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AEW aired a special Saturday night edition of Dark ahead of All Out, with the card featuring eleven matches and a surprise CM Punk appearance.
Taz, Excalibur, and Ricky Starks were at the commentary table to welcome fans to episode #106, which kicked off with a tag team match.
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2point0 (w/ Daniel Garcia) vs. Rosario Grillo & Hunter Knott on AEW Dark
Matt Lee got the match underway against Rosario Grillo with a deep arm drag. Lee showcased his strong fundamentals in the ring by outwrestling his opponent in the early goings. He blocked a sunset flip and stomped Grillo in the face.
Hunter Knott got the tag, and so did Jeff Parker, who came in with a few haymakers. 2point0 delivered the 'sweet taste' combination move on Knott before setting the stage for the 'Two for the Show' finisher. Parker and Lee continued their impressive run of showings with another dominant win.
Result: 2point0 def. Rosario Grillo & Hunter Knott on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Garcia jumped in with his partners and unleashed a post-match attack on Hunter Knott. Garcia put Knott to sleep with a rear-naked choke while 2point0 took care of Grillo.
Vickie Guerrero and Nyla Rose cut a backstage promo ahead of the Casino Battle Royale at All Out.
Wheeler Yuta (w/ Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy) vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
AEW Dark regular Baron Black returned to the show after a brief absence and started the match well with a wrist lock. Black was still winless in AEW with a 0-15 record.
Yuta baited Baron into a dropkick and continued the onslaught with an elbow strike in the corner. Black reversed a top-rope move and drove his knees into Yuta's back.
Black had Wheeler in a wrong spot as he got a 2-count with an exploder suplex. Yuta reversed the Manhattan drop, faked a dive, and landed a shotgun dropkick from the top.
Black still had life in him as he created some space with an elbow shot. Yuta got back with a German release suplex and running chop in the corner.
Black got a little overzealous and got caught in Wheeler Yuta's seatbelt pinfall lock for the 3-count.
Result: Wheeler Yuta def. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Julia Hart (w/ Varsity Blonds) vs. Heather Reckless on AEW Dark
Julia Hart returned to in-ring action, and as noted by the commentators, she will be in the AEW Casino Battle Royale match.
Hart used her agility to predictably tale control at the start. Heather Reckless knocked Julia back with an up-kick and a palm strike. Julia kicked her opponent across the face and set her up for the standing moonsault press.
Reckless showed her mean streak by ramming Hart's face into the turnbuckle. She chopped Julia and rolled her over for a swinging kick. Hart avoided contact and trapped Reckless in a schoolgirl for a two-count.
Julia Hart connected with a few roundhouse kicks before going up top for a rounding splash that got her a near fall. Reckless was tough as she got sent into the corner with a hammerlock.
Hart landed a flipping heel kick, and she seemed to have injured her knee in the process. Hart still pushed herself to deliver a running forearm strike, followed by the split-legged bulldog for the win.
Result: Julia Hart def. Heather Reckless on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Jon Moxley and Satoshi Kojima sat down for a press conference before their All Out showdown.
Moxley cut an engaging promo about being the hunted-in-his-angle with the Japanese legend. Kojima promised to kick Mox's ass on Sunday, and a pull-apart brawl broke out between the hard-hitting stars to end the segment.
Nyla Rose and Jade Cargill attacked Julia Hart's injured knee during a backstage segment. The two powerhouses of AEW's women's division faced off to conclude another explosive moment on Dark.
Hikaru Shida vs. Missa Kate on AEW Dark
Shida and Kate shook hands before kicking off the match with a collar and elbow tie-up. The crowd was firmly behind Shida as Kate enjoyed a solid spell early on with a few takedowns.
Hikaru Shida's ground game was also top-tier, but Kate took the spotlight away with a headstand. The former AEW Women's Champion one-upped her opponent with a headstand of her own, and fans popped for the spot in the match.
Kate blocked a hammer throw with her strength and landed a clean pump kick for a two-count. Missa looked solid in her offensive output as she sent Shida out but was eventually sent crashing into the barricade.
Shida searched for something under the ring before shifting her attention to a chair. Kate stopped Shida from using the chair for her leaping knee strike, but Hikaru found an opening to execute the move.
In the ring, Shida dropped Kate down with a jumping knee strike followed by a missile dropkick for a near fall. Missa blocked the powerbomb and backed Shida up in the corner for a few stiff shoulder shots. Kate got a two-count after throwing Shida face-first into the middle turnbuckle.
Hikaru broke away from the waistlock and chopped Kate down with an enziguri and running elbow strike. The Falcon Arrow was enough to get Shida another win.
Result: Hikaru Shida def. Missa Kate on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Missa Kate looked excellent despite losing to Hikaru Shida, who was seemingly pushed throughout the AEW Dark match.
Red Velvet vs. Skye Blue on AEW Dark
Both women got the AEW Dark match rolling with a stiff lock-up, and Skye Blue got all the love from her hometown fans in attendance. Red Velvet felt like the heel as she received the boos while engaging in an intense mat exchange.
Velvet and Blue exchanged a series of pins that got a round of applause from the crowd. Red Velvet knocked Blue down with a single-leg lariat and got tremendous heat.
Blue got back by executing a cartwheel into an uppercut, followed by a massive crossbody from the top. She locked in a Fujiwara armbar, and Velvet quickly got out of the hold before trading blows in the center of the ring.
The back-and-forth battle ended with Velvet hitting a cazadora bulldog. Velvet came running through for the double knees to the back and a standing moonsault for a near fall. Blue created an opening but got caught in The Iconoclasm for another near fall.
The AEW fresher was resilient, and the hometown crowd cheered her every move. Blue wobbled Velvet with a thrust kick and a high-arc DDT. Velvet kicked out at two and a half!
Velvet blocked the sliced bread to deliver her finisher, 'The Final Slice,' for a hard-fought victory.
Result: Red Velvet def. Skye Blue on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Tony Khan's special announcement
It was a phenomenal effort from both women and special props for the fans to make it an even bigger deal.
After the incredible women's match, Tony Khan came out and rewarded Sky Blue with a spot in the Casino Battle Royale. The Chicago audience erupted as Red Velvet and Sky Blue hugged after Khan's announcement. That was awesome!
Penelope Ford and The Bunny cut a backstage promo and spoke about the Casino Battle Royale match.
Shawn Spears & Wardlow (w/ Tully Blanchard) vs. Brandon Gore & JDX (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Shawn Spears worked the crowd brilliantly before locking up Brandon Gore with an effortless takedown sequence. Gore delivered a mat return and tagged JDX, who came off the top with an ax handle on Spears' elbow.
Gore came back in and ate a southpaw shot from The Chairman. Tully Blanchard hit a running knee strike on Gore while the referee had his back turned.
Spears punished Brandon with a series of knees to the chin. Wardlow continued the dominance with a powerbomb on both his opponents. The Pinnacle's monster then powerbombed JDX on top of Gore. He wasn't done, though, as he executed his finisher in the corner.
Spears asked for the tag and took his own sweet time to cover a lifeless Brandon Gore for the win.
Result: Shawn Spears & Wardlow def. Brandon Gore & JDX (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Dark Order's John Silver & Preston "10" Vance vs. Zachariah & Ren Jones (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Preston Vance sent Ren Jones in the corner to start the AEW Dark match while Excalibur spoke about the infighting between Dark Order members.
John Silver came in and flexed his muscles after delivering a power move on Jones. Ren, however, found some time to tag Zachariah.
Silver lifted both his opponents upon his shoulders and dropped them down with a double Samoan drop. Vance entered the match and landed kicks and clotheslines on Zachariah and Jones.
10 delivered a spinebuster and softened Jones up for a series of kicks from Silver, followed by a spin doctor from Johnny Hungy. Vance finished the match with the Full Nelson hold.
Result: Dark Order's John Silver & Preston "10" Vance def. Zachariah & Ren Jones on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Penelope Ford (/w The Bunny) vs. Queen Aminata on AEW Dark
Ford snubbed Animata's handshake with a kick and welcomed a barrage of forearm shimmers in response. Ford landed awkwardly in the corner, but she luckily escaped the flying hip attack.
Penelope flattened Aminata near the apron and dropped both her knees to the Queen's mid-section. Ford followed it with two running pump kicks and a shotgun dropkick.
Ford forced Queen Aminata to tap out to the modified Indian deathlock.
Result: Penelope Ford def. Queen Aminata on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Smart Mark Sterling and Jade Cargill cut a promo backstage before going to the next singles match of the evening.
"The Elite Hunter" Frankie Kazarian vs. Dean Alexander on AEW Dark
Frankie Kazarian got overpowered by Alexander in the early moments of the match. The Elite Hunter used his experience to take Dean down with two arm drags and maintain wrist control.
Alexander got back with a cheap shot and a springboard leg lariat. Alexander got the boos as he delivered some ground and pound.
Dean called for the finish after connecting with a high boot. However, Kaz escaped the powerbomb attempt and landed a leaping forearm, back elbow, and leg lariat.
Kazarian almost took Dean's head off with a running lariat before running his knees into the spine. Frankie's offense prepared Alexander for the chicken-faced crosswing, which got the former SCU member another win in the books.
Result: "The Elite Hunter" Frankie Kazarian def. Dean Alexander on AEW Dark
Grade: B
AEW Dark Co-Main Event: Jade Cargill vs. Blair Onyx
Jade Cargill looked to make a statement before AEW's highly-publicized Casino Battle Royale match as she took on Blair Onyx tonight. Onyx is a student of Seth Rollins as she trains at the WWE Star's wrestling academy and has had a handful of matches for AEW of late.
Blair managed to unsettle Cargill with a big shot across the jaw, but Jade planted her opponent with a spinebuster.
Cargill hit a pump kick before knocking Onyx out with her 'Jaded' finisher.
Result: Jade Cargill def. Blair Onyx on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Thunder Rosa had a message for Nyla Rose and Jade Cargill after the heels attacked her on Dynamite.
AEW Dark Main Event: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus (w/ Marko Stunt) vs. Chaos Project
Taz humming Jungle Boy's theme song deserves to be clipped for millions of YouTube views. It's pure comedy gold!
Serpentico and Jungle Boy kicked off the main event of the latest AEW Dark episode with a collar and elbow tie-up. Serpentico celebrated an arm drag but got a jumpscare when he turned around to find Luchasaurus.
Jungle Boy dropped his masked opponent with an elbow strike followed by a show of strength with a military press slam. Luther got the tag, and he ate a few chops and kicks before going down with a dropkick.
Serpentico caused a distraction and tripped Jungle Boy from the apron as Luther landed a pump kick and took control of the match. Jungle Boy almost landed on his head in a snap suplex.
Serpentico came in and was flung towards Jungle Boy thrice by an unforgiving Luther.
The Original Death Dealer got the tag again and continued to destroy Jungle Boy. The Jurassic Express member finally created some diversion and quickly tagged Luchasaurus into the match.
The big man/dinosaur cleared the house with a plethora of high-impact strikes. Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy then sent Luther out of the ring and isolated Serpentico. The Jurassic Express botched their finisher as Serpentico landed hard on his head, but it got them a three-count nonetheless.
Result: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus def. Chaos Project on AEW Dark
Grade: B
CM Punk makes his AEW Dark debut
CM Punk interrupted Jurassic Express' post-match celebrations by joining them in the ring.
Punk found it incredible that people sang the wrestlers' entrance songs, and he thanked everyone. Punk said that he was tasked with sending fans home happy, and he was glad to be 'humble Punk' these days. He thanked the members of Jurassic Express and the crowd.
Punk began signing Andrew Gold's 'Thank you for being a friend' with Jurassic Express and the fans.
Punk said that the team in AEW was all about positivity, and he cheekily even promised to kick Jungle Boy's a** somewhere down the line.
CM Punk wrapped up a special episode of AEW Dark with a typical go-home promo which you can check out above.
