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The latest AEW Dark episode was stacked from top to bottom, and as always, Taz and Excalibur welcomed viewers and fans in attendance.
Dasha Gonzalez carried out the pre-match introductions before the opening contest of the evening, which featured a highly-rated former WWE tag team.
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2.0 (Matt Lee & Jeff Parker) vs. Sam Adams & Syler Andrews (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
'Big Magic' Matt Lee kicked off the match against Syler Andrews, who started with a big shoulder block.
Jeff Parker got the tag and was taken down with a dropkick-Russian leg sweep combo. The commentators teased an upset, but Parker swiftly kicked out of the pinfall.
Jeff kicked Adams in the mid-section as his partner Lee made the blind tag, came in, and executed a brutal powerbomb. Matt Lee knocked Syler off the apron before refocusing his attention on Adams, who was sent crashing into the corner with a hammer throw.
Lee then punished Adams with a backbreaker before tagging Parker into the match.
2.0, formerly known in WWE as Ever-Rise, worked the crowd and received a chorus of boos in return. Parker mocked Sting while keeping Adams on the mat. The heels exchanged quick tags and wore Sam down in their corner.
Adams finally created some space with a brief distraction before tagging Syler Andrews. Syler landed a big back elbow followed by an enziguri on Parker.
Lee put the brakes on his opponent's momentum while Parker made the blind tag. 2.0 got Syler down with a running elbow strike-drop toehold combo.
Parker connected with an assisted elbow drop across Andrews' spine. 2.0 finished the match with their 'Two for the Show' finisher.
Result: 2.0 (Matt Lee & Jeff Parker) def. Sam Adams & Syler Andrews on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Tay Conti vs. Rebecca Scott (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
FTW champion Ricky Starks joined Excalibur and Taz at the commentary table before the match got underway with a collar and elbow tie-up.
Tay Conti had fans on her side as she used her quick hips to outfox her opponent. She softened Rebecca Scott with two knee strikes before amping up the crowd for a few chops.
Conti missed the double-knee strike in the corner as Scott unleashed a barrage of punches. Fans booed and urged Conti to fight back, which she did emphatically.
Tay rocked Scott with forearm shimmers followed by three drop Seoi Nages and maintained wrist control throughout the sequence. The Brazilian star executed a sloppy gutbuster followed by a massive pump kick. The DD-Tay got Conti another routine victory.
Result: Tay Conti def. Rebecca Scott on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson (w/ Arn Anderson) vs. Joey Keys & Spencer Slade (AEW Tag Team Debut) on AEW Dark
Thunder Rosa replaced Ricky Starks in the AEW Dark commentary booth as Johnson and Anderson made their entrance.
Brock Anderson locked up with Joey Keys and enjoyed the early advantage with an effective scoop slam. Anderson controlled his opponent with a hammer throw before tagging Johnson into the match.
Big Shotty executed a picture-perfect dropkick before settling into a shoulder extension lock. Spencer Slade got a piece of the action with a double-underhook suplex and a driving shoulder strike in the corner.
Joey laid out Johnson with a side suplex before Spencer came in and landed a knee. The Nightmare Factory graduate connected with two kicks and managed to tag Brock Anderson.
Arn Anderson's son showed good intensity with his shoulder strikes, followed by a confident back-body drop.
Anderson got the win for his team on AEW Dark with a DDT on Joey Keys, while Johnson took care of Slade with a pump kick.
Result: Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson def. Joey Keys & Spencer Slade on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Matt Hardy (w/ Private Party) vs. Wheeler Yuta (w/ Chuck Taylor) on AEW Dark
Private Party accompanied Matt Hardy as the veteran approached the ring for a big AEW Dark match. The H.F.O. leader got a good reaction from the crowd, who also showered their love for Wheeler Yuta.
Matt Hardy overpowered Wheeler Yuta and pushed him into the corner to begin the match. With a cartwheel, Wheeler got out of a strike and used some fine wrist control to get Hardy on the mat.
Yuta baited Matt from a waistlock and caught him with a dropkick. Hardy, however, avoided the high-cross body and took control of the proceedings. He first dumped Wheeler out of the ring, where Private Party members taunted the star.
Hardy came running in for a massive dropkick through the ropes. That looked vicious as Yuta's body got whiplashed from the impact! Matt got Yuta back in the ring and slammed his head into the turnbuckle.
The former WWE star got a two-count with a neckbreaker. His resilient opponent, however, got back with a few punches.
Hardy shut down Yuta's momentum with a sleeper hold. Chuck Taylor's protégé executed a sleeper hold himself, followed by a series of strikes, a Manhattan drop, and a dropkick.
Wheeler ricocheted off the ropes for a shotgun dropkick. The babyface held onto the waistlock but got cracked with gnarly right-hand shots.
Hardy stunned Wheeler with the Side Effect for a near fall. Yuta got to his feet and blocked the Twist of Fate to execute a Samoan Drop in response. Matt Hardy stayed in the match by kicking out at two-and-a-half. Wheeler wasted time going to the highest buckle as Private Party disrupted his ascent to the top.
Hardy buckled his ankle after getting knocked off the top, and he was eventually flattened with a high crossbody from Wheeler.
Matt somehow kicked out once again as he struggled in the corner with an apparent injury and asked the referee to intervene. Hardy took his right boot off and claimed that his ankle was broken.
Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy jumped up on the apron, causing a big distraction. Matt clobbered Yuta with his right boot while the ref had his back turned, and the illegal strike got the veteran star a hard-fought win on AEW Dark.
Result: Matt Hardy def. Wheeler Yuta on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Private Party attacked a disgruntled Chuck Taylor in the ring after the match. But then, Best Friends' music hit, and Orange Cassidy appeared to a massive pop.
Cassidy decked Hardy with an Orange Punch as Yuta and Taylor cleared the ring to end the AEW Dark segment.
Penelope Ford vs. Masha Slamovich (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Thunder Rosa put the Russian debutant over as a promising performer as they wrestled a 25-minute match outside AEW. Masha showed tremendous arm control to keep Ford on the back foot in the early goings.
Slamovich tasted success with a few overhand chops, but Ford countered with a hammer throw. Masha responded with an up kick, but the back-and-forth sequence ended with Ford on top.
Penelope grinded Masha's face against the rope before connecting with a round kick to the spine. Ford missed her standing moonsault as it ended up looking like a flipping headbutt.
Ford executed a full-extension dropkick, but she wasn't done as the "Super Bad Girl" caught Masha with a knee drop on the apron. Slamovich responded with a few back fists, followed by a bridged half-and-half suplex for a near fall.
Penelope, however, lured Masha into the firewoman's carry position before delivering a gutbuster. Ford forced Masha to tap out to a modified Indian deathlock (a leg lock accompanied by the back arch).
Result: Penelope Ford def. Masha Slamovich on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Penelope attacked Masha after the match, which got Thunder Rosa on her feet and into the ring instantly for the save. Ford vs. Rosa seems like the next major program in the women's division.
Kiera Hogan vs. Kris Statlander (w/ Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta) on AEW Dark
Former IMPACT Wrestling star Kiera Hogan returned for another match following her loss last night to Hikaru Shida on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Kris Statlander had the height advantage on Hogan, and she looked annoyed when the referee prevented her from doing the 'boop.'
Hogan answered with a big shot across the jaw but got caught in a waistlock. The ex-IMPACT star chopped Kris with a few kicks and a running dropkick in the corner.
Kiera got a two-count from the high-impact move. Hogan then trapped Statlander in a guillotine, but Statlander showed unreal strength to reverse it into a delayed vertical suplex.
"AEW's Alien" received a standing ovation as she kept Hogan up for an insanely long time. Statlander then connected with two knee lifts and a fireball bomb. Kiera kicked out of the subsequent pinfall, much to the surprise of Statlander.
Hogan showed a lot of heart to stay in the match and deliver a hanging neckbreaker. Statlander was a demanding customer, though, as she got right back with an atomic chair facebuster.
Kris signaled for the end as she delivered the Big Bang Theory for the win.
Result: Kris Statlander def. Kiera Hogan on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Hogan and Statlander had a solid outing, and the former IMPACT Wrestling star deserves a lot of praise for her performance.
As expected, Best Friends 'gave the people what they wanted' with a group hug to end the post-match segment.
Death Triangle (w/ Alex Abrahantes) vs. Chaos Project & Cole Karter on AEW Dark
Cole Karter and Chaos Project might be the oddest trio to come out of the AEW think tank. Death Triangle got fancy pyro and a massive pop before the match.
Chaos Project stayed true to their name by attacking the babyfaces during their entrance. Cole Karter didn't want to be used as a weapon, but teaming up with Luther comes with its risks.
Karter was sent crashing into the corner as Chaos Project enjoyed the early momentum. Rey Fenix weathered the storm and got the match in his team's favor with a pump kick.
Penta came in, and the Lucha Bros executed a great Canadian Destroyer-influenced splash. That was phenomenal!
PAC was aching to enter the match, and he finally got the tag. However, Andrade El Idolo's music hit, and out came the former WWE star, flanked by Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Karter attempted to sneak in a quick roll-up, but PAC was aware of the danger and dropped his opponent with a big kick. "The Bastard" sent a message to Andrade and taunted him to approach the ring.
El Idolo and his team retreated as the match continued. Chaos Project bailed on Cole Karter as Luther felt his partner was ugly. The veteran picked up Serpentico and proceeded to leave as Death Triangle isolated Karter.
PAC started with a thrust kick, followed by a tornado cutter from Fenix. Rey took it to the next level by laying out Chaos Project outside with Tope Suicida.
Penta zoned in on Karter as he did the 'Ciero Miedo' gesture before executing the Fear Factor finisher.
Result: Death Triangle def. Chaos Project & Cole Karter on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Tina San Antonio (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Nyla Rose absolutely broke the AEW debutant in half with a spear to start the match! The former AEW Women's Champion made quick work of her opponent with the Beast Bomb.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Tina San Antonio on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Vickie Guerrero picked up the microphone and got nuclear heat from the crowd. The boos were deafening as Vickie almost popped a vein screaming, "excuse me."
The reaction she got on AEW Dark is another reminder of why Vickie Guerrero is one of the greatest heels ever.
Dark Order's 10, Alex Reynolds & John Silver vs. RSP, Andrew Palace & Bill Collier (AEW Trios Debut) on AEW Dark
Alex Reynolds and Andrew Palace got the match rolling for their respective teams. Alex executed a nice crossbody, followed by a dropkick from the top and a kip-up for the fans.
RSP dragged Reynolds out to the apron, which helped Bill Collier hit the Dark Order member with a spear. Palace distracted the referee in the meantime as the heels took control of the match.
RSP entered and tossed Reynolds across the ring with a wild suplex. Palace came back in and delivered a nasty-looking backdrop.
Bill Collier got the tag and showcased his freakish power with a military press. Reynolds finally created some separation by evading a series of incoming attacks. He then tagged John Silver, and the "Meatman" sent Palace flying with a back body drop.
Johnny Hungy landed the boot on the back of Andrew's head, followed by a release snap german suplex. The most astonishing moment of the night happened next as John Silver german suplexed the titanic Bill Collier. A legitimate holy s*** moment!
Silver wasn't done as he rocked RSP with a brainbuster. Preston "10" Vance got the tag and executed a ripcord diamond cutter on Palace followed by a pump kick.
He lifted Reynolds and dumped his partner on top of Collier and RSP on the outside. Dark Order's intense offense got the fans on their feet!
10 delivered a spinebuster on Palace as the crowd chanted for Dark Order's strongest member. Reynolds and Silver hit a five-move combo before a wobbly Palace fell into Vance's vacant arms for the Full Nelson hold. Dark Order picked up another submission win on AEW Dark!
Result: Dark Order's 10, Alex Reynolds & John Silver def. RSP, Andrew Palace & Bill Collier on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Brandon Cutler (w/ MT Nakazawa) vs. Frankie Kazarian on AEW Dark
The Elite's associate stooge Brandon Cutler was in action tonight on AEW Dark. However, he was up against The Elite Hunter, Frankie Kazarian, who got the deserved respect during his entrance with a nice pop and some pyro to go along with it.
Cutler was visibly scared as he rolled out of the ring a couple of times to avoid any early grappling exchanges. MT Nakazawa tried to create a diversion, but Frankie Kazarian was just too quick for the stooges.
Kaz knocked Cutler's lights out with a haymaker before tossing Nakazawa into the front row. Frankie chopped Brandon on the outside and briefly entered the ring to break the ten-count.
He scoop slammed his opponent onto the floor before finally rolling a helpless Cutler back into the ring. Brandon got comically turned inside-out with a hammer throw, followed by a classic Frankie clothesline.
Cutler gouged Kazarian's eyes but got caught in a precarious position at the top. Kaz then sent Cutler on a ride back down, followed by an attempted suplex from the apron. However, Nakazawa created an opening in the match with a leg sweep from the ringside area.
Cutler dropped an elbow and was up to his shenanigans with a hilarious dance routine and a couple of dabs. The dab, in particular, got the crowd hot!
Kaz began his comeback with a back-body drop. He executed a mid-air cutter on Brandon, but Nakazawa jumped up on the apron to distract the referee.
Cutler, in the meantime, grabbed hold of a can of cold spray. In a moment that got a few laughs from the audience, Cutler ended up spraying the can on himself before falling into a crossface chicken wing submission on AEW Dark.
Result: Frankie Kazarian def. Brandon Cutler on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Co-Main Event: The Wingmen vs. Jurassic Express & Varsity Blonds (w/ Julia Hart) on AEW Dark
This was the first time all four members of The Wingmen wrestled together, and they didn't disappoint by coming out looking like absolute rockstars.
Unsurprisingly enough, Jurassic Express got the biggest pop of the night as Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy came out for the massive eight-man tag team showdown.
The atmosphere was electric as Peter Avalon started the match with Jungle Boy. JD Drake tagged himself in and got laid out with a step-up hurricanrana.
Jungle Boy was the star of the show, though, as he sent Ryan Nemeth and Cezar Bononi outside with some swift offense.
Brian Pillman Jr. also looked quite fired up as he received the tag and locked up with JD Drake.
The 'woos' echoed around the arena when both men engaged in a battle of chops. The Blonds delivered a dropkick-spinebuster combo, with fans cheering the babyfaces on.
However, the heels took over predictably with the help of a distraction. Bononi dropped Garrison on the apron with a side suplex. The Wingmen slowed the pace down and piled up the pressure on Griff.
A loud Luchasaurus chant kicked off as Drake scored a two-count. "Beautiful Bononi" got the tag and frustrated Griff with some classic big-man offense.
Bononi sent Griff crashing into the corner with a pump handle throw, and JD followed through with a cannonball senton. Nemeth was next as he added to the sequence with the "Hunk of Love" neckbreaker. Avalon completed the move set with a splash, but Garrison dug deep to kick out at the last moment.
Garrison dropped Avalon with a big boot before making the hot tag to AEW's resident dinosaur. Luchasaurus sandwiched JD and Nemeth in the corner before cracking Drake with a tailwhip kick.
Pillman came flying through with a dropkick on Bononi. Luchasaurus threw Avalon on top of the Brazilian star.
Nemeth ate a chokeslam back in the ring before tapping out to Jungle Boy's Snare Trap submission finisher on AEW Dark.
Result: Jurassic Express & Varsity Blonds def. The Wingmen on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Main Event: Dante Martin vs. Lee Moriarty (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Dante Martin is inarguably one of the fastest rising stars in AEW as he was given the main event spot tonight on Dark.
Indie wrestling sensation Lee Moriarty made his AEW debut and showed off an appealing white mask before the match.
Moriarty is a highly-rated talent who has previously been compared to Daniel Bryan. Lee favored the submission game, which he called the "Taigastyle."
Both men each showed respect, and fans clapped for the pre-match gesture. Martin took the side headlock position, but Moriarty showed his technical understanding of the game with a brilliant over-hook reversal.
Lee Moriarty had the hometown advantage, but Dante Martin was the man exuding high levels of confidence.
Martin evaded a kick with a corkscrew flip onto the floor. Dante miraculously landed on his feet. The high-flyer then leaped over to the top but missed his move in the ring.
Lee executed a cross body for a two-count, and he got some appreciation from the fans. Moriarty attacked Dante's left arm with a hand snapper and some shoulder-based offense.
Moriarty almost got the win with an intricate crucifix pin, but Martin kicked out in time. Dante avoided another crossbody and began his comeback with a few back elbows and a standing dropkick out of thin air.
Martin executed the springboard moonsault press for a near fall. He missed the roundhouse kick and absorbed a short-arm clothesline.
Lee Moriarty took the fight to Martin on his debut as he looked to set up his finisher. Martin reversed and finally landed his roundhouse kick. The Top Flight member won with a perfect sunset flip pinfall on AEW Dark.
Result: Dante Martin def. Lee Moriarty on AEW Dark
Grade: B
That was a solid way to conclude another eventful episode of AEW Dark. Don't forget to leave your reviews and grades in the comments section.
