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Tony Khan and his team offered a ten-match card on this week's episode of AEW Dark, which was headlined by a massive no disqualification grudge match featuring two former partners.
As always, Dark featured a healthy mix of new and established talents, and it kicked off with Anna Jay representing the Dark Order in a singles match.
Dark Order's Anna Jay (w/ Tay Conti) vs. Reka Tehaka on AEW Dark
Reka Tehaka overpowered Anna Jay and enjoyed the early momentum in the match. Anna Jay showcased her striking superiority with well-placed punches and a back heel kick.
Anna connected with the dangerous Jay kick in the corner, but Tehaka fired back with a big headbutt. Jay reversed a Samoan drop into the Queen Slayer submission move, forcing Tehaka to tap out.
Result: Anna Jay def. Reka Tehaka on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Wardlow and Shawn Spears were involved in a backstage segment with Tony Schiavone. The growing disagreements between Shawn Spears and Wardlow were highlighted during the interview, and it's clear that the turn is coming.
The Blade (w/ The Bunny) vs. Toa Liona (AEW Singles Debut) on AEW Dark
The Blade unleashed a big attack on the Samoan wrestler in the corner. Toa Liona tried to fight back but couldn't evade a chop.
Liona landed a monstrous back elbow that got Blade off his feet. The Bunny attempted to sweep Liona from the outside, but the distraction itself was enough for Blade to get back in the match.
Bunny and Liona crossed paths again as she slapped the wrestler and then pulled his hair near the apron. Bunny later crawled across the ring, which caught the referee's attention. Meanwhile, Blade loaded up his right hand with a brass knuckle and knocked Liona out cold for the three-count.
Result: The Blade def. Toa Liona (AEW Singles Debut) on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Wardlow vs. Casanova (AEW Singles Debut) on AEW Dark
Casanova's strikes did not affect Wardlow as the Pinnacle member began his powerbomb symphony.
Wardlow hit four powerbombs and dominantly placed his feet over Casanova's chest for the pinfall win.
Result: Wardlow def. Casanova on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Anthony Greene cut a backstage promo ahead of his match against Tony Nese.
Diamante vs. Shawna Reed on AEW Dark
Shawna Reed and Diamante exchanged standing switches and had a tremendous grappling contest to start the match.
Reed looked technically sound as she kept up with Diamante on the mat. Shawna got a two-count following a perfect neckbreaker.
Diamante got back with a round kick before sending Reed flying across the ring with an effortless toss. She landed a brutal running dropkick in the corner, which earned her the final pinfall.
Result: Diamante def. Shawna Reed on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Anthony Greene vs. Tony Nese on AEW Dark
The AEW battle between the former WWE stars got underway with an evenly-contested lock-up.
Tony Nese drew heat from the crowd and eventually got laid out with a hurricanrana, followed by a tope suicida on the outside. The action continued as both men brawled around the ring.
Nese pulled the apron over Green's head and masked it with a dropkick. The Premier Athlete took control of the match as he executed a guillotine screen, followed by a moonsault press for a near fall.
Green got caught in a backbreaker torture rack, and he broke free with a few kicks. Anthony hit the ropes and connected with a rolling back elbow. He hit a jawbreaker/neckbreaker combo that popped the crowd,
Nese reversed the back suplex by landing on his feet. He went for the pinfall, but Greene kicked out and rolled up Nese.
Greene then pancaked Nese with a tilt-a-whirl facebuster, but Nese stayed in the match with a timely kick-out. Tony responded with a rolling sole butt across Greene's jaw, but he missed the running knees. Greene hit a thrust kick but couldn't block the German suplex on the turnbuckle.
Nese gathered momentum and landed the running knee strike in the corner to win.
Result: Tony Nese def. Anthony Greene on AEW Dark
Grade: A
The Bunny vs. KiLynn King on AEW Dark
The Bunny resumed the in-ring action on AEW Dark by starting strong against KiLynn King. Bunny drove King face-first into the bottom turnbuckle pad.
The HFO member confidently ran across the ring and kicked KiLynn King in the neck. Blade looked impressed by his partner's punches as she gave King no room for a comeback.
KiLynn created an opening by catching Bunny mid-air for a fallaway slam. She followed it with ripcord shots and clotheslines. The single-leg dropkick softened Bunny up for the Kingdom Falls finisher, but KiLynn failed to pull it off.
Bunny snapped, put together a furious combo of punches, and hit her 'Down the Rabbit Hole' finisher out of nowhere for the pinfall victory.
Result: The Bunny def. KiLynn King on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Bear Country vs. The Acclaimed on AEW Dark
Max Caster called Bear Country a couple of cub scouts as his latest diss verse was dedicated to Boulder and Bronson.
Anthony Bowens grabbed the mic to say a few words but was awkwardly cut short by Bear Country. Boulder and Bronson ping-ponged Caster across the ring with combination punches.
The action spilled outside as Bowens experienced a rough landing on the metal stage. Bowens was sent crashing into his partner as the crowd chanted 'Bear' in unison.
Bowens and Caster tipped the scales in their favor by splitting up Boulder and Bronson. The Acclaimed slowed the pace down and worked on Bronson in the ring.
Before tagging in Boulder, Bronson executed a big-time clothesline and a back body drop.
The towering star landed two clotheslines and went for the double chokeslam on Caster and Bowens, who blocked it with kicks.
Boulder still managed to execute a double flatliner for a near fall on Bowens. He charged up the fans and tagged Bronson back into the match. The Acclaimed stopped the Bear Bomb and isolated Bronson, who came back with a double clothesline.
The Bear Country couldn't complete their backpack cannonball senton, as Boulder's back injury prevented him from carrying his partner. Bowens took advantage of the delay and chop blocked Boulder's knees.
Caster dumped Bronson outside while Bowens landed another strike to Boulder's knees. Anthony pulled off a deep stack pinfall on Boulder to get a huge win.
Result: The Acclaimed def. Bear Country on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Skye Blue vs. Ashley D'Amboise on AEW Dark
Ashley D'Amboise caught Skye Blue on the back foot with some fast-paced offense. However, Blue wasted no time hitting a modified Flatliner for a quick win.
Result: Skye Blue def. Ashley D'Amboise on AEW Dark
Grade: D
AEW Dark Co-Main Event: "Pretty" Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi vs. Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta
The Wingmen attacked their opponents before the AEW Dark match officially got underway. Cezar Bononi slammed Wheeler Yuta in the middle of the ring as Peter Avalon joined in on the action.
Yuta escaped multiple strikes and leaped towards his corner to tag Orange Cassidy.
Cassidy and Bononi had a fun little delayed suplex spot before all hell broke loose in the match. Cassidy and Wheeler hit double tope suicidas on Bononi.
Orange got back in the ring and got a near fall with a solid DDT on Peter Avalon. The Wingmen member almost scored an upset with a Falcon Arrow over Cassidy.
Wheeler came in and planted Avalon with a modified side suplex. Orange Cassidy didn't execute a full-blown splash as Bononi came in to help his partner. Cezar incredibly launched Yuta across the ring with a pump handle throw.
Cassidy went for the Stun Dog Millionaire, but Bononi blocked the finisher and assisted Avalon to land a dropkick. Cassidy kicked out at two and worked towards tagging in Yuta.
However, Cassidy landed a Michinoku Driver on Avalon for another near fall. Ryan Nemeth walked out to cause a distraction, but Chuck Taylor was quick to stop the Hollywood Hunk from entering the ring.
Avalon almost used the ropes to win, but Taylor pulled his feet. Bononi also stopped Cassidy from getting a pinfall as the finishing sequences were wild!
Cassidy eventually connected with the Orange Punch to get the win.
Result: Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta def. "Pretty" Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi on AEW Dark
Grade: A
AEW Dark Main Event (No DQ, No Count Outs, No Rules): Joey Janela (w/ Kayla Rossi) vs. Sonny Kiss
Janela and Kiss finally locked horns in their long-awaited grudge match, and it lived up to all the hype.
Kiss walked into the ring with a trash can as the referee called for the bell. Sonny took Kayla Rossi out with the trash can before brawling with Joey Janela.
Janela turned the tables and chopped Sonny Kiss in the corner. Sonny responded with a savage lariat that knocked Janela out of the ring. Kiss executed a massive pullover hurricanrana on the outside and followed it with an ax kick.
Janela was sent crashing into the barricade as Kiss had the fans' support. Janela reversed a suplex off the steps by hanging on to the ring post. Sonny came charging in with an uppercut followed by a handstand takedown. Incredible!
Kiss placed the trash can cover over Janela's back but missed the moonsault press as Joey moved out of the way. A recuperated Kalya Rossi got back in the frame and helped Janela execute a double powerbomb over Sonny Kiss on the steel steps.
Janela cracked Kiss' ribcage with a stick before going for the trash can once again. The Bad Boy placed a few chairs in the ring and rolled Kiss in for a massive spot.
Joey looked for a package piledriver on the heap of chairs from the top, but Kiss blocked the move and shoved Janela down. Joey crashed back-first onto the chairs. It got even worse for Janela as Kiss landed a rolling DDT over multiple chairs. Ouch! A holy sh** chant rightfully broke out after the spot.
The DDT busted Janela open as Sonny Kiss savored every second of the dominance. Janela finally got some control with a nasty brainbuster on the floor. He ordered Kayla Rossi to get a ladder while he grabbed a table from underneath the ring.
Rossi and Janela positioned the weapons in the ring, and he promised to elbow drop Kiss right through the table.
Sonny broke free with a roundhouse kick, but Kayla Rossi got involved with a trash can. Kiss continued the heroic performance by taking Rossi out of the equation once again.
Sonny sandwiched Rossi over Janela on the table before climbing the ladder. Sonny Kiss drove them through the table with a flying splash, which got a deserved 'this is awesome' chant from the crowd.
Sonny Kiss introduced another table in the match, this time near the ringside area. The match's finish was near as Kiss and Janela battled in front of the stage. Janela reversed a powerbomb attempt and kicked Sonny in the jaw.
Janela took it to the next level by executing a piledriver on Sonny Kiss through the table from the stage! Holy sh**!
Janela rolled Kiss into the ring and got the three-count on AEW Dark. What a match!
Result: Joey Janela def. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
Grade: A+
Fans witnessed one of the greatest matches in AEW Dark history as Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss put it all on the line in a thoroughly entertaining match. You can watch the entire episode above, and feel free to share your reviews in the comments section below.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
