Toni Storm vs Serena Deeb

In an impromptu Lumberjack Match for the Interim AEW Women’s World Title.

I’ll skip the preamble to this match as I have an article coming about Saraya shortly. I’ll just mention that with the power vested in Saraya, this match was made a Lumberjack match. And just a note on this before I get going: I know many fans don’t like impromptu matches being booked in AEW and I totally agree with them. However, this match was already booked with Saraya’s segment booked right before it so given how it played out, it makes sense that Saraya would’ve gathered Toni, Skye, Willow, Madison, and Athena and asked them to be on standby and given Britt Baker’s penchant for sticking her nose into the World Title scene, I don’t think the impromptu stipulation on an already booked match is terribly contrived. And in the end, it provided some much needed exposure to more women on the roster. I can’t complain about this.

After some solid mat wrestling, we get our first high spot of the match early in when Toni Storm tries to deliver an Avalanche Back Suplex from the middle rope but Serena Deeb reverses it in mid air turning it into a crossbody splash onto Storm for a 2-count. Deeb then tosses Toni out of the ring towards the heel lumberjacks but the babyface contingent runs over to protect Toni as we go to PIP.

Deeb dominated much of the match during commercial break as the action slows down a bit but, wouldn’t you know it, Toni Storm begins turning the tide just as we come back from the break. Storm hits a Shotgun Dropkick and then follows that up with her own crossbody splash from the top turnbuckle for two.

Deeb leaves the ring to catch a breather but Athena throws her back in. She dodges a Toni Storm Hip Attack attempt and then begins a series of duelling roll-up attempts between both women. Serena then breaks the pattern by putting Storm into that gruelling submission where she sits on the back of her opponent’s neck and raises their arms up.

Deeb would then roll Storm into what initially looked like a pinning combination but then followed through the roll landing in a type of triangle choke-like submission. What a talent. Toni is able to roll Deeb onto her shoulders for, albeit, a weak pin attempt but of course the purpose of which is to break the pin. Excellent bit of business there.

Toni then German Suplexes Deeb and looks like she’s going to go for a running attack off the ropes but Jamie Hayter grabs her foot and drags her out of the ring. Again, the babyfaces come in Storm’s defence but Hayter just blasts Skye Blue in the face with a punch, knocking her to the ground. Willow Nightingale would fly in to assist and she and Hayter would hockey fight it out. Hayter would decide that discretion was the better part of valour and haul ass up the ramp but Willow was in hot pursuit! It wouldn’t take long to find out these two will face off on Rampage. Awesome!

Back in the ring, Deeb would take Storm down, work over the leg and then synch in the Serenity Lock. A “TONI!” chant encourages Storm to get to the rope for the break. Deeb’s attempt at capturing momentum would fall short though when Deeb reversed Toni’s crossbody attack into Single Leg Boston Crab. Toni would manage to turnover and kick Serena into the corner where she’d sit dazed and Storm would quickly execute the Hip Attack!

Deeb got drug out to the middle of the ring and reverse a Storm Zero into a Jackknife pinning combination but Toni would roll out of that and finally hit the Storm Zero! 1! 2! NO! Deeb kicks out. I bit on this big time. I initially had mixed feelings as I love the Storm Zero as a Finisher but I also have no problem with giving Serena Deeb that kind of rub.

A dragon screw in the corner from Deeb would lead her up to the top rope to attempt an aerial attack but Storm would intercept and then off the middle rope… AVALANCHE STORM ZERO! I literally sprung out of my chair at this move! I could not believe they even attempted it, let alone executed it! Incredible finish to this match!

This is what the women’s division needs! Top women versus top women with one going over but both getting over.