getting a two count.
Rosa sent Riho into the corner for a running clothesline and double knee strike, before a big shotgun dropkick. Riho was able to hang on, and counter the Fire Thunder Driver. Rosa blocked the attempt at the snap Dragon Suplex, and got her up for the airplane spin. Riho got behind again and hit the snap Dragon, before going up top and being cut off by Thunder Rosa.
Rosa & Riho battled up top, Rosa slipping down and being hit with a diving foot stomp. Riho & Rosa would trade blows in the middle of the ring, Riho hitting the running knee strike, and Rosa the running lariat. Rosa was almost the latest victim of a flash pinfall by Riho, but instead she countered into the cradle pinfall and had Riho tight to the mat for the win!
This match suffered from being overhyped, but Riho & Rosa still had a hell of a match. They gave their all from bell to bell, and the flash pin finish leaves a bigger match open for these two down the line. Riho is still finding her rhythm in AEW again, and Rosa as the winner just made sense. Match Rating: 3.75/5 (*** 3/4)
Can Thunder Rosa beat Nyla Rose tomorrow to win the American Side of the tournament? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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