Former WWE Star Debuts in AEW During TBS Tournament Semifinals on Dynamite

By Matthew Aguilar

Tonight's New Year's Smash episode of AEW Dynamite featured the last semifinals match of the TBS Women's Championship Tournament between Jade Cargill and Thunder Rosa, and Rosa came out swinging with a dropkick to the knees, and then Jade regrouped outside. Rosa then took down Sterling and Cargil came back with a forearm to the back of Rosa's head and a throw into the barricade. Rosa came back with punches and kicks and then reset the count and continued her attack, but Cargill countered and then tried to slam Rosa but Rosa reversed it and jumped towards her, though Cargill caught her and slammed her back over her knee.

Rosa then went after the knee again and grounded Cargill, and kept kicking the back of Cargill's knee. Rosa kept up the punches, but Cargill threw her into the barricade again and then kicked her in the back, which was taped up.

Rosa went to throw Cargill into the post but it was reversed and Rosa slammed into it instead. Cargill rolled her into the ring and played to the crowd, and then charged at Rosa but missed. Rosa got a right hand in but then she got knees to the face until she grabbed Cargill's leg and twisted it over the ropes. Then she followed it up with a back elbow but Cargill hit a huge kick to the head to send her to the mat.

They squared off again and Rosa went for the knee, but Cargill grabbed her until Rosa broke it up. Cargill tried to lock Rosa into a hold and it put pressure on her back again, but Rosa came back with kicks to the knees before getting slammed face-first into the mat. Cargill tried to lift Rosa but Rosa stopped it and threw more punches. Cargill stomped on her then lifted her up for quite a while, but Rosa came down on top and got a two count.

Rosa kept up with the punches to the knees of Cargill and they were wearing her down, and then she charged towards the corner and clotheslined her several times and then hit a vicious dropkick to the knee of Cargill. She repeated it again, and Cargill was in pain at this point, but she kept up with more kicks to the back of the knee.

Rosa then kept the leg locked and brought down elbows on the leg and knee, but Cargill was able to push her away. She lifted her and hit a Samoan Drop, but she was limping afterward. Cargill went to lift her again and locked in a Torture Rack, and Rosa hit the ground with energy, lifting Cargill and hitting a Knee Breaker. She then went to lock in a hold on the leg and got it, locking in a Figure Four.

Cargill got a drink of water for a minute and Rosa punched her in the back of the head. She went for another Figure Four but Cargill kicked her towards the corner, and then a mystery individual came and knocked Rosa out. Cargill then took advantage and pinned Rosa for the win, and she moves onto the next round of the TBS tournament to face Ruby Soho.

After the win Rosa attacked Cargill and then the mystery attacker came out to help Cargill, and it was none other than Mercedes Martinez, though she was run off by Ruby Soho. Later Tony Khan would confirm that Martinez is in fact All Elite.

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comment and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

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