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Taz and Excalibur welcomed fans to the latest AEW Dark, and they hyped up tonight's lineup of matches. They threw it down to Justin Roberts in the ring as we moved into the first match of the evening.
Ethan Page (w/ Scorpio Sky) vs. Danny Limelight on AEW Dark
Ethan Page and Danny Limelight started the in-ring proceedings of the contest with a quick exchange of strikes. Limelight used his kicks to good effect until he got rocked by a massive right on the apron.
All Ego executed a double underhook backbreaker using the ropes as leverage. Page taunted Limelight by mocking his dance before going back for the punches.
Page delivered a vicious hammer throw into the corner, followed by a clubbing right that sent Limelight crashing on the outside. Sky and Taz waxed lyrical about each other in the commentary booth while Page executed an ideally delayed vertical suplex.
Limelight fought back with a few forearm strikes and kicks to the midsection. Danny then hit a Pele kick and amped up the crowd before landing a pump kick.
Limelight executed the tightrope walk followed by a blockbuster from the springboard. Page responded with a big-time shoulder tackle before lifting Danny upon his shoulders for the Ego's Edge finisher on AEW Dark.
Result: Ethan Page def. Danny Limelight on AEW Dark.
Grade: B
Dante Martin vs. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
Sonny Kiss and Dante Martin shook hands before starting what looked like a fascinating match. Kiss' unique in-ring style meshed well with the modern high-flyer Martin.
Dante reversed and worked his way to an armbar position. The reversals came thick and fast as both opponents canceled each other out. Sonny Kiss hit a big back elbow in the corner before rolling through for an exclamation point dropkick for a near fall.
Dante Martin outfoxed Kiss with a series of misdirections to finally hit a springboard dropkick. Neat sequence!
Kiss evaded Martin's running crossbody attempt by bridging his body. Kiss executed a backflip knee drop in Martin's kidney region. Sonny got a near fall for the move before going for a classic abdominal stretch.
Martin broke away but got sent into the corner. Dante countered a back handspring move by getting the knees up. Martin then got a near fall with a moonsault press from the top.
Sonny hit a jawbreaker to create some separation before decking him in the corner with a forearm. Kiss followed through with a front flip one-legged drop for a two-count.
Kiss placed Martin on the top but missed the intended move. Martin tripped Kiss and landed the front-flip Stunner for the win. Special props to Sonny Kiss for an incredible sell job of the Stunner. The Rock would be proud!
Result: Dante Martin def. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Kiss put over Martin after the AEW Dark match with a quintessential babyface moment.
Nyla Rose vs. Charlette Renegade (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Robyn Renegade's sister made her AEW debut tonight, and she certainly had a match to forget.
Nyla Rose went on the offensive and laid out Renegade with a snap suplex. She hung on to the chancery and left Renegade to dry on the ropes.
Rose hit the patented leg drop from the top rope, but the Native Beast stopped the pinfall. The former AEW Women's Champion sent a solid statement to Britt Baker by ending the match with a brutal Beast Bomb.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Charlette Renegade on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Dark Order's Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs Shane Mercer & KTB (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
John Silver joined the commentary team, and Taz was already predictably quite confrontational. Meanwhile, Uno and KTB started the match with a shoulder tackle exchange.
Evil Uno showed insane athleticism with a step-up hurricanerana. Next, Mercer and Grayson entered the match and engaged in a back-and-forth sequence.
Uno and Grayson executed an assisted hanging neckbreaker to stamp their mark on the contest. Grayson got back in and was used as a weapon to inflict more damage on Mercer. The Dark Order hit a high boot, a senton, a penalty kick, and a knee drop for a near fall.
Mercer finally created some space by lifting Uno towards his corner. KTB got the tag, and Mercer showed tremendous strength to lift Uno in the air.
KTB hit the pump kick, but the AEW debutants weren't done. The duo hit an extensive five-move combo for a two-count on Uno.
KTB executed a Manhattan Drop, followed by a spinebuster and a splash for another two-count. Mercer called for the finish and dropped Uno with a delayed vertical suplex.
Uno broke away with a jawbreaker and three forearm shimmers. He met Mercer in the middle of the ring before tagging Grayson, who came in hot with a frog splash crossbody on KTB.
KTB got rolling to the other side with a belly-to-belly suplex. Grayson kept up the pressure with a brilliant Tornado DDT. Uno got the tag, and Dark Order hit a roundhouse kick-brainbuster combo.
Mercer came in to break the count as Grayson became the legal man. However, KTB managed to catch Grayson on the outside, and he helped Mercer get Stu in the powerbomb position.
Mercer sent Grayson crashing into the mat for a very close pinfall. Grayson dug deep and escaped the double clothesline with a swift kip-up. He followed it with a perfect double Pele kick.
Uno sent Mercer outside with a flipping senton. Back in the ring, Grayson hit the Nightfall on KTB for the win.
Result: Dark Order's Evil Uno & Stu Grayson def. Shane Mercer & KTB on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Wardlow vs. Chandler Hopkins on AEW Dark
There was only one logical outcome to this AEW Dark match: a convincing squash victory for Wardlow.
The Pinnacle member stared a hole into Hopkins and ragdolled him around the ring. Wardlow wobbled Hopkins with a straight kick before trucking him down with a massive clothesline.
Wardlow ended the match by choking Hopkins out with the standing front chancery.
Result: Wardlow def. Chandler Hopkins on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Wardlow just sent a big message to Jake Hager ahead of their MMA rules Cage fight on AEW Dynamite.
Cezar Bononi (w/ The Wingmen) vs. Dillon McQueen on AEW Dark
McQueen slapped Bononi at the beginning of the match, and the Brazilian looked infuriated. Cezar rocked McQueen with a big boot, followed by the body shots in the corner.
Bononi tossed McQueen across the ring. The Wingmen took advantage of the distraction and worked on a makeover for McQueen.
Bononi dropped Dillon with a side suplex, and he even mocked Orange Cassidy before spiking McQueen yet again with a suplex.
The former WWE NXT star picked up the win with the pump handle toss.
Result: Cezar Bononi def. Dillon McQueen on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Orange Cassidy would have indeed taken notes as he's in for a tough one-on-one match against Bononi on the next edition of Dynamite.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Jake Tucker (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Frankie Kazarian returned to action and kicked off the match with an aggressive collar and elbow tie-up with Tucker. Then, Kaz executed a nice front drop toehold before moving to the headlock.
Kazarian connected with two thudding chops followed by a couple of arm drags. However, Frankie kept it technical and managed to ground Jake for the majority of the match.
Kazarian softened Tucker up with three forearm shots to the back before executing a snap suplex. Tucker got some offense in after a reversal and performed an excellent running bulldog for a one-count.
Jake dropped Kaz with two stiff hammer throws in the corner. Tucker, however, missed the running splash as Kazarian followed up with a powerful clothesline.
Kazarian was done playing around, and he locked in the Crossface Chickenwing for the win.
Result: Frankie Kazarian def. Jake Tucker on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Frankie is back with a new gimmick and he seems ready to embark on a promising run as a singles performer.
KiLynn King vs. Valentina Rossi (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
The AEW Dark match got underway with the usual lockup, and King used her power to push Rossi into the corner on two occasions.
KiLynn executed two Japanese arm drags, followed by a shoulder breaker. King almost dropped Rossi on her head! Valentina used her long legs to get back into the match before sinching her shoulders into King's stomach.
Rossi got a one-count with a snap suplex. The Italian wrestler continued to talk trash at King as she sent her crashing into the turnbuckle. Rossi stomped away in the corner and showed great personality while controlling the match.
King fought back with a shotgun dropkick in the corner. KiLynn took Rossi down with three snapping clotheslines.
Valentina blocked the waist lock but couldn't reverse the Kingdom Falls finisher, which was enough to give King the win on AEW Dark.
Result: KiLynn King def. Valentina Rossi on AEW Dark.
Grade: B-
Valentina Rossi should ideally be a regular face on AEW Dark following her impressive showing tonight.
Sonny Kiss is done with Joey Janela on AEW Dark
We were treated to another bizarre Joey Janela segment with Alex Marvez. Sonny Kiss confronted Joey about his recent actions.
The Bad Boy blamed Alex Marvez for being a bad influence. Sonny Kiss responded by saying that he was done with Janela, officially ending their longtime tag team run.
Billy & Colten Gunn of the Gunn Club vs. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
This AEW Dark contest might be one of the weirdest matches you'll watch all week.
Veterans Luther and Billy Gunn got the match rolling in hilarious style as Billy slapped the Chaos Project member in the backside. Luther yelled in gibberish, and Billy looked visibly confused.
Serpentico got the tag, and he ran into a brick wall they call Billy Gunn! The WWE Hall of Famer seamlessly sideslammed Serpentico before tagging his son into the match. Billy took a page out of the Chaos Project book by scoop slamming Colten onto Serpentico. Billy got some retribution of sorts with the 'suck it' gesture back at Serpentico.
Colten kept up the match's pace with a big dropkick on Luther. He then refocused his attention on Serpentico, who reacted with a perfect dropkick.
Luther kicked Colten and told him to 'suck it. Okay! The unorthodox tag team offense of Chaos Project was on full display as Luther used Serpentico to punish Colten.
Luther delivered an inverted suplex on Serpentico, who landed on top of Colten. Billy Gunn entered the ring to break the subsequent pinfall.
Colten finally created some separation and made the tag to Papa Gunn, who laid out Luther with a running clothesline. He attempted to toss Serpentico towards Luther but completely missed the mark. Taz giggled on the microphone as Serpentico landed hard.
Luther reversed the Famouser into a big boot. Serpentico and Colten brawled on the outside while Billy finally hit the Famouser on Luther for the win.
Result: Billy & Colten Gunn of the Gunn Club def. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
Grade: B
AEW Dark Co-Main Event: Tay Conti vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow Nightingale grooved to Tay Conti's entrance theme before the penultimate AEW Dark match.
A fast-paced exchange ended with a shoulder block from Willow, who followed it with a hammer throw in the corner. Conti escaped a splash with the Ukemi roll before running through for a back elbow.
Conti and Willow executed standing switches before Tay landed a perfectly released German suplex. The former WWE star kicked Willow across the back and followed it with a running penalty kick.
Conti locked in the Triangle Sleeper, which forced Willow to reach out for the ropes. Nightingale tasted some success with her feet unto Conti dropped her down with a faceplant.
Conti gathered pace with two clotheslines and two massive pump kicks in the corner. She then delivered an O Goshi hip throw, rolled through, and kicked Willow flush in the jaw.
Conti wrapped things up with the DDTay on AEW Dark.
Result: Tay Conti def. Willow Nightingale on AEW Dark
Grade: B
AEW Dark Main Event: Dark Order's Colt Cabana & Alan "5" Angels vs. The Acclaimed
The Acclaimed attacked Dark Order before the bell rang, but Alan Angels and Colt Cabana improvised to execute a quickfire double-team sequence.
After the early chaos, Angels and Cabana took control of the match and kept Bowens in their corner.
Caster got into the match but was flattened by Cabana with a leg whip. Referee Bryce Remsburg was having difficulty maintaining order, and The Acclaimed carried out a boombox attack to take the driver's seat in the AEW Dark main event.
The Acclaimed worked on Cabana's knee throughout the match. However, Colt finally created the space needed to make the tag with a clutch suplex.
Angels got the hot tag, and he took the fight to Bowens with two clotheslines.
Alan landed an enziguri, followed by a running low-angle crossbody into the ropes. He got a near fall with a standing sliced bread.
Caster stopped Angels from delivering the frog splash before going up for the Mic Drop. Angels stopped The Acclaimed but couldn't evade a front chancery brainbuster.
Cabana was knocked off the apron, and The Acclaimed isolated Angels to hit the Mic Drop for the win.
Result: The Acclaimed def. Dark Order's Colt Cabana & Alan "5" Angels on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
You can watch the full AEW Dark episode above, and don't forget to join us tomorrow for all the latest live updates from AEW Dynamite.
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