AEW's Mercedes Moné Makes a Statement with TBS Title Win at All Out

Mercedes Mon? wasn't too pleased when AEW banned Kamille from ringside for her TBS Championship match at All Out, though her challenger Hikaru Shida was thrilled. This would be a true one-on-one match-up, and though some might have expected Kamille to find a way to interfere during tonight's pay-per-view, that was surprisingly not the case. Shida and Mon? had a clean match through and through, and the only time it looked as if there might be a DQ was actually due to Shida having a Kendo Stick. That led to a sequence where Mon? targeted the damaged knee of Shida and delivered a combo Shida couldn't recover from in time, getting the win and retaining her TBS Championship.

Hit the Ground Running

Mon? went right after Shida as soon as the bell hit, keeping the challenger on her heels and never letting her get her footing. Mon? stomped on Shida in the corner and then hit a flurry of strikes to the head, though Shida finally knocked Mon? back with four dropkicks in a row. Shida then locked n a submission and kept Mon? in the center of the ring, but Mon? was able to finally grab the ropes and break the hold. Shida targeted the knee of the Champion with a kick and then started to go for another submission, but hit a low dropkick instead that sent Mon? to the ring apron. Shida clubbed Mon? with forearm shots to the back of the head before hitting a running knee to the head and going for a cover, but Mon? kicked out.

Mon? came back with a vengeance, knocking Shida off her feet and making sure she couldn't get back up. Mon? connected with kicks and a big strike in the corner before locking in the straightjacket and digging her knees into Shida's back. Mon? hit the double knee drop to the midsection and then went for the cover, but Shida kicked out. Mon? stayed aggressive and locked in another hold, and Shida was slow to get to her feet.

Shia finally got up and slammed Mon? down, but Mon? caught her kick and kicked the back of Shida's leg, only to have Shida hit an out of nowhere hurricanrana. Shida tried to follow up with something but Mon? backed her into the corner and halted the momentum. Mon? got thrown into the turnbuckle and Shida hit a big missile dropkick to turn things around.

Too Close to Call

Shida rocked the Champ with a strike to the head but Mon? turned things around quickly by locking in a submission. Shida got to the bottom rope and broke it up, and then hit a nasty lariat that sent both to the mat. Mon? taunted a bit and Shida came right back with a bevy of strikes that knocked the Champ to the mat. Shida followed with a huge knee and then went up top. Mon? hit the sunset flip into a power bomb and then hit the double knees and went for a pin, but somehow Shida kicked out of that killer combo.

Mon? connected with the Three Amigos and then went up top and went for a Meteora, but Shida got her knees up. Shida then hit two Falcon Arrows in a row, and after one more she went for the pin, but Mon? managed to still kick out. Shida went for a move but targeted the knee with a Dragon Screw and then hit the backstabber. Shida came back with a German Suplex and a knee strike for a cover, but Mon? kicked out yet again.

Shia rocked Mon? with a huge knee strike and then hit it two more times, but Mon? was able to roll out of the ring to the floor before she could be counted out. Mon? grabbed the Kendo Stick and struggled with Shida to grab it, but Shida won out. Shida then had the Kendo Stick in her hands and the referee kept telling her to drop it, otherwise she would be disqualified. Shida then hit the mat with the Kendo Stick and dropped it, and then went up top and went for a Meteora, but landed hard on her knee. Mon? hit a chop block on the knee and hit the Mon? Maker for the pin and the win, retaining her TBS Championship.

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