AEW returned for another explosive edition of Dark, and unlike last week, this week's show was more stacked than Elevation. This was a big show as it was the 100th episode of AEW's YouTube offering.
The episode ran for almost an hour and a half and featured some of the promotion's biggest names. Taz and Excalibur got the show rolling as usual before throwing it down to Justin Roberts for the first match on the latest AEW Dark.
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Ryan Nemeth, JD Drake & Cezar Bononi (w/ Peter Avalon) vs. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta (w/ Kris Statlander) on AEW Dark
After the entrances, the show kicked off with a massive trios tag team match, and Ricky Starks joined the commentary team. The Best Friends and Wheeler Yuta got a great reception.
JD Drake dropped Taylor with a shoulder tackle before executing a deep arm drag. Taylor got back with multiple arm drags and tagged Wheeler Yuta.
Ryan Nemeth came in as the fans chanted for Yuta. Wheeler drop-stepped and took Nemeth's back before landing a dropkick. Ryan sent Yuta in the wrong corner, and Drake grabbed him from the back. A brief distraction resulted in Nemeth accidentally smacking his partners in the corner.
Bononi and Drake argued with Nemeth as Peter Avalon had to intervene. The Wingmen took advantage of the chaos by laying out Yuta.
Nemeth executed a handstand hammerlock as Cezar entered the match.
Yuta ate an ax-handle chop in the corner, followed by a few clubbing kicks. Bononi was relentless with his attack as he prevented Yuta from tagging out. Cezar hoss-tossed Wheeler across the ring before JD got into the contest.
Drake showed off his striking skills with combination punches. Bononi got the tag, and he hit a Manhattan drop-big boot combo on Wheeler with JD Drake's help.
Nemeth got the tag, but he missed the Hunk of Love as Wheeler evaded it. He sent Bononi and Drake crashing outside before hitting an enziguri on Nemeth. Chuckie got the hot tag, and the Best Friend took out Bononi and Drake with a Tope con Giro. Cassidy got the tag, and fans popped as he squared up with Nemeth.
Orange Cassidy blocked Nemeth's finisher twice and connected with two leg kicks, followed by a dropkick. Freshly Squeezed ended the sequence with his hands in his pockets.
Taylor and Wheeler hit elbows in the corner before Chuck set Nemeth up for Yuta's frog splash. Orange executed a standing splash as Bononi rushed in to break the count.
Wheeler and Nemeth were the legal men, and the Hollywood Hunk landed a picture-perfect dropkick. Bononi sent Yuta into the corner with a pump handle throw followed by JD Drake's cannonball.
Nemeth hit the Hunk of Love neckbreaker, but Chuckie and Cassidy ran in to break the pin. Drake missed the Vader Bomb as Yuta moved out. Wheeler then trapped JD in a crucifix pin and picked up the win for his team on AEW Dark.
Result: Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta def. Ryan Nemeth, JD Drake & Cezar Bononi on AEW Dark
Grade: A
What a great opener! After the AEW Dark match, Cassidy hit Peter Avalon with the Orange Punch before Chuck came in for the Awful Waffle.
The babyfaces gave the people what they wanted to end the AEW Dark segment on a happy note.
Jack Evans cut a typical Jack Evans promo directed at PAC ahead of their singles AEW Dark match.
Jack Evans (w/ H.F.O.) vs. PAC (w/ Lucha Brothers & Alex Abrahantes) on AEW Dark
Jack Evans got to the AEW ring doing a handstand while Private Party and Angelico grooved to TH2's music. Incredible imagery! PAC got a massive pop, and the former WWE star got some solid pyro as he made his way out for the match.
PAC rejected a lock-up offer and kicked Evans in the gut. Dragon Gate legend Masato Yoshino heavily inspired PAC and Evans, and this was a stylistic dream match on paper.
PAC enjoyed the early advantage with some swift kicks, and he even mocked Evans. Jack countered with a big-time high stack, followed by a hook kick and a prawn hold pinfall.
Evans swept PAC off his feet with a leg scissors move, followed by a modified Indian deathlock. The TH2 member transitioned between movements and sent PAC outside with a single-leg dropkick. PAC put the brakes on Evans and sent him crashing neck-first onto the apron.
H.F.O. and Lucha Bros almost came to blows as PAC punished Evans by ramming into the barricade. Evans got rolled back into the ring, and PAC scored a two-count from a lateral press.
PAC slowed the pace down and shoved his boot into Evans' face in the corner. He attacked Evans' back with a vicious hammer throw.
PAC attempted a suplex from the top turnbuckle, but Evans fought out with a few elbows. PAC suffered a terrible landing on the outside, and was given no respite as Evans came crashing down with a sky twister press. Evans from the heavens!
PAC somehow beat the ten count before Evans, and the action resumed inside the ring. Evans executed a huge flipping neckbreaker off the springboard for a near fall on AEW Dark.
PAC got back with a brutal lariat, putting all of his body into the strike. He got a near fall with a massive Liger bomb. The former WWE star positioned Evans near the corner for a top-rope move, but he missed a springboard knee.
Jack caught PAC with the reverse hurricanerana. PAC recuperated but almost lost the match in a backslide pinfall. Evans rocked PAC with a corkscrew roundhouse kick but wasted time on the top turnbuckle.
PAC swept Evans' legs and hit a nasty falling neckbreaker from the top. He wasn't done as PAC locked in the Brutalizer for the win on AEW Dark. Phenomenal match!
Result: PAC def. Jack Evans on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Andrade and Chavo Guerrero came walking out after the match. El Idolo and Chavo took off their coats and jumped on the apron, looking like they were ready to fight with Death Triangle.
Chavo advised his client to back off from the brawl as the heels were at a 2 to 3 disadvantage.
Red Velvet cut a backstage promo up next and talked about her goal to become the AEW Women's Champion.
Tay Conti vs. Kenzie Paige on AEW Dark
Tay Conti got a lot of love from the audience on AEW Dark as she approached the ring. The Brazilian star was universally liked, and Taz even called her one of his favorite female performers in the company.
Paige and Conti got the match underway with a classic collar and elbow tie-up. Both women exchanged pinfalls as Conti eventually used her core strength to power through to a dominant position.
Tay ate a thrust kick and a few forearm shimmers but reacted with a stiff back elbow. The stars were rocking one another with haymakers as the crowd loved the intensity.
Conti baited Paige into three Seoi Nages before slamming her head into the buckle pad. The former WWE star went to the top but avoided contact to come back with three thrust kicks.
Conti executed a gutbuster, amped up the audience, and finished the AEW Dark match with the DD-Tay.
Result: Tay Conti def. Kenzie Paige on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Shawn Dean & Fuego Del Sol vs. Shawn Spears & Wardlow on AEW Dark
Fuego Del Sol got a solid pop from the crowd along with Shawn Dean before the Pinnacle members made their entrance. Jake Hager joined the commentary booth to keep a close eye on Wardlow.
Shawn Spears mocked Del Sol in the early goings of the contest. 'The Chairman' used his power advantage to keep Del Sol grounded, but the luchador used his unorthodox offense to get back with a dropkick.
Shawn Dean came in and strung together a combo dropkick on Wardlow in an attempt to unsettle the big man. Wardlow caught Shawn Dean in mid-air and sent him into the barricade. Wardlow stopped Spears from using a chair, and the Pinnacle member entered the ring and planted Del Sol in the center with the C4.
Wardlow asked for the tag, and he looked Hager in the eye while delivering the F10 for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Shawn Spears & Wardlow def. Capt. Shawn Dean & Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Hikaru Shida vs. Madi Maxx (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Taz put Hikaru Shida over as the 'real deal' before the AEW Dark match got rolling. A 'Holy Shida' chant echoed around the arena as both competitors locked up in the middle.
The former AEW Women's Champion applied a tight side headlock before dropping Maxx down with a shoulder tackle. Madi faked an injury, but Shida didn't fall for the trick as she executed a backbreaker followed by a scoop slam.
Shida got the chair out and placed it on the outside. The star leaped off the weapon, but Madi got out of the way and sent Shida face-first into the ring post.
The AEW debutant landed a backhand and kicked Shida in the head back in the ring. Hikaru responded with punches to the stomach which drove Maxx back into the corner. Shida handed a receipt to Madi in the corner before running in with a knee strike.
Shida delivered a snap suplex and disrespected her opponent by pinning her with her knees. Maxx almost pulled off an upset with a roll-up, but Shida landed another running knee strike.
Madi kicked out of another pinfall but couldn't escape a flatliner. The Japanese star finally hit the Katana for the win.
Result: Hikaru Shida def. Madi Maxx on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Lucha Brothers (w/ PAC & Alex Abrahantes) vs. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
Rey Fenix and Serpentico started the match with a hammerlock exchange. They switched positions before Fenix scored a two-count from a sneaky roll-up.
Fenix showed tremendous balance on the buckle and got into Serpentico's face as things heated up in the match. Luther came in, and so did Penta, who did the "Cero Miedo" gesture.
All hell broke loose as the four men hit superkicks on each other. Penta caught Serpentico in mid-air on the outside, but Luther came in for a timely assist. He punched Penta and sent him colliding into the ring post,
Back in the ring, Serpentico got a two-count with a sunset flip over Fenix. Luther received the tag, and the 'Original Death Dealer' went charging towards Fenix. Luther rocked the luchador with a pump kick before punching him in the armpit.
Fenix finally began his comeback with a barrage of kicks on Chaos Project. Penta got the hot tag and laid out both his opponents with a high double crossbody.
He hit two sling blades on Luther and Serpentico before executing an incredible lungblower-senton combo. Luther broke the pin, but the Lucha Bros timed their follow-up stereo kicks to perfection.
Penta and Fenix executed a stomp-fear factor combo on both Chaos Project members to get the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Lucha Brothers def. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Varsity Blonds & Sydal Brothers (w/ Julia Hart) vs. Matt Hardy, The Blade & The Acclaimed (w/ The Bunny) on AEW Dark
AEW cut the extensive entrances for the AEW Dark match and went straight to the action as all eight men brawled to begin a chaotic affair.
The 'Matts' fought on the outside while The Varsity Blonds doubled up on Max Caster. Anthony Bowens was next as he got laid out with a dropkick-spinebuster combo.
The pace of the match settled down as Mike Sydal worked on Max Caster. Bowens landed a cheap shot, but Matt Sydal came in to help his brother. The brothers executed double sweeps on The Acclaimed. Matt then hit a standing mariposa while Mike completed a moonsault press.
Brian Pillman Jr. was now the legal man, and a leg trip from The Blade was enough for the heels to take control. Matt Hardy received the tag and peppered Pillman with close-range punches. The bad guys were having a field day as they cut the ring in half and wore Pillman down.
Brian finally created some space with a back body drop to Caster. Garrison got the tag, and he took out both Acclaimed members with double clotheslines.
He knocked Hardy and Blade off the apron before rocking Bowens with a massive boot. Caster got dumped out next as Bowens was the man in focus. Griff executed another back body drop followed by a Falcon Arrow for a near fall.
Matt Sydal got the tag, and he chopped Bowens' thighs with kicks. The Sydals worked together to hit the Stereo Meteora, but Blade broke up the subsequent pinfall. Mike then hit a dropkick on Mike, but Matt Hardy caught him off guard with a Side Effect.
Matt Hardy delivered another Side Effect, this time to the other Sydal. He couldn't take Garrison down, though, as Griff came through with a giant rolling elbow strike. Bowens wobbled Griff with a thrust kick.
The Acclaimed hit a tandem move but couldn't evade Pillman's high crossbody from the top. Matt Hardy then hit the Twist of Fate out of nowhere on Pillman. He could not replicate the finisher on Mike Sydal as the Yoga Monster used his hands to inflict some damage.
The Bunny distracted the referee when Blade decked Mike Sydal with a brass knuckle shot. Hardy dropped an elbow for formality's sake and picked up the three-count. As expected, H.F.O. cheated their way to another win on AEW Dark.
Result: Matt Hardy, The Blade & The Acclaimed def. Varsity Blonds & Sydal Brothers on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Blade and Hardy attacked Mike, which forced Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Marko Stunt to run out for the save for the post-match segment on AEW Dark.
The Jurrasic Express chased H.F.O. to the back as The Acclaimed and The Varsity Blonds remained in the ring. The Blonds got the upper hand in the ensuing brawl on AEW Dark.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Diamante on AEW Dark
Hirsch and Diamante started the match by engaging in a battle of leg trips. Hirsch went for the arm breaker early on, but Diamante rolled out of the ring. Leyla followed her with a suicide dive.
Hirsch kept up the pressure by driving her knees into Diamante's throat in the corner. Diamante turned things around by slamming Hirsch's face into the middle turnbuckle.
Diamante hit a back elbow, followed by a running splash for a two-count. Diamante got a few boos from the crowd and missed her shotgun dropkick in the corner. Diamante called for a timeout, and Hirsch didn't budge as she executed a back throw, followed by a gutwrench suplex.
Leyla swung for the fences and connected with a stiff lariat. She then executed an incredible springboard moonsault. Diamante escaped a loss with a rope break.
The Bunny came running out to the ring to distract Leyla Hirsch, and the H.F.O. member even had a chair in her hand. In case you weren't aware, The Bunny is scheduled to face Leyla Hirsch in an eliminator match for a shot at the NWA women's title on AEW Dynamite.
Big Swole came out to be the equalizer as she prevented Diamante from grabbing the chair. Hirsch blindsided Diamante with a German suplex, followed by a running knee strike. Diamante still had enough in the gas tank to kick out, but she had no option but to tap to the cross-arm breaker on AEW Dark.
Result: Leyla Hirsch def. Diamante on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Big Swole attacked Diamante after the match, much to the amusement of the crowd on AEW Dark. Diamante had some life in her as she brawled with Swole on the ramp.
Jon Moxley vs. Brick Aldrige on AEW Dark
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the packed house was on its feet on AEW Dark as Jon Moxley made a fantastic entrance. Brick Aldrige didn't allow Mox to complete his pre-match routine, and he stunned him with a shot to the back.
Moxley responded with forearm strikes and a running crossbody attack. The former AEW world champion took his shirt off and landed several kicks on Aldrige's chest.
Brick showed tremendous agility for a man his size as he executed a dropkick. The powerhouse sent Moxley across the ring with a simple toss before picking him up for a shoulder breaker.
Aldrige targeted Moxley's shoulder, and it could have been his way of neutralizing the Paradigm Shift. Aldrige was in the driver's seat with some hard-hitting offense.
Moxley is one of the most demanding customers in AEW, and he followed Aldrige into the corner for a lariat. The former WWE star placed Aldrige on the top for a suplex.
Aldrige blocked the Paradigm Shift but got caught in a rear-naked choke, which was enough for Mox to win.
Result: Jon Moxley def. Brick Aldrige on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Reka Tehaka vs. Penelope Ford on AEW Dark
Tehaka and Ford began the penultimate match of the night with a headlock exchange. Tehaka reversed the hip toss and took Ford down the hard way.
Reka sent Penelope across the ring with a monkey flip. All it took was one kick for the 'Superbad Girl' to regain control of the match. She followed it with some ground and pound before grinding her opponent's throat against the center strand of the ropes.
Ford wasn't done as she gave Reka a shotgun dropkick. Penelope executed a back handspring elbow in the corner, a running kick and a German suplex for a near fall.
Reka fought back with a series of rights to Ford's jaw, and she finally connected with her most potent weapon, the headbutt. Ford, however, caught Reka in a modified Indian deathlock for the submission win.
Result: Penelope Ford def. Reka Tehaka on AEW Dark
Grade: C+
A segment featuring Mark Sterling and Jade Cargill aired next before the main event of AEW Dark.
AEW Dark Main Event: Eddie Kingston vs. Dante Martin (w/ Darius Martin)
Eddie Kingston meant business as he entered the ring without pandering to the crowd. The clash of styles in the match was a significant talking point, and Dante predictably used his quickness to catch Eddie Kingston.
Kingston needed some time to refocus after taking two arm drags. Dante scored some showboating points by faking a dive while Eddie took a quick stroll around the ring.
Kingston played to his strengths and attempted to make it a slugfest; Dante, however, stunned Kingston with a springboard dropkick. Eddie took the wind out of Martin with a well-placed knee, followed by a perfect vertical suplex.
Dante then grabbed the ropes on the apron, but Kingston mercilessly kicked him down to the floor. Martin still surprised his experienced opponent with a springboard moonsault press for a two-count.
Dante Martin missed his flipping stunner and absorbed a half-and-half suplex. Kingston couldn't find Dante's jaw during his first back fist attempt, but he caught the youngster flush at the second time of asking.
Result: Eddie Kingston def. Dante Martin in the AEW Dark main event
Grade: B+
Kingston gave Dante props after the match to end the show on a positive note. You can check out the 100th AEW Dark episode above.