Miro Beats Lance Archer, Retains TNT Title at AEW Double or Nothing 2021

Photo credit: AEW

Miro defeated Lance Archer at AEW Double or Nothing on Sunday to retain the TNT Championship.

Archer didn’t submit but passed out in a submission hold, forcing the referee to call for the bell.

Miro unsettled his opponent by targeting Jake Roberts. Archer lost focus and wasn’t the same from that point forward.

Sunday’s bout was a clash between two of All Elite Wrestling‘s fiercest and most dominant monsters for a title that is of great importance to both of them.

Miro broke into AEW in September to plenty of fanfare due to his run in WWE as Rusev, but it took him some time to gain his footing, as he was stuck low on the card in a storyline with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford that saw him serve as the best man at their wedding.

Following the conclusion of the rivalry pitting Miro and Sabian against Best Friends and Orange Cassidy, Miro turned on SuperBad by attacking him backstage and sending him to the injured list.

After that, Miro stressed the importance of competing for championships and reaching the top of the mountain, and it wasn’t long before he was chosen as an opponent for one of Darby Allin’s open challenges.

Miro had the benefit of facing Allin when he was less than 100 percent, after Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page had thrown him down a flight of stairs the previous week.

The Bulgaria native made Allin pass out in his submission finisher to win the TNT Championship on May 12, and Archer emerged immediately after the match to confront Miro and signal a possible forthcoming title match between them.

Miro vs. Archer at Double or Nothing was made official a couple of weeks before the pay-per-view, and the challenger made it clear that he intended to win the title that had eluded him for so long.

One year ago at Double or Nothing, The Murderhawk Monster faced Cody Rhodes in the finals of a tournament to crown the first TNT champion. He fell short, and he stressed to Miro how badly he wanted to make up for that loss and do it at the same event.

Miro and Archer took the fight to each other in what was a hard-hitting affair, but the titleholder emerged with his young reign still intact, and Archer was once again prevented from winning the championship he has pursued for a year.

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