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AEW offered a stacked 10-match card on this week's Dark, and the commentators noted that Price.com presented tonight's episode.
We went straight to the in-ring action as the fast-rising Lee Moriarty made his entrance for a singles match on AEW Dark.
Lee Moriarty vs. Misterioso on AEW Dark
Both men started with hammerlocks before Moriarty looked to control the wrists. Misterioso was agile and reversed the early shoulder tackle with a beautiful handspring.
Moriarty delivered an arm drag, followed by a standing crossbody for a one-count. He kept his opponent on the ground with an armbar, but Misterioso broke free.
He took Lee down with a clothesline and utilized his strength advantage. Misterioso landed the shoulder blocks in the corner, followed by a running clothesline and a dropkick.
The masked man delivered a stalling senton off the ropes, but Moriarty kicked out at two. The Taiga Style practitioner began his comeback with a deep arm drag and a few transitional moves.
Moriarty put together a combination of strikes before sweeping Misterioso off his feet. Lee executed a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall as Misterioso barely survived.
He came back strong with a big powerslam, followed by a telegraphed moonsault press. Moriarty ate a few knees and was dumped with the fireman's carry slam. Misterioso went to the top, but Lee got his boots up to stop the moonsault press.
Lee executed the hammerlock lariat, followed by a modified flatliner for the win.
Result: Lee Moriarty def. Misterioso on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Lio Rush vs. Rayo (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Lio Rush made his AEW singles debut tonight, and he came out to a solid pop. A loud 'Lio' chant echoed around the arena as Rush went for an ankle trip.
Rayo kept up with the pacy Rush as he tried to match him move-for-move. Lio delivered an excellent tope suicida before getting the action back into the ring.
Rush kicked Rayo in the chest but got caught in a Bulldog. The former WWE star kicked out at two and seemed to be in a little bit of trouble. Rush used his fast hands to deliver a three-piece combo, followed by a handspring back elbow.
Lio faked a sweep and hit an enziguri from the mat. He then went to the top turnbuckle and delivered the Frog Splash for the three-count.
Result: Lio Rush def. Rayo on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
Angelica Risk vs. Brandi Rhodes on AEW Dark
Brandi Rhodes made her in-ring return as she wrestled her first match of 2021 against Angelica Risk.
Angelica did well to control the pace early on as she knocked Rhodes down with shoulder blocks. Risk looked impressive as she isolated Brandi in the corner with hard-hitting strikes.
Brandi slowly shed off the ring rust and got back strong with a combination of kicks. Angelica Risk was in control as she delivered a hip attack in the corner and got a near fall with a jackknife pinfall.
Brandi fought out of an ankle submission move and landed a thrust kick onto Angelica's jaw. Rhodes connected with a perfect enziguri before rocking her opponent with a pop-up forearm shimmer.
Brandi forced her opponent to tap out in a unique submission move, which saw her lock in a neck crank with a leg capture.
Result: Brandi Rhodes def. Angelica Risk on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Ryo Mizunami vs. Emi Sakura (w/ Mei Suruga) on AEW Dark
The AEW stars knew each other quite well, and the match, on paper, was expected to be a high-quality affair. Mizunami and Sakura exchanged side headlocks.
They collided with each other with shoulder tackles and chops. The initial sequences were intense and stiff as they screamed after each strike. Mei Suruga grabbed Ryo's boot, and Sakura took advantage with a hair toss.
Ryo Mizunami caught Sakura's crossbody and dumped her onto the mat. Emi Sakura delivered two crossbody moves to send Ryo outside the ring. Suruga attacked Ryo while Sakura distracted the referee.
Ryo blocked the Queen's Gambit and landed thunderous chops in the corner. Mizunami gained momentum as she connected with a big clothesline and a leg drop for a near fall.
The back-and-forth contest continued until Ryo dropped Sakura with another big-time clothesline. Sakura delivered a chop-lariat combo but got laid out with a T-Bone suplex. Ryo came running in for a massive spear, but Sakura kicked out again!
Mei Suruga tried to create another diversion, and she was successful in her efforts. Mizunami got hit with the scepter in the head, and Sakura executed the Mahi stroll pinfall for a controversial win.
Result: Emi Sakura def. Ryo Mizunami on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
After the match, Sakura and Suruga attacked Mizunami until Riho ran out to make the save.
Anthony Ogogo (w/ QT Marshall) vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Anthony Ogogo returned to in-ring action against the criminally underrated Baron Black. Ogogo rejected Black's handshake offer, and he slapped his opponent across the face. The match kicked off with a side headlock as Ogogo delivered a powerful shoulder tackle.
Both men reversed the arm drags before Black locked in the abdominal stretch. He executed the dragonscrew, but couldn't get the Cloverleaf. Ogogo got back into the match with a backbreaker, followed by two-scoop slams. Ogogo landed a southpaw clothesline and got two near falls.
Anthony was in control as he got another near fall after a snap suplex. Ogogo connected with a forearm shimmer to the kidney area as he brutalized Black's back.
Baron tried to fight back with a counter pinfall, but Ogogo forced the rope break. Black landed two uppercuts and chops, but Ogogo responded with a toe kick. Black hit the ropes and delivered two clotheslines, followed by an Atomic Drop and the backstabber.
Ogogo was rocked as Black hit a rolling elbow strike and the exploder suplex for a one-count. Baron went for the Cloverleaf, but QT Marshall jumped on the apron to distract the referee.
Ogogo gouged Black in the eyes, delivered the Olympic slam, and picked up a win upon his return to in-ring action.
Result: Anthony Ogogo def. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Shawn Spears & Wardlow vs. Jay Marte & Richard King (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Wardlow offered his jaw to Jay Marte and allowed his opponent to lock in the side headlock. He quickly broke free and knocked Marte down with a massive right arm lariat. Richard King came into the match and suffered the same fate as his partner despite showing early promise of an upset.
Wardlow stopped King's hurricanrana attempt with a brutal powerbomb. The audience chanted, 'one more time,' and Wardlow obliged. Jay Marte tried to save his partner, but Wardlow's powerbomb symphony continued.
Shawn Spears tagged himself into the match just when Wardlow was about to finish. The Chairman sneaked in and got the three-count over Richard King.
Once again, Wardlow did all the work only for Spears to take the final pin.
Result: Shawn Spears & Wardlow def. Jay Marte & Richard King on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Fuego Del Sol vs. Luke Sampson (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Del Sol began with swift leg kicks as Luke Sampson found it tough to keep track of his opponent's movements. Sampson planted Del Sol on the mat after stopping a double sledgehammer attack. The AEW debutant showed similarities to Kevin Nash/Diesel, and even Taz highlighted the throwback nature of the wrestler's look.
Big Luke dominated the match as Fuego had to change gears to get back in the contest. Fuego created some space with a jawbreaker and a back elbow, but he was flattened with a half-nelson slam. Del Sol reversed a suplex into a leaping neck breaker.
Fuego had the crowd's support as he charged in for two uppercuts and a spear in the corner. Sampson countered the Tornado DDT, but Del Sol kept working towards his finisher.
Del Sol landed a step-up enziguri, followed by a handspring moonsault and a thrust kick. Del Sol measured his opponent and planted Sampson with a massive Tornado DDT. He added the exclamation point with a leaping double-foot stomp for the win.
Result: Fuego Del Sol def. Luke Sampson on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Dante Martin, Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricky Starks (w/ Hook) vs. Kekoa, Omkar & JT Dunn on AEW Dark
Dante Martin wrestled his first AEW match with Team Taz since shockingly joining forces with the faction. Powerhouse Hobbs ran down two opposition team members to start the match. He punished Omkar in the corner before Dante Martin came in.
Ricky Starks didn't allow his new teammate to have his moment as he quickly tagged in himself. Hobbs consoled Martin as the FTW Champion went to work on Omkar. Starks then planted Kekoa with a side suplex before JT Dunn got into the ring and landed a series of kicks. Dunn rocked Starks with a big right, forcing Dante to get time in the ring.
The newest Team Taz member looked phenomenal as he single-handedly wiped out the opposing team with his high-flying offense. Starks assisted his partner with a spear on Kekoa.
JT Dunn and Martin were the legal men, and Dante completed the match with his 'Nose Dive' finisher.
Result: Dante Martin, Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricky Starks def. Kekoa, Omkar & JT Dunn on AEW Dark
Grade: B
After their victory, Tony Schiavone interviewed Team Taz, and Ricky Starks had some choice words for Lio Rush.
Rush interrupted and came out with a microphone to respond to the FTW Champion.
AEW Dark Co-Main Event: Sofia Castillo (AEW Debut) vs. Thunder Rosa
Thunder Rosa started the match with an aggressive collar and elbow tie-up before transitioning to the mat.
Rosa delivered a chop, followed by two arm drags and a dropkick. Castillo avoided a running strike in the corner and put together a few strikes. She almost pulled off an upset with a pinfall, but Thunder Rosa got back with a traditional Boston Crab.
Rosa then had Sofia in the reverse pendulum, where she showcased incredible technique to keep her opponent in the hold. Castillo, however, had a lot of fight in her as she punched her way back into the match.
Rosa reacted with a double knee strike and a dropkick in the corner. She executed the Death Valley Driver and finished the match with the Peruvian Neck Tie.
Result: Thunder Rosa def. Sofia Castillo on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Thunder Rosa cut a promo after the match ahead of her TBS tournament match against Jade Cargill. Mark Sterling came out to deliver a message on behalf of his client.
Cargill eventually appeared and executed a blindsided attack on the babyface to end the post-match segment.
AEW Dark Main Event: John Silver (w/ -1) vs. Aaron Solo
Johnny Silver was the all-out favorite as fans chanted for him before the final match of the evening. He enjoyed the early momentum with a few shoulder tackles and tosses across the ring. Solo delivered a knee strike, but Silver showed tremendous power to send Aaron into the ropes.
Aaron Solo regained control with a few punches, followed by a snap suplex. The Factory member then got a two-count with a double foot stomp. He kept up the pressure with some ground and pound.
Solo even mocked John Silver as -1 looked concerned at ringside. Silver began the comeback with a few forearm shots and a beautiful blackbody drop. He flexed his biceps before catching Solo's hurricanrana and reversing it into a Liger Bomb. Two-count!
Both wrestlers exchanged heavy-handed shots in the middle of the ring as fans cheered for every punch from Silver. John escaped the backslide and landed three consecutive kicks. Silver, however, ate a corkscrew kick, but Solo got a little overzealous and gave up all the control he had in the match.
Silver hit a pump kick, followed by the Spin Doctor finisher for the win.
Result: John Silver def. Aaron Solo on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
John Silver stayed back in the ring for an interview with Tony Schiavone. The Dark Order member opened up about his upcoming match against Bryan Danielson, and Silver promised to beat the former WWE Champion.
Silver ended his promo by hilariously saying he was hungry for some 'vegan meat of Bryan Danielson.'
You can check out the full AEW Dark episode above and share your reviews on the show in the comments section below.
