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The latest episode of AEW Dark, which featured nine matches, kicked off with Excalibur and Taz, and they welcomed the fans who were watching the show all around the world. Veda Scott, who has been a regular at the commentary table in recent weeks, was absent for this week's episode of AEW Dark.
The show also featured the in-ring debut of a recently released WWE Superstar from NXT.
Shawn Spears came out to be the special guest commentator for the first match of the evening.
#1. Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian vs. Ray Rosas & RYZIN on AEW Dark
Kazarian took control of the match as he downed Ray Rosas, who tried to make a comeback, but SCU had the upper hand in the early goings.
Scorpio Sky came in and took Rosas out with a Russian Legsweep.
However, Rosas created some separation with a jawbreaker before pushing Sky towards his corner and tagging RYZIN in.
RYZIN got in some offence before Rosas was tagged in yet again. Kazarian got a piece of the action, and SCU hit a kick-German Suplex combo on Rosas.
Ray reversed the Irish Whip into the corner. Kazarian got his elbow up, but RYZIN tried to attack him from the apron. Kazarian sent him crashing down to the mat, but Rosas got in a strike and hit a missile dropkick from the top rope to shift the match's momentum.
RYZIN came in and rocked Kazarian with a big clothesline followed by the lateral press. Kazarian fought his way out of enemy territory with a few kicks and elbows. He leapt to his corner and made the hot tag to Scorpio Sky.
Sky was a one-man wrecking crew as he took Rosas out with a stomp to the back, followed by a cutter. SCU hit their finisher on Rosas for the three-count on AEW Dark.
Result: Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian def. Ray Rosas & RYZIN on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B+
A backstage segment aired in which Evil Uno was shown explaining John Silver (4) why Colt Cabana has what it takes to be a member of Dark Order. 4 and Cabana were set to team up with each other in the main event, and Silver wasn't convinced about the pairing.
#2. Alex Garcia vs. Penelope Ford on AEW Dark
Garcia and Ford began the match with a lockup.
Penelope kicked things off with an arm drag. She overpowered Garcia down to the mat before taunting her opponent.
Garcia took Penelope out of the ring with a dropkick. She followed her to the outside; however, it was all just a trap as Ford took Garcia back in the ring.
Penelope began wearing Garcia down. She attacked Garcia's windpipe by ramming her throat against the middle rope. Ford then stood on Garcia's neck as she continued to dictate the pace of the match.
Ford set Garcia up in the fireman's carry position before transitioning to a lung blower. Penelope ended the match with the Fisherman's Suplex for the three-count on AEW Dark.
Result: Penelope Ford def. Alex Garcia on AEW Dark
Match Grade: C+
#3. M'Badu & BSHP King vs. Best Friends on AEW Dark
Trent kicked off the match by locking it up with M'Badu in the middle of the ring.
The Nigerian star's power was too much for Trent to fathom as he kept falling short in the exchanges. Trent finally used some ariel offense to take M'Badu off his feet before tagging Chuck in.
King came into the match on the other side. Taylor took King down with a couple of arm drags. He tagged Trent into the match, and they executed a double team move before showing off their biceps. Chuck Taylor connected with a few stiff chops.
King shifted the scales in his team's favor with a big
Powerslam. M'Badu came in and connected with a big splash in the corner. King tagged in and went for the big splash from the top rope, but Chuck wasn't home.
King made the desperate tag to M'Badu while Trent came in at the other corner.
Trent was on song as he took M'Badu down with a Tornado DDT. The Best Friends ended the match with the Strong Zero (Inverted Piledriver/double foot stomp combo) on M'Badu on AEW Dark.
Result: Best Friends def. M'Badu & BSHP King on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B+
Brandon Cutler cut a backstage promo in which he sent a message to Peter Avalon. Cutler told Avalon to keep his schedule open as they were bound to have a rematch soon.
#4. Jurassic Express vs. 5 & 10 of Dark Order on AEW Dark
Luchasaurus and 5 faced off in the ring to kick off the fourth match on tonight's AEW Dark.. 5 slapped Luchasaurus in the face before panicking and tagging himself out.
Luchasaurus caught 10 in a waist lock and dropped him with an overhead suplex. Jungle Boy came in as well, along with 5 from the Dark Order.
They grappled for a dominant position, but it ended in a stalemate. Jungle Boy showed off his athleticism in taking 5 down before tagging Luchasaurus in, who Powerbombed 5 into the turnbuckle.
Jungle Boy got tagged, and he hit the assisted senton. 5 got in a strike, and Jungle Boy was sent towards Dark Order's corner. 10 hit Jungle Boy with a pump kick. He connected with a big suplex for the 2-count. 5 was back into the ring, and he delivered a kick to the back of Jungle Boy's head, followed by a short frog splash. The Dark Order hit a blackbody drop-front dropkick combo for a 2-count.
Jungle Boy decked 10 with a big clothesline. 5 dived on Jungle Boy's ankle to prevent the tag, but the latter rolled himself over to make the hot tag to Luchasaurus.
AEW's resident dinosaur hit the tailwhip on 10 before slamming 5 down to the mat for a 2-count. Luchasaurus followed it up with the round kick to 5's head. Jungle Boy connected with a follow-up shot. 10 broke up the pin. Luchasaurus was taken out of the ring by 10.
Back in the ring, the Dark Order hit the Spinebuster-Frog Splash combo on Jungle Boy. 1...2...kickout! Dark Order almost pulled off the upset, but Jungle Boy executed a brilliant escape to prevent losing the AEW Dark match.
Jungle Boy was back up, and he hit a jumping knee strike on 10 followed by a roll-up on 5 for a near fall. He rocked 5 with a superkick.
Luchasaurus was on the apron. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus then delivered their finisher to pick up the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Jurassic Express def. 5 & 10 of Dark Order on AEW Dark
Match Grade: A
Chaos Project cut a promo ahead of their match against Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison, which was scheduled to happen later in the night.
#5. Shawn Dean & Cezar Bononi vs. The Gunn Club on AEW Dark
Shawn Dean and Austin Gunn began the match with the Greco-roman knuckle lock. Dean got the better of the exchange before Billy Gunn came in and overpowered Dean.
Gunn Jr. was now back in, and so was Cezar Bononi - the former WWE NXT Superstar who was making his AEW debut on the latest episode of AEW Dark.
The towering star shoved Austin Gunn and sent him crashing into the corner. Billy Gunn tagged himself in and ripped his shirt off, which was to signify that he meant business. Both giants exchanged boots and strikes, with Billy taking the advantage with a big clothesline out of the corner.
Bononi took control with a big leaping boot to Billy's face. He tried to choke Billy with his foot in the corner before Dean came in.
Bononi and Dean worked on Gunn in their corner. Billy Gunn used his robust frame to rise up to a vertical frame. Austin distracted Bononi and Billy took his opponent down with a side slam.
Billy made the tag to Austin while Dean came in on the opposing end. Austin's exuberance was all there to be seen as he took Dean out with a neck breaker followed by a DDT. Bononi broke up the pin but was sent to the outside by Billy Gunn.
Austin and Dean were perched up on the top rope. He sent Dean down. Billy tagged himself in, and they executed a botched double team move. That didn't look good. Bononi broke up the pin by pulling Billy's head from the outside. Austin struck Bononi in the face while Billy hit the Famouser on Dean for the three-count on AEW Dark.
Result: The Gunn Club def. Shawn Dean & Cezar Bononi on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B-
The Natural Nightmares cut a promo on Dark Order.
#6. Tay Conti vs. Red Velvet on AEW Dark
Conti and Velvet locked up in the middle of the ring before exchanging a series of arm drags and pinfall attempts. It ended in a stalemate, and Conti looked surprised.
Conti trapped Red Velvet in a flying cross arm breaker. Conti executed an impressive hip throw followed by a big kick to Velvet's face for the two-count.
Conti mounted Velvet and unleashed a series of forearms. Velvet responded with the up-kick and got up to her feet. Conti, however, took Velvet down with the monkey flip. Velvet came out with a series of clotheslines. She hit the double knees to the back of Conti's back.
Velvet then stretched her right leg into Conti's throat. Conti shifted the momentum by driving Velvet into the ground. Tay hit a few close-range kicks to Velvet's face before locking in an intricate choke for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Tay Conti def. Red Velvet on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B+
Anna Jay came in and helped Velvet up to her feet before kicking her in the face. Brandi Rhodes ran out to make the save to end the post-match angle on AEW Dark.
#7. Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison vs. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
The match broke out into a brawl between all four men even before the bell had rung on AEW Dark.
Garrison and Serpentico officially kicked off the match in the ring. Griff took Serpentico down with a big blackbody drop.
Pillman was tagged in, and he hit the delayed Northern Lights Suplex for a 2-count. Luther hit a big right on Pillman in the corner to take control of the match for his team. Luther scoop slammed Serpentico a few times on a laid-out Pillman.
Serpentico stomped on Pillman's chest as Chaos Project dominated the proceedings. Luther delivered a clean snap suplex before using his partner as a weapon with an inverted suplex onto Pillman.
Pillman showed some life as he connected with a few strikes. Serpentico stopped him in his tracks with a back fist. Pillman leaped up to the top and created some separation with a rolling crossbody.
Garrison came in and decked Serpentico with a big clothesline. The finish of the match saw Pillman Jr. get isolated in the ring. Chaos Project hit their double team finisher for the win.
Result: Chaos Project def. Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B
#8. Co-Main Event: 'The Native Beast' Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Raché Chanel on AEW Dark
Nyla Rose demanded Chanel to lay down as there was only one logical conclusion to the match.
Chanel, however, tried to put up a fight. The Native Beast slammed Chanel down to the mat. Rose could have ended the match, but she pulled Chanel's head up before the three-count was completed. Rose told Chanel that she gave her a chance.
Chanel hit a running knee into the corner, but that's all the offense she got in as Rose took control of the match.
The former AEW Women's Champion hit the Beast Bomb, aka the Sitout Powerbomb, for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Raché Chanel on AEW Dark
Match Grade: C
#9. Main Event: Natural Nightmares vs. 4 & Colt Cabana of Dark Order on AEW Dark
Dustin Rhodes and Colt Cabana kicked off the Main Event of AEW Dark of the evening with a fast-paced exchange.
Caban recuperated in his corner as John Silver, aka 4 of Dark Order, tagged himself in. QT Marshall and Dustin hit the double Russian leg sweep on 4.
QT hit the delayed vertical suplex on 4. A brief distraction from Cabana helped 4 hit QT with a quick suplex. Cabana got tagged in, and he hit the big splash from the top rope. 4 and Cabana wore QT down in their corner. The Dark Order members were surprisingly getting along quite well.
QT ate a few chest kicks and channeled his inner Hulk Hogan to execute a fightback. He hit the backbreaker-Flatliner combo on 4 before making the tag to Dustin Rhodes.
The veteran came in and unleashed all of his signature moves on the Dark Order, including the classic Powerslam.
Dustin took out both Cabana and 4 with a flip on the outside. In the ring, 4 cracked QT in the face with a big kick followed by Cabana's gutbuster. The Dark Order got a two-count.
4 and Cabana attempted a double team move, but the lack of chemistry led to an unwanted delay. Dustin took Cabana out of the equation before getting rocked by a thrust kick from 4.
QT crept up from the back and hit 4 with the diving cutter for the three-count on AEW Dark.
Result: Natural Nightmares def. 4 & Colt Cabana of Dark Order on AEW Dark
Match Grade: B-
The miscommunication between 4 and Cabana cost them the match. The show ended with the Natural Nightmares celebrating in the ring as Evil Uno consoled a frustrated Cabana at ringside. You can check out the full episode of AEW Dark below.
What are your reactions and grades for the matches? Note them down in the comments section.
