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AEW received the worst news possible hours before the next episode of the ongoing Tournament on YouTube as Anna Jay was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Madi Wrenkowski was announced as the replacement, and the show began with a match between Nyla Rose and Tay Conti.
#1. Nyla Rose vs. Tay Conti (AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinals match - American Side)
Rose and Conti's collar and elbow tie-ups ended in a stalemate. Nyla took control with a big scoop slam followed by the lateral press.
Conti fired back with a chopping kick to Rose's leg. Rose reversed a Dragon Sleeper to deliver a rolling neckbreaker.
The Native Beast then delivered a clean vertical suplex. She punished Tay in the corner by stomping her foot in the face. Rose sent Conti flying across the ring, and she continued to attack with kicks.
Rose taunted Conti, and she ate two kicks in return. Rose caught the third kick and delivered a nasty dragon screw. Nyla tried to dislocate Conti's knee cap with a vicious pull. The former AEW Women's Champion was dominating the match as she landed a big splash.
Rose worked on Conti's right ankle. Tay used her left leg to kick Rose in the face before locking in a quick kneebar.
Rose broke out of it with strong stomps from the back. Back on the feet, Rose stopped Conti with a kick. She then got Tay up for the Beast bomb, but Conti reversed with a hurricanrana.
A spinning heel kick gave Conti a two-count. Rose managed to lay her out with a huge clothesline. Conti sidestepped Rose in the corner before connecting with the forearm strikes and a powerful knee strike. She hung on to Rose's hand before landing a pump kick.
Conti stunned Rose with a hammerlock DDT. She was shocked when Rose was still kicked out of three pinfall attempts. The former NXT Superstar looked frustrated and perplexed. Both women fought off their knees as strikes and chops were exchanged in the middle of the ring of the AEW match.
Conti swung and miss, but she still locked in the Dragon Sleeper. Rose reached out to the turnbuckle, which ended up in her arms.
Rose wanted to send Conti face-first into the exposed turnbuckle, but referee Aubrey Edwards was having none of it. Tay rolled up Rose, but Edwards was distracted by the turnbuckle, and the pinfall was delayed.
Rose escaped defeat and dropped Conti with a Death Valley Driver on the outside. She rolled Conti back in, and the Brazilian star miraculously kicked out at two and a half.
Nyla Rose finally executed the Beast Bomb to finish the AEW match.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Tay Conti to advance to the semifinals of the AEW tournament
Grade: A
#2. Emi Sakura vs. Yuka Sakazaki (AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament semifinals match - Japenese Side)
Sakazaki paid her respects to Emi Sakura before the AEW match began. 'The Magical Girl' started well by trying to take Sakura down.
Sakura fought back with monstrous Mongolian chops in the corner. Yuka created some separation with a dropkick that sent Sakura to the outside. Yuka delivered a senton, but Sakura was still stable enough to strike back. Sakura recuperated while Sakazaki waited for her opponent in the ring. Emi took Sakazaki out near the apron with a big crossbody.
Sakura distracted the referee while her two followers attacked Sakazaki near ringside. The match was now firmly in Sakura's control, who delivered a brutal neck breaker.
Sakazaki beat the ten count and returned to the ring only to be punished by Sakura again. Emi stretched Sakazaki out using the ropes and followed up the holds with kicks to the back. Sakura then pulled off the rolling variation of the Romero Special. Emi picked apart Sakazaki piece-by-piece with well-placed strikes.
Sakazaki, however, had some life left in her as she blocked two suplex attempts. Sakazaki's back elbow bounced off Emi, who transitioned for a double underhook backbreaker. Sakazaki used all her power to rock Sakura with a back body drop. It was now time for the Magical Girl to rally in the AEW match.
Sakazaki delivered a diving back elbow from the top, followed by a modified Northern Lights suplex. Yuka captured Sakura's ankles and locked in a hold. Sakura crawled to the bottom rope and forced the break. Yuka walked on the top rope and delivered a high-impact dropkick for a two-count. Sakura reversed a suplex move to trap Yuka in a standing dragon sleeper lock.
Sakura spun her out in a Crossrhodes-type move. Sakura then got a near fall with a Vader bomb. The veteran also showed a sense of urgency as she set Yuka up on the top rope in the AEW match.
Yuka anticipated the incoming strike, but so did Sakura. They had an incredible moment in the corner before Yuka came crashing down on Sakura.
A step-up hurricanerana got Yuka a two-count. Sakazaki flatlined Sakura, and she looked for the Magical Girl Splash. However, Emi stopped her and connected with the double underhook backbreaker. Sakura followed it with a twisted Vader bomb.
Sakazaki kicked out at two and a half. Yuka was still in the match as she executed the airplane spin into the facebuster. Tremendous strength! Emi responded with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The back-and-forth action was mesmerizing at this point.
Both women were now back on their feet, and they exchanged stiff shots. Stiff! Emi loved the slugfest and reacted by firing in heavy chops. Yuka came in with a heavier elbow strike. They canceled each other out before connecting with a straight kick. Sakura got a near fall with a chop and clothesline combo.
Sakura locked in the dragon sleeper, but Yuka was unwilling to concede defeat in the AEW tournament as she held onto the ropes. Emi got Sakazaki up on her shoulder before spinning her down to the mat face-first. Yuka somehow got her foot on the ropes. The AEW match continued!
Sakazaki countered Angel's Wings by landing on her feet and delivering the sliding clothesline. Yuka stole one over Sakura by catching her in a crucifix pin for the three-count to win the AEW tournament contest.
That was indeed an upset!
Result: Yuka Sakazaki def. Emi Sakura to advance to the finals of the AEW tournament
Grade: A+
Sakura didn't take too kindly to the loss, and she attacked Sakazaki after the match. Hikaru Shida came to the assist of Yuka Sakazaki to end the post-match AEW segment.
#3. Ryo Mizunami vs. Aja Kong (AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament semifinals match - Japenese Side)
It was hilarious to see a fired-up Ryo slap referee Tommy in the back before the AEW tournament match.
The bell went off, and the AEW match got underway with a tie-up in the middle. Kong overpowered Mizunami and pushed her against the ropes. Ryo went for two shoulder tackles but was unsuccessful in taking Kong off her feet. The third time was a charm as Kong was down on the mat. Mizunami laid in the chops in the corner. She apologized to the referee before delivering one final chop.
Mizunami turned her back on Kong, and the veteran fought back in the AEW match with a strike. Ryo tried to scoop Kong, and Aja was left unfazed. Mizunami avoided contact from an incoming elbow drop. She reacted by delivering two elbows of herself for a two-count. Ryo countered a kick with a kneebar. Aja Kong had great ring awareness and reached out for the ropes.
Mizunami continued to work on Kong's leg, but Aja tried to do whatever she could from her back. Mizunami relinquished the hold and delivered a series of kicks to the hamstring area.
Aja King slapped Mizunami on the feet, followed by a headbutt. Ryo answered by quickly sweeping Kong off her feet with a chop block. Ryo was back to targeting Kong's legs.
The giant couldn't complete an Irish whip as her left knee gave up. The referee checked on Kong as Mizunami missed a running strike and crashed on the outside. Aja followed her.
Kong used the 9-count to deliver all kinds of strikes on Mizunami at ringside. The referee stopped Kong from using a trash can, and she didn't put up much of a fight. Kong planted Mizunami with two significant backdrop drivers. Mizunami showed heart by kicking out at two.
Mizunami blocked Kong's spinning back fist. Ryo then channeled her inner Hulk Hogan to fight through strikes and immense pain. She used the dragon screw to take Kong down.
A clothesline and a leg drop got Mizunami a two-count. She quickly transitioned to the head and arm-triangle choke. Aja Kong was in serious trouble as she struggled to get to the ropes and was beginning to fade. Kong's hand, however, didn't drop thrice, and she finally broke the hold. Mizunami had the advantage, and she battered away at Kong.
Kong ate many shots but still stayed on her feet. Both competitors had a thumping back-and-forth exchange of lariats.
Kong got the better of the battle, and it gave her a two-count. Kong began going up to the top rope, but Mizunami got her back down.
Ryo laid out Kong with a spear before going up herself. Mizunami connected with a diving leg drop. The AEW match was not done just yet as Kong was kicked out.
Mizunami was livid, and she looked for the finishing blow. Ryo got Kong up on her feet but was stunned by a spinning back fist out of nowhere. Kong sadly couldn't capitalize and pin her opponent quickly. Mizunami kicked out when Kong eventually covered.
Aja got Mizunami to the outside, and she took the trash can in her hands. Kong gave the can to Hikaru Shida, and she sent Mizunami face-first into it. Kong tried to rush back into the ring, but Mizunami followed her, went up to the top rope, and delivered a leg drop on the apron.
Ryo rolled back into the ring, but Kong couldn't beat the count. We had another upset in the AEW tournament!
Result: Ryo Mizunami def. Aja Kong to advance to the finals of the Japanese Side of the AEW tournament
Grade: A
#4. Britt Baker vs. Madi Wrenkowski (AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinals match - American Side)
Baker jumped Wrenkowski from behind even before the AEW tournament match began. Britt dropped Madi with the swinging fisherman's neckbreaker out on the stage.
Baker would pummel Wrenkowski around the ring, and Rebel joined in the action as the referee was distracted. The match still hadn't begun yet, but Madi got back with a dropkick. The AEW match finally got underway when both women were back in the ring. Baker built on the advantage by laying out Madi with a sling blade.
Baker executed the butterfly suplex. Madi blocked two suplexes, but she still got rattled by an elbow strike.
Wrenkowski, however, dropped Britt with a facebuster followed by a crossbody and kick into the corner. Wrenkowski got a near fall as Baker broke the pin by grabbing the ropes.
Baker stopped Madi in her tracks and drove her head into the mid-turnbuckle. While Madi showed glimpses of brilliance, Baker was just too ruthless as she got a near fall with a big Air Raid Crash. Baker got the glove on. A boot across the jaw and the Lockjaw got Baker the victory in the AEW match.
Result: Britt Baker def. Madi Wrenkowski for advance to the semifinals of the AEW tournament
Grade: C
Baker curb-stomped Madi after the match and the heels mocked Thunder Rose by drawing on Madi's face. The AEW tournament episode ended with a graphic of the updated brackets.
