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Excalibur and Taz kicked off the latest AEW Dark with the usual greetings. The pre-show hype segued into the first match of the evening.
#1. Lee Johnson & Aaron Solow vs. Chris Peaks & Louie Valle on AEW Dark
Solow and Valle kicked things off on the latest AEW Dark, and Louise had his issues with Arn Anderson, who was at ringside. Solow got the better of the early exchanges as he grounded Valle with a few headlock takedowns.
Lee Johnson got into the action with a double ax sledgehammer from the top. Solow followed suit as the Nightmare Family members made quick tags. Johnson and Solow dropped Valle with double-spinning elbows. The synergy between the two looked great as the quick tags continued.
Valle rocked Solow with a knee to the gut as he rushed to his corner to tag Peaks into the match. Valle connected an illegal knee to Solow's back, and the control had now shifted.
Valle's cannibalistic tendencies came to the fore as he bit Solow's hand. A classic suplex followed the barbaric act. Peaks and Valle were now on top, and they made a few tags. Solow fought back with a kick, and he sent Peaks outside.
Big Shotty got the hot tag, and he exploded with a big dropkick. Johnson won the AEW Dar match with a Blue Thunder Bomb on Louie Valle.
Result: Lee Johnson & Aaron Solow def. Chris Peaks & Louie Valle on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#2. Ivelisse & Diamante vs. Red Velvet & KiLynn King on AEW Dark
Diamante wanted Red Velvet, and King obliged. Velvet and Diamante engaged in a heated exchange of kicks. Diamante connected with some ground and pound, but Velvet would turn the tables with a big leg lariat. Diamante tagged Ivelisse, who came in and threw hands.
Velvet responded with a backhand slap. KiLynn and Velvet worked on Ivelisse's arm. They worked well together with a double-team move, which ended with a Cazadora splash on Ivelisse.
King was fired up as she brought Ivelisse down with an inside leg sweep. Ivelisse briefly teased the arm triangle, but King used all her power to lift her opponent. A cheap shot from Diamante in the corner was enough for the heels to get back into the match.
The Women's Tag Team Tournament winners worked on King's left arm, and the systematic punishment was doing all the damage. King finally created some separation by breaking away from the sleeper hold. She laid out Ivelisse with an all-or-nothing clothesline.
Red Velvet received the tag, and she rained in shots on Diamante. Diamante and Velvet traded brutal forearm strikes, Velvet hitting a double-knee strike to the back followed by the standing moonsault press for a near fall.
Ivelisse and Diamante went for the stereo knee strike on Velvet but missed.
Ivelisse still managed to hit a big move on Velvet, but King somehow broke the pinfall. King and Diamante brawled on the outside. In the meantime, Velvet hit the hook kick, followed by the running boot to the side of the head for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Red Velvet & KiLynn King def. Ivelisse & Diamante on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#3. Top Flight vs. Fuego Del Sol & Jon Cruz on AEW Dark
Del Sol and Darius Martin locked up, and, as expected, some high-flying sequences ensued. It was frantic, and Darius hit the dropkick at the end of it all.
The AEW Dark match had a rapid pace as Dante came in and continued the excellent work for his team.
Cruz came in after the tag and was greeted with a massive dropkick from Dante. Cruz would respond strongly with a step-up enziguri and rolling neckbreaker for a two-count.
Del Sol was tagged in, and he hit a standing shooting star press for a two-count. Dante created the separation and made the tag to Darius, who hit beautiful Spanish Fly on Cruz for a two-count. Top Flight isolated Cruz, but Dante was taken out. Del Sol came back in, and Cruz drove Dante into the barricade with a tope.
Del Sol leaped off the top and took out the Martin brothers on the outside. Del Sol looked to finish off the match, and he went for the Tornado, but he was obviously not going to hit it.
Top Flight hit an uppercut to Del Sol's guts, who was then positioned for the double team finisher - The Icebreaker.
Result: Top Flight vs. Fuego Del Sol & Jon Cruz on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#4. The Gunn Club vs. Tony Vega, Aaron Frye & Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Aaron Frye had Austin Gunn in a tight headlock in the early moments of the AEW match. They transitioned between holds, and Frye pushed Austin towards the corner.
Austin came back with a flipping facebuster, and he looked proud of himself. The Gunn family enjoyed themselves as Colten Gunn was now the legal man, and he executed his basketball-inspired moves. All three members of the Gunn Club completed a trios move on Tony Vega. However, Vega performed a clothesline, and Frye received the tag. Austin Gunn absorbed a lot of punishment in the wrong corner.
Austin finally began his comeback and tagged Billy Gunn. The WWE Hall of Famer cleared the house, and he hit Fashion with a Famouser in the middle of the ring.
Frye rushed in to break the pin. Austin and Colten came back to assist their father. Fashion was along in the ring, and the Gunn Club hit their finisher for the win.
Result: The Gunn Club def. Tony Vega, Aaron Frye & Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#5. Abadon vs. Renee Michelle on AEW Dark
Renee Michelle, WWE superstar Drake Maverick's wife, wrestled her second singles match in AEW, and she was visibly horrified by her opponent's intimidating appearance.
Abadon was all over Michelle from the get-go. The most terrifying woman in AEW's women's division delivered several punches on the outside.
While Michelle did put up a fight in the ring, a clubbing blow from Abadon was followed by a double-knee strike. Michelle fought out of a double underhook. She hit a big elbow strike, but Abadon reacted with a short-arm elbow strike.
Abadon finally hit the Cemetery drive for the three-count.
Result: Abadon def. Renee Michelle on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#6. JD Drake vs. Stu Grayson on AEW Dark
Drake and Grayson began with the collar and elbow tie-up. Drake dropped Grayson with a tackle, and he was even unfazed by the follow-up chops.
Drake looked legitimately tough, and Grayson cherished the challenge. The match turned into an ice hockey fight as both men traded a flurry of punches. Grayson laid out Drake on the apron, and he leaped over for a senton.
Drake responded by sending Grayson back-first into the ropes. Grayson ricocheted and ate a big clothesline.
Back in the ring, Drake delivered a senton before locking in a chin hold. Grayson responded with some punches, but Drake dropped him with a clothesline. Both wrestlers exchanged big shots.
Grayson pulled off a massive Urinage, followed by a flying shoulder twister in the air. Drake responded with a belly-to-belly following a diving leg drop from the middle rope. Drake almost got the win. He went up top, but Grayson hit him with the hurricanerana from the outside. Stu missed a 450 splash and ate a massive boot.
Drake missed his cannonball senton, and Stu hit a quick swinging DDT, followed by a bicycle knee strike and The Nightfall. 1..2..3!
Result: Stu Grayson def. JD Drake on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
The Acclaimed's new single dropped next.
#7. M'Badu & Baron Black vs. Bear Country on AEW Dark
Baron Black and Bronson started things off for their respective teams in the AEW Dark match. Bronson enjoyed the early momentum with a big elbow and body slam.
Boulder came into the match and delivered a headbutt to Black's midsection. Black and M'Badu took advantage of a referee distraction to drop Bronson shoulder-first on the apron.
Black used the ring post to target the injured shoulder. M'Badu finally entered the match, and the big man took Bronson down with a diving shoulder block. M'Badu and Black worked in tandem to deliver an assisted sidewalk slam. The pin attempt was interrupted as M'Badu was not the legal man.
Black pulled down his straps, but Bronson saturated his opponent with a modified suplex. Boulder got the tag, and there were shoulder blocks all across town. Boulder rocked Black in the corner before sending M'Badu to join his partner.
Boulder executed a Samoan drop-fallaway slam combo on both M'Badu and Baron Black. Boulder missed a moonsault press, which allowed M'Badu to hit a strike from the top.
Black hit a backstabber, but Bronson broke the pin. He wiped out M'Badu on the outside with a tope suicida. Bear Country hit the finisher on Black for the win.
Result: Bear Country def. M'Badu & Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Butcher and the Blade hit the ring and attacked Bear Country after the match.
#8. The Dark Order vs. Levy Shapiro, John Skyler & Ryzin on AEW Dark
Colt Cabana and Skyler kicked off the tag team match, and it was Colt who took control of the proceedings. Evil Uno came in and connected with a chop.
Skyler reversed an Irish whip and followed Uno for a strike in the midsection. Evil Uno dropped Shapiro with a shoulder tackle, followed by a Manhattan Drop. Alan Angels got the tag and he was dominant against Shapiro.
Brodie Lee Jr. gave his inputs from the ringside area as The Dark Order punished Shapiro in their corner. Shapiro eventually broke away and tagged Skyler. Angels got the tag from Uno, and the Dark Order took on multiple opponents.
Angles was the MVP as he hit a flurry of high-impact moves on all three members. It seemed like a one-person show until Skyler hit a big kick.
Ryzin finally got the tag, but Cabana and Uno were quick to scout danger. Ryzin was sent crashing into Uno's knee, and Uno's finisher then flatlined him on AEW Dark.
Result: The Dark Order def. Levy Shapiro, John Skyler & Ryzin on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#9. Max Caster vs. JJ Garrett on AEW Dark
Garrett went for a high crotch takedown as the commentary team continued to focus on his mullet. Garrett started strong with some hard strikes on Caster.
JJ hit an area code shot, followed by a spear in the corner. Caster countered Garrett's explosivity with a massive arm drag. Max wrenched back on Garrett's arms, and it was The Acclaimed member who enjoyed a dominant phase.
Garrett escaped a top rope suplex and hit a moonsault press. He followed it with a few chops, but the Irish whip attempt failed due to his injured left hand.
Garrett, however, still managed to execute a cannonball senton in the corner. Caster kicked out of a jackknife pinfall, and Bowens slipped in the boombox to distract the referee.
Caster hit the brainbuster and the Mic Drop from the top rope for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Max Caster def. JJ Garrett on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#10. TH2 vs. Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo on AEW Dark
Carlie Bravo got a few pops for managing to outwrestle Angelico in the initial stages of the AEW Dark match.
Commentators quickly noted that Bravo was green in the ring, and Dean received the tag. Evans got into the match from the other corner, and both men tried to control each others' wrists. Dean delivered two deep arm drags and a well-placed kick to Evans' head.
Bravo hit a dropkick after getting back into the match. A distraction helped TH2 control the AEW Dark contest. Angelico hit a penalty kick on Bravo, whose attempts to fight back were briefly cut off.
He avoided contact and tagged Dean, who rattled Angelico with a series of kicks. TH2 had a lot of trouble dealing with Dean's momentum as the Captain hit a big DDT for a near fall. Dean and Bravo hit a double team move and almost pulled off an upset.
Evans came in to break the pinfall, and he took Dean out of the equation with a corkscrew kick on the outside.
Angelico swept Bravo off his feet before locking in the Navarro Death Roll.
Result: TH2 def. Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#11. Steven Stetson vs. Orange Cassidy on AEW Dark
It was good to see Cassidy back in singles action on AEW Dark. Cassidy grabbed Stetson's cowboy hat, and he locked in a modified scorpion deathlock while wearing it.
A nonchalant Cassidy lost the hat but hit a big dropkick. He went on a kip-up spree, and the referee put the sunglasses back on Cassidy when he returned to a vertical base. Classic Cassidy on display!
Stetson got in some offense, but Cassidy hit the Orange punch out of nowhere. Orange finished the match with the Beach Break.
Result: Orange Cassidy def. Steven Stetson on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#12. VSK vs. Chuck Taylor on AEW Dark
The other Best Friend was in action up next against VSK.
VSK executed a body slam-frog splash combo for a potential upset, but Taylor kicked out, attempted the Inverted Stomp Facebreaker, aka Soul Food, and regained momentum in the match.
He got a two-count with the brainbuster. VSK reacted with a swinging DDT and a tope suicida on the outside. Taylor hit an elevated knee strike and planted VSK on the mat. VSK kicked out of the Falcon Arrow, and Chuck was shocked.
VSK slipped away from the Awful Waffle for a quick roll-up. Chuck kicked out and hit the short-range snap piledriver. He followed it with a massive jumping piledriver for the three-count.
Result: Chuck Taylor def. VSK on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
#13. Co-Main Event: Daniel Joseph vs. Ten of The Dark Order on AEW Dark
Excalibur tried to be nice, but -1 insulted him right off the bat on AEW Dark. Thankfully for Excalibur, the match didn't last for long, and the bullying ended.
Ten hit two huge spine busters for the win.
Result: Ten of The Dark Order def. Daniel Joseph on AEW Dark
Grade: D
#14. SCU vs. Matt & Mike Sydal on AEW Dark
Frankie Kazarian and Matt Sydal got the main event underway.
Matt got the better of the exchange when he tagged his brother Mike, who also looked impressive with a standing Shooting Star press. Kazarian fired back with a stiff clothesline.
Daniels got the tag, and he executed a leg lariat on Mike for a 1-count. Mike Sydal reversed a move and hit a big dropkick on Daniels. The Sydal brothers completed a dropkick-drop toehold combo on Daniels.
Matt hit a Northern Lights bomb on Daniels for a two-count. Daniels blocked a suplex to make the tag to Frankie.
SCU hit a low-high on Mike Sydal, and Daniels was now the legal man. He delivered a body slam, followed by a stylish elbow drop. Kazarian came in and hit a flipping neckbreaker for a two-count.
Kazarian blocked a hip toss and reversed it into a German suplex with the bridge for a two-count.
SCU delivered their trademark tag team offense on Mike Sydal, who desperately needed to reach out to his brother. Mike finally created some separation with a strong DDT on Daniels.
Matt received the hot tag, and he took Kazarian out with two kicks. He hit a step-up Rana and a leg lariat on Kazarian for a two-count. Sydal hit the sliced bread-jawbreaker combo on both SCU members.
Sydal got a near fall with a standing mariposa on Kazarian. The Sydals hit a double Russian neckbreaker on Kazarian. Mike quickly went for the Cobra clutch, but the half-nelson wasn't all the way in.
Kazarian fought back with a pin attempt. Matt fired back with a kick and a tag to Mike, who got a two-count with a pump kick.
Kazarian, however, brought Mike back in the hard way with a cutter. Matt broke the pin and staggered SCU with kicks. SCU members avoided a diving move to deliver a combo on Matt Sydal.
Mike tried to sneak in a roll-up, but Kazarian kicked out. SCU hit the Best Meltzer Ever on Mike Sydal for the victory.
Result: SCU def. Mike and Matt Sydal on AEW Dark
Grade: A
You can check out the full AEW Dark episode above.
