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AEW was back for a massive edition of the regular broadcast of AEW Dark that featured 14 matches. An FTW title match was the major attraction on the show, including a female star's in-ring return.
On that note, let's get to the first match of the evening on AEW Dark:
#1. Chaos Project vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver on AEW Dark
Serpentico and Silver kicked off the episode with a quick mat return. Silver elevated Serpentico over the top with a back body drop.
Silver then caught Serpentico with an uppercut, aka the single bicep shot. Reynolds got the tag, and they worked in tandem for a double drop toehold and dropkicks.
Serpentico tagged Luther, and the Chaos Project member ate a series of punches and forearm strikes.
Serpentico held Reynolds' feet from the apron while Luther distracted the referee. Chaos Project was now on top, and they used their trademark offense on Reynolds.
Luther used Serpentico as a weapon to punish Reynolds in the corner. The audience booed as Luther connected with a big clothesline. Serpentico got the tag, and he was bulldogged onto Reynolds, which gave Chaos Project a two-count.
The action moved to the outside, and Reynolds shut Serpentico down with a big boot. Luther was aware of Reynolds' entry into the ring, and the Dark Order member was carefully placed on the top turnbuckle.
Reynolds kicked Luther and delivered a big moonsault press from the top. Silver got the hot tag, and he rushed into the ring as he was shot off a cannon.
Silver single-handedly overpowered Luther and Serpentico with a German suplex-kick combo. Serpentico pulled Silver back and hit a kick. Luther slammed Serpentico onto Silver, and he called for the Creeping Death. Reynolds knocked Serpentico off the turnbuckle and took Luther out with a tope suicida.
Silver and Serpentico continued the in-ring action. The Meat Man rocked Serpentico with a barrage of kicks, but Serpentico responded with an enziguri.
Johnny Hungy, however, knew that the finish was near. The Dark Order hit a double kick combo, and Silver followed it with a Release German suplex.
They finally hit the Dark Destroyer for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Alex Reynolds & John Silver def. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#2. SCU vs. Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson on AEW Dark
Isaacs and Kazarian started with a hard-fought tie-up. Isaacs got some wrist control, but Kazarian flipped over and arm-dragged Isaacs to the mat.
Nelson got the tag, and Kazarian went to his corner to get Daniels into the match. SCU hit a four-kick combo before Daniels continued the dominance for his team. Daniels slammed Nelson across the ring from the hammer throw.
Nelson scoop slammed Daniels and tagged Isaacs. SCU used all their experience to control the match until this point.
However, Nelson and Isaacs created a 2v1 situation against Daniels and stunned him with a kick. Isaacs executed an excellent deadlift fisherman's suplex. He followed it up with a few headbutts before going to his corner.
Nelson and Isaacs executed an assisted leg drop. Nelson gloated before connecting with a few forearm strikes from the full mount position. Isaacs was back in, and he dropped CD with a clothesline for a two-count. Daniels blocked a suplex, but he ate an elbow to the guts.
Daniels, however, executed a back heel trip, aka the STO, that gave him the time to tag Kazarian.
Frankie was on a roll as he brought out a plethora of moves on both opponents, including the shotgun dropkick, a forearm strike, and a leg drop.
Kazarian got a two-count from a sunset flip and followed it with a big springboard twisting leg drop. Nelson stopped SCU from delivering their finisher.
All hell broke loose in the ring as all four men engaged in a quick sequence, and in the end, Daniels hit the Best Moonsault Ever on Isaacs for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: SCU def. Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
#3. Penelope Ford (w/ Kip Sabian) vs. Miranda Alize on AEW Dark
Penelope rushed towards Alize immediately after the bell went off, but Miranda was quick and used her agility to send Ford to the outside.
Penelope caught Alize's leg, and she connected with a few punches. Alize got a roll-up, but Ford managed to kick out.
Penelope Ford executed an insane double-knee drop on Alizee on the apron. Kip Sabian, too, was stunned by his wife's ingenuity and viciousness.
Ford began to wear Alize down, but Miranda responded with a series of punches. She ate an elbow strike while Ford also absorbed an elbow shot.
Ford dropped Alize with a high-round kick for a two-count.
Alize reversed the springboard stunner into a ripcord knee lift strike for a pinfall attempt. Ford dropped Alize with a drop toehold, and she then hit a shotgun dropkick to the back.
Ford hit a gutbuster, followed by the bridged Fisherman's Suplex for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Penelope Ford def. Miranda Alize on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#4. Gunn Club vs. Jake St. Patrick, Adam Priest & Baron Black on AEW Dark
Adam Priest took Austin Gunn's back and slammed him into the mat a few times as the AEW Dark match began. Adam Priest used his low center of gravity to get the better of the early exchanges.
Austin, however, gathered some momentum and executed a flipping facebuster. Black and Billy Gunn got the tags, and they locked up.
Baron Black stung Billy Gunn in the chest with a chop, and the veteran didn't look too happy. He executed a massive hip toss, followed by a chop, before tagging Colten Gunn.
Colten Gunn did the 'dunk,' and he allowed Black to tag Jake St. Patrick. Gunn hit a neckbreaker, and things broke down in the ring as all competitors brawled in the ring. Black and Priest were dumped on the outside, and Gunn Club hit the 3:10 to Yuma for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Gunn Club def. Jake St. Patrick, Adam Priest & Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: D
#5. Jack Evans vs. Dante Martin on AEW Dark
Excalibur called Jack Evans one of the greatest high-flyers of all time, and Dante Martin was seen as the hot prospect on the block. This match was bound to be explosive.
The counters in the early goings of the match were fast and predictably fluid. Dante showed pinpoint accuracy with a dropkick, and he followed it with a neck breaker.
Martin went to the top but missed the 450 Splash. Evans connected with a corkscrew kick to shift the momentum in his favor.
Evans hit a handspring back elbow on Dante Martin in the corner. The TH2 member connected with the rider kick for a two-count.
Martin began his comeback with an incredible counter, in which he caught Evans in mid-air and slammed him back-first on the outside. Martin connected with a chop but missed the suplex.
Martin started cooking as he put together a series of kicks. Martin hit a great moonsault off the ropes. The commentators were speechless, but the move wasn't enough to get Martin the win.
The action moved to the ringside area. Martin hit a massive Canadian Destroyer on Evans before rolling him back into the ring. Martin landed the 450 Splash for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Dante Martin def. Jack Evans on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Angelico hit the ring and dropped Martin with a cheap shot. Darius Martin, who wasn't medically cleared to compete, came to his brother's aid. It should be noted that Darius didn't get physical.
#6. Brian Cage (C) vs. Brandon Cutler (FTW Championship Match) on AEW Dark
Brian Cage kicked off the title match with a strong mat return. He rocked Cutler with a forearm strike, but Brandon got the better of the champion in the corner.
Cage caught Cutler in mid-air and executed a death valley driver. Cage chopped Cutler in the corner before looking for a powerbomb. Cutler reversed it with a sunset flip attempt, but he settled for a roundhouse kick.
Cutler used his long legs to land another kick before delivering a tope on the outside. Cutler got a two-count with a flying crossbody in the ring.
Cage hit a pump handle facebuster for a two-count. Both men traded a few kicks in the middle of the ring, and the sequence was timed to perfection. Cage tried the deadlift suplex, but Cutler flipped over the ropes and hit a powerbomb for another near fall.
Cutler had the champ in a bad spot with a springboard elbow strike, and he followed it up with a springboard elbow drop. Cage kicked out at two and a half.
Cutler went to the top for could have been the finisher, but Cage caught his opponent and seamlessly transitioned to the Drill Claw.
Result: Brian Cage def. Brandon Cutler to retain the FTW Championship on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#7. Ashley Vox vs. Alex Gracia on AEW Dark
Gracia executed two clean arm drags to get wrist control on Ashley Vox in the AEW Dark match. Gracia was just quicker off the gates as she was a step ahead of Vox in every department.
Vox evaded a strike but couldn't stop the follow-up dropkick from Gracia. Both women swung hands and connected with wild forearm shimmers.
Vox started to match Gracia move-for-move, and they exchanged various pinfall attempts. Vox locked in the Fishhook out of nowhere for her first win in AEW.
Result: Ashley Vox def. Alex Gracia on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#8. Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela vs. Seth Gargis & Vary Morales on AEW Dark
The usually eccentric Janela was a bit extra lively tonight as he kicked off the match with Vary Morales.
Morales executed a great kip-up that got a solid reaction. Janela was impressed, and he wanted to do a kip-up. The Bad Boy had several attempts, but he sadly failed. Janela worked the crowd really well with the kip-up spot.
Joey hit a thrust kick and tagged Sonny Kiss. Kiss and Janela had Morales in an intricate double submission move that forced Gargis to intervene.
Sonny Kiss and Seth Gargis were the legal competitors, and Kiss managed to neutralize the big man. Janela got back into the match, and he laid out Gargis after multiple running strikes.
Kiss and Janela hit a double suplex followed by several kicks. Morales was taken out of the ring. Kiss and Janela hit the splitting leg drop into the reverse DDT on Gargis for the win.
Result: Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela def. Seth Gargis & Vary Morales on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#9. Fuego Del Sol vs. JD Drake (w/ Ryan Nemeth) on AEW Dark
In case you didn't know, JD Drake and Ryan Nemeth formed their new-found alliance on last night's AEW Dark Elevation.
JD Drake seems ready for a push on Dark, and he started his match with Del Sol in an impressive fashion. Del Sol went for a tope suicida, but Drake caught him, bounced him off the ropes, and dropped him with a clubbing blow. Viscous!
There was nothing artful about JD Drake's in-ring style as it was hard-hitting and effective. Fuego created some separation with a quick roll-up and a kick.
Del Sol missed the standing sliced bread, and JD Drake hit the ropes to connect with a Claymore kick for the win. JD Drake looked terrific in his first AEW win, and the future indeed looks bright for the talented throwback character.
Result: JD Drake def. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#10. QT Marshall vs. Shawn Dean on AEW Dark
Dean and Marshall engaged in a collar and elbow tie-up to begin the AEW Dark match. QT dropped Dean with a big shoulder tackle, but the Captain returned with a stiff rolling forearm strike.
The crowd chanted for Dean as he sent QT to the outside. He caught QT with a dropkick; however, Marshall fired back with a clothesline.
QT rolled Shawn Dean back into the ring, and he was in the driver's seat. QT even nonchalantly stepped on Dean's face, which, for some weird reason, kicked off a 'USA' chant.
QT had Dean in a unique chin lock that even blocked the Captain's vision. Dean finally shut down QT with a desperation dropkick. Both men recuperated, and Dean landed a haymaker. QT answered with an equally powerful punch.
The Captain had the heat as he connected with various strikes on QT. He executed a Tope Con Hilo on QT on the outside. Dean got some great elevation on the move.
QT hit a big dropkick back in the ring, and he called for the Diamond Cutter. Both men canceled each other out, and Dean looked for a springboard move. QT caught Dean with a Diamond Cutter in mid-air for the win.
Result: QT Marshall def. Shawn Dean on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#11. The Bunny (in-ring return) vs. Jazmin Allure on AEW Dark
The Bunny, fka Allie, was back for her first match since September 2020.
Bunny was relentless from the get-go as she landed some significant elbow strikes. Allure showed some resiliency with a couple of dropkicks. Bunny caught Allure off guard and took over the match.
Bunny connected with a brutal sliding elbow strike in the corner, and she talked trash while punishing Allure. Jazmin hit a jawbreaker and a running clothesline to get some reprieve. Bunny responded with a thrust kick and ended the match with her finisher, a modified inverted DDT.
Result: The Bunny def. Jazmin Allure on AEW Dark
Grade: D
#12. Carlie Bravo, Brick Aldridge & Dean Alexander vs. Colt Cabana, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson of The Dark Order on AEW Dark
Colt Cabana outwrestled Dean Alexander in the early stages of the match. Carlie Bravo got the tag, and he tried to mess with Cabana's head. Colt wasn't pleased, and he dropped Bravo with a shot across the face.
Uno got the tag, and he got a two-count from a vertical suplex. Grayson and Uno hit a Russian leg sweep-penalty kick combo on Bravo. Carlie escaped a spear and jumped to his corner to tag Aldridge into the contest.
The Nightmare factory representatives worked great together to keep Grayson grounded and isolated away from the Dark Order's corner. Grayson hit a Urinagi before finally making the tag to Uno.
Uno hit a neckbreaker and a high boot, but he wasn't done there. Uno even shut down Carlie Bravo. The Dark Order cleared the ring with Cabana landing KO punches on Aldrige and Alexander. Grayson and Uno hit the Fatality on Bravo for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Dark Order def. Carlie Bravo, Brick Aldridge & Dean Alexander on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
#13. Co-Main Event: Nick Comoroto & Aaron Solow vs. D3 & Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Solow and D3 jockeyed for position, but Aaron got the better of his opponent with a double stomp in the AEW Dark match.
Comoroto got the tag, and D3 frantically rushed to his corner to get Fashion into the match. Angel Fashion was big enough to stand toe-to-toe with Comoroto.
Nick Comoroto's power was on just another level, though, as he caught Angel from a crossbody attempt and planted him into the mat.
Solow got the tag and picked up the win for his team with a modified criss-cross pedigree. That was neat!
Result: Nick Comoroto & Aaron Solow def. D3 & Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#14. Main Event: Cezar Bononi (w/ Peter Avalon) vs. John Skyler on AEW Dark
Skyler was battling against a massive size difference, but he still took the fight to Bononi.
The former WWE NXT Superstar ragdolled Skyler around the ring with brutal hammer throws. Bononi got a two-count with a big hip toss. The big man briefly had Skyler in a chin lock, but he chose to go outside the ring. Bononi slammed Skyler on the apron.
'Beautiful Bononi' was en route to an easy victory, but Skyler still had some offense left in him. Bononi, however, caught Skyler and swung him around. Bononi hoisted Skyler up in the air and slammed him into the mat with his finisher for the win.
Result: Cezar Bononi def. John Skyler on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Cezar Bononi posted a tweet hours before the show and revealed that his family needed help with his wife's leukemia treatment. We send our best wishes to the AEW star, his wife, and family and hope they get the required help as soon as possible.
You can view the complete episode of AEW Dark above. Before you go, don't forget to join us tomorrow for another stacked episode of AEW Dynamite.
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