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The Acclaimed vs. Capt. Shawn Dean & Robert Anthony on AEW Dark
Max Caster returned for the first time since he was taken off AEW TV due to his controversial rap. He started by noting that the AEW management approved his latest verse. Hilarious!
Caster read out a few unconvincing lines from a sheet of paper before Anthony Bowens intervened. Bowens was surprised that AEW had scripted their promos, and the Chicago crowd booed in support of The Acclaimed. The Acclaimed even took a shot at the Rhodes family.
Caster ripped up the script as Bowens called for the DJ to hit their music.
The Acclaimed restarted their entrance, and this time, Caster didn't disappoint as he came up with a diss verse directed at Shawn Dean and Robert Anthony. Fans in attendance chanted 'welcome back' as Bowens and Caster assaulted their opponents in the corner.
Bowens put together a multi-strike combo to flatten Anthony. He then dropped Shawn Dean with a facebuster before tagging Caster into the match. Max hit the Mic Drop from the top rope to complete a triumphant comeback to AEW action.
Result: The Acclaimed def. Capt. Shawn Dean & Robert Anthony on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Joey Janela vs. Lee Moriarty on AEW Dark
Joey Janela was flanked by Kayla Rossi, who first showed up on last week's AEW Dark. AEW is yet to reveal her name on TV as Excalibur continued to build her up as a mysterious figure.
Janela showboated after getting the early advantage, but Moriarty countered with some technical sequences inspired by Tigerstyle wrestling. Lee ate a back elbow on the apron followed by a right hand. Moriarty, however, twisted Janela with a hammerlock snap. Moriarty went for the follow-up Tope Suicida, but Joey caught him with a forearm in mid-air.
Back in the ring, Janela lit up Moriarty's chest with a big kick. ''Let's go, Lee,' chants echoed around the arena as Joey tried to choke his opponent out using the ropes.
Kayla Rossi attacked Moriarty while Janela had the referee distracted. Lee broke away from body scissors with a series of elbows, but Janela maintained control with a hammer throw.
Moriarty responded with a leg trip followed by an aggressive shoulder-whip. Janela landed on his head and made the maneuver look even more painful on the eye.
Lee kept up the pressure with a commonguri in the corner, followed by a double knee stomp. He got a near fall for his efforts as Janela stayed in the match. Moriarty went up to the top but absorbed a running palm strike from Janela, who joined his opponent on the turnbuckle.
Joey then executed a colossal suplex from the top, and the momentum sent Lee outside. The Bad Boy followed him with a tope suicida before rolling Lee back in.
Moriarty came right back with Missile Tope Suicida of his own to stun Janela. The crowd popped hard for that sequence as both men went on to exchange heavy forearm shots in the center of the ring. Janela finally dropped Lee to a single knee with a thrust kick, but Moriarty responded with an enziguri.
The back-and-forth contest resumed with Janela's release German suplex. Lee returned with a European uppercut but got wiped out with a left-handed clothesline from Janela. Moriarty was then sent crashing head-first into the mat with a classic piledriver.
Moriarty miraculously kicked out, much to Janela's surprise. Lee blocked the Death Valley driver and attacked Janela's injured shoulder before rocking him with a ripcord clothesline. Near fall!
Moriarty wasn't done as he effortlessly transitioned to the crossface. Janela crawled his way to the rope, and Kayla Rossi placed Joey's leg on the rope while referee Aubrey Edwards wasn't looking.
Moriarty kicked out of a roll-up but couldn't escape the Death Valley Driver as Janela eventually secured the three-count.
Result: Joey Janela def. Lee Moriarty on AEW Dark
Grade: A
The post-match segment saw Sonny Kiss hit the ring to exact some revenge against former partner Joey Janela. The Bad Boy exited the ring and retreated along with Kayla Rossi.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
