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This week, Tony Khan presented a stacked 15-match AEW Dark, and the company wasted absolutely no time getting to the in-ring action.
The duo of Taz and Excalibur was on the commentary table as the competitors of the first match made their respective entrances.
Shawn Spears & Wardlow vs. Bear Country on AEW Dark
Bear Bronson and Shawn Spears got the match underway with the usual collar and elbow tie-up. Spears cartwheeled out of the corner, and Bronson wasn't too pleased with the Chairman's early shenanigans.
Spears mocked Bronson and paid for it by getting lit up with a clothesline. Bronson got one over Spears by executing a cartwheel and mimicking the '10' gesture. Spears responded by showing him the middle finger as Bear Boulder received the tag.
Wardlow came in and fans popped when he went toe-to-toe with Boulder. They engaged in a Greco-roman knuckle lock. Wardlow went for the double-leg takedown, but Boulder sprang back up and sent the Pinnacle member to the ringside area.
Bronson took both the opponents out with a tope suicida and slammed the steel steps to get a big reaction from the crowd. The match resumed in the ring as Bronson bit Spears in the forehead.
Wardlow came in and backed Bronson in the corner with a combination of uppercuts and shoulder blocks. A spinebuster came next as Wardlow's power was on full display.
Bronson blocked Wardlow's powerbomb and reversed it into a back body drop. He sat down on Wardlow's chest and began crawling over to his corner for the hot tag to Boulder.
Spears ran into two consecutive clotheslines before getting laid out with a scoop slam. Wardlow stepped in to save his partner, but Boulder sandwiched both Pinnacle members in the corner.
Boulder caught Wardlow in mid-air and put him down with a slam. Not many people can do that to Wardlow! Boulder went for the moonsault press from the second turnbuckle, but Wardlow rolled out and hit a big clothesline.
Boulder escaped the fireman's carry and even blocked Spears' double sledgehammer. He took him out with a powerslam before tagging in Bronson. Bear Country attempted the assisted splash, but Wardlow countered with the 'Casualty of War' finisher when Boulder came down.
A unique finish handed Pinnacle another win.
Result: Shawn Spears & Wardlow def. Bear Country on AEW Dark
Grade: B
KiLynn King vs. Renee Michelle on AEW Dark
Renee Michelle gave a good account of her strength in the early goings. She talked trash and shoved King in the face like a proper heel.
Michelle landed a few stiff forearm shots followed by some stomps in the corner. King ate a backheel kick but kicked out at two after the pinfall. Renee looked livid as she missed a running strike.
King wrenched Renee's arm and followed it with a running back elbow and a German release suplex. KiLynn eventually picked up the win with her Kingdom Falls finisher out of nowhere.
Result: KiLynn King def. Renee Michelle on AEW Dark
Grade: B-
Fuego Del Sol cut a promo backstage and had a message for Ethan Page.
Santana & Ortiz vs. Gus De La Vega & Brandon Gore (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Ortiz started the match with Gus De La Vega, and he survived an upset by kicking out of a roll-up.
Ortiz delivered a great spinebuster and allowed La Vega to tag Brandon Gore, who ate a dropkick as soon as he entered the ring.
The Inner Circle members worked in tandem to land and assisted back elbow. Gore continued to get punished with kick-based attacks.
Santana paid homage to Eddie Guerrero with the Three Amigos. Gus De La Vega came back in and got decked with a hard right from Santana. Ortiz and Santana showed tremendous teamwork with an assisted cutter, followed by a unique double-team facebuster finisher for the win.
Result: Santana & Ortiz def. Gus De La Vega & Brandon Gore on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Skye Blue vs. La Rosa Negra (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
"The Black Rose of Puerto Rico," La Rosa Negra made her AEW debut tonight against the uberly popular Skye Blue.
Negra beat up Skye Blue with a series of kicks followed by a powerful spinebuster. Blue kicked out of the pinfall as Negra argued with the referee. Skye turned the tables and executed a brilliant hurricanerana from the top rope.
A leg lariat from Blue was followed by a high roundhouse kick from the apron. She trapped Negra against the ropes before delivering a diving crossbody from the top.
Skye connected with a traditional belly-to-belly suplex, followed by a modified Flatliner Drop for the win.
Result: Skye Blue def. La Rosa Negra (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Alan "5" Angels (w/ -1) vs. Mike Reed on AEW Dark
Alan Angels dropped Reed down with a single-leg lariat, and he looked excellent as he controlled the match from the get-go.
The Dark Order member was aggressive in the corner as he followed it with a snap suplex and a low frog splash. Mike Reed got back with an STO against the ropes, and he even tried to sneak in a roll-up. An alert Alan Angels kicked out and fluidly used his momentum to escape out to the apron.
Angels landed a step-enziguri that knocked Reed out of the ring. He followed it with a tope suicida, flung Reed into the ring, and executed a brutal Wingsnapper for the three-count.
Result: Alan "5" Angels def. Mike Reed on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Ryo Mizunami vs. Dani Jordyn on AEW Dark
Dani Jordyn had a sketch of Ryo Mizunami in her "burn book." She used the book as a distraction and rocked Mizunami in the face with a punch.
Ryo Miznunami no-sold a chop and fired off a monstrous chop herself onto Dani Jordyn. Ryo didn't stop as she went on to deliver more than a dozen chops in the corner.
The battering continued as Mizunami hit a clothesline in the corner and a massive leg drop in the middle of the ring.
Jordyn blocked the exploder suplex and connected with a jawbreaker. Ryo responded with a lariat, followed by a modified leg-hook powerslam for the win.
Result: Ryo Mizunami def. Dani Jordyn on AEW Dark
Grade: C
The Butcher vs. Michael Martinez (w/ H.F.O.) on AEW Dark
The Butcher attacked his opponent on AEW Dark during his entrance as he looked to wrap up the match quickly.
Martinez put up a fight with a few clotheslines, but Butcher regained control with chops and punches. Butcher tried to recollect Martinez's jaw with a short-arm clothesline. The H.F.O. member finished the match with a modified side suplex.
Result: The Butcher def. Michael Martinez on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Julia Hart vs. Nikita Knight on AEW Dark
Julia Hart got the crowd behind her as she locked up with Nikita Knight and showed off her incredible agility.
Hart reversed a hip toss and landed a thrust kick, followed by a standing moonsault press. Knight fought back with an elbow strike and a knee lift in the corner.
Nikita almost dropped Julia Hart on her head with a Michinoku Driver. That was a scary moment as the commentators also were a bit shocked by the impact. The referee checked up on Julia Hart, and the match continued with Nikita getting a chin lock.
Both women countered each other's dropkick, and the referee began the ten-count. Hart and Knight exchanged punches, and Julia gathered steam with a combination of moves. She hit the splitting leg drop, followed by a handspring back elbow in the corner.
Knight blocked the Bulldog but couldn't avoid the splitting jawbreaker. Hart finally hit the running Bulldog and continued her winning ways on AEW Dark.
Result: Julia Hart def. Nikita Knight on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Ray Jaz vs. Infinito (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Reports suggest that the debuting Infinito is none other than Bryan Danielson under a mask. We should know the real identity of the debuting wrestler sooner rather than later.
The mysterious masked man initiated a clap from the audience as an 'Infinito' chant kicked off. Ray Jaz did well to control Infinito's back and executed a Northern Lights suplex.
Infinito got back into the match with a Monkey Flip. He executed two more Monkey Flips from the corner before sending Jaz against the ropes for a flying headbutt. Infinito delivered a strike from the apron before rolling Ray Jaz back into the ring.
Infinito went for the infinite airplane spin, and the rotations didn't seem to end as he kept swirling around with Jaz in the fireman's carry position. Infinito finally dropped a dazed Jaz down, rolled him up, and got the win on his debut.
Result: Infinito def. Ray Jaz on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Leyla Hirsch vs. Sahara Seven on AEW Dark
Leyla Hirsch got a great reception as she entered for her AEW Dark match. Sahara Seven mocked Hirsch's size but paid for it by eating a series of hard forearm strikes.
Seven gouged Hirsch in the eyes, followed by a splash and a side slam for a two-count. Hirsch ducked under a clothesline, executed a shoulder capture, and planted her opponent with a German suplex.
Leyla hit the mark with a running knee strike. Hirsch said good night to Seven and locked in the cross-arm breaker for the victory.
Result: Leyla Hirsch def. Sahara Seven on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto vs. The Varsity Blonds (w/ Julia Hart) on AEW Dark
Brian Pillman Jr. kicked off the big-time tag team match against Aaron Solo. Pillman looked like the better grappler as he trapped Solo on the mat.
Both men got to a vertical base and exchanged chops. Garrison got the blind tag and helped with a neckbreaker-leg drop combo with his partner.
Solo escaped a chin lock but got brought back down with a back elbow. Pillman came back in and executed a spinebuster-dropkick combination for a one-count over Solo.
Comoroto finally got the tag, and he quickly overpowered Pillman. Solo tried to mess with Julia Hart at ringside but received a hard slap in response.
Pillman flew through the ropes and caught Solo with a tope suicida. Solo got some retribution by stopping Pillman before a top-rope move.
Aaron cut the ring in half and worked on Pillman in the squared circle. The Factory members made quick tags and prevented Pillman from tagging out of the match. Comoroto targetted Pillman's lower back area.
Pillman finally evaded a few shots and opened up an opportunity to tag Garrison.
Big Griff cleaned house with two clotheslines and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Aaron Solo. He landed the splash and a high boot, followed by an epic flatliner for a near fall.
Nick Comoroto got the tag and ran through Garrison with a vicious spear. Garrison stayed in the match but somehow got caught in the Military press.
Garrison escaped, executed a roll-up, and quickly tagged out to Pillman. Garrison reentered and connected with a rolling elbow strike while Pillman grabbed onto Comoroto's legs.
Pillman dropped Comoroto into a sunset flip following the impact and got the three-count. Big win for the Blonds!
Result: The Varsity Blonds def. Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
The Varsity Blonds stayed back for an in-ring interview segment with Tony Schiavone.
Tony Nese vs. D'Marceo James (AEW Dark) on AEW Dark
Tony Nese appeared on AEW Dark ahead of his TNT title match against Sammy Guevara, slated for the next Rampage episode.
The Premier Athlete was booked to be highly dominant tonight as he insulted his opponent while putting on a wrestling clinic.
The AEW debutant showed his kicking accuracy with a few good shots, but Nese reacted with a massive german suplex against the turnbuckle. Nese came running through for a knee strike in the corner before pinning his unconscious opponent.
Result: Tony Nese def. D'Marceo James on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Matt Hardy & Jora Johl vs. Baron Black & Prince Agballah (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Matt Hardy grabbed the full spotlight during his entrance with Jora Johl for the 13th match on tonight's AEW Dark.
It's always great to see the technically proficient Baron Black on Dark. He started the match with Jora Johl, who quickly secured a headlock.
Black got a one-count with a Manhattan drop-exploder suplex combo. Matt Hardy barked orders from the apron as Prince Agballah came in and outpowered Johl in the corner.
Jora landed a headbutt on Baron Black and sent him in the H.F.O. corner with a belly-to-belly suplex. He showed some intensity before tagging in Matt Hardy.
Big Money Matt delivered a big elbow strike across Baron Black's spine. Johl landed a massive powerslam for a one-count, but Black managed to escape the fireman's carry to hit a backstabber.
Black made the tag to the Prince, who executed an insane spinning lariat on Jora Johl. Agballah suffered a hard landing, however, from Jora Johl's facebuster.
Jora took the Prince down with a high boot. Matt Hardy demanded Jora tag him in, and the H.F.O. boss hit the Twist of Fate to finish the match.
Result: Matt Hardy & Jora Johl def. Baron Black & Prince Agballah on AEW Darl
Grade: B+
Jora Johl did all the hard work only for Matt Hardy to get the all-important pinfall. Jora didn't look too happy as Hardy gave him some pep talk after the match.
AEW Dark Co-Main Event: Ethan Page vs. Fuego Del Sol
Fuego Del Sol got the loudest pop of the evening, which says a lot about the Luchador's popularity in AEW.
Ethan Page didn't let Del Sol complete his entrance as he landed a high boot. The action spilled over to the ringside area as Page dropped Del Sol over the barricade.
Fuego launched off the stage with a moonsault and somehow landed on his feet despite taking out Ethan Page. Fuego lit the crowd up with another high-flying move off the top rope.
Ethan Page avoided the Tornado DDT by sending Del Sol into the barricade once again. Page executed a backbreaker and exchanged words with the crowd for some heat.
The match finally resumed in the ring as Page dropped Del Sol with an aggressive hammer throw. Fuego created some space with a roll-up but got hit by another big clothesline.
Page kept Fuego grounded for a few seconds until the masked man broke free. He couldn't capitalize as Page executed a back-body drop.
Page punished Del Sol's lower back before focussing on the chest with a series of chops. Fuego Del Sol initiated the comeback by reversing the Ego's Edge with a Hurricanerana.
Del Sol landed a springboard moonsault, followed by a double-footed stomp to the back of the head. He got a near fall before calling for the Tornado DDT.
Ethan Page avoided contact and responded with a massive power slam for a near fall. Fuego escaped out of the Ego Edge again to connect with an enziguri.
This time, he executed another foot stomp on the top rope, but Page kicked out at two and survived an upset loss. He absorbed another kick at the top but stopped Del Sol's Spanish Fly attempt. Ethan then body-slammed Fuego down to the mat and trucked him down with a shoulder tackle.
Page hoisted Fuego up and delivered the Ego's Edge finisher for a hard-fought victory.
Result: Ethan Page def. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark
Grade: A
AEW Dark Main Event: Adam Cole vs. Anthony Greene
Adam Cole made his AEW Dark debut against fellow ex-NXT star Anthony Greene.
Anthony was impressed with how the fans welcomed Adam Cole as they prepared for the final match of the episode. Cole masterfully baited the crowd into thinking he was about to toss his shirt towards them. The former WWE star dumped it near the turnbuckle and got a chorus of boos in return. Classic pre-match heelwork!
The main event finally got underway with a collar and elbow tie-up. Adam Cole used his experience to get the early advantage as he was a step ahead of his opponent.
However, Cole wasted a lot of time showboating and didn't see Greene's incoming dropkicks, the second of which sent Adam out of the ring.
Greene grabbed Cole's shirt and finally threw it into the crowd. Cole recuperated on the outside as the referee started the 10-count. The Elite member landed a pump kick and retained control of the contest.
A brutal hammer throw saw Greene bounce off the opposing turnbuckle. Cole slowed down the pace of the match with a chin lock in the center of the ring. Greene broke free but was sent back down with a running back elbow.
Anthony couldn't deal with Cole's explosivity, but he showed resilience by making the match a legitimate boxing fight. Greene fired off in the corner and executed a jawbreaker-neckbreaker combo. Cole reacted by shutting Greene down with the Ushigoroshi neckbreaker.
Cole set the stage for the superkick and cracked Greene's jaw with the famous strike. Adam looked for the Panama Sunrise, but Greene avoided it and landed a massive kick. Cole kicked out but couldn't evade the Michinoku Driver. He escaped another upset by kicking out of the subsequent pinfall attempt.
Cole got back with an enziguri and a backstabber for a near fall. Greene was a tough competitor as a frustrated Cole was desperate for the finish. He almost got caught in a cradle pin and was laid out with a flapjack.
Greene delivered a giant Crucifix bomb, but Adam Cole kicked out yet again. Anthony seamlessly transitioned to a single-leg crab as Cole was close to suffering a shocking loss.
Adam Cole tried to get to the bottom rope, but Greene pulled him back to the center. Cole turned his hips, got to his back, and fired off three up-kicks.
Both men proceeded to put together an intense back-and-forth sequence. Greene attempted the spinning splash from the top, but Cole amazingly caught him with a superkick in mid-air. Fans, commentators and the referee were left stunned by the impact as Adam Cole picked up Greene and delivered the knee strike to the back of the head. Pinfall...1...2...3!
Result: Adam Cole def. Anthony Greene on AEW Dark
Grade: A+
That was a phenomenal main event to end another AEW Dark episode. Anthony Greene is a star to watch out for after his latest performance!
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
