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This week's AEW Dark kicked off with Excalibur, Taz, and Veda Scott running down the card, which featured eleven matches.
#1. Brandi Rhodes (w/ Dustin Rhodes) vs. Red Velvet on AEW Dark
Brandi Rhodes was out with Dustin Rhodes and her action figure, of course.
The match began with both women working on each others' arms. Red Velvet showed off her athleticism, but Brandi was quite patronizing in response. Rhodes took Velvet down with a shoulder block for a 1-fall.
Velvet got the upper hand as she pinned Rhodes in the corner with a split. Brandi used the referee's distraction to take control of the match with a big kick. She then unloaded with big rights and lefts in the mount position.
Rhodes got a 2-count following a sling blade. Anna Jay walked out. Velvet took advantage of the distraction by spiking Rhodes with a DDT. Both women recovered. Velvet rallied with two sling blades and a clothesline, followed by the double knees to Rhodes' back.
Velvet went for a clothesline, but Rhodes ducked and returned the favor with a big spear. Rhodes stared Anna Jay down and locked in the Queen Slayer submission (Rear Naked Choke) on Velvet, who passed out, and the ref called for the bell on AEW Dark.
Result - Brandi Rhodes def. Red Velvet on Dark
Grade - C
#2. The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Eddie Kingston) vs. Daniel Garcia & Kevin Blackwood on AEW Dark
The Butcher and The Blade ambushed Garcia and Blackwood even before the well was rung. The faces turned it around with a series of kicks on Butcher and Blade, who were both dumped to the outside. Blade and Butcher finally got control of the match.
Big Butch executed a German release Suplex before tagging in Blade. Butcher came in once again and delivered the gutbuster on Garcia. Blade and Butcher continued to work on Garcia with some efficient tag team wrestling.
Garcia created some separation with a few elbow strikes and a boot to Butcher's face. Blackwood got the tag. He took Blade out with a clothesline, but he got taken out with a running crossbody.
Garcia came in with a blind tag and began chopping both the Butcher and the Blade. They broke Garcia in half with The Full Death to pick up the win on AEW Dark.
Result - The Butcher & The Blade def. Daniel Garcia & Kevin Blackwood on AEW Dark
Grade - B
#3. Dani Jordyn vs. Penelope Ford on AEW Dark
Ford took off her engagement ring and handed it to Kip Sabian, who admired his choice. The commentators spoke about the 'Twitch money' that Sabian rakes in, but Taz wasn't into that stream of income. Anyway, the match got underway, and Ford rocked Jordyn in the face.
Dani fired back with a bunch of strikes to the body and the face. She took Ford out with a dropkick. A Ford forearm stopped a dive to the outside.
Back in the ring, Penelope targetted Jordyn's throat. She dragged her opponent around before getting her up on the shoulders for the gutbuster, which got Ford a two-count.
Penelope tore a page out of Jordyn's book and shoved it into her mouth. Dani mounted the comeback with a few clotheslines and a waist lock chop. Penelope blocked a german suplex. She countered with a Stunner before going up to the top turnbuckle. Ford connected with the shotgun dropkick, but she also hurt her back in the process. Ford finally executed the Fisherman's Suplex for the 3-count on AEW Dark.
Result - Penelope Ford def. Dani Jordyn on AEW Dark
Grade - C
#4. Brian Cage vs. Megabyte Ronnie on AEW Dark
Megabyte Ronnie made his AEW debut, and he is apparently one of the top-ranked competitive eaters in the world. Yeah, the commentators even spoke about his monstrous eating habits as Brian Cage came out to the ring. Ricky Starks was at the commentary table as well.
The FTR Champion took Ronnie out with a shoulder tackle. Cage drove in the knees into Megabyte's gut before delivering the arm drag neck breaker to the knee.
Ronnie got the big boot, but Cage also rocked Ronnie with a big knee to the face. The Machine then stunned Ronnie with a left-hand lariat. Ronnie took Cage down and hilariously got out a hotdog.
Megabyte Ronnie delivered the hotdog version of The Rock's People's Elbow. The People's Hotdog! Cage, however, finished the AEW Dark match with the Drill Claw.
Result - Brian Cage def. Megabyte Ronnie on AEW Dark
Grade - B-
l5. Santana & Ortiz vs. Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison on AEW Dark
Pillman and Santana began the AEW Dark match with an interesting sequence. Santana drove in the dropkick to the back of Pillman's neck.
Brian fought back with a forearm strike, but he got a stiff open-handed shot in return. Griff Garrison got tagged in, but he got cracked with a LOUD chop.
However, Garrison hit a huge splash in the corner, but he couldn't capitalize on it as he got hit with a kick.
Taz and Ricky Starks talked about possibly talking to Chris Jericho about Ortiz and Santana working for the Taz brand. Was that a teaser of an alliance change? It sure was.
Back to the action, Ortiz came in and hit a dropkick followed by a Gutwrench suplex on Garrison. Ortiz stomped away on Garrison in the corner. Ortiz and Santana hit a double team move on Garrison after Santana came in. They hit a double suplex later with Ortiz getting some of the action. He rocked Pillman in the corner. Garrison used the distraction to connect with a big right. The hot tag was made to Pillman Jr.
Pillman rifled Santana with a series of chops and uppercuts. He went for the delayed vertical suplex on Ortiz, but it got reversed into a delayed powerbomb. In the end, Ortiz and Santana picked up the win with the pinfall over Pillman Jr. on AEW Dark.
Result - Santana & Ortiz def. Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison on AEW Dark
Grade - B
#6. Will Hobbs vs. Jessy Sorensen on AEW Dark
Will Hobbs was quite impressive in the Casino Royale at All Out, and he looked to make another big statement against the returning Jessy Sorensen on AEW Dark.
Hobbs was all over Sorensen with some big strikes in the corner. He just swatted Sorensen like a fly. A massive spinebuster followed. Hobbs hoisted Sorensen up on his shoulder and rammed him into the turnbuckle first before dropping him down to the mat with the Powerslam. Oklahoma Stampede!
Result - Will Hobbs def. Jessy Sorensen on AEW Dark
Grade - C
#7. Skyler Moore & Raché Chanel vs. Diamanté & Ivelisse on AEW Dark
Moore and Chanel were tagging with each other for the first time. Diamante and Ivelisse came out with their Tag Team Cup Tournament medals, which were huge for some reason.
Moore executed a couple of arm drags and a scoop slam on Ivelisse. Diamante came in and was also scooped down to the mat. Chanel got tagged in, and she connected with a hard elbow.
Diamante also connected with an elbow. Way too many elbows in this match!
Diamante and Ivelisse isolated Chanel in their corner, and the domination began. It should be noted that this match was considerably sloppy in its execution. Diamante came in like a missile with a dropkick on Chanel in the corner. Chanel created some separation with the Shining Wiarzd out of nowhere. Moore got tagged in, and she hit a few clotheslines on Ivelisse. A head scissors takedown was followed up with the Falling Powerslam.
Diamante came in, and Moore got outnumbered. Ivelisse hit her rolling Snapmare kick finisher on Moore and picked up the win on AEW Dark.
Result - Diamanté & Ivelisse def. Skyler Moore & Raché Chanel on AEW Dark
Grade - D
#8. Colt Cabana (w/ The Dark Order) vs. QT Marshall (w/ Allie) on AEW Dark
Both men began the match with some technical grappling sequences. They exchanged a few holds. OT was sent flying across the ring with a Hurricanerana. Stu Grayson came up to the ring and ordered Colt Cabana to finish up the match. Evil Uno pulled Grayson back.
OT took advantage and hit a dropkick on Cabana for the two-count. Five and Ten created another distraction, and Cabana got the upper hand this time in the match. Cabana sent Marhsall flying into the corner, followed by a strike to the face. Cabana fired in the elbows into the traps of QT.
Marshall tried to fight out of it, but Cabana kept him down with some grueling mat-based wrestling. QT connected with a few shots, followed by the flying tackle and the Manhattan Slam. QT scoop slammed Cabana down to the mat before going up to the top rope for the elbow. QT went for the Diamond Cutter, but he had to settle for a Flatliner-backbreaker combo.
Cabana answered with a couple of rights and the elbow, ala Bubba Ray Dudley.
Stu Grayson rocked QT with a thunderous knee strike while the referee was distracted. Cabana hit a big Discus Clothesline for the win on AEW Dark.
Result - Colt Cabana def. QT Marshall
Grade - B+
#9. Brandon Cutler vs. Peter Avalon (w/ Leva Bates) on AEW Dark
It was finally time for the most highly-anticipated match on the AEW Dark card. Cutler came out with a cool mask, and he even got some pyro. Not bad!
The former friends began the match with a brawl in the ring. In case you may have forgotten, one of these two men would end their losing streak tonight.
Cutler hit a big springboard forearm. He took Avalon out with a Tope Suicida on the outside. Avalon and Cutler engaged in a battle of chops. Avalon was sent into the ring, but he came right out with a Tope Suicida.
Back in the ring, Avalon took Cutler out with a Urinagi for a two-count. He locked in the single-leg Boston Crab. Cutler reached for the ropes to break the hold. Avalon wanted Bates' book, but Cutler used the distraction to hit the reverse DDT for a 2-count.
Avalon delivered a Tiger Driver for another near fall. He hit the double knees, followed by the split-leg moonsault for yet another close fall. Avalon missed a move, and Cutler laid him out. Cutler then executed a huge springboard elbow. The airtime on that was insane!
Cutler set Avalon up on the top rope as a visibly concerned Bates looked on. Both men spilled down to the floor. The referee began the count. The brawl continued on the outside as the referee kept counting. The match ended in a double countout on AEW Dark.
Result - Brandon Cutler vs. Peter Avalon ended in a double countout on AEW Dark
Grade - A
Cutler and Avalon left as a sad Leva Bates stood in the ring.
#10. Best Friends vs. Maxx Stardom & Dontae Smiley on AEW Dark
Stardom and Smiley made their AEW debuts tonight. Stardom had previously worked a few matches in the WWE in 205 Live and NXT, respectively.
Dontae Smiley and Trent worked it out in the ring. Smiley did get some offense in, but Trent rocked him with a perfect running knee. The Best Friends worked on Smiley, who did get in a few forearm strikes. Trent sent him back down to the canvas before unleashing a barrage of brutal forearms.
Smiley finally made the hot tag to Stardom, who came in and hit the Bulldog. Trent shifted the favor in his team's favor and tagged in Chuckie T, who hit a spear on the outside on Stardom. Back in the ring, Smiley was the legal man. They hit a double team move and followed it up with a Piledriver combo to get the win on AEW Dark.
The Best Friends maintained their serious demeanor throughout the match, and they indeed looked focussed for their Parking Lot match against Santana and Ortiz, which is scheduled to take place on AEW Dynamite.
Result - Best Friends def. Maxx Stardom & Dontae Smiley on AEW Dark
Grade - B
#11. Dark Order vs. Private Party & The Gunn Club on AEW Dark
Billy Gunn kicked off the main event of the show against Alex Reynolds. The babyfaces worked on Reynolds in their corner.
Private Party hit a 4-move double team combo on Reynolds before tagging in Austin Gunn, who hit the big splash in the corner followed by the blackbody drop. Austin Gunn somehow found himself in the wrong corner, and The Dark was now on top of the proceedings.
Gunn picked Reynolds up and took him to his corner for the tag. Private Party hit another innovative move. Kassidy mocked the Dark Order before leaving the ring. Quen was lighting it up in the ring as he took Reynolds out with an elevated Shotgun dropkick.
Marq went up to the top, but he was sent crashing to the outside by Reynolds with a right. Grayson, Silver, and Uno came into the match as Marq Quen looked to make the hot tag.
Uno hit a delayed vertical brainbuster for a two-count. Quen finally created some separation with a kick to Uno. He leaped across the ring to make the hot tag to Billy Gunn.
The veteran came in and had punches for all the Dark Order members. Gunn slammed Grayson down to the mat for a near fall. Uno grabbed the legs of Gunn and sent the veteran into the barricade. Back in the ring, Marq Quen hit a reverse sliced bread. Silver hit the brainbuster on Quen.
Austin Gunn hit a double clothesline. Billy was back in, and he took Grayson out. Uno stunned Billy with the big boot. Austin Gunn cleared the ring and sent Uno into the corner. Grayson and Uno would finally hit the Fatality on Austin Gunn to pick up the win on AEW Dark.
Result - Dark Order def. Private Party & The Gunn Club on AEW Dark
Grade - A
That was one of the better episodes of AEW Dark as there were some solid matches. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can watch the entire episode above. Share your reviews and ratings in the comments section below.
