Cazer’s AEW Dark Review 1.18.22

It’s Tuesday Night and you know what that means! It’s time for AEW Dark and some Wrestling with the Jones family. Last week we had a stacked supershow that felt a bit long despite featuring some top names. This week the announced card has less star power but still features a number of big names. Adam Cole is once again appearing as well as Lance Archer and Orange Cassidy. So even without the supershow we aren’t really lacking in star power. We still have a lengthy card coming in at 11 matches but really with Dark’s format that’s not so bad. Let’s get to the action and see how things went at the most recent Orlando tapings!

Kaun (0-1 *All Time) vs. Adam Cole (8-0 *All Time)

Kaun is a very well built talent and could standout especially if they use him consistently in AEW for Dark. I wonder if he gets some offense in here against Cole or if it’s a quick squash. I suppose we’ll see shortly. I want to say Kaun impressed me in his last appearance but I can’t say for sure. Kip Sabian in the crowd with a box on his head I wonder if he does this the whole show it’s gotta get hot. Pretty much all Adam Cole early but he’s not exactly dominating. Kaun shows his physical advantage dropping Adam Cole with a stiff running forearm. Cole sends Kaun outside to regroup and quickly regains control of this match. Kaun with a burst of offense and it’s not out of this world but its very polished and impressive for someone I’m really not too familiar with. Kaun takes Adam Cole to the top rope but his inexperience sets him up for a panama sunrise but he avoids it. Commentary did a good job putting Kaun over for not getting put away easily. It’s wild how over Cole is with the fans despite being presented as primarily a heel. Cole with the running knee to the back of the head and that finishes Kaun in 7:51. Tazz continues to put Kaun over after the finish good stuff.
Rating: ***
Review: This was a solid showcase for both competitors. Cole controlled a majority of the match but Kaun got some offense in. It makes sense as Kaun is clearly the stronger of the two but still Cole’s experience allowed him to decide the pace of this match. It was a nice opener for Dark, I prefer a good showcase rather than a quick squash in the opening match. Kaun avoiding the Panama Sunrise twice was nice to see especially as one set up came after a weak punch and I was afraid we were going to go into a weak finish but the match ended great.
Post match: We get Storytime with Adam Cole Baybay. He sends Tony out of the ring before cutting a promo stating Britt Baker is the greatest AEW Women’s champion in AEW History. He mentions his record and says he and Britt are unstoppable. He says they feel sorry for Statlander and Cassidy because no matter how much they try they’ll never be anything more than laughing stocks. Compared to people like Adam Cole and Britt Baker they should embarrassed. He says that he and Britt are the best and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it. What Cole may lack in physique he makes up for with charisma, talent and pure likeability. He’s been awesome on Dark!

Gunn Club’s Austin & Colten Gunn (w/ Billy Gunn)(5-0 *All Time) vs. Bison XL & Larintiz X (0-0)

Ass Boys in action! The ass boys chant is more over this week than we saw last week, that’s the benefit of being in Orlando week to week. Kips still in the crowd, the mans nothing if not dedicated. Colten plays into the Ass Boys thing by laying into his opponents whenever the crowd gets into it, I like that approach of using the Ass Boys thing while keeping them semi serious heels. I am completely unfamiliar with their opponents but Bison XL is a big mean looking dude and he runs through the Gunn Club for a minute before Colten sets him right. Larintiz had some interesting offense when he got to show it briefly but the Gunn Club put him away with an assisted powerbomb for the victory in 2:19.
Rating: N/A
Review: Nothing crazy here, they had a solid squash for the Gunn Club and allowed them to look strong while beating an unknown team that included a big dude who looked like he could really go. The more important thing here is the character work by the Gunn Club

Katalina Perez (0-7) vs. “Legit” Leyla Hirsch (20-9)

They’re slowly building to Leyla and Statlander so I imagine this will be a quick win for Leyla. Katalina has performed for AEW a few times but i’m not gonna lie she hasn’t stood out too much to this point. Kip still in the front row I wonder if there will ever be a pay off to Kip in a box. Leyla’s nickname is really fitting as she gives that ‘legit’ vibe. Perez gets a brief moment of offense in attacking Leyla’s injured shoulder and the crowd gets behind her. Leyla regains control with some unique offense in the corner you can see the confidence in her has grown over her time in AEW. Katalina looks for a cazadora but Leyla catches her and drops her with a suplex. Leyla catches her with a running knee to the chin for the victory in 3:10.
Rating: **1/2
Review: This was a really decent showcase and not just a quick squash for Leyla as I assumed. It wasn’t super long but Katalina still got some offense in. I don’t love Leyla using

Liam Cross vs. Lance Archer (40-9)

Archer hits the ring and beats down Cross before the bell can ring or his name can be announced and the crowd loves it. This ones only a minute in but it’s a lot longer than I expected. Archer’s just toying with him and doing a good job turning the crowd against him even though they’re stoked to see him kick ass. Archer hits the Blackout and lifts him up smashing his head into the mat over and over before covering him for the pin in 1:58.
Rating: N/A
Review: Archer’s a perfect bad ass and this was a great example of that. Hard to say much about his opponent but he did well in his role. It’s great to see Archer turn the crowd against him and have the awareness to not play into the babyface reaction he got early.

Varsity Blondes (21-5) vs. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis (0-7)

Commentary is playing into Julia’s injured eye as she talks to a little girl at ringside about her injury. The Blondes doing well against their opponents but it’s interesting to see the lack of growth these two have compared to many others who have been with the company for the same time. Alanis takes advantage but we get a blind tag I think it takes a minute for this to get back in order. The Blondes hit some combination moves a Pillman hits a jackhammer suplex finisher in 2:00. Tazz calls it the good ol’ Jackhammer Jones. Love Tazz.
Rating: N/A
Review: This was nothing special as I said above it’s a bit concerning these two aren’t a bit better in the ring given the time they’ve had to grow. They aren’t awful by any means but a lot of talent I’ve seen on Dark for the same time they’ve grown a lot more in the same time.
Post match: Griff and Pillman cut promos on Brody King and Malakai Black ahead of their match on Dynamite. The match didn’t stand out but honestly the post match promo showed some of the growth I’ve been talking about so I’ve got to give them credit there.

Red Velvet (41-20) vs. Vipress (0-5)

Remix Jones is here as Tazz gets into Red Velvet’s theme. Velvet’s stir it up taunt is perfect for her opponents to mock her and get the heat on her so simple but effective. Velvet’s best when she’s showing an aggressive side and not necessarily focused on the specifics. Vipress getting a little bit of offense here and hits a sweet michinoku driver nearly looked like an upset was coming but Velvet kicks out at two. Velvet with a nice roundhouse kick but hard to tell from the angle how effective it was. Velvet hits the final slice and takes the victory in 2:55.
Rating: **1/4
Review; Velvet’s not bad at all and has shown a ton of growth over her time in AEW. This match was just ok as she’s really reliant upon the skill level of her opponent and Vipress was alright but awkward at points. This was still a decent showcase for Velvet especially in the moments when she got to show some burst and aggression. 

Robyn Renegade (0-1 *22 Record) vs. Skye Blue (1-1 *22 Record)

AEW’s using her 2022 record so it’s safe to assume we may see Skye more protected throughout 2022 and pick up some more victories. Skye goes to roll through Renegade but Renegade just lays down but Skye plays it off well and goes for the cover. It was almost awkward but it was good. Charlotte gets involved on the outside and shoves Skye off the turnbuckle, she tries to hit the top turnbuckle but it was an iffy spot didn’t look so great. Renegade locks in the fishhook and there’s a lot of talking between the two this ones a rough match not gonna lie. Skye with a cartwheel into a thrust kick good stuff there. She drops Charlotte Renegade with a kick of her own. ANOTHA ONE. Skye Blue with a flatliner and covers. This ones over in 2:50.
Rating: *1/2
Review: This was not a great match. The finish was fine but Skye should’ve set it up just a second longer to give Excalibur a better chance to call it it felt like it came out of nowhere though that could be cool going forward. This was just a match between two relatively new wrestlers and you can tell the Renegade sisters are unique but still very green. I think they all have potential but this was not great.

Anna Jay (22-10) vs. Tiffany Nieves (0-1)

-1 wants Excalibur to be fired for his birthday dang harsh. Kip’s still in the front row by the way. I wonder who had to switch seats with him from earlier when he was in the third row. Anna Jay showing some fire in this one and dang she looks really good. She tried a roll through boot in the corner that could use some work but it’s something new so I like it. Anna locks in a sleeper and picks up the victory in 1:57 with the Queenslayer.
Rating: N/A
Review: Anna Jay picks up the quick win against a decent opponent. Anna’s another superstar who has really come a long way and while she certainly has room for improvement she’s still awesome and the growth is impressive. I hope to see more of Tiffany to get a better idea of her in ring quality as she did well but didn’t get too much time to shine.

Anthony Greene (1-4) vs. Daniel Garcia (w/ 2point0) (13-13)

This could be a sweet match especially if they get a good bit of time. I’ve been mixed on Greene in the past but he does well against the right opponent. Good back and forth early with Greene getting some offense in. Greene controls until Garcia sends Greene to the outside to get jumped by 2.0. I like how Garcia shows an aggressive yet intelligent approach to his matches targeting his opponents limbs to set up for submissions later on. Garcia pushes the boundaries and holds onto the submission extra long. He’s so good at does a good job at making sure he gets the crowd to work against him regardless of that. Greene hits a kipup and i’m not gonna lie I was expecting another Janela situation from months back. If you know, you know. Greene with a flurry of offense this guy always gets to show a bit more offense than I like to see but that consistency is good. Garcia regains control and locks in a cobra twist for the victory in 7:37.
Review: Greene got some offense in early but then Garcia used his aggressive nature and his friends to help get the advantage. Once he took control he hardly let up maintaining control throughout attacking Greene’s back to set him up for the abdominal stretch later on. Greene did have a flurry of offense and when I feel like the big plan is for a Garcia compared to Greene I do prefer for Garcia to dominate a bit more but I think I just have to accept Greene’s booked a bit stronger than I expect.
Post match: Tony Schiavone asks Garcia and 2.0 why they keep attacking people and causing problems for themselves. 2.0 run them down and warn Jericho. Garcia cuts a heated promo telling the Inner Circle they’re a bunch of rats. He says he has championship aspirations in his sights. I really liked his promo because that’s the aggressive obnoxious shit you get out of New Yorkers. I say that with love too as an Upstate New Yorker. That said I could be super bias and that promo might’ve sucked to the majority but to me it was dope.

Bear Country (12-8) vs. Brandon Bullock & Jameson Ryan

Zubaz Jones is here and Tazz is eating it up early. Bullock and Ryan are completely unknown to me but i’ll be damned if I don’t love this kind of throwback 80’s wrestler gimmick. These Bears man, they’re awesome and have grown on me a lot. They both have something unique to them, though I agree with Tazz not big on the scary masks. Boulder lifts Ryan and tosses him right into Bullock. Bullock and Ryan getting beat down and flattened in the corner by a backpack corner cannonball. Bearbomb and cover for the victory in 2:07.
Rating: N/a
Review: This was a quick squash but both sides did great in what they had. The jobbers didn’t do anything to screw it up and their character work was impressive. You pair that with Bear Country’s awesome work and we get a solid match.

Mark Henry Voice: It looks like we’ve had enough talk. It’s Time, for the main event!

The Wingmen’s “Pretty” Peter Avalon & JD Drake (0-0) vs. Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta (0-0)

Why can’t we get some consistency with the rankings, I mean I know why, but it’s annoying to have Wheeler and Cassidy getting their singles records but Drake & Avalon get paired as a team. Some have their 2022 record, some their all time record. It’s just all over the place. Complaining over let’s get to this match it should be pretty solid but i’m not sold on this being the main event over the opener. Avalon’s hair looking a bit different to me for some reason looking like a long haired Tony Deppen. Can we get Deppen on Dark? The Wingmen are a pretty great team. Excalibur explains to us the purpose of the dropdown in wrestling it’s to trip your opponent. Of course. Tazz calls Cassidy Slacker Jones. He goes for the pockets but Drake says not today bud. Cassidy tags out to avoid the chops it’s great how he can do that and look like a punk but people still enjoy it. Nemeth with the distraction at least Knox didn’t just pretend he never saw it but he still didn’t do anything. I love the bowling heat between JD Drake and Tazz that i’m sure Drake knows nothing about. Tazz explains to us the bowling history in his family. I complain about the goofy commentary in big matches but I love it here, I really have no question who will win so I appreciate the comedic support. Avalon showing some aggressiveness here, there’s been some speculation he may not be with AEW much longer but he’s such a solid hang on Dark especially. Wheeler fakes Avalon out and climbs to the top rope to hit him with a diving cross body that was unique and works well with an Avalon like character. We get JD and Cassidy in the ring again, these two tore it up last week but this tag has been alright so far. Knox ends up outside the ring with JD Drake for some reason so Nemeth gets beat down as well. Didn’t love that. Drake goes for the cannonball but eats an Orange Punch instead and Cassidy and Yuta win in 7:31.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was fine, I don’t know that I loved it, if anything do this last week and end with JD vs. Cassidy. That match just felt so much more entertaining than what we got here. This was not bad at all but Yuta as the face in peril is not getting him over to me, he debuted around the time of Moriarty and Garcia but has felt the least significant so far and its because he’s in matches like this and can’t even be the guy to get the pin at the end. This was a fine match but again just more reason i’d have rather saw Adam Cole in the main event position.

Top Three Names to watch following AEW Dark

Daniel Garcia – You can call it NY bias and that’s fine. Garcia’s my guy and someone I have so much confidence in going forward. The talent he has is undeniable and while his mic work varies you can’t deny he’s trying to do something different to set himself apart and that’s good even if it’s not exactly a homerun right away. Being with guys like 2.0 will only help him get even better.

Red Velvet – She’s been pretty awesome in her limited capacity. Tonight’s match wasn’t a blow away but the fire she’s started to show in matches has really turned me around on her. I still think she has a ways to go before I can say for sure that she’s poised to be a top AEW women’s superstar but she’s been good in her position and Dark helps with that.

Anna Jay – Anna Jay was awesome this week and really didn’t show many signs of a ‘green’ competitor. I don’t want to act like she’s at the skill level of a lot of the rest of the roster but she’s come a long way and looks more natural as well as confident in the ring and that helps a bunch. Her offense is not something we’ve never seen before but still unique in a way and I am interested to see where they go with her using more submission moves and strikes going forward. Last week it felt awkward but this week it was not so bad.

Jobber of the night: Kaun – This guy was really really impressive given the position he was in with Adam Cole. He didn’t outshine the big superstar but also gave him a really solid match with little to no mistakes. He was a clean in ring worker and has a physique that immediately makes him standout among AEW’s roster. I’d be surprised if we don’t see more of him in the coming weeks especially given the amount of offense he got tonight on Dark.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This weeks episode was pretty good. I think I tend to overrate Dark from time to time because it's just a comfy easily consumable show. The matches are typically not mind blowing adventures but they're usually solid or quick. It's not often that a match goes too long on Dark and also just outright sucks. It's happened and can happen again but it's not a consistent occurrence. That usually leads to consistent average ratings. That's what we get here, coming off a 14 match 90+ minute show last week this was easy to watch and fun. I think the layout of the card could've been better and I really wish we could get matches that meant something every week in terms of storyline ala Janela/Kiss though I guess we got that with The Wingmen vs. Cassidy and friends but still. Overall not a bad show at all and worth watching to see new talent and watch young talent grow.