wrestling / TV Reports

Cook’s AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament: Deadly Draw (Semi-Finals) Review

August 17, 2020 | Posted by Steve Cook
Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament
7
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Cook’s AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament: Deadly Draw (Semi-Finals) Review  

Hey kids! AEW’s Women’s Tag Team Cup: The Deadly Draw has taken us on an interesting journey over the past couple of weeks. What a long, strange trip it’s been. Now we’re down to four teams. We have the presumptive favorites, the team that brought this whole thing on, the Nightmare Sisters. They’ll be taking on the Swole Family, featuring Big & Lil’, two ladies with very passionate fanbases. On the other side of the bracket, we’ve got my new favorite tag team, TayJay. Tay Conti & Anna Jay are great, but they’ve got some stiff competition. Ivelisse & Diamante are as good as it gets.

We’ve got two matches that look pretty interesting on paper to me. Let’s hook ’em up!

– What makes a champion? The singer tells us!

– Tony Schiavone & Veda Scott are with us. Veda’s having a tough time making a pick. She’s not sure whether Anna Jay joined Dark Order or not.

Semi-Final Match: The Swole Family (Lil’ & Big Swole) vs. The Nightmare Sisters (Brandi Rhodes & Allie) w/Lil’ Bran Bran, Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall: Some good moves from the Swoles on the entrance, not gonna lie. I also think the Brandi action figures might be sold out because Brandi bought them all. Lil’ & Brandi start things out. Headlock takeover by Brandi, nearfall cradle exchange. Brandi tags right out, she’s had enough of this jazz. Allie & Lil’ going at it now. Allie can twist that arm, but Lil’ gets that arm drag. Into the corner, tag to Big. Some cohesive moves here, some dancing, some frequent tags. Allie suplexed out of the ring, QT checking on her. Lil’ dives onto QT, who properly sells it like he’s having a heart attack because he’s an intelligent man. Allie clotheslines Lil’, rolls her back in the ring. Dustin talking some junk to Lil’ while she’s getting choked in the corner! Brandi wants in now, and hits a superkick for a near-fall. The Swoles could have gotten a tag if Big was in the proper place, sadly she was not. Lil’ makes her own comeback on Brandi though, gets a cross arm breaker, but Brandi dims her lights with a kick and tags Allie back in. Allie taunts Big, who distracts the ref while Lil’ gets worked over. Best Friends elbow on Lil’ gets 2. Brandi misses a pump kick, gets suplexed, and the fans getting behind Lil’ for the tag to Big, it happens, Big kicks the action figure and Allie. My gosh. Brandi is outraged. Big gets a 2.8 count on Allie, tags in a tired Lil’ because that’s what face teams do. Brandi makes the save on a cover, gets tossed outside, and Allie is isolated by the Swoles. Wait a minute…DR. BRITT BAKER DMD IS HERE! She’s got a bullhorn, distracting Big while Lil’ gets taken out for the three count with an Eye of the Hurricane variation that Allie probably has a name for.

Winners: The Nightmare Sisters (8:21 via Allie pin on Lil’)
Star Rating: **1/2

I thought Lil’ Swole once again did a heck of a job and proved she belongs on AEW women’s roster. If we don’t see that tweet saying she’s All Elite pretty soon, they’re out of their minds. Lil’ & Allie got most of the in-ring action here, and since they’re the two best workers, it worked out pretty well. Smart.

– Britt & Rebel/Reba drive off in the Rolls Royce. Big nearly catches them, but not quite.

– MJF All Out commercial

– Action figure commercial

– AEW Heels commercial, which is also the most we’ve seen of Shanna & Riho in the past several months. And Brandi’s feet.

Semi-Final Match: TayJay (Tay Conti & Anna Jay) vs. Ivelisse & Diamante: I think that was the Mookie guy that was left hanging on the high-five from Tay. People will correct me if it wasn’t. Much like the previous match, the Dark Order comes out with Anna during her entrance and leaves afterward. They’re classy gentlemen. Ivelisse & Tay start. Two fighters here. Tay landing the harder strikes early. Ivelisse trying to get a pin while Tay tries to get an armbar. Tay introduces Ivelisse to Anna’s boot. Anna & Diamante tag in. Shoulderblock. Hip toss by Jay, big kick, into the corner, elbow, dropkick to a seated Diamante gets 2. Anna shining here early. Diamante goes to the eyes, and now it’s time for Anna to get worked over. Flapjack by Ivelisse gets 2. Firing with punches. Tay looking concerned in the corner. Ivelisse stomping a mudhole and walking it dry. Diamante with a boot choke after. Tay is doing some work over in that corner. But then she comes in to distract the ref while Anna gets kicked out of her gord. Suplex with a floatover gets two. A Spinal Tap gets a near fall. Ivelisse tags back in, Anna trying to fire back, but a Flatliner & an STO gets a 2. Double underhook into a Trailer Hitch style of submission. Anna gets out and is still firing back. Dropkick to Ivelisse, and Tay is begging for that tag. She gets it! Clotheslines to Dimante, knee to Ivelisse, a side slam and a kick to the face on Diamante gets two. Ivelisse & Jay are back in and it’s broken down in Tulsa. Aubrey Edwards has lost all control of this stuff. Cutters, Stunners all around, an assisted sliced bread on Tay gets the pinfall!

Winners: Ivelisse & Diamante (7:20 via Diamante pin on Conti)
Match Rating: **1/2

You guys might quibble on the actual rating (I’ve tried to avoid rating matches for 15 years), but I thought both semi-finals were worked equally well. I continue to be impressed by Anna Jay’s work considering the number of matches she’s worked. She should be a lot worse, quite honestly. Her being as good as she is makes other people look bad. Tay did some really great apron work, and Ivelisse & Diamante were freaking solid. I saw some YouTube comments calling them the female LAX, and I would be down with Eddie Kingston cutting a promo on their behalf for the finals.

– Alex Marvez is with the Nightmare Sisters. Brandi & Allie argue over who deserves more credit. Brandi really promises Allie will get a figure, and they need to socially influence.

– Marvez is with Ivelisse & Diamante. 10 years & 16 years. 26 combined years. This is bigger than them. They have to do this for their people, by any means necessary. They’re the babyfaces now from where I sit.

– Tony thanks us for watching and says he’ll see us tomorrow for Dark! He’ll see Kevin, I think.

7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
Two really solid tag team matches make this an easy recommendation. The Nightmare Sisters are what they are, and I do think they'll have a good match with Ivelisse/Diamante on Saturday night. I continue to be impressed with Anna Jay & Tay Conti, but I'm glad they lost here because that means the AEW spoilers I saw that looked unwatchable are wrong.
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