KENTA and Kenny Omega victorious over Jon Moxley & Lance Archer
Match photos courtesy All Elite Wrestling/Lee South
After last week’s shocking interference at the end of AEW Dynamite, KENTA dealt another blow to IWGP United States heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley tonight in the main event of All Elite Wrestling’s weekly TV broadcast.
In a ‘non-sanctioned’ tag bout with pinfalls counting anywhere, KENTA teamed with former IWGP Heavyweight and US Champion Kenny Omega to take on the last two IWGP US Champions in Jon Moxley and Lance Archer. With little to no rapport between KENTA and Omega, nor Archer and Moxley, the four men stood in separate corners to start the match, and at the bell, KENTA flew at the US Champion with a briefcase shot.
KENTA and Omega hardly seemed on the same page, but common enemy Moxley allowed for momentary teamwork until Archer broke things up; as Archer and Omega spilled to the floor, KENTA and Moxley were left to trade center ring. If it seemed for a second like a clean fight was going to take place between US Champion and number one contender, Omega quickly dispelled such thoughts, cutting off Moxley with a trashcan and holding Moxley in place for a corner dropkick, yet Archer defused his opponents’ plans once again, this time suplexing Omega onto a ladder as Moxley flew to KENTA with a tope.
As Archer and Omega brawled around ringside, KENTA was able to take over on Moxley, with a Busaiku knee delivered to a US Champion seated on a chair brought into the ring. Heading outside, KENTA stopped a pinfall from Archer on Omega, but Moxley was quick to follow. February 26’s champion and challenger brawled through the arena stands and backstage, where Moxley ate a DDT onto a steel table, though Archer prevented a Game Over submission victory.
Moxley and Omega fought their way back to the ring, where cane shots rocked Omega as Archer and KENTA fought their way to the stage. Archer attempted a powerbomb on the BULLET CLUB member through the announce desk, only to see KENTA escape and rush off the stage with a diving stomp to Moxley.
Archer and Omega were left center ring, where Archer delivered a chokeslam and a quebrada for two. As Archer closed in on victory, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, who had aligned themselves with Omega of late hit the ring; though Moxley tried to break things up with a barbed wire bat, he was stopped with a KENTA Go2Sleep, and Archer was left alone facing Archer Gallows and Omegas. A V-Trigger and assisted One Winged Angel followed to give Omega and KENTA the victory. While Omega and fellow BULLET CLUB alums celebrated in the ring, the US title story was focused outside, as KENTA continued to assault Moxley; will this be the same scene in two weeks time on NJPW STRONG?
You’ll be able to watch this match in its entirety on NJPW World from Friday February 12!
