An under-rated aspect of this match was having Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale jump TayJay during their entrance because it avoids the dichotomy of moods between a street fight and Willow’s entrance music. If this were a gimmick match, I could see them doing some fun pageantry with the song and the gimmick but I’m guessing Tony may have sensed this as well.
Also, I love that Willow came out with a hockey stick. It’s such an underrated weapon in wrestling. It has reach. You can use the blade to hook/trip someone. They break, potentially creating two equal sized weapons. Anyway…
This match went down in the Rampage main event. Ruby & Willow look dressed similar to the Dudley Boyz and if there was any doubt, Ruby gives a “Willow, get the tables” call. Willow sets up Chekhov’s Table just beside the top of the ramp. The fact that everyone had white t-shirts on wasn’t lost on me.
There’s a great spot where Anna Jay puts a garbage can over the top half of Ruby Soho and then Tay Melo jumps off the apron and stomps the garbage can. Ruby comes out of the squished garbage can covered in blood.
Both pairs engage in duelling seating punches in chairs in the middle of the ring. Your mileage may very. I’ve never been a huge fan of this spot but certainly other fans love it. Tay DDT’s Ruby head on a chair in the ring as Willow gets wailed on by a kendo stick on the floor.
I enjoyed Anna Jay’s callback to putting barbwire over her arm for the Queen Slayer. Soon after, a tower of doom spot onto some chairs with Willow as the base and Ruby at the top. I’ve said before this isn’t my favourite spot because of the drawn out process of setting it up but this was about as organic as it comes.
Willow delivers a massive DVD to Anna on the apron. Tay blocks her from also hitting a Doctor Bomb by hitting her with a trash can lid. Ruby flies in and her face is just leaking. I love seeing the women get to use blood. Good on her! At the top of the ramp, Willow hits that powerbomb through (adjacent to) the table on Anna Jay while Tay Piledrives Ruby through a table on the outside. Damn.
Finish comes after Ruby flatlines Tay onto a pile of tacks. Ruby’s a bloody mess and if fucking rules. Maybe her biggest win in AEW? Definitely I’d say her most notable one. Her crimson mask potentially iconic with the crowd firmly behind her.
