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Opening tonight's AEW Dark, the returning Excalibur and Taz welcomed the fans to the show, which was stacked with 11 matches and headlined by a tag team showdown between The Initiative and Private Party.
Tonight's edition of AEW Dark saw a variety of different matches across a the various divisions of All Elite Wrestling. As always, there were a couple of squash matches tonight on AEW Dark, along with some matches that saw further character development.
This week's edition of AEW Dark also saw the return of live fans for some of the matches at Daily's Place at 10% capacity. As was the case for last week's edition of AEW Dynamite, all fans wore masks and were spaced socially distanced apart.
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On that note, let's take a look at the results and highlights of the latest AEW Dark episode:
#1 Eddie Taurus vs. Shawn Spears (w/ Tully Blanchard)
The referee checked Shawn Spears' black glove before the match began, ensuring that the glove was not loaded with a foreign object as we have seen in the past on AEW Dark.
Shawn Spears began the match with some classic mat wrestling to 'school' Eddie Taurus. After throwing Eddie Taurus to the outside of the ring, Shawn Spears drove Eddie Taurus into the ring apron and the steel barricade.
Eddie Taurus was able to turn the tide for a brief moment and hit Shawn Spears with a dropkick in the corner. However, Shawn Spears quickly regained control and hit the C4 for the victory on AEW.
Result: Shawn Spears def. Eddie Taurus
Post-match: Tully Blanchard gave Shawn Spears the metal slug to insert into the black glove of his client. Spears then mounted Eddie Taurus and struck his opponent in the skull with the loaded black glove.
#2 Santana & Ortiz vs. Faboo & Ryzin
Santana began the match by squaring off with Ryzin. Santana hit the triple three amigo vertical suplexes onto Ryzin and then tagged in his partner Ortiz.
Ortiz threw Ryzin into the corner, but Ryzin managed to escape and tagged in his partner Faboo. Ortiz hit a brutal clothsline, turning Faboo inside out. Ortiz then hits Faboo with a pop-up sit-out powerbomb, this was extenuated by Santana with a stiff kick to the head of Faboo for the victory for Santana & Ortiz on AEW Dark.
Result: Santana & Ortiz def. Faboo & Ryzin
Post-match: Santana cut a promo and said he liked the heart and fight of Best Friends attacking them last week on AEW Dark. He said that they will send The Best Friends home to their mom's crying like a little b*****s next week. Ortiz told Trent to tell his mom Sue to "stop hitting up his phone" and "let her know he isn't coming for dinner".
#3 Cassandra Golden vs. Allie (w/ QT Marshall)
Allie rolled up Cassandra Golden with a school girl for a 2 count as the match began. Allie followed that with vicious forearm strikes to Cassandra in the corner.
Allie hit a beautiful swinging neck breaker followed by a sliding forearm strike to Cassandra. Allie told QT Marshall to give her a kiss on the outside, but Allie then blew him off and told him to lift her up to the apron, which QT graciously did.
Cassandra Golden turned the tide briefly and hit Allie with a swinging side slam for a two count. This was followed up by Golden with a hip attack to Allie in the corner.
Allie then made a comeback which included knees to the gut and a running bulldog to Cassandra Golden. Allie followed this with her 'down the rabbit hole' finisher for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Allie def. Cassandra Golden
Outside of Daily's Place, The Best Friends surprise Santana & Ortiz by attacking them in the parking lot, which led to an all out brawl involving both teams after Santana & Ortiz's earlier comments about Trent's mom Sue.
#4 Frankie Kazarian vs. Angelico
AEW Dark's next match began with a collar and elbow tie up, followed by some chain wrestling by Frankie Kazarian and Angelico. Angelico transitioned into a unique ankle lock style submission hold on Frankie Kazarian while trapping Kazarian's other leg on AEW Dark. However, Frankie Kazarian reached the ropes to break the hold.
Angelico sucker punched Kazarian to gain control while the referee attempted to get a clean break between both opponents. Angelico then locked in an Octopus submission hold followed by another submission but Kazarian made it to the ropes once again to break the hold.
Angelico continued his submission masterclass when he tied up Kazarian in a single leg crab. Kazarian turned momentum back in his favour with a series of strikes followed by a springboard leg drop but only managed to get a two count.
Angelico attempted a splash mountain bomb out of the corner but Frankie Kazarian reversed into a reverse DDT for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Frankie Kazarian def. Angelico
Tony Schiavone's interview with Brandi Rhodes
Next on AEW Dark we had an interview segment hosted by Tony Schiavone.
Tony Schiavone asked Brandi Rhodes about losing the AEW Women's Tag Team Cup finals and The Nightmare Family being attacked by The Dark Order on the August 22, 2020 edition of AEW Dynamite.
Brandi Rhodes said she's not most people, but she is perturbed that a trainee from the Nightmare Factory decided to choke her out because "Daddy Brodie" told her too.
She says that Anna Jay is bold for going to the top of the food chain. Brandi Rhodes says "let's play" but this time she wants to face forward and have a "fair shake". Brandi Rhodes threatens to send Anna Jay back to The Nightmare Factory where she belongs. Brandi Rhodes certainly sent a statement on AEW Dark tonight.
#5 Billy & Austin Gunn vs. Donnie Primetime & Ryan Rembrandt
Billy began the match on AEW Dark against Ryan Rembrandt and quickly tagged in his son Austin Gunn who hit a dropkick to the knees of Rembrandt.
Ryan Rembrandt fought back and worked over Austin Gunn before he tagged in his partner Donnie Primetime.
Donnie Primetime bares a scary, striking resemblance to fellow AEW wrestler Joey Janela which Taz and Excalibur mentioned on commentary. Austin Gunn fought back against Donnie Primetime and tagged in his father Billy. Billy then hit some nice offence on Primetime before he tagged Austin back in.
Austin Gunn then hit the quickdraw finisher to Donnie Primetime for the victory on AEW Dark for the Gunn Club.
Result: Billy & Austin Gunn def. Donnie Primetime & Ryan Rembrandt
#6 Dani Jordyn vs. Abadon
To begin the next match on AEW Dark, Dani Jordyn attempted to go for the collar and elbow tie up but Abadon screamed at Jordyn, which scared her and the referee Mike Posey. Abadon then followed up this early intimidation by hitting Dani Jordan with a vicious clothsline.
Abadon then focused her attention on Dani Jordyn's knee brace and attacked Dani Jordyn's knee. Abadon wrenched Jordyn's knee over the rope and sent Dani Jordyn for an Irish whip but Jordyn was unable to put any weight on her now injured knee.
Dani Jordyn rolled to the apron but Adadon snuck to the outside pulled Jordyn down face first into the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Abadon locked on the leg lace submission with rapid fire strikes to the already injured knee of Dani Jordyn for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Abadon def. Dani Jordyn
#7 Toni Donati vs. "Absolute" Ricky Starks
At the beginning of the next match on AEW Dark, Ricky Starks offered a handshake to Toni Donati but pulled his hand away before Donati could shake his hand.
Toni Donati tried multiple roll up attempts but was unable to get more than a two count. Ricky Starks gained control quickly and dropped Toni Donati with a stiff back suplex.
Ricky Starks hit a missile dropkick and followed it with a kip up while Taz mocked Darby Allin on commentary in the process.
Ricky Starks went for a suplex but Toni Donati countered into a small package for a shocking two count. Ricky Starks then had enough and hit rochambeau for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: "Absolute" Ricky Starks def. Toni Donati
#8 Jon Cruz & David Ali vs. Jurassic Express (w/ Marko Stunt)
Marko Stunt was on crutches and wearing a walking boot after Jake Hager's vicious assault on Mr. Fun Size last week on AEW Dark.
Jon Cruz mocked Marko Stunt by hobbling before the match on AEW Dark could begin. Jon Cruz attempted a side headlock takeover but it was ineffective on Luchasurus.
Luchasaurus hit a ginormous belly to belly suplex on Jon Cruz, which led to Cruz tagging in David Ali.
Jungle Boy was then tagged in and hit an escalara arm drag followed by a dropkick for a two count. Luchasurus hit a tail whip kick into a flatliner by Jungle Boy on Ali but the count was broken up by Jon Cruz.
Jon Cruz made a shock tag to David Ali. Both men attempted to work over Luchasaurus but the 65 million year old dinosaur dispatched both of his opponents with ease with a chokeslam and series of kicks.
Luchasaurus then tagged in Jungle Boy which led to Jurassic Express hitting a double team move into a cutter for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Jurassic Express def. Jon Cruz & David Ali
#9 Red Velvet vs. Anna Jay (w/ The Dark Order)
Anna Jay hit a big leg lariat in the corner on Red Velvet to start the match on AEW Dark. Red Velvet turned things around though and hit a series of leg strikes of her own to Anna Jay in the corner.
Anna Jay regained control and used an illegal choke in the middle of the ring. Anna Jay followed this with a flip neckbreaker when Red Velvet attempted to counter a move with a split in the ring.
Anna Jay continued her attack on the outside of the ring when she hit Red Velvet with a clothsline and threw her opponent into the steel barricade.
Anna Jay then hit a series of curb stomps and locked in a rear naked choke for a submission victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Anna Jay def. Red Velvet
#10 Shawn Dean vs. Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford)
Kip Sabian held up a sign before the match on AEW Dark asking fans to "bring back the male crop top."
Shawn Dean hit Kip Sabian with some Ricky Steamboat style deep arm drags which shocked Superbad. Kip Sabian struck Shawn Dean with a knee to the school. This was followed by a stiff punt kick to the head of Shawn Dean.
Shawn Dean snuck up behind Kip Sabian and hit a release German suplex, which dropped Kip Sabian on his head. Dean then hit Sabian with a spike DDT and got a very close two count.
Kip Sabian managed to recover though and hit a twisting neckbreaker while Shawn Dean's legs were draped over the top rope for the victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Kip Sabian def. Shawn Dean
#11. AEW Dark Main Event: Private Party vs. The Initiative (w/ Leva Bates)
Marq Quen began this main event match on AEW Dark against Brandon Cutler. Cuter quickly tagged in Peter Avalon who got a quick two count on Marq Quen.
Isiah Kassidy was then tagged in and hit a springboard crossbody to both Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler. Peter Avalon then hit a springboard crossbody of his own to Isiah Kassidy.
Peter Avalon followed this with a suicide dive to Marq Quen on the outside. Peter Avalon then hit a split legged moonsault onto Isiah Kassidy for a two count.
Marq Quen landed a beautiful frosbury flop to Peter Avalon on the oustide. However, when Quen rolled back into the ring, Brandon Cutler hit a 450 splash .
But, Issiah Kassidy was the legal man and rolled up Brandon Cutler with an Oklahoma roll for the victory on AEW Dark for Private Party.
Result: Private Party def. The Initiative
Post-match: Peter Avalon attacked his tag team partner Brandon Cutler. Leva Bates tried to reason with Peter Avalon but Peter Avalon attacked Brandon Cutler with the D20 dice.
