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LECLAIR’S AEW WORLDS END 2025 REPORT
DECEMBER 27, 2025
CHICAGO, IL AT NOW ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON HBO MAX (U.S.), PAY-PER-VIEW
Announcers: Excalibur & Tony Schiavone & Bryan Danielson
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-Excalibur welcomed the audience to the Now Arena in Chicago. He threw to a video package for the opening match, a semi-final in the Continental Classic.
-Konosuke Takeshita entered first. Excalibur tossed to Renee Paquette at ringside. She attempted to tap into the psyche of Don Callis, who represents both men in the match. Callis had joined Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Bryan Danielson at the booth.
(1) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA – Continental Classic Semi-Final match
The crowd in Chicago let out a round of applause as the opening bell rang. Excalibur said it’s amazing that this is how they’re starting out the night. Konosuke Takeshita slapped away a handshake offering from Kazuchika Okada. The stablemates locked up, then broke against the ropes. They locked up in the center and wrestled to the mat, then back to vertical base. Okada backed Takeshita into the ropes and broke cleanly. He gave Konosuke a friendly slap to the chest.
Callis said he’d have paid money just to come watch these two wrestle, even if he weren’t their manager. Takeshita took Okada to the mat and began working at the arm, manipulating the wrist and fingers. Okada reached the ropes with his feet and rolled to the floor as the match approached 5:00. On the outside, Takeshita whipped Okada hard into the barricade. He charged, but the defending Continental Champion gave him a drop toe hold onto the seat of a chair. He followed up with a spike DDT on the floor.
Back in the ring, Okada stomped away at Takeshita. Callis said that the 4-time G1 winner wants to get his opponent frustrated. Okada landed another DDT and rolled Takeshita over for a cover and two count at 7:00. Takeshita battled to his feet and hit a Brainbuster. Okada stood and ate a quick Hurricanrana. He rolled to the floor. Takeshita dove over the top rope onto the defending champion. The crowd rallied behind Konosuke. Callis called him a “very likeable young man.”
Takeshita brought Okada back inside and gave him a quick running boot out of the southwest corner. He followed up with an Exploder Suplex for a cover and two count. He immediately transitioned into a grounded chin lock. Okada poked at Takeshita’s eyes to free himself. He gave Takeshita a neckbreaker. “Okada is so good at picking his spots,” Danielson said. Kazuchika connected with a body slam, then a top rope elbow drop. He brushed his hair back, surveyed the Now Arena and gave the crowd the middle finger. Okada pulled Takeshita to his feet. They began trading quick, hard chops. Both men tried to position for a Tombstone. Takeshita got the better of the exchange and turned it into a package slam. Okada popped to his feet, looking for a Rainmaker. Takeshita countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Both men were down as the match approached 13:30. Takeshita rose first, calling for a pump knee strike. Okada caught it. He went for a hard lariat, but Takeshita just ate it and didn’t budge. Okada hut another, this time dropping Konosuke to the mat. They traded lariats, then backslide attempts. Takeshita went for another pump knee, but Okada moved. Takeshita struck the turnbuckles. Okada hit a German Suplex. He set up for the Rainmaker again, but Takeshita turned it into a roll up for a near fall. Both men rolled to their feet. Okada hit a big dropkick. Another Rainmaker attempt blocked. Takeshita kicked Okada’s arm, then hit the Power Drive Knee for a cover and very close near fall just after 16:00.
“That’s as close as I’ve ever seen to a three!” Callis exclaimed. Okada blocked a Raging Fire attempt, but got dumped into the turnbuckles. Okada pulled a screwdriver from the turnbuckle pad. He clocked Takeshita with it, just out of view of the referee. Okada covered Takeshita for a three count.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada in 17:17
“What happened?!” Callis feigned ignorance. Okada tossed the screwdriver under the ring as he left. Callis met him in the aisle and raised his hand.
(LeClair’s Analysis: Really good opener, and dramatically different than what we’re used to seeing from AEW out of the gate. The company has always liked to kick off shows swinging, but here, they opted for a slow, plodding build to a hard-hitting strong style. These are two of the best doing it, and it’s clear they left a decent amount in the tank, both because Okada needs to wrestle again later tonight, and also because a feud between the two is obviously brewing.)
-After a brief video package, Kyle Fletcher headed to the ring for his semi-final match. Renee Paquette was again standing ringside, reporting on Fletcher’s mindset going in to facing Jon Moxley. Danielson noted that Marina Shafir is nowhere to be found, even in the back before Moxley made his way into the arena. He also noted that some of the fans in Chicago are cheering for Jon.
(2) KYLE FLETCHER vs. JON MOXLEY – Continental Classic Semi-Final match
Jon Moxley shook out his right wrist and stepped side-to-side, angling for a lock-up with Kyle Fletcher. Excalibur said that Don Callis was set to be on commentary for this match as well, but may be tending to the delicate situation that arose after the finish to the previous match. Moxley caught Fletcher with a hard chop, sending him to the floor. Kyle shook it off, but took his time returning to the ring. He circled ringside, looking for a reaction. Excalibur said he was trying to frustrate Moxley. Fletcher rolled to the floor again, but Moxley gave chase. He slammed Fletcher into the barricade, then walked him around ringside.
Holding a wrist lock, Jon slammed Fletcher into the ring post, then onto the announcers desk. He tossed Fletcher back inside. Kyle popped to his feet and gave Moxley a huge body slam. He cornered Mox and choked him with the heel of his boot, necessitating a break at 3:30. Fletcher landed several hard chops to the chest. He charged Moxley, but got caught with a clothesline to the outside. Moxley stayed on him, running him hip first into the barricade. Moxley sat Fletcher in a chair and gave him a big boot. He rolled under the bottom rope to break the count, then continued his assault on the floor. Kyle managed to create some distance and pull the steel steps away from the ring. He wedged Moxley’s leg in between the steel and the ring post, then bit at his forehead. Fletcher dropkicked the stairs, further crushing Moxley’s leg against the post.
Fletcher tossed Moxley back in the ring. Jon grabbed at his knee. Fletcher twisted the legs and wrenched back as the match crossed 7:00. Jon limped to his feet and ate a kick to the back of the leg. He kicked Moxley in the corner, gave him a Snapmare and covered him for a quick two count. Kyle applied a single leg crab on the injured leg. “Ask him!” he repeatedly yelled at referee Bryce Remsburg. Moxley fought to his feet. Fletcher charged, but ate a cutter out of nowhere. Fletcher rolled to the floor to buy some time. Moxley dove onto Fletcher through the middle rope. Jon came up limping heavily. He tossed Fletcher back in the ring, but ate a sit-out driver for a two count.
Kyle worked Moxley into the northeast corner and charged him with a kick. Moxley stumbled to the center. Kyle invited him to a lariat battle. They traded blows. Moxley turned Fletcher inside out, but immediately collapsed and grabbed at his knee and calf. Schiavone again remarked on the crowd’s soft spot for Moxley. Both men battled to their feet, trading hard forearms. Mox ended the stalemate with a missile dropkick. He stumbled toward Fletcher in the corner and mounted him for a flurry of punches. Fletcher cut him off and tossed him to the apron. Mox dropped to the floor and caught a kick attempt, splaying Kyle out on the apron. They traded blows again. Fletcher hooked Moxley and hit a Brainbuster on the edge of the ring. Mox collapsed to the floor in a heap.
“He could just roll in the ring and win on a count out!” Schiavone said of Fletcher. Moxley was bleeding heavily from the mouth now. Fletcher looked on as Remsburg’s count echoed out. Mox slid in the ring just before ten. Fletcher immediately gave him the Liger Bomb for a cover and near fall. He turned Mox into another single leg crab. Moxley pounded the mat in frustration. He crawled desperately, but Fletcher pulled him back toward center. Fletcher wrenched back too far, allowing Moxley to grab at his neck. He got an arm around Kyle’s neck and applied the bulldog choke. Fletcher grabbed at Moxley’s ankle. He picked it and locked it in. Moxley sat up, trying to reach the ropes. Fletcher applied more torque. Moxley flailed and flailed and finally reached the bottom rope at 16:15.
A big “Moxley” chant broke out in Chicago. Jon dragged himself to the northwest corner, a sitting duck for a flurry of stomps from the Protostar. Kyle lifted Moxley onto the top buckle, looking for the Brainbuster. Moxley fought him off by biting his forehead. He slid underneath Fletcher and established an advantageous position. Mox grabbed the choke on the top, then hit an Avalanche Cutthroat Suplex. Fletcher landed violently on his neck and head. He rose slowly, trying to shake off the cobwebs. Moxley gave him a stomp, then dragged himself into a cover for a two count. Fletcher turned it into a crucifix pin for two of his own. He rolled to his feet and hit a half-and-half suplex. Moxley popped up. Fletcher hit a knee strike and covered, but Mox kicked out at one. Fletcher hit a big boot, then a Brainbuster. He hooked the leg for a very close near fall just after the 20:00 mark.
A “this is awesome” chant built as Fletcher dragged himself up, frustration growing. Moxley slapped Fletcher in the face and gave him a middle finger. Fletcher dropped him with a clothesline. Kyle went searching in the turnbuckles for the screwdriver that Okada used in the previous match, unaware that it’d been tossed under the ring. He got rolled up for a two count by Moxley. Fletcher popped to his feet and ate a Paradigm Shift for another near fall. Moxley followed up with a Death Rider for another cover and near fall. Mox grabbed the sleeper, wrapping his legs around Fletcher’s lower abdomen. Kyle fought to his knees, then lifted Mox onto his back. Moxley weighed him back down. Fletcher went out.
WINNER: Jon Moxley in 23:32
(LeClair’s Analysis: Really good match, but it took some time for the crowd to get invested in this one because of the heel-heel designation. Moxley was clearly treated like the babyface by the Chicago crowd, but it was almost as though they were asking permission to cheer him. Commentary did their part to highlight the strangeness of it all, given how Moxley has behaved all year long. I thought Fletcher made a lot of sense as a finalist again, but telling a redemption arc for Moxley while simultaneously building additional turmoil within the Callis Family works, too. Fletcher will undoubtedly be angered by not finding the screwdriver where it was left, creating a deeper rift.)
-Excalibur tossed to a video package for the AEW World Tag Team title match.
The Bang Bang Gang headed to the ring first. Nigel McGuinness had replaced Bryan Danielson on commentary. FTR entered next, Stokely sauntering between them. Excalibur said this will only be the third time the AEW Tag Team titles are defended in a Street Fight.
(3) FTR (c, Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler, w/ Stokely) vs. THE BANG BANG GANG (Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn) – AEW World Tag Team Championship Chicago Street Fight
All four men came to blows as soon as the bell rang. Cash Wheeler paired off with Austin Gunn while Dax Harwood went after Juice Robinson. The former pairing battled onto the ramp, then up toward the entrance. Dax and Juice battled in the lower bowl of the arena, then around the back of the floor. Wheeler walked Gunn back down the ramp and tossed him into the barricade, stomping across his back for good measure. Back at ringside, Stokely helped position a table for Harwood while he and Robinson battled on the apron. Juice eventually laid out Dax on the table, then climbed to the top rope. Wheeler rushed in to make the save. He gave Robinson a picturesque back Suplex off the top turnbuckle as the match crossed 4:30.
Harwood re-entered the ring with a trash can. He dented it over Gunn’s back and head, then placed him in it. Wheeler wound up and took a swing. “Better than the White Sox!” he told the crowd. FTR covered Gunn for a two count. Cash wedged the crushed trash can between the middle and top turnbuckles, then Dax tossed Gunn head-first into it. Wheeler retrieved the wreckage and used it to clock Juice on the outside. FTR set up for a spike Piledriver, but Robinson made the save. He hit a Frog Splash on Harwood for a cover and near fall.
Robinson willed Harwood to his feet and hit him with some quick jabs. Dax raked at his eyes for a reprieve. Juice shrugged it off and delivered a Spinebuster with a stack cover for another two count. Wheeler stalked Gunn on the outside with a Kendo stick, but Austin blocked a shot with a trash can lid. He cracked the lid hard over Wheeler’s head. Gunn tried to fly at Wheeler, but wound up throwing himself into the Spanish announce desk instead. In the ring, Robinson was bleeding heavily from the forehead. Wheeler clipped the back of his knee. Stokely handed Harwood a steel chair. Cash held Juice down by the leg. Dax drove the edge of the chair into Juice’s ribs repeatedly.
In pure desperation, Juice managed to kick Dax into Cash to buy himself some time. Wheeler hit Juice in the back of the knee with a chair, ending the comeback attempt. Harwood applied an inverted Figure Four. Robinson screamed in agony while Cash held his tag team title right in front of Juice’s face. Robinson dragged himself closer and closer to the ropes, so Cash dragged his partner back to center. Meanwhile, Austin Gunn hoisted a fire extinguisher into the ring. Wheeler flew through the ropes, colliding with Gunn and sending them both through a propped table against the barricade. Juice reached the bottom rope, but there are no breaks in a street fight.
Juice managed to get his hands on the fire extinguisher instead. He sprayed it in Dax’s face, then hit a front facing DDT. He covered, but Stokely dove on the referee to break the count at 13:30. Robinson grabbed the chair and cracked across the backs of both Wheeler and Harwood. He cleared blood from his eyes and sized up Dax for another shot, but Stokely pulled it away. Juice pushed the chair into Stokely, sending him off the apron and sliding off a table. FTR hit Shatter Machine on Gunn and covered. The referee counted slowly, giving Gunn time to get back in the ring and break up the count.
Austin Gunn was laid out across his partner. He managed a low blow to Wheeler, but ate a Piledriver onto the trash can from Dax. FTR hit Gunn with a Stuff Piledriver, then delivered another one on top of the tag team title. They covered for a three count.
WINNERS: FTR in 16:45 to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship
(LeClair’s Analysis: Lots of moving parts here, and the bulk of this was just fine, but the crowd didn’t feel particularly invested. FTR, once one of the hotter acts in the company, have cooled off to a significant degree. This is one of those matches that could’ve benefited from having some of the fat trimmed, as it simply didn’t have the build or intrigue to go nearly twenty minutes. Further complicating matters, it just doesn’t feel like these two teams have a ton of chemistry. With a renewed focus in the tag division, I would’ve liked to have seen a better offering here for challengers.)
-Excalibur tossed to a video package for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team title match.
Athena was out first. Excalibur touted her record-setting reign as ROH Women’s Champion. She was joined shortly by Mercedes Mone, her collection of titles displayed on stands at ringside. Mone wore her TBS Championship to the ring. Babes of Wrath entered next, dancing jovially to the ring. They handed their titles over to referee Aubrey Edwards and she held them up to the hard camera.
(4) BABES OF WRATH (c, Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. MERCEDES MONE & ATHENA – AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship match
Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone began the match, but Willow quickly took down the TBS Champion and tagged in her partner. Harley dropped Money and tagged out. Mercedes made a tag to Athena. The champions missed with stereo Enziguris. Mone and Athena hit the own kicks, sending the champions to the outside. Mone followed, but Nightingale took her down. Athena dove through the middle rope, dropping the champion. Cameron leapt to the apron and dove onto Athena. All four women returned to the ring.
Cameron and Athena worked against the ropes. The ROH Women’s Champion kipped up using the top rope and kicked Cameron toward the heel corner. She tagged Mercedes Mone in, and the duo choked Cameron against the bottom turnbuckle. Mone covered for a two count off of running double knees. Mone and Athena continued to dominate Cameron, holding her back from reaching Willow. Harley was finally able to hit a DDT on Athena and make a leaping tag. Mone tagged in, too. Nightingale dropped Mone with a bit Spinebuster, unaware that Athena had tagged herself in. Athena hit Willow with a release German Suplex, then a knee to the face for a cover and near fall just before 7:00.
Nightingale fought to her feet and caught Athena with a pounce. She tagged in Cameron, who hit Athena with a Slingblade. Harley mounted Athena for several punches. She tried to rally the crowd. Harley headed to the top of the northeast corner. Mone cut her off with a kick. She and Athena hooked Cameron, but Willow came in underneath and delivered a double Powerbomb. Harley caught the heels with a diving cross body, then a double Crucifix Bomb for a cover and near fall. Cameron tagged in Nightingale and they hit a Sole Food/Back drop combination. Mone quickly broke up a pin attempt. Athena popped up and hit Cameron with a low angle O-Face.
Mercedes delivered a Backstabber to Willow and applied the Crossface. Willow crawled desperately toward the ropes, but Mone vaulted over and maintained her grasp. Nightingale powered to her feet with Mone still on her back and delivered a Death Valley Driver. Mercedes stood slowly, looking for a clothesline. Willow ducked and the TBS Champion struck her partner. Willow stacked her opponents in the southwest corner and hit a tandem splash. She laid them out in the center and began ascending the turnbuckles. Athena cut her off. She hoisted Mercedes into the air to hook Willow and deliver a Superplex/Powerbomb combination. Mone covered, but Harley made a last second save just before 12:00.
Mone and Nightingale battled back and forth. Willow set up for the Doctor Bomb, but Mone slid free. She hooked Willow for the Mone Maker, but Nightingale turned it into a cradle for a surprise three count.
WINNERS: Babes of Wrath in 13:10 to retain the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships
(LeClair’s Analysis: This had its moments, but was certainly on the lower end of what I’ve come to expect from Mone on Pay-Per-View. Harley Cameron works hard, but is still incredibly green and her matches tend to include some awkward spots. Athena was impressive as usual, with varied offense and some great looking power moves against Willow. Willow and Harley are a fun team, but I still feel like the former would be better served in a major role in the singles division.)
-Excalibur threw to a video package for Darby Allin vs. Gabe Kidd. Allin’s entranced was prefaced by a short black and white vignette.
(5) DARBY ALLIN vs. GABE KIDD
Darby Allin flew across the ring and dropped Gabe Kidd with a dropkick as soon as the bell rang. Kidd rolled right to his feet, completely shrugging it off. He overwhelmed Allin, cornering him and delivering some violent chops and strikes. Kidd man-handled Allin across the ring, sat him on the top rope and shoved him to the floor. Kidd rolled to the floor and threw Allin into the steel steps. He tossed him into the barricade, then charged. Allin moved just in time. He hit the ring and came flying through the middle rope to topple Kidd into the barrier. Excalibur reminded the audience that this is a traditional match.
Kidd and Allin took turns throwing each other haphazardly into the ringside barriers. Kidd eventually tossed Darby into the timekeeper’s area, then back toward the steel steps. He slid them away from the post, then placed Allin underneath the opening. Kidd guillotined Allin into the top step, dislodging a steel plate. Allin came up bleeding heavily. Kidd rolled him into the ring and gave him a headbutt. The two fought back to the floor. Allin sat Kidd on a steel chair and climbed the turnbuckles. He delivered a huge missile dropkick off the top. Kidd was bleeding heavily now, too. They returned to the ring and traded more shots. Kidd dropped Darby with a huge dropkick, then bit his forehead in the corner.
Gave hoisted Darby onto the top turnbuckle in the northwest corner. He tried to deliver an Avalanche Piledriver, but Darby repeatedly blocked it. He bit Kidd, scratched his back, then hit Code Red off the top for a cover and near fall just before 9:30. Allin ascended the opposing buckle and connected with the Coffin Drop. Kidd wisely rolled to the floor to avoid being covered. Allin gave no quarter, climbing back to the top and hitting another Coffin Drop, this time to the floor.
McGuinness wondered how either man could have their breath. Blood stained the canvas and ringside mats. After a pair of lariats, Kidd dragged Allin to his feet. Darby sprang to life with a quick roll up and scored a three count.
WINNER: Darby Allin in 13:04
(LeClair’s Analysis: A surprisingly bloody affair, given no hardcore designation. Kidd’s aggression was fun to watch, and, as usual, Allin was game to bump for him at will. This was entertaining and of appropriate length, given the amount of blood. McGuinness said that, more than anything, Allin just survived, and that felt like an apt descriptor of the match as a whole.)
-The Death Riders headed to the ring for their “mixed nuts mayhem” match. Excalibur thanked the ring crew for speedily handling the carnage at ringside after the previous match. The Conglomeration headed to the ring next, joined eventually by Roderick Strong. Toni Storm entered last, parting her team down the middle and marching confidently to the ring.
(6) DEATH RIDERS (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia & Marina Shafir) vs. THE CONGLOMERATION (Mark Briscoe & Orange Cassidy) & RODERICK STRONG & TONI STORM – “Mixed Nuts Mayhem” match
Marina Shafir and Toni Storm came to blows first, beckoning the opening bell. The men all spilled from the ring, leaving Toni and Marina to battle in the corner. Storm mounted her for several punches. Wheeler Yuta hit the ring and threw Storm to the floor. Mark Briscoe struck Yuta with a flying elbow as the crowd got on Wheeler’s case. Briscoe worked Yuta into the corner and gave him ten quick punches. Out of the corner, Yuta missed wildly with a clothesline. Briscoe dove through the ropes onto Daniel Garcia. Roderick Strong toppled Yuta. Claudio Castagnoli attacked Strong from behind.
Strong worked Claudio into the northwest corner and peppered him with chops. Garcia returned, knocking Strong to the floor. He turned to find Orange Cassidy waiting for him. Cassidy mocked Garcia’s dance. Orange went for a DDT, but Garcia blocked it and applied a choke. Cassidy broke free and worked Garcia into the corner for a wind up punch. Marina Shafir joined Cassidy and the two agreed to fight with their hands in their pockets. Cassidy got the better of the exchange, but was attacked by Wheeler Yuta. The crowd continued to pelt him with “f— you Yuta” chants. Castagnoli returned and help Yuta beat Cassidy in the corner. Garcia and Shafir joined in, and the Death Riders ran a shoulder train on Cassidy. They traded Cassidy for Strong, then for Briscoe. Only Toni Storm was able to turn the tide. She hit a hip check to Shafir to knock her to the floor, then wound up in a dance with Orange Cassidy to take down Yuta, Garcia, and Shafir.
“Well, it takes two to tango,” Schiavone commented. Storm dipped Cassidy, who ate a kick from Shafir. Marina kicked Toni to the mat as the match crossed 9:30. Briscoe returned, dropping Claudio and catching him with the Froggy Bow for a cover and two count, broken up by Yuta and Garcia. They mounted him and beat him down mercilessly, then did the same to Cassidy. Storm returned. She dodged Yuta and Garcia, causing them to clunk heads. She gave Yuta a German Suplex. Shafir rushed in. Toni rolled her up, but Claudio broke it up. Castagnoli deposited Storm on the top turnbuckle. “How dare you?” she asked, slapping Claudio across the face. Storm hit a DDT off the top. Shafir shoved Storm to the outside. Storm rolled in the ring, coming face to face with Shafir. She struck him first. He chopped her in the back. They spilled to the outside.
Cassidy gave Yuta an Orange Punch. Storm hit the hip check. Briscoe gave Yuta a Jay Driller for a cover and three count.
WINNERS: The Conglomeration, Roderick Strong & Toni Storm in 12:43
(LeClair’s Analysis: Chaotic, but largely fun. Toni Storm is always such a delight, and this was no exception – her dancing with Orange Cassidy was dumb, but an endearing kind of dumb. I’m not sure what this means for the Death Riders, who appear to be losing steam at a rapid pace. I’d have thought there would be an effort to keep them strong given what feels like an upcoming rift with Jon Moxley, but this makes me wonder if maybe the split will be a quieter one.)
-Backstage, Lexy Nair was waiting outside Mercedes Mone’s locker room. Mone stormed past her and into her room. She began screaming uncontrollably, trashing the room. She regained her composure and walked out the door, stating that she’s ready for the interview. Lexy said the end of 2025 hasn’t exactly gone well. Mone cut her off. She talked about her run as TBS Champion and successes in 2025. She told Lexy she didn’t want to hear anything about Willow Nightingale. She said on Wednesday, she’d “beat her f—ing ass.”
-Excalibur tossed to a video for the AEW Women’s World Title match.
Jamie Hayter headed to the ring. Excalibur welcomed Bryan Danielson back to the announcers desk. Kris Statlander headed to the ring, championship slung backward over her shoulder.
(7) KRIS STATLANDER (c) vs. JAMIE HAYTER – AEW Women’s World Championship match
A small dueling chant broke out as the opening bell sounded. Jamie Hayter and Kris Statlander circled each other and locked up. Kris powered her challenger into the ropes and broke cleanly. They ran it back, this time, Hayter got the better of the exchange. They locked up a third time. On this exchange, Statlander worked Hayter through the middle rope and to the floor. Hayter took a beat on the outside, then rolled back in the ring for some quick chain wrestling. Kris missed wildly with a spin kick, allowing Hayter to roll her up for a two count. Jamie looked for Hayteraid early, but Kris easily blocked it.
The challenger dropped Statlander with a shoulder tackle, then hit the ropes. Stat popped up and hit one of her own. She flexed for the crowd and let Jamie stand for a reset. They ran into each other, neither woman budged. Again. This time, both women went down and kipped up. Champion and challenger traded right hands in the center. Kris worked Jamie out to the apron, where the exchange continued. She knocked Jamie to the floor, then went for a standing Shooting Star off the apron. Hayter moved and the champion landed on her feet. She tossed Jamie into the steel steps, then back into the ring at 4:30. Kris covered for a two count.
Stat delivered a Suplex to the challenger, then hit a splash off the middle rope for a cover and two count. Another dueling chant broke out. Statlander acknowledge the crowd, allowing Hayter to take control. She chopped the champion hard in the corner. Statlander battled out and delivered a body slam. She went for another middle rope press, but Hayter moved. She clotheslined Statlander clean over the top rope to the floor. Stat popped up and tripped up Hayter, dragging her out with her. Stat slammed Hayter into the apron, then the announcers desk. Jamie kicked her away. buying some time. She dragged herself off the table and worked Statlander back into the ring.
After a big dropkick from the second turnbuckle, Hayter followed up with an Exploder out of the corner for a cover and two count just before 8:30. Hayter hit the ropes and dropped Stat with a big boot for another cover and two count. Statlander recovered quickly, catching Hayter with a knee strike and a sit-out slam for a cover and two count of her own. Kris set up for Staturday Night Fever, but Hayter blocked it. She caught Kris with a sliding lariat for another cover and two count.
Excalibur said frustration is setting in for Hayter. Kris rolled to the apron and checked her jaw. Hayter slammed Stat’s head into the turnbuckle. The two climbed the buckles slowly, jockeying for position. Hayter delivered an Avalanche Fisherman’s Suplex. Hayter covered for two again. Statlander floated over a clothesline attempt and hit a package Piledriver for a near fall at 12:20. The champion dragged Hayter into position and climbed the southwest turnbuckles. Hayter interrupted, knocking her onto the buckle. The two continued to trade chops and punches up top. Stat hooked her challenger and delivered a spin-out Fisherman’s Buster. Both women were down.
Jamie was grabbing at her head. Aubrey Edwards checked on both women and cleared them to continue. Statlander dragged Hayter to her feet, calling for a lariat. Hayter ducked it and dumped Stat on her head. She followed up with a huge running lariat for a cover and near fall just before 15:00. Hayter went for another lariat, but missed. Stat caught her with an Enziguri. Hayter shrugged it off and delivered a Backbreaker. Both women were down. Statlander slammed the mat with both fists, trying to will the crowd to life.
Both women rose to their knees, trading blows. Jamie grabbed Kris’ wrist, looking for a lariat. Stat spit in Hayter’s face. She went for Staturday Night Fever, but Hayter countered and hit the move herself. Another struggle back to their feet. Each missed a lariat attempt. Hayter hoisted Kris up again, but Statlander turned it over into Staturday Night Fever for a cover and three count.
WINNER: Kris Statlander in 18:08 to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
(LeClair’s Analysis: This was a good match, no doubt, but it suffered from a lack of crowd involvement. At one point, they resorted to anti-Packers chants as their game reached a critical point late in the 4th quarter. There’s a bit of an uphill battle here with Statlander. She’s always been a strong worker, but the character work has always left a lot to be desired. She’s also suffered from a number of ill-fated turns that crushed her momentum. On the other side, Jamie Hayter has never been able to fully recover from her long absence due to injury. These two worked incredibly hard, but it just didn’t feel like a major title match.)
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