January 4th, Tokyo, Japan. Lance Archer walked into the legendary Tokyo Dome as the IWGP United States Champion with intent to walk out the same way. He was facing Jon Moxley, who only lost the belt due to missing a title defense thanks to a typhoon. Moxley won that night in a Texas Deathmatch, and tonight we run this match back; but this time actually in Texas. The same belt is on the line, and we can expect the same carnage. You only win by knockout or submission, and both men could do either way.
Jon Moxley Came To Battle
Archer would get a great reception from the hometown crowd, but Moxley went right after him as the match began. A kendo stick entered the ring, but they preferred to just slug it out. Moxley was pounced to the outside, before Archer rolled off the apron with a cannonball. They’d battle on the outside, with Moxley spearing him through the barricade.
The crowd would get involved as Archer threw a member of the crowd into Moxley. Back to the ring, Moxley would lariat Archer over the top rope before the dive was countered. Archer would expose the concert floor, only to have Moxley hit a DDT on the floor. Moxley called for the referee to count, and Archer would get up with some trouble.
Bleeding from the head, Moxley would want to get deeper as he grabbed a fork. He’d channel Abdullah The Butcher, as he gouged him. More stabs to the forehead just added more damage, and Moxley was showing a side of him that AEW rarely sees. He’d grab a table from under the ring and set it up at ringside, before grabbing some steel chairs.
Lance Archer Turns The Tables On This Match
Back in the ring, Archer would try to gain some ground after a big knee strike before Moxley hit a chopblock. The knee was hurt, and Moxley would wrap it in a steel chair and come off the second rope with a stomp. Again the referee would count, and Archer would rise with the ropes, able to lariat a trash can into the face of Moxley.
They’d trade jabs in the middle of the ring, before Moxley would bite the forehead of Archer. Archer shoved him off before taking a German Suplex and coming back with a ripcord sidewalk slam. He’d go for a cover but that doesn’t count here, so he’d whack Moxley with a trashcan before setting up the Blackout with some chairs set up.
Moxley would slip out and nail a lowblow, before twisting the chairs to align their backs. Archer made him pay for this as he hit a chokeslam onto the chairs, before booting him into the corner. He’d run into the King Kong Lariat and a Paradigm Shift, but Archer would power up and yell out before being stabbed with the fork.
Moxley grabbed a barbed wire board and put it on the tables at ringside, before looking for the Paradigm Shift through the mess of wood and barbed wire. Archer had the fork and would counter with some stabs. Moxley would be chokeslammed off the apron through the mess, and wouldn’t answer the 10 count.
This was an absolutely brutal Texas Deathmatch, which is now among the most violent matches in AEW history. It was a great way to end the reign of Moxley, closing it as it started, with a lot of damage in a Texas Deathmatch. It was nice to see Archer finally win a big match as well, and he’s going to show why NJPW fans loved him during his run there. Match Rating: 4/5 (****)
Next week, Archer makes his first defense as he takes on Hikuleo of NJPW. Will his reign be cut short? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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