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AEW returned for another Dark episode that featured nine matches and some of the most promising talents in action. Excalibur welcomed fans to the show, and we went right to the in-ring festivities of the evening.
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Julia Hart (w/ Varsity Blonds) vs. Kelsey Heather on AEW Dark
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Julia Hart came out with an eye patch as her opponent, Kelsey Heather, stood on the opposite end of the ring. Hart got the crowd behind her before locking up with Heather.
Julia worked on Kelsey's arms but got caught in a side headlock. Hart hit the ropes and was laid out with an arm drag. She fought back with an up-kick and a drop toehold into the ropes.
Hart tried to choke Kelsey out using the ropes, but she ate a slap across the face. Julia upped the ante with a shoulder thrust in the corner and a series of big shots.
The Varsity Blonds' ally knocked Heather out with a flapjack and a backflip moonsault. She followed suit with a handspring lariat, an uppercut, and a splitting Bulldog. Hart finished the match by forcing Heather to tap out to the leg scissors choke.
Result: Julia Hart def. Kelsey Heather on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Gus De La Vega on AEW Dark
Powerhouse Hobbs entered using his new theme song, and he looked as menacing as ever. He didn't even let Gus De La Vega pander to the crowd as Hobbs knocked him down with a clothesline.
Powerhouse squashed his helpless opponent against the turnbuckle before connecting with a few uppercuts. Hobbs then tossed De La Vega across the ring and placed him on the third buckle for overhand sledgehammer shots to the body.
De La Vega was sent crashing outside, and he didn't get a breather as the Team Taz member followed him for a clothesline. Hobbs also hit a massive spinebuster and picked up the win with the torture rack submission.
Result: Powerhouse Hobbs def. Gus De La Vega on AEW Dark
Grade: C
As revealed by Tony Schiavone, Powerhouse Hobbs broke into the top five rankings with his win. After the match, he sent a message to Dante Martin by punishing De La Vega with another torture rack. Martin rushed in to make the save, and a brawl broke out between the two stars.
Dante rocked Hobbs with a leap over the ropes before AEW referees and officials eventually broke up the fight. Hobbs vs. Martin is turning out to be a fantastic angle!
Colten & Austin Gunn vs. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis on AEW Dark
The Gunn Club played up their heel persona by attempting to draw heat from the crowd on their way to the ring.
Austin and Colten unleashed a blindsided attack on their opponents as a loud 'A** Boys' chant predictably kicked off in the arena. Austin vented his frustrations by punching down Liam Gray in the corner.
Billy Gunn's sons made quick tags, targeted Gray's back area, and sent him face-first into the turnbuckle. Gray created some space by evading a splash.
Alanis got his team back into the match by taking on the Gunn brothers with combination strikes. Colten and Austin, however, hit the assisted rolling neckbreaker move to pick up a win.
Result: Colten & Austin Gunn def. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Austin and Colten will challenge The Jurrasic Express for the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the next episode of Rampage.
Mercedes Martinez vs. Queen Aminata on AEW Dark
Mercedes Martinez was in no mood to play around on AEW Dark as she stomped Aminata in the feet and landed a few chops.
The former WWE star flattened Aminata with a 'half-and-half' back throw followed by a big boot across the face. Mercedes grabbed the Queen by her chin and connected with overhand shots to the chest.
Martinez was putting on a wrestling clinic as she dominated the match until Aminata's comeback, which began with a jawbreaker. Mercedes executed a big spinebuster to regain control before raining down right hands on her opponent's head.
Mercedes talked a lot of trash as she went for the knee strike but got rocked with a headbutt. She then responded by planting Aminata with a Fisherwoman's suplex for the three-count.
Result: Mercedes Martinez def. Queen Aminata on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Martinez sent a big statement to Thunder Rosa with a commanding win.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Wheeler Yuta in a backstage segment ahead of his singles match against The Factory's Aaron Solo.
Anthony Ogogo (w/ QT Marshall & Nick Comoroto) vs. Tony Vincita on AEW Dark
Ogogo landed a forearm shot to Vincita's kidney area to begin the match. Tony deployed a few solid counters to catch Ogogo off guard; however, Anthony transitioned to a backbreaker and looked proud of his handiwork.
He wrenched on Vincita's nose until the referee called for the break. Ogogo executed a clean back body drop, soaked in the atmosphere, and continued the onslaught on his opponent.
Ogogo pulled off a smooth powerslam and followed it with kicks and punches in the corner. Vincita used his hands to create the much-needed separation, but he missed the top-rope missile dropkick.
Ogogo picked Vincita up and mercilessly slammed him down to the mat. The Olympic Bronze medalist ripped off his wrist tape and landed a bare-knuckle right-hand punch to Vincita.
Ogogo draped the Union flag over his opponent as the referee called for the bell and ended the match.
Result: Anthony Ogogo def. Tony Vincita on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Lee Moriarty vs. Anthony Henry on AEW Dark
Lee Moriarty also made his entrance to a new entrance theme called "Taiga Styling."
He went for Henry's legs and engaged in some mat-based wrestling in the match's early stages. Moriarty's unique in-ring style eventually paid dividends as he knocked his opponent down with a beautiful kick.
Moriarty went for the abdominal stretch, but Henry broke free and landed a few shots. Lee fired back with chopping uppercuts but got dropped on the apron. Henry delivered a vicious neck crank on Moriarty and slowed the match's pace down.
Fans chanted for Moriarty as he struggled to get to a vertical base. Henry focussed on his opponent's legs and kept him grounded with some punishing offense. However, Moriarty came back with a forearm strike and a side suplex.
Lee landed a high boot, followed by a running strike in the corner. He delivered the big stomp for a near fall as Henry somehow managed to stay alive in the match. The two men exchanged reversals and pinfalls as the bout approached its finish.
Henry got a near fall himself with a nasty brainbuster. Later, Moriarty escaped the stretch muffler submission and rolled Henry up for a two-count. Lee stepped over the latter, got his back, and landed a solid lariat-like shot.
Moriarty flatlined Henry for the final pinfall.
Result: Lee Moriarty def. Anthony Henry on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Both competitors exchanged a quick handshake after the match before Tony Schiavone interviewed the winner. Moriarty cut a promo and sent a warning to the entire roster.
Anna Jay (w/ -1) vs. Kaci Lennox on AEW Dark
Anna Jay got the upper hand in the AEW Dark match as she effortlessly took Kaci Lennox down to the ground. The Dark Order member used her legs to significant effect by putting together a series of kicks.
Lennox exploded in the corner with a barrage of strikes and wobbled her opponent with a high boot. Jay swept Lennox off her feet and came through with a rolling kick.
She landed the Dangerous Jay kick, followed by the Queenslayer submission for the win.
Result: Anna Jay def. Kaci Lennox on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Fuego Del Sol vs. Serpentico (w/ Luther) on AEW Dark
The battle of the luchadors got underway with an aggressive collar and elbow tie-up. Fans chanted for Fuego Del Sol as the babyface looked great during the opening seconds of the match.
Del Sol bounced off the ropes for a springboard moonsault followed by a kick. Luther carried Serpentico out of harm's way as Del Sol stopped his attempted dive. A distraction from Luther helped his ally execute a blindsided assault.
Serpentico spiked Fuego with a DDT for a two-count. Soon after, Luther protested with the referee as Serpentico piled on the pressure over his opponent. Serpentico tried to rip Fuego's mask apart, but he failed as Del Sol hit a hanging neckbreaker and bought some time.
Del Sol charged in for a big uppercut in the corner, followed by a spear. He landed a hook and up-kick before going up to the top rope. Luther again executed an opportune distraction, and Serpentico capitalized by joining Fuego at the top.
Del Sol blocked an avalanche suplex attempt, but he couldn't escape a piledriver over the apron. Serpentico delivered the Senton Atomico. However, his opponent was able to kick out at two and a half.
Serpentico accidentally took out his partner Luther with a tope suicida. As a result, Del Sol took advantage by following it up with a dive. Fuego hit a tornado DDT over his opponent on the floor before rolling him back in the ring. Del Sol then delivered a double-footed stomp to the back of the head and scored a victory.
Result: Fuego Del Sol def. Serpentico on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
A video package aired next of Lee Moriarty talking about the origins of his new theme song.
AEW Dark Main Event: Aaron Solo (w/ QT Marshall) vs. Wheeler Yuta
Solo and Yuta kicked off the final match of the evening with a quick exchange of holds and pinfall attempts. Both men fought for wrist control before breaking free for a dropkick from the latter.
Marshall crept up on the apron as Yuta took his eye off his opponent for a moment. Solo pounced on the opportunity and took Wheeler down with a few clubbing blows.
Aaron got a one-count from a nice back suplex, and he followed it with a snap variation of the same move.
Wheeler blocked the third suplex and transitioned to the Flying Octopus hold. He rolled over for a pinfall before going for a wild running attack in the corner. Solo moved out, and Yuta ended up having a rough landing in the middle buckle. QT Marshall made matters worse for the babyface by connecting with a cheap shot behind the referee's back.
Yuta finally began his massive comeback with a short-arm lariat, followed by a Manhattan drop and step-up enziguri. He then slid through to the top for a diving elbow drop. Wheeler rocked Solo with a tope suicida as QT Marshall looked concerned on the other side of the ring.
Solo blocked a clothesline back in the squared circle, reversing it into a T-Bone suplex for a two-count. Soon after, the two competitors traded punches in the center, and Wheeler got the better of the exchange. He executed a German suplex and even fought off Marshall from the apron.
Yuta seamlessly rolled back into the ring, grabbed Solo, and locked in the Seatbelt pinfall for the win.
Result: Wheeler Yuta def. Aaron Solo on AEW Dark
Grade: A
Nick Comoroto ran towards the ring after the match as The Factory members ambushed Wheeler Yuta. Orange Cassidy's music hit, and the crowd erupted when he came out to make the save.
QT Marshall refused to brawl with Orange Cassidy as the babyfaces celebrated with fans to end another episode of Dark.
