For the first time in his AEW career, Kevin Knight has captured singles gold.
Knight won the vacant TNT Championship on Sunday night, prevailing in a Casino Gauntlet match as part of AEW Dynasty from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Knight broke up a submission from Daniel Garcia with a top-rope UFO Splash to score the pinfall win in 22 minutes.
“The Jet” prevailed in a match which also featured Bandido, ex-TNT champ Tommaso Ciampa, Rush, Speedball Bailey, El Clon, PAC, Anthony Bowens, Kevin Knight, and Wheeler Yuta.
Knight has mainly worked as a tag talent alongside Speedball Bailey since arriving in AEW last year. He most recently wrestled as part of the promotion’s trios division, putting together two brief reigns with the belt earlier this year.
Earlier highlights in the Casino Gauntlet match included a couple of huge high spots outside the ring. El Clon notably caught Bandido mid-air with a Spanish Fly, landing them both onto a crowd of other competitors at ringside. Moments later, Ciampa gave Knight a Superplex to the outside, with others catching their landing.
A Casino Gauntlet match was booked for Sunday’s show after previous TNT champ Kyle Fletcher vacated the title due to injury last week. Fletcher had carried the belt for just under 60 days, ending Ciampa’s reign with the belt earlier this year and defending it three times over the past two months.
Casino Gauntlet matches see wrestlers enter the ring in a staggered manner, similar to a Royal Rumble. Wrestlers continue to enter the match until one is able to find a pinfall or submission, with the first fall putting an end to the bout.
With an early entrance in the match giving someone a significant advantage, both Tommaso Ciampa and Rush had to fight to earn their respective #1 and #2 slots in the bout. Ciampa defeated Mascara Dorada on Dynamite to get the #1 spot, and Rush overcame Anthony Bowens to secure the #2 entrance.
