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This week's AEW Dark featured 12 matches, and as always, Taz, Excalibur, and Anthony Ogogo kicked off the show.
#1. Natural Nightmares & Nick Comoroto vs. Vary Morales & Jersey Muscle Society on AEW Dark
Dustin Rhodes got the first AEW Dark match underway, and the commentators raved about his physical condition. Dustin executed a deep arm drag before tagging QT Marshall into the match, who got a 2-count with a standing moonsault press.
Comoroto got the tag, and he continued the punishment on his opponent's arm. Comoroto showed off his raw strength before Dustin got back into the match. Rhodes earned a 2-count with a deep scoop power slam.
QT and Dustin delivered a double Russian leg sweep. Morales got into the match; he caught QT with a dropkick. Jersey Muscle Society were taken out by a double clothesline, and QT then made the tag to Comoroto on AEW Dark.
The former NXT star went on a powerslam spree as he took out all opponents. Comoroto then had Vary in the corner, and he delivered a military press into the top-rope bulldog combo with Dustin Rhodes for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: The Natural Nightmares & Nick Comoroto def. Vary Morales & Jersey Muscle Society on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#2. SCU vs. Lee Johnson & Aaron Solow on AEW Dark
Christopher Daniels and Lee Johnson began the match with a collar and elbow tie-up. Johnson got Daniels down to the mat with a quick arm drag. The next duel also ended with Johnson getting the upper hand.
Daniels showed off his composure with a hip toss followed by a scoop slam. Kazarian got the tag, and SCU executed a kicking combo, which ended with a double stomp on Johnson's back.
However, Johnson tagged Solow, who came in and got caught in a front headlock. Solow and Kazarian engaged in a rapid sequence of arm drags and holds.
Daniels came in and dropped Solow with a leg lariat for a 2-count. Solow connected with a knee strike in the corner. Johnson and Solow delivered a back suplex-falling neckbreaker combo, followed by a vertical suplex on Daniels.
The Fallen Angel put the brakes on Solow's suplex attempt, and caught him in the fireman's carry before rolling through for the tag.
Kazarian took control of the match with a springboard leg drop. Frankie kept Solow on the mat with another leg drop for a 2-count. SCU continued to work in tandem as Daniels was the legal man. Daniels stopped Solow's attempts of a comeback with a monstrous chop.
Solow tried to even the odds by engaging in a slugfest with Kazarian. Both men went for the crossbody and crashed in the middle of the ring.
Tags were made in both corners, and Johnson rocked Daniels as we entered the match's finals stages. Johnson took Daniels for an airplane spin, and he followed it with a dropkick. A blue thunder powerbomb gave Johnson a near fall.
He lifted Daniels and powerbombed him on the waiting knees of Solow in the corner. Johnson delivered the rolling Death Valley driver, and Solow followed it with a stomp.
Daniels still managed to kick out. The Fallen Angel went over the top from a double suplex attempt and made a hot tag to Kazarian.
Frankie used all the momentum to take out Johnson and Solow. He focused on Solow by cracking him with the backstabber. Daniels hit a move on the apron, and Solow just dropped into a german suplex. Pinfall...1...2...kick out.
Kazarian kept up the pressure with a cutter on Solow. Johnson broke up the pinfall and took Daniels outside with a tope suicida. Solow rolled Kazarian up for a near fall.
A screw-high kick caught Kazarian on the side of the head as the match just had 10 minutes of the allotted time left on AEW Dark.
All four men were now in the middle of the ring, and SCU took control by removing Johnson out of the equation.
SCU finally hit the Best Meltzer Ever on Solow for the win. Excellent AEW Dark match!
Result: SCU def. Lee Johnson & Aaron Solow on AEW Dark
Grade: A+
#3. Brian Cage (w/ Hook) vs. Jake St. Patrick on AEW Dark
There was only one logical conclusion to this AEW Dark match - a squash. Brian Cage leveled Jake St. Patrick with a thrust kick. He sent Patrick in the corner and hit an uppercut, followed by a kick and a German release suplex.
Cage executed two powerbombs, drove Patrick's head into his knee, and then hit the Drill Claw for the three-count. Brutal combination!
Result: Brian Cage def. Jake St. Patrick on AEW Dark
Grade: C
The Acclaimed's new song dropped next, and it was a diss track on The Inner Circle. A Ding ding!
#4. Nyla Rose vs. Miranda Alize on AEW Dark
A squash match was followed by another potential one from the same category. As expected, The Native Beast stamped her authority early in the contest with a brutal display of strength. She dropped Alize with a chokeslam.
Rose hammered Alize before delivering the diving splash. The former AEW Women's Champion was in no hurry to end the match as she dished out more punishment.
Alize connected with a few elbow strikes. However, she got caught in a crossbody, and Nyla Rose sent her flying across the ring. A clothesline and Beast Bomb, and that's all she wrote.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Miranda Alize on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#5. PAC vs. VSK on AEW Dark
It was refreshing to see PAC wrestle on AEW Dark. The Bastard muscled VSK up to the corner, and the referee was forced to initiate the five-count. PAC grabbed VSK's left arm and yanked it before getting wrist control.
VSK reversed the hold by getting control of the wrists. PAC got VSK down and stomped on his head. PAC methodically wore VSK down by shoving his boot into his face and throat in the corner.
VSK was then sent crashing into the turnbuckles with a nasty Irish whip. PAC was toying around with his opponent, and he tried to rile him up with some trash talk.
VSK showed some fight with a big dropkick. He baited PAC and hit the neckbreaker across the knee, followed by the diving uppercut. VSK went for the cover, but PAC kicked out, got up to his feet, and connected with a big kick.
PAC quickly locked in the Brutalizer, and VSK had no option but to tap.
Result: PAC def. VSK on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#6. KC Navarro vs. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
Ricky Starks joined the AEW Dark commentary booth as Kiss and Navarro had a quick back-and-forth exchange of holds, leg drops and pinfall attempts. Kiss connected with a dropkick and a splitting leg drop.
Navarro was having a rough night as he ran straight into a high roundhouse kick. Kiss got a near fall with a sunset flip. Sonny then perfectly executed a pump kick.
Navarro, however, found an opening in the following sequence and briefly locked in the sleeper hold.
Kiss got caught in the ropes, and Navarro hit the kick over the top. He followed it up with a fantastic DDT that gave him a close pinfall. It was snappy!
Kiss, however, capitalized on Navarro's mistake. Sonny rocked Navarro with a splitting stunner for a three-count.
Result: Sonny Kiss def. KC Navarro on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#7. Tay Conti vs. Alex Gracia on AEW Dark
Conti took control of the match by using her superior grappling skills to maintain wrist control. Two roundhouse kicks stunned Gracia, but she still managed to break the momentum with a roll-up.
Conti and Gracia's legs got intertwined, and they rolled over to the outside. The action was back in, and Gracia hit the area code shot. She hooked the legs and got a two-count.
Gracia had Tay in a full nelson. Conti broke the hold and spiked Gracia's head into the mat with a vicious DDT.
Back on the feet, Conti delivered two clotheslines and a hook kick. A running knee in the corner cracked Gracia, followed by a pump kick. This turned into a massacre. Conti eventually forced Gracia to tap out for the win.
Result: Tay Conti def. Alex Gracia on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#8. Ryan Nemeth vs. Marko Stunt on AEW Dark
Dolph Ziggler's brother Ryan Nemeth made his second AEW appearance on this week's Dark, and he cut a promo before his match.
Nemeth addressed the 'elephant in the room,' and he said that the people don't like him because he is a true hunk. A true Hollywood hunk! The crowd jeered as Nemeth concluded his promo, and Marko Stunt made his entrance.
Stunt dropped Nemeth with a hook kick from the get-go. He kneed him to the outside and laid him out with a tope suicida. Marko dropped the elbow across the spine in what looked like a botched move. He still got a two-count.
Stunt got another two-count with a stiff leg lariat. It was all Marko until Nemeth dropped Stunt from the top rope.
Nemeth executed the falling fist drop, and he was now in firm control of the proceedings. Nemeth did a unique headstand hammerlock on Stunt, who fought out of it and delivered a couple of strikes.
Nemeth connected with a dropkick and went for the cover. Stunt kicked out at two. Ryan mocked Stunt, but Marko reversed the neckbreaker as Nemeth wasted time with his taunts.
FTR's music played that acted as a distraction for Stunt. Nemeth took advantage and delivered a high-angle neckbreaker for the win, his first in AEW.
Result: Ryan Nemeth def. Marko Stunt on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#9. Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo vs. Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi on AEW Dark
Bononi and Bravo kicked things off in the AEW Dark match, and the massive Bononi had no problems with overpowering Bravo.
A right jab infuriated Cezar, who was given a breather by Peter Avalon. Pretty Peter was instantly on the receiving end of some offense as Bravo got him down with a few arm drags.
Dean and Bravo isolated Avalon in their corner, and they delivered a series of moves. The rights and lefts kept coming in from Bravo and Dean on Avalon.
Bononi helped his partner get some control before becoming the legal man. Bononi stomped away on Bravo before driving him into the mat. Bravo kicked out at 2, and he was sent straight into the opposing corner, where Avalon came in and delivered a suplex. Bononi got back in, and he connected with a big boot to the mid-section.
It was the Bononi and Avalon show at this stage in the match. Bononi dropped Bravo with an inverted body slam before Avalon connected with a basement dropkick.
Bravo finally created some separation before tagging in Shawn Dean. The Captain came in hot with a series of clotheslines on Avalon, which was followed by a belly-to-belly suplex. A flipping senton got Bravo a two-count as Avalon kicked out.
Bononi cleared the ring by sending Dean to the outside, and Avalon hit the Martinis on Bravo for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi def. Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#10. 10 of The Dark Order vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
10 and Baron Black were quite familiar with each other as they trained and wrestled on the independents.
Black and 10 kept canceling each other out with sequences that ended in stalemates. These men indeed knew each other well. Black chopped 10 in the chest, and the Dark Order member responded with a scoop slam followed by a pump kick.
Black responded with a kick to the face, but he got caught in a fallaway slam. 10 rammed into Black with a clothesline in the corner. The chops connected before Black got up an elbow. He exploded in the corner.
Both men lit each other up with chops. Black caught 10 with a dragon screw before getting in a few kicks. 10 was taking a lot of damage as Black controlled the pace of the match.
10 fired back with a series of punches and chops in the corner, but Black reacted by raking him in the eye. Black locked in the abdominal stretch in the middle, but 10 reversed it into a deep arm drag.
Black was relentless as he got a near fall with a backstabber out of nowhere. Black delivered two brutal uppercuts, and he taunted 10, who responded with a heavy-handed right shot. 10 laid out Black with two clotheslines and a back body drop.
10 followed it with a kick in the corner and a big spinebuster. 10 then executed the powerbomb on Black for the win on AEW Dark.
The effects of Black's chops were quite visible as 10 celebrated the victory on AEW Dark with a red chest.
Result: 10 of The Dark Order vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
#11. Co-Main Event: Red Velvet (w/ Big Swole) vs. Diamante on AEW Dark
Diamante and Red Velvet exchanged hip locks to begin the AEW Dark Co-Main Event. Velvet got a big leg lariat before delivering body shots in the corner.
Red Velvet rolled Diamante through onto the middle rope. Velvet came running in for a knee strike, but Diamante moved out of the way.
A brief distraction helped Diamante turn the match in her favor. The winner of the Women's tag team tournament hit a running dropkick in the corner. Velvet showed resiliency with a big kick out.
Diamante continued to push Velvet as she drove her shoulders into Velvet's stomach. Diamante went for another dropkick in the corner, but Velvet wasn't home this time.
Velvet began her comeback with a pair of clotheslines. She spiked Diamante with a back elbow and got a two-count with a standing somersault.
Back on their feet, Diamante got a two-count with a standing sliced bread. The back-and-forth match continued as Velvet connected with a knee in the corner, followed by the cazadora-bulldog combo.
Diamante kicked out at two and stunned Velvet with a stiff back elbow. Diamante got a near fall, and she looked for the Code Red, but Velvet avoided it.
Velvet then set up her finisher with a kick combo before hitting the single boot to the side of the head for the win.
Result: Red Velvet def Diamante on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#12. Main Event: Joey Janela (w/ Sonny Kiss) vs. Jack Evans on AEW Dark
Jack Evans hit Janela with a springboard rider kick as Joey was making his entrance. The match hadn't even begun, and Evans was all over Janela at ringside. Explosive start!
Evans rolled Janela into the ring, and the match officially got underway. Evans began to climb to the top rope, but Janela tipped him over to the outside.
Janela dove onto Evans. The Bad Boy was fired up! The action was back in the ring. Angelico grabbed Janela's feet, which helped Evans execute the corkscrew enziguri cleanly.
Evans dominated the match with a few knees to the face, followed by a sledgehammer shot to Janela's spine.
Things weren't looking great for Janela as Evans connected with a big back elbow. Janela was still in the match as he kicked out and began to work his way out of a chokehold.
Evans had Janela in a submission in the middle of the rope, but Joey got Evans in the fireman's carry before delivering the Death Valley Driver.
Janela felt it as he hit the tope suicida on Evans. The bad boy had regained his bearings as he delivered a Death Valley driver in the middle of the ring. Evans somehow kicked out, and a glassy-eyed Janela was looking for the final blow.
Both men were up on the top rope, and Evans dropped Janela with a hurricanerana. Evans followed it with a middle-rope Phoenix splash knee drop. That looked incredible, but Janela still kicked out!
The match continued as both men exchanged round kicks and punches in the middle. Evans stopped Janela with a handspring back elbow, but Joey responded with a high-impact spear.
The back-and-forth action was intense as Janela connected with a thrust kick. Evans responded with a poisanrana. However, Janela had some life in him as he rocked Evans with a superkick before going down. What a sequence!
Both men were on the mat as the referee began the ten-count. Janela drew first blood after they both got up on their feet. Evans laid out Janela near the corner and went for a 450 splash, but Janela got his knees up.
Janela almost got the win with a sneaky pinfall. Joey hit Evans with a Lariat followed by the Package Piledriver. Pinfall...1...2...kick out! Unbelievable!
Jack Evans kicked out, and everyone was rightfully shocked. But Janela prevented an upset loss as he went up and delivered the diving elbow drop for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Joey Janela def. Jack Evans on AEW Dark
Grade: A+
Joey Janela will face Darby Allin for the AEW TNT title on tomorrow's AEW Dynamite. AEW has lined up several other segments and matches for another stacked AEW Dynamite episode, and you can catch all the live updates here on SK Wrestling.
You can check out the full episode of AEW Dark above.
