All the experimenting with the AEW Dark format has come to a head this week, as Paul Wight (aka BIG SHOW) has been signed to serve as commentator on a new Monday Night Dark that will air on YouTube! More news as we get it, but for now here’s your recap for the February 23 SMALLER SHOW.
Last time on Dark…
The producers packed 12 matches into an hour of television. Every match was short. Most were tedious. Tay Conti versus Vertvixen was alright. To make up for it I also wrote about the joshi wrestlers visiting AEW and the glut of other YouTube content, so catch up on all that goodness in our February 16 recap.
Elsewhere in the AEW Arcadia…
Last week’s Dynamite was a decent episode, with a fantastic clash between Riho and Serena Deeb in the women’s tournament. The tournament continued Monday with the Japanese semi finals and last two matches of the American first round. It was excellent watching. Back on Dynamite, Michael Nakazawa made a cameo appearance in a hilarious bit with Kenny Omega, Don Callis and a bunch of children.
Being The Elite episode 244 was short and snappy. It was cool to see Matt and Nick’s parents pop up to do some sightseeing in Jacksonville. Allie spiked Brandon Cutler’s coffee, in more fallout from their Among Us feud. “Big Money” Matt Hardy advanced his growing faction’s storyline, hinting that TH2 might soon be coming into the fold with Private Party.
Sammy Guevara’s vlog episode 308 opened with a fight in a Walmart. More wrestling shows should have fights in suburban superstores. Brandi Rhodes is revealed as Fuego del Sol’s latest kidnapper and she tells him to go after Sammy. But Sammy’s stranded in Texas without any electric, or something, so we’re getting Fuego versus Kip Sabian tonight!
A few weeks ago, AEW stopped putting episode numbers in their Dark posts, replacing it with clickbait titles like “You’ll never believe what happened when Jon Moxley appeared!” (Spoiler: fucking nothing, like it always does.) Don’t fret, fans, I will keep you apprised each week. This is episode 76.
Dim the lights, it’s time for Dark.
POP: Approaching the ring from…
Our opening match gives the impression the jobbers might be getting full entrances again! Jobber John Skyler gets to walk in from the face tunnel, and “The Machine” Brian Cage storms out the other one.
Skyler connects with a thrust kick and dropkick before Cage power bombs his ass, then follows it with the drill claw and the 1, 2, 3. It’s yet another Cage squash, but I’m so thrilled to get jobber music back that I am gonna POP it anyway! Woo!
POP: Dark heroes in action
Next up we have Serpentico versus Lee Johnson! Two Dark heroes! Who will win?
Lee Johnson is full out Nightmare Family now, with Arn Anderson accompanying him to the ring. Serpentico has Luther – a loose cannon who has no qualms interfering, but Arn comes with a Waffle House menu!
Oop, seems he left his menu in the Rhodes dressing room. Can Serpentico capitalize?
The men lock up. Johnson makes a few leaping evasions before hitting a dropkick to Serpentico’s face, then lifting him for a press slam. He goes for the pin but Serpentico slaps his face and hangs him out on the ropes. Knee to the face! Punches! Left! Right! DDT! This is a wild back-and-forth.
Johnson hits a neckbreaker to hulk up, then it’s an epic ushigoroshi that looks like it should be finisher – but Serpentico kicks out! He fights back a bit, but then it’s Johnson with the blue thunder bomb, and he’s got his first singles victory! Excellent match.
.@BigShottyLee executed his gameplan!
Watch #AEWDark NOW ➡️ https://t.co/HZxmN1MWkZ pic.twitter.com/TIaV5fSJiS— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 24, 2021
MEH: Big men hit each other
Our third match is something of a headliner for indie wrestling fans – JD Drake, who faced off against a lot of top NXT talent before they got snapped up, and Eddie Kingston, another legend who never signed with the E.
It’s definitely a man’s match-up. Both competitors are big, burly and angry. They glare at each other a lot and throw chops and headbutts around like confetti. Big boot. Vader bomb. Cannonball senton. Something something.
Gotta say, this is not my style at all. It’s not quite as boring as a Jon Moxley match, but it’s getting there. I suppose it’s a good example of the style, if it’s your style. Kingston wins.
FINE: Hirsch as teacher
To speed things up again we got “Legit” Leyla Hirsch. She’s coming out of her first round loss to Thunder Rosa in the women’s tournmanent to face rookiest rookie in the promotion Brooke Havok.
Havok looked good in her debut outing a few weeks ago, and she kicks this off with a few flashy moves, although the setups are a bit stiff. Hirsch comes back with a delayed vertical suplex. This match does have the look of a training bout, with Hirsch steering clear of her mat-based wrestling and staying fairly upright to hit and dole out more traditional (Nightmare Factory alumni friendly?) American pro wrestling offense.
Hirsch takes the win with a back breaker, suplex, arm bar combo, but this was definitely her working in a lower gear than we’re used to.
POP: Explosive squash
Get your jungle gear on! It’s Jurassic Express facing jobber duo Angel Fashion and VSK. They don’t get an entrance, but if it means we get another verse of Tarzan Boy, I’ll allow it! I could do without the tone-deaf Gunn Club trying to sing along, though.
VSK and Jungle Boy get it started. JB takes out VSK, then Fashion comes in to try his luck. He don’t have much, as he gets hit with a kick in the face from Luchasaurus, then suplexed by Jungle Boy. He tags out to VSK, who eats a bunch of chops and a couple of big boots. Fashion comes in, only to meet a superkick party.
Jurassic Express make quick work of VSK after that. Major squash here, but as always with Jurassic Express, it’s an exciting spot-fest from bell to bell.
POP: Subverting expectations
QT Marshall is facing jobber-entranced JJ Garrett. Straight out of Iowa, with a mullet that puts Brian Pillman Jr’s to shame, this guy is an oldskool superstar of rasslin’!
Surprisingly, Garrett goes straight to the mat and shows himself to be an excellent technical wrestler! The throwback look is just a front! QT is also solid on the mat, so we get some slick holds and counters and throws here. Dude sells well too, blinking and shaking his head every time QT connects with a stiffer hit.
.@realmmarshall1 with a wild right to the face of @JJGARRETT94!
WATCH #AEWDark ➡️ https://t.co/HZxmN1MWkZ pic.twitter.com/UOsf125CHO— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 24, 2021
QT pulls off a delayed vertical, but when he comes to finish Garrett off he’s tripped into the steel ring post, then suplexed with enough force to literally bounce back off the canvas. Garrett hits a frog splash, rolling elbow, spear, cannonball senton and flipping senton. Holy crap, what a badass!
QT switches into full heel mode, angrily dealing out strikes and then finishing the debuting star with the diamond cutter. It’s my match of the night! What a debut!
POP: The Acclaimed keep on arriving
Cooling us down we have musicians of AEW Marko Stunt versus Max Caster.
Caster’s entrance rap is hilarious – “who left Jungle Boy in the dryer?” Caster kicks it off cocky as can be, but Stunt uses his quickness to escape and hit some high-flying maneuvers. To his credit Caster sells running face-first into the turnbuckle very well. Stunt goes for a diving cross body, but Caster catches him and hangs him up on the ropes before slamming him to the mat. Anthony Bowens spends the whole damn match being a hype man and trying to pull out every reaction GIF in the book, superstar YouTuber that he is.
The Acclaimed are stars, and I will hear no voice to the contrary!
Anyway, Stunt doesn’t quite go full berserk here, but he hits a standing moonsault and a few kicks before being pinned by the most annoying rapper in the game. Who then goes on to play air guitar on his boom box. I’m crying.
POP: Hard-hitting tag action
Getting back to a classic Dark match-up, we have Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds facing jobber duo Louie Valle and Chris Peaks. Peaks hasn’t been on Dark before, and apparently he isn’t worth getting any entrance music, but he does have matching trunks with our Bronx fave.
Reynolds and Peaks lock up and exchange uppercuts. Reynolds hits a dropkick and body slam before inviting Silver in to join the fray. Valle tags in and unloads with a flurry of punches. Seems with the Dark Order’s big face turn we’re getting to see Valle’s evil alter ego. He and Peaks beat the shit out of Reynolds.
Silver gets the hot tag and cleans house. Back body drop, lawn dart, kick, suplex, kick, double fucking Samoan drop! Dark destroyer gets them the win.
EH: Married life really wears on a guy
Top of the first hour, we got the much-anticipated Kip Sabian/Fuego del Sol match!
Del Sol opens it with a bunch of aerial lucha maneuvers. Sabian rolls out to catch his breath, then flattens del Sol with a brutal stomp. Sabian pulls out all the heelish offense here, which looks all the more devastating against the smaller opponent. He struts, he poses, he sets up a PK!
💀 DEATHLY HALLOWS 💀
Watch #AEWDark now ➡️ https://t.co/HZxmN1MWkZ@TheKipSabian @thePenelopeFord pic.twitter.com/jU1bMehHu1— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 24, 2021
Del Sol comes back, but only long enough to cement Sabian’s turn to the serious and violent. The match was fine, but I can’t quite POP it because I miss my comedy heel Kip. This felt very NXT UK, which I love, but I love Penelope Ford’s superbad valet more.
POP: I’m afraid of Americans
Opening the second hour we have Varsity Blondes versus the as-yet-unnamed military-themed team of “The Captain” Shawn Dean and “Nearly NATO” Carlie Bravo. For some faintly regressive reason the production team are trying to make “Varsity Blonds” happen, which is about as annoying as “Diamanté” and the poorly-placed accent that makes Spanish speakers cringe.
Anywho, Brian Pillman Jr and Bravo open it up. They test their strength with a collar and elbow tie-up. The two men are evenly matched. Some dude in the crowd starts a USA chant, which feels very quaint in 2021. Excalibur says what we’re all thinking: “literally everybody in the ring is from the United States”.
The Blondes double-team our hapless patriot, but he escapes with a well-timed dropkick and snaps Garrison’s arms before inviting the Cap to drop an elbow, then Bravo drops a leg… Garrison’s struggling, y’all! Pillman makes a blind tag and boots Bravo in the face. Pillman shows off a new move in his arsenal as he gets Bravo in a choke hold and then twists his nipple! Ouch! Bravo comes back with some more nipple twisting, and this match just took a weird and wonderful turn.
Shawn Dean gets the hot tag and finally gets to unload all of his awesome aerial offense before letting the Blondes get a win ahead of their match with Team Taz on Dynamite. Fantastic fun.
OKAY: But could be better
Next up we have “The Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth versus Bay Area hunk Aaron Solow.
Nemeth has been popping up as a jobber on Dynamite recently, perhaps not so much for his in-ring skills as for his delightfully douchey personality. He shows it again here, awarding himself “points” every time he gets Solow to the mat. Eventually Solow has had enough and hits a cornucopia of arm drags before dropkicking the dude right out of the ring.
.@PAvalon & @CezarBononi_ have their eye on @aaronsolow? Or maybe @HotYoungBriley?
WATCH #AEWDark ➡️ https://t.co/HZxmN1MWkZ pic.twitter.com/feiCsija3z— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 24, 2021
I wish this guy was better at the technical aspects of wrestling. This match runs longer than perhaps it should, and Nemeth hams it up all the while, but he doesn’t really give Solow the space to shine like we know he can when he works at a faster pace.
Nemeth wins. Pretty Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi arrive to issue a beatdown, but Solow is saved by sometime tag partner Big Shotty and his new Nightmare Fam buds, Nick Comoroto and QT Marshall! Build that storyline!
FINE: Playing their roles
Tag team cup champs Ivelisse and Diamante both got snubbed as substitutes for the injured Anna Jay in the women’s tournament, so they gotta be full of bitterness waiting to explode on random jobber duo Miranda Alize and Renee Michelle.
Michelle and Ivelisse go at it with some slick locks and strikes. Alize and Diamante exchange some more acrobatic maneuvers, then things get serious and Alize cops a thorough clobbering from the champs. Alize sneaks a cutter and reaches Michelle for the hot tag. Michelle looses a few wild strikes at the champs, but she looks to be shoot injured, or at least not quite as confident executing the moves as she was to start. It doesn’t matter because before long she gets kicked back outside so Alize, Diamante and Ivelisse can continue their pre-AEW rivalry.
The champs win it.
BOTCH: Top Flight grounded
Our next match sees Minneapolis high flyers Top Flight back in action versus jobber duo Tony Vega and Steven Stetson.
Vega and Darius Martin lock up and have a bit of a technical exchange before tagging out to their partners. Dante shows off a few giant leaps, but they amount to nothing as Stetson isolates the kid and corners him to unload all the stomps and slams.
Darius gets the hot tag to save us from the tedious walking out of all the heel tropes, but even he can’t save this match. Dante botches his finisher, or Stetson doesn’t sell it? Either way, they win, and it wasn’t pretty.
POP: It’s a good mess
Time for an indie eight-man! Bear Country are once again teaming with Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela against a new jobber quad of M’Badu, Levy Shapiro, Daniel Joseph and Aaron Frye. Joseph and Shapiro seem to have been working the California indies for a while, and Frye is from Atlanta, where he is known as Fry Daddy!
Joseph runs straight into the boot of Bear Boulder. Bear Bronson joins the party to toss him on his face. Frye comes in and gets flattened by Bronson, Kiss and Janela. He makes it out to Shapiro who smartly brings Janela to the corner to get beaten down. Janela eventually breaks free and hits a suplex on the way to bringing in the bears, who utterly destroy everything in their path. It’s a mess. It’s a glorious, indie mudshow mess. But it’s a more enjoyable mess than their first outing.
Shapiro eats the finisher.
POP: Pretty Stable get a win
Pretty Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi are back again, this time in a match versus jobber duo Occult Pro Wrestling Star RYZIN and “The Empbruh” Baron Black.
Bononi starts it off by tossing Black round a bit. Black has a bit more luck against PPA, tangling him up with some neat submissions. Ryzin dives in with a double foot stomp then hits the northern lights. PPA gives Ryzin some time to play up his spooky character before clotheslining him and tagging back to Bononi. Bononi hits a cool-lookin’ inverted bodyslam, but PPA fails to capitalize. Ryzin looks for Black, but he’s still recovering from catching an elbow in the jaw, so dude tries a moonsault instead. He misses! Then PPA tries one. He misses too! Beautiful timing. Everyone’s holding their stomachs like they just ordered the fish.
Black makes it in and hits a Manhattan drop, exploder, atomic drop and backstabber, then locks in a crossface… But PPA is still surviving! What a champ! Bononi saves the day with some Chaos Project-inspired action, first using Ryzin as a battering ram, then picking up PPA to drop him on Black in an assisted marti-knees for the win. Lots of fun, creative spots here.
He never ever hugged me like that… 😒 https://t.co/YKKPWySVoV
— Leva Bates (@wrestlingleva) February 24, 2021
POP: Developing the division
Tesha Price is here! She’s jobbed to pretty much everyone on the roster, and a few weeks ago in her match versus Tay Conti she figured out how to job in a way that felt exciting and convincing. Today she returns to meet KiLynn “Also Snubbed As The Anna Jay Replacement” King.
King and Price keep it técnico to start, going through a nice sequence of locks and throws. King gets the first big hit in a shoulder tackle, then takes Price back down into an arm bar. Price escapes and they both escalate to some stiff strikes.
King eventually wins this with a bit of an awkward finisher. These two still haven’t quite developed their characters, but it’s fun to watch them each week trying new things and honing their skills.
POP: Three-way mayhem
Surprise unbilled headliner tonight is Mike and Matt Sydal versus SCU versus TH2! I’m happy to see Mike Sydal on Dark. He popped up on Dynamite a couple weeks ago with a fairly well-formed yoga bro character, but lacking his brother’s finesse. I feel like the concept of a couple of douchey guru types all covered in ॐ tattoos and saying namaste while they choke people out has potential.
Mike and Evans start it off. Mike hits some arm drags then tags out to Christopher Daniels. Evans gets the better of the old man and hands over to Angélico to try cut him down further. CD makes it out to Frankie Kazarian who finds himself facing Matt. God, these two can go. They move into a frenzied technical sequence, every move clean as a whistle.
After a few quick tags we’re back to Mike and Evans. Mike hits a few acrobatic spots but doesn’t flow well into Evans’ offense. TH2 switch it up to submissions, which the yoga bro doesn’t sell either. Get this guy outta here! Brother Matt comes in and instantly we’re back in main event mode! Matt almost gets pinned, but he makes it out to Kaz, and then the whole damn thing breaks down. Everyone’s hitting finishers on everyone and in the end it’s SCU who come out on top.
This Dark was a return to form after the aggressively abridged episode last week. I still missed some entrance music, but at least they gave some of the undercard back their self-respect. There weren’t any major botches, just a few less-compelling match-ups.
Dynamite is fairly packed this week, with undercard hero Brandon Cutler facing Jake Hager and Dark regulars Varsity Blondes facing Team Taz. But the real highlight this week will be the women’s tournament special presentation on Bleacher Report this Sunday. We’ll be seeing Ryo Mizunami face Yuka Sakazaki in the Japanese finals, Thunder Rosa versus Riho in the American semi-finals and a bonus joshi trios match! I can’t wait!
I’ll see you on the Discord for live chats, or tune in next week on the Steel Ring Post for more undercard news and casual Mox-bashing.
"Hey! Are you watching #AEWDark right now?"…..
➡️ https://t.co/HZxmN1MWkZ pic.twitter.com/qbc5jbttyl— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 24, 2021
