Lee Moriarty feels he can take any championship in AEW with the backing of The Firm, but is choosing to start small. While the FTW Championship is an outlaw title and not insanely valuable, being the man to end the undefeated streak of rising star HOOK is very valuable. Tonight, Moriarty gets a chance to carry gold in AEW – and be the first man to defeat HOOK, all in one fell swoop.
Lee Moriarty comes into this match with a 2022 singles record of 11-3, having won three of his last four matches – with that loss coming against Jon Moxley. HOOK meanwhile has a perfect 15-0 record, with 13 of those wins coming in 2022. Moriarty is more technically gifted than previous opponents of HOOK, and is a man approaching his prime much like HOOK.
HOOK Gets Tested Like Never Before In AEW
HOOK would get forced into the corner and took a shot to the face. Moriarty would be taken down to the mat, with a sprawl breaking out. HOOK would look for a wrist lock, with Moriarty able to fight free before being launched with a Northern Lights Suplex. Moriarty would take the gutwrench suplex, before Stokely Hathaway would get the foot of HOOK at ringside.
HOOK was blindsided with a shot to the face, sending him out of the ring. Stokely was run off with a glance, but back in the ring – Moriarty was quickly on him with some stomps. HOOK would have the elbow hyperextended, with Moriarty holding it in place and kicking straight.
Moriarty would take some body blows in the middle of the ring – before HOOK would find his face colliding with the turnbuckle. A front chancery suplex would get Moriarty a one count, before going back after the elbow of HOOK. Moriarty would target the face of HOOK with an elbow to the nose, before looking to apply the Cobra Twist, while bending away at the fingers.
Moriarty would land some crossface blows, but had his elbow caught briefly. HOOK would manage to follow up with a heavy lariat, and had found his opening. A judo toss would send Moriarty to the mat – before the STO. The release Fisherman Suplex would follow, with HOOK trying to follow up in the corner before taking the flatliner into the turnbuckle.
Moriarty would soar in with a knee drop to the back of the neck, before a Kimura lock. HOOK would get his foot under the bottom rope, before ending up in the Border City Stretch. HOOK was able to counter and apply Redrum – and was able to once again remain champion.
Athena Goes Too Far
In recent weeks, fans of AEW Dark have seen the character of Athena changing before their eyes. She’s done smiling and being happy to be in AEW, and has gotten violent in her matches. This is working, earning her a 12 match winning streak in singles. Tonight, she goes one on one with Madison Rayne – and looks to take this streak from YouTube onto TV. Rayne meanwhile has found it tough to stay afloat in this division despite her veteran status.
Athena would attack before the bell, as Rayne was posing on the middle rope – hitting a dropkick to the spine. Rayne would shoot back by rolling Athena into the bottom turnbuckle, before a spear from the middle rope. Athena would roll to the floor, and drive Rayne into the barricade as she followed.
Rayne would take a chop to the throat in the corner, before getting a two count off a Jackknife pinfall. Athena would look for a suplex, with Rayne able to block into a rough looking cutter. Rayne would look for the Cross Rayne – but Athena blocked into a cutter before a sliding elbow to the jaw. A codebreaker would follow, and that’s 13 wins in a row.
After the bell, she’d look to keep the beating coming – with Aubrey Edwards trying to make the stop. Athena would attack the referee, before Mercedes Martinez would return to confront Athena. With Martinez as the ROH Women’s World Champion – this could turn into a match for AEW: Ring of Honor Final Battle.
Will Athena find a title shot soon? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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