AEW Battle of the Belts III Review - August 6, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AEW TNT Champion Wardlow def. Jay Lethal

Lethal just lost to Samoa Joe at ROH Death Before Dishonor and he felt like even less of a threat to the TNT title here. Don't get me wrong, this was a good match, but there wasn't much drama in it for me. The key takeaway with Wardlow getting attacked afterward was that this feud isn't over, if only so Wardlow can deliver his finisher to Satnam Singh. That's going to be quite the visual when it eventually happens.

AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa def. Jamie Hayter

I think most people are aware of how skilled Hayter is, but there's still some people who sleep on her abilities. She's terrific and had a strong showing here against Rosa. It was a very hard-hitting affair and I appreciated that Hayter was made to look credible in defeat. My only nitpick was that Storm is clearly headed for a title rematch with Rosa, so the outcome was never in doubt. I hope it's not long before Hayter severs ties with Britt Baker and breaks off on her own.

ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli def. Konosuke Takeshita

I know this didn't have much build behind it, but it's hard to complain considering it was such a blast. Castagnoli unleashed has been outstanding and giving him an incredibly impressive opponent in Takeshita was the recipe for magic. Despite Takeshita not winning a single match on AEW TV prior to Friday's Rampage, some of those nearfalls down the stretch were suspenseful and the crowd ate all of it up. If this was Takeshita's swan song in the United States for now, he went out on a hell of a high note.

Overall Show

The other two Battle of the Belts specials earlier this year were very forgettable, so it isn't a stretch to say that this was the best one yet. Lethal vs. Wardlow was what it needed to be and solid while it lasted, Rosa and Hayter killed it, and the main event was absolutely excellent. The other installments weren't worth checking out, but I'd strongly suggest watching this one if you missed it. The hour flies by and I hope future Battle of the Belts shows will have this same energy (despite not being live).

SEE MORE: Battle of the Belts Reviews