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Taz, Excalibur, and Anthony Ogogo kicked off the latest AEW Dark episode, and the focus was on the fallout from AEW Revolution.
We went to the first match of the evening on AEW Dark, and Justin Roberts did the pre-match introductions.
#1. Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ Hook) vs. Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Hobbs outmuscled Fashion into the corner, and the Powerhouse rammed his shoulders into his opponent's guts.
Hobbs punished Fashion with right-handed shovel hooks to the ribs. While Fashion did fight back with a few strikes, his momentum was brought to a screeching halt by a Hobbs spinebuster. The Team Taz member pulled his straps down and squashed Fashion in the corner. Hobbs then delivered a power slam for the win.
Result: Powerhouse Hobbs def. Angel Fashion on AEW Dark
Grade: F
This was a typical Hobbs squash match on AEW Dark.
A quick recap of Revolution aired before moving on to the next match of the AEW Dark show.
#2. Danny Limelight & Azriel vs. SCU on AEW Dark
Here's another reminder that SCU will break up forever if they lose another tag team match. SCU, however, has managed to embark on a hot streak of late, but did it continue? Let's find out.
Limelight and Kazarian locked up in the middle of the ring, and Frankie got the early advantage with the front chancery. Limelight twisted Kazarian's arm, and both men jockeyed for position. They fought for wrist control, but Limelight executed a clean arm drag. Kazarian responded with a quick roll-up before going back to the front headlock.
Kazarian dropped Limelight with a monkey flip, and he got back to the s-grip front chancery. The referee's distraction helped Limelight land a cheap shot. Frankie didn't lose control of the contest as he landed two ripping chops. Kazarian then hit a German suplex before making the tag to Daniels for the first time. CD got a quick pin and maintained control for his team with a vertical suplex.
Limelight reversed a suplex with an enziguri. Azriel made a quick tag in and followed CD in the corner with a big dropkick. Azriel hit the ropes but ran into a title-a-whirl backbreaker. Limelight and Azriel used the referee again to create a 2v1 scenario against Daniels.
The heels took control of the match with Limelight's stomp. Azriel got back into the bout and earned a two-count with a side suplex. Limelight then received the tag, and he went over the top with a senton. Azriel also leaped over the top with a splash. The sequence got them a two-count.
Azriel took a page out of QT Marshall's book with an excellent Cutter on Daniels for another two-count. Azriel looked great so far as Daniels began to make his comeback. He made the hot tag to Kazarian, who came in with a few clotheslines. Limelight also joined the fray, but Frankie stopped him with a sole butt and a clubbing right.
Frankie dropped Azriel with a brutal clothesline. Kazarian was on a roll as he shut Limelight down. Daniels received the tag, and SCU delivered a stomp combo.
Limelight broke the pin and landed a series of strikes on Kazarian. SCU stopped Danny with some low-high action. SCU hit the Celebrity Rehab on Azriel for the win. Taz was quick to note that Azriel's arm was very close to the rope. The replays did indeed show that Azriel's left hand was under the bottom rope, and the finish seemed botched.
Result: SCU def. Danny Limelight & Azriel on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
#3. Aaron Solow, Brock Aldrige & Dean Alexander vs. Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi & Ryan Nemeth on AEW Dark
Nemeth and Solow got the match underway with a collar and elbow tie-up. Nemeth got wrist control, and he was his arrogant and cocky self. Solow fired back with a couple of arm-drags, and he brought Nemeth over to the corner before tagging Aldrige into the match.
Aldrige benches 550 pounds for reps, and he did show his freakish power by lifting Nemeth in the air.
Ryan sneaked out and tagged Avalon, who came in and got laid out with a massive fallaway slam. Dean Alexander was the legal man now, and he executed a side Russian leg-sweep.
Avalon baited Alexander into the wrong corner, and Bononi capitalized with a cheap shot. The big man was in control as Avalon's men worked in tandem to wear Alexander down.
Nemeth got the tag, and he continued to punish Alexander with a hammerlock. Avalon entered the match and delivered a chop before going back out. Bononi's chop was the real deal as the sound echoed in Daily's Place.
Nemeth Irish whipped Alexander into the corner, taunted his opponent, and rushed in for a shoulder tackle. Nemeth followed it with a quick side suplex. The Hollywood Hunk was in the zone, but Alexander still managed to tag Solow into the match.
Solow used his quickness to outfox Bononi and Nemeth. Solow was all over the ring, but he single-handedly took out all three of his opponents.
Bononi caught Solow mid-air and dropped him with a big suplex. He sent Solow into the corner but missed the splash.
Chaos ensued as all six competitors brawled in the ring. Solow and Aldrige were dumped out, and Nemeth hit his neckbreaker finisher on Alexander for the three-count on AEW Dark.
Bononi suffered a busted nose in the AEW Dark match, and it looked pretty nasty.
Result: Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi & Ryan Nemeth def. Aaron Solow, Brock Aldrige & Dean Alexander on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#4. Lee Johnson vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Both men engaged in a quick exchange of holds, hammerlocks, and wrist locks in the early goings of the AEW Dark match. The sequence ended in a stalemate, and the match broke down into a proper fight.
Big Shotty Lee got the advantage with a clothesline and follow-up splash in the corner. Black delivered a knee to Johnson's gut, followed by a massive chop. The back-and-forth affair continued as Johnson sent Black to the out.
Black recuperated, caught a leaping Johnson in mid-air, and delivered a clutch vertical suplex. The referee began the count, and Johnson broke it to roll back into the ring.
Black connected with a discus clothesline, but Johnson reversed a suplex into a cover. Back on the feet, Black got a two-count with the atomic drop-backstabber combo. Baron slowed down the pace of the match, but Johnson answered with a series of quick chops. Black reversed an Irish whip into a backbreaker for another two-count.
Black hoisted Johnson up, but Lee escaped. Johnson then dropped Black with a picture-perfect dropkick. Both men were on the mat as the ref kicked off the 10-count.
Johnson stopped Baron in his tracks with a back elbow. He came in hot with two clotheslines and a hanging neckbreaker. A kip-up followed, and Johnson looked confident. Johnson reversed a German suplex, hit a thrust kick, and executed the Death Valley Driver. Black, however, kicked out at two-and-a-half!
Johnson was shocked and took his time to plan his next move. Black dropped Johnson with a dragon screw before transitioning to the Cloverleaf.
Johnson flipped over into an inside cradle for a two-count. Johnson sat down for another pinning combination. Both men exchanged a series of pins before engaging in a stand-up war. Kicks and punches came in from both ends. Johnson looked unsteady after a release German suplex, but he still managed to deliver the Blue Thunder Powerbomb out of nowhere for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Lee Johnson def. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: A
#5. Colt Cabana, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson & Alex Reynolds of The Dark Order vs. Aaron Frye, D3, Jon Cruz & Vary Morales on AEW Dark
Alex Reynolds and D3 started the match, and as expected, Alex got the early momentum with an excellent flying elbow and a dropkick. Reynolds made it look easy before making the tag to Stu Grayson.
Frye got the tag on the other end, and he was driven into the opposite corner. Uno came in and delivered a pump kick. Aaron Frye was in a world of trouble as Uno whacked him with a series of strikes.
Frye created some separation with a dropkick. He then sprang off the middle rope to deliver a flying elbow. The new quartet began to crawl their way back into the AEW Dark match, and Uno was now on the receiving end of some punishment.
Morales delivered a very smooth swinging DDT for a two-count. D3 and Frye mistimed their double-team move, and Uno executed a stunner on D3 before tagging in Cabana.
Colt connected with the elbow, followed by the flying apple in the corner. He had Cruz on his shoulders on the middle rope, ready for the Chicago Skyline, but he had to wait.
Uno first flatlined Morales in the ring before Reynolds tombstoned Frye onto Morales' chest. Grayson ended the sequence with the Nightfall on D3. All of this happened while Cabana waited patiently with Cruz on his shoulders. The ring was cleared, and Cabana finally executed the Chicago Skyline on Cruz - who was rolled back into the ring, and The Dark Order got the subsequent three-count victory on AEW Dark.
Result: The Dark Order def. Aaron Frye, D3, Jon Cruz & Vary Morales on AEW Dark
Grade: B
#6. The Varsity Blonds vs. Ryzin & Cameron Stewart on AEW Dark
Brian Pillman Jr. and Cameron Stewart started the match with a tie-up. Pillman dropped Stewart with a stiff shoulder tackle, followed by a loopy kick to the head.
Pillman chose to take the systematic approach as he chopped Stewart and sent him in the corner for a running back fist. Garrison got a piece of the action, and the Blonds delivered a 4-piece combination move. The Blonds' synergy was great, but a referee distraction helped Ryzin take control of the proceedings.
The eccentric Ryzin was now the legal man, and he enjoyed shoving his boot into Pillman's face. Ryzin got a two-count with a faceplant. Pillman fought back with two chops, but Ryzin maintained his control.
Ryzin went to the top and missed the senton, giving Pillman the chance to tag Garrison into the match.
Griff caught Ryzin with a high boot before dropping Stewart with a back body drop. Garrison stunned Stewart with an incredibly stiff forearm shimmer. Ouch!
Result: The Varsity Blonds def. Ryzin & Cameron Stewart on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#7. Diamante vs. Savannah Thorne (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Diamante urged Thorne to draw first blood, and Savannah looked great in the early moments as she used her strength advantage to great effect.
A knee drop gave Thorne a two-count, and the AEW debutant looked to keep up the pace. Diamante used her experience to deliver a German suplex out of nowhere, followed by a few brutal cross-face shots.
Diamante broke up a pin as she wanted to inflict more damage on her opponent. A running dropkick followed two back elbows in the corner from Diamante. Thorne kicked out at two, and Diamante wasn't happy with her opponent's resilience. Thorne fought back with a few shots, but Diamante blasted her across the mid-section. Diamante wasted time trash-talking and almost lost the match with a roll-up.
Diamante caught Thorne with a clothesline. She went from the Cazadora into a stunner before ending the match with the Code Red, aka the Canadian Destroyer.
Result: Diamante def. Savannah Thorne (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
#8. QT Marshall vs. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark
The next AEW Dark clash was hyped up as a grudge match between The Master of the Diamond Cutter against The King of the Tornado DDT. The only problem was that Del Sol had never hit the Tornado DDT in AEW. Was tonight the night?
'This is awesome' chants reverberated across the arena even before the match began. The commentators highlighted the history between both men from Sammy Geuvara's vlogs. QT and Del Sol traded shots, and Marshall was more ruthless in the early moments.
Del Sol built up some pace and dropped QT with a sequence of classic Lucha-inspired moves. Fuego teased the Tornado DDT, but QT reversed it into a powerslam.
QT Marshall dominated the match and even tried to unmask Fuego Del Sol. Marshall countered another Tornado DDT with a massive uppercut, which gave him a two-count.
Marshall positioned Del Sol on the top and looked for the Avalance Diamond Cutter. Del Sol responded with a big hurricanrana from the top rope. Both men were down on the mat.
Del Sol blocked a few incoming shots, but QT's power was overwhelming. However, Del Sol reacted with an extension dropkick followed by a moonsault from the middle rope for a two-count pin.
Fuego got another near fall with a modified powerbomb. QT tipped the scales in his favor with a backbreaker-flatliner combo. QT called for the Diamond Cutter, but Fuego athletically avoided impact with a handstand.
Fuego rocked QT with a front face kick. Del Sol went up, and it finally happened. He hit the freakin' Tornado DDT! Sadly for Del Sol, the momentum took QT to the outside. The crowd popped as they witnessed one of the greatest moments in AEW Dark history. Fuego went for another Tornado DDT back in the ring but slipped on the ropes and dived straight into a Diamond Cutter.
QT hit another Diamond Cutter for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: QT Marshall def. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark
Grade: A
#9. Carlie Bravo (w/ Shawn Dean) vs. Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford) on AEW Dark
Carlie Bravo began his first singles match in AEW with a hammerlock tie-up with Sabian. Superbad mocked Bravo and trapped him in a side headlock.
Bravo had a tough time getting out of the headlock, but he eventually did and fired off a salute in response to Sabian's taunts. Carlie delivered two dropkicks and started to work his way back into the match.
Sabian knocked Bravo out of the ring with a shotgun dropkick. Kip delivered a punt kick on the apron before rolling Bravo back into the ring. Sabian wasn't pleased with the competition level that AEW has been providing him, and he complained about it while dominating the match. Bravo tried to sneak away with a victory via a roll-up, but Sabian quickly kicked out.
Sabian delivered a penalty kick in the middle of the ring, and Bravo struggled to get up on his feet. Carlie fought back with a few jabs and a significant follow-up right hook. Bravo picked out Sabian's ankle and delivered an elbow drop off the springboard. Carlie looked for the standing sliced bread, but Sabian responded with a pendulum knee strike.
Sabian executed the gutbuster, followed by the corkscrew neckbreaker for the win.
Result: Kip Sabian def. Carlie Bravo on AEW Dark
Grade: C
#10. Co-Main Event: Abadon vs. Katalina Perez on AEW Dark
Perez attempted a leg sweep takedown, but Abadon was just a different beast altogether as she dominated the match from the get-go. Abadon no-sold Perez's punches and kicks before delivering a release German suplex. Abadon bounced Perez's head off the canvas. She stalked Perez and ran right through her at ringside.
The action moved back inside the ring, and it was all one-way traffic, with Abadon landing a few forearm strikes. Perez managed to lay Abadon out with a clothesline, but AEW's twisted entity sprang back up like The Undertaker.
Abadon splatted Perez to the mat before setting her up for the Cemetery Drive for the win.
Result: Abadon def. Katalina Perez on AEW Dark
Grade: F
#11. Main Event: Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela vs. Santana & Ortiz on AEW Dark
Santana and Ortiz wasted no time as they blindsided Kiss and Janela. The action spilled over to the outside as Santana worked on Janela while Ortiz took care of Sonny Kiss in the ring.
Sonny Kiss wasn't backing down without a fight as Kiss delivered a hurricanerana and a dropsault. Kiss gave excellent roundhouse kicks to both opponents. However, the Inner Circle members used the numbers advantage to stop Kiss with a double team move. Janela was still out of the match selling the beatdown from Santana. Santana delivered the Three Amigos, with the third and final suplex done with Ortiz's assistance.
Ortiz stretched Kiss out in the center of the ring. Santana got the tag and continued the punishment with an abdominal stretch. Santana followed it with a hip toss and a dropkick to the back of the head. Ortiz delivered a backdrop, and there was still no sign of Janela as Kiss looked for the tag. Kiss fought back with a few up-kicks and a flatliner on Santana.
Kiss desperately needed to make the tag, and Janela finally appeared on the apron. Janela got the hot tag and attacked both members of the Inner Circle.
Janela botched a kip-up but still managed to take out both Santana and Ortiz with dives. Janela drove Ortiz's head into the ramp, and the Inner Circle member stayed in the match by reaching out for the ropes and breaking up the pinfall. Kiss got another near fall with a split-legged DDT, but Santana rushed in to break the pin. Santana and Ortiz executed a complex sequence that earned them a near fall. Janela had to make the save.
Ortiz delivered a vicious brainbuster on Janela while Kiss hit a modified stunner on Ortiz. The back-and-forth action was relentless, and the match was finally heading for its finish. Santana used Kiss as a weapon to knock Janela off the apron. The Inner Circle members then hit the assisted Death Valley Driver for the win.
Result: Santana & Ortiz def. Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
You can check out the full episode of AEW Dark above.
