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Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander

The first match on the Zero Hour was the bout between Willow and Stat that was just set up on Rampage. They shook hands to show respect before locking up. These are probably the two most powerful women in AEW, so they were evenly matched in many ways.

This was a solid matchup between two of AEW's most beloved babyfaces. The crowd didn't seem to know who to root for at times, but that's the risk you run with bouts like this. It picked up as it went, but there were a few close botches, but Willow was able to hit the Doctor Bomb for the win.

Result: Willow Nightingale defeated Kris Statlander

20-Man Battle Royal

The winner of this match was awarded with a TNT title shot that they were able to redeem at the time and place of their choosing, similar to how the MITB briefcase works in WWE.

Competitors included names such as Danhausen, Bryan Keith, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Lance Archer, Dalton Castle and many more. We saw some fun interactions and moments, but this was nothing unexpected. Archer and Killswitch dominated the action and scored the most eliminations. It came down to Trent Beretta and Killswitch at the end, but Christian Cage's protege was able to get the win.

Result: Killswitch defeated 19 other competitors

Hook vs. Wheeler Yuta (FTW Championship)

The third and final match on the pre-show was for the FTW Championship. This match had no countouts or disqualifications, which was a big change from the Pure Rules matches Yuta has been having recently.

Yuta tried to jump Hook as soon as he got to the ring, but the FTW champion came in swinging. They put on a decent match that made good use of weapons without making them the only source of offense. Hook retained his title by submission using Red Rum.

Result: Hook defeated Wheeler Yuta

Notable Moments and Observations

• Renee Paquette clarified during the pre-show that Kingston's ROH and NJPW openweight titles will not be merged with the new Continental title. They will be able to be defended separately. 
• Statlander showed some impressive power when she picked Willow up high for a bodyslam. 
• The video package for Serena Deeb was great.
• It's so easy to forget that Luchasaurus is Killswitch now. 
• Why is Andretti's gimmick that he can drink a bottle of water in one gulp?

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