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Dustin Rhodes kicked off the latest AEW Dark episode with a backstage promo, in which he sent a message to Aaron Solow ahead of their main event match.
Excalibur and Taz welcomed fans and viewers to the show, which boasted a short but high-profile match card. Hardy Family Office's Blade kicked off the in-ring proceedings of the evening.
The Blade (w/ The Bunny) vs. Ryan Mantell on AEW Dark
The Blade and The Bunny got a solid pop from a packed crowd as they made their entrance. Mantell had a 0-2 record and was hoping to get his first AEW victory in front of his hometown fans in Austin, Texas.
The Blade pressed the attack early on with significant rights and lefts in the corner. He sent Mantell to the other end with a hammer throw followed by a running clothesline.
The H.F.O. member stomped away in the corner before distracting the referee, which gave Bunny time to execute a painful backscratch on Mantell. Blade finished the match with a destructive Dr. Bomb (Gutwrench powerbomb).
Result: The Blade def. Ryan Mantell on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
Thunder Rosa vs. KiLynn King on AEW Dark
KiLynn King got a decent reaction which was a testament to her steady progress in AEW. Thunder Rosa, however, tore the roof down during her entrance as she got one of the loudest pops of the night.
King started with a standing switch but got taken down with two arm drags. KiLynn didn't let the crowd unsettle her as she executed a couple of arm drags of her own.
Rosa fired back with a low-angle dropkick against the ropes. King reacted with a quick roll-up, but Rosa stayed in the match. King rolled through for an arm drag, but Rosa reversed into an attempted Peruvian Necktie.
King escaped and ate a jawbreaker. The reversals were frantic as Rosa executed a facebuster to the knee, followed by a running knee strike in the corner.
The former NWA Women's Champion closed the distance and landed a massive dropkick in the corner. She got a two-count with a Butterfly Suplex.
King folded Rosa in half with a German release suplex, but she missed the backdrop. Rosa got back with a backstabber, followed by the Peruvian Necktie (Peruvian Calavera choke) for the win.
Result: Thunder Rosa def. KiLynn King on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Dark Order's Alan "5" Angels & Preston "10" Vance & Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr., Griff Garrison) (w/ Julia Hart) vs. The Acclaimed (Max Caster, Anthony Bowens) & Private Party (Marq Quen, Isiah Kassidy) on AEW Dark
One of the featured matches on AEW Dark had some of the biggest teams in AEW sharing the ring. The babyface quartet got a rousing reception as they got down the ramp for an expectably high-octane match.
Max Caster's verse today was weaker than most weeks, but The Acclaimed still got a tremendous pop despite being heels. A babyface turn for them could be just around the corner.
Kassidy and Vance got the match underway with a side headlock. The Dark Order's strongest member showed off his power with a shoulder block. Isiah couldn't catch a break as he got knocked down with a massive shoulder tackle.
Quen tried to interfere, but Angels came in to assist with a double crossbody on Private Party. The Blonds executed a powerbomb-dropkick combo to maintain control for the babyfaces.
Pillman was the legal man now as he worked on Kassidy's left arm. The Hardy Family member landed a cheap shot and reversed an Irish whip.
Quen grabbed Pillman's boot as Private Party exploited an opening and delivered the Silly String move.
Caster asked for the tag and brought Pillman to their corner. The Acclaimed chopped Brian Pillman Jr. down with kicks. Quen got the tag, and he leaped off the top with a double sledgehammer shot.
Kassidy reentered the match and laid out Pillman with a combination elbow drop with Quen. The Varsity Blond countered with a big boot before power-bombing Quen on top of Kassidy.
Griff Garrison got the hot tag, and he wiped out Acclaimed with two clotheslines followed by a high boot.
He sent Bowens flying through the air with a back body drop. Griff worked in tandem with Preston Vance by setting Bowens up for a spinebuster. Angels got the tag next, who executed a moonsault press for a near fall.
Quen broke the count as a chorus of boos echoed around the arena. An intense sequence followed, which began with Kassidy dropping Vance with a corkscrew kick. Garrison then wobbled Kassidy with a rolling elbow strike. Caster came in and took Garrison out with a dropkick. Pillman returned as well, and he knocked Max with a thrust kick.
Bowens, though, took control with some combination offense, followed by a modified DDT. Angels hit the rope and crashed into Bowens with a double crossbody.
The crowd was thunderous as Bowens grabbed the boombox! Julia Hart took it away from the apron as Angels rolled Bowens up for a near fall. Dark Order's "5" got another near fall with a Standing Spanish Fly. Caster prevented Angels from executing a top-rope move, and Private Party rushed in to deliver the Gin and Juice (top rope Frankenstiener into a Cutter)
Caster, the legal competitor, hit the Mic Drop from the top turnbuckle for a three-count over Alan Angels. What a match!
Result: The Acclaimed & Private Party def. Dark Order's Alan "5" Angels & Preston "10" Vance & Varsity Blonds on AEW Dark
Grade: A+
The Acclaimed took the microphone and cut an unapologetic promo directed at Julia Hart and The Varsity Blonds.
Bowens said, "We're tired of playing second fiddle to a tag team whose strongest member of the tag team is a cheerleader who loves to be tag teamed."
Anthony pushed the heel boundaries with his promo and made things personal, and the reactions from the crowd said it all!
Abadon vs. Promise Braxton (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
The AEW debutant looked apprehensive about locking up with Abadon. Both women finally got into a collar and elbow tie-up.
Braxton landed a few chops in the corner, but Aabdon absorbed the impact, reversed a hammer throw, and dropped her with a blindside clothesline to the back of the head.
Abadon drove Promise's face onto the mat before delivering a perfect pop-up powerbomb. AEW's "Dead Girl" hooked her feet around Promise's head and gave a head-scissors DDT for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Abadon def. Promise Braxton on AEW Dark
Grade: B
The Bunny (w/ The Blade) vs. Big Swole on AEW Dark
The next AEW Dark match-up had significant implications for the women's rankings, and it got rolling with a lock-up in the corner. Swole rocked Bunny with a series of shots before hitting the ropes.
Bunny executed a shoulder tackle followed by a schoolboy roll-up. Swole got back with a diving uppercut across Bunny's spine. Diamante showed up on the ramp with a microphone, and the distraction helped Bunny capitalize and regain momentum.
Diamante took a seat at the timekeeper's table as Bunny landed a jaw strike in the corner. Swole, though, broke free from a hold with palm strikes and cross chops. She then missed a roundhouse kick and a leg sweep but found her mark with a headbutt.
Big Swole recovered really well and kept up the pressure with a clothesline. Swole peppered Bunny with more kicks before going for the Clearwater Cloverleaf submission move.
Blade jumped up on the apron, and Diamante took advantage of the distraction by hitting Swole with a dropkick to the side of the head.
Bunny rolled Swole up and held on to her trunks for the three-count.
Result: The Bunny def. Big Swole on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Wardlow vs. Chad Lennox (AEW Debut) (w/ Dustin Rhodes) on AEW Dark
Nightmare Factory graduate Chad Lennox made his singles AEW debut tonight against one of the most intimidating men in the company, Wardlow.
Mr. Mayhem got a solid reaction from the crowd as he proceeded to dismantle his opponent. The dominance started with a brutal spinebuster. The Pinnacle member planted Chad on the top buckle before knocking his lights out with his knee strike finisher.
Result: Wardlow def. Chad Lennox on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Big Swole cut a backstage promo up next as she reacted to Diamante's cheap shot. Swole accepted Diamante's challenge for a match and left it up to the Hispanic star to decide on a date and time.
QT Marshall cut a pre-match promo to get some heat from the AEW fans in Austin, Texas - the hometown of Dustin Rhodes.
Solow is also a former Austin native, and Marshall said he was unhappy about the disrespect towards his stablemate. Solow had a few words to say as well, and he predictably dissed the crowd before Dustin Rhodes's entrance.
AEW Dark Main Event: Dustin Rhodes vs. Aaron Solow (w/ The Factory)
Dustin Rhodes got a hero's welcome as The Natural approached the ring for the closing match of the evening.
However, Solow didn't let Dustin complete his entrance as he connected with a blindsided right-hand strike to the veteran's head. Rhodes knocked Solow to the outside and landed a few well-placed rights.
The former WWE star chopped Solow near the barricade before rolling him back into the ring. Marshall locked eyes with Rhodes, and Solow sent his opponent spine-first into the ring post.
The action continued to unfold near the ringside area as Solow landed a few punches and cross chops.
Back in the ring, Aaron dropped Dustin with a rolling knee strike for a two-count. The heel kept up a systematic approach as he opened up an opportunity for QT to deliver a cheap shot from the outside.
Solow mocked Rhodes with a hilarious move in the corner. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion began his comeback with a Manhattan Drop followed by an attempted Bulldog. Solow blocked the move and clashed heads with Dustin.
Both men got to a vertical base, and Rhodes connected with two punches in a row. He executed a big-time uppercut followed by his classic powerslam, which was absolute poetry in motion.
Rhodes got a near fall with a Code Red from the corner. The crowd was on their feet as the 52-year-old missed a suplex and ate a thrust kick. Rhodes then absorbed a German suplex followed by a corkscrew kick. Solow went for the pin but couldn't hold on for the three-count.
Rhodes reversed the Pedigree into a catapult towards the turnbuckle. Solow smartly countered with a double stomp off the second rope.
Rhodes showed remarkable resilience by taking a few more shots and bouncing off the ropes. He turned it up a notch by outfoxing Solow into delivering a running Bulldog for the win.
Result: Dustin Rhodes def. Aaron Solow on AEW Dark
Grade: B
The Natural celebrated his win to end another eventful episode of AEW Dark, which you can view above.
