Cazer’s AEW Dark Review 12.20.22

We’ve got a big show tonight, a BIG BAD show tonight! Yes back for another jam packed episode of AEW Dark. This week we’ve got 11 matches on the slate, typically i’m not a fan of the longer episode of Dark but for once we have some star power! Tonight Kenny Omega, Ricky Starks, Jade Cargill and many more will bless us with their presence on AEW Dark. It’s sure to be a solid episode with those names involved so lets get right to it.

Kenny Omega vs. Hagane Shinno

This is Kenny’s first singles match since November of last year and first appearance on AEW Dark since January 2020. Slow start early lots of grappling and hold exchange before Kenny drops Shinno with a running shoulder block. Kenny sends Hagane into the corner and chokes away at him with his boot as the referee begins his count. Kenny attempts a splash in the corner but Shinno moves just in time. Kenny and Hagane exchange strikes, Shinno onto the apron but Kenny catches him looking for the One Winged Angel on the floor. Hagane attempts to counter with a rana so Kenny catches him with a powerbomb to the apron. Hagane off the ropes into a sky high from Kenny, he covers for a near two count. Kenny takes Hagane outside and works him over sending him into the barricade and ring apron multiple times. Kenny sends Hagane back into the ring and lays into him with a series of strikes. Kenny with a scoopslam and immediately follows with an elbow drop. Kenny taunts Hagane asking him to hit him, finally he follows up with strikes, Kenny returns and we’ve got a full blown strike battle. Kenny yells at Hagane telling him he’s not Ospreay, Hagane returns with a couple of strikes. Hagane with a DDT to Kenny sending him outside. Shinno with an asai moonsault onto Kenny outside the ring. Back inside Shinno with a missal dropkick and covers for two. Kenny recovers and sets Shinno up top, Kenny with a running knee to the face and follows with a superplex, Kenny covers but again Hagane kicks out just in time. Hagane dodges a v-trigger, then lands on his feet following a german, Hagane sweeps the feet and covers Kenny for two. Hagane with a series of kicks and a snapdragon suplex, Kenny with a lariat and covers again for two. Kenny with the v-trigger and follows with the one winged angel and surprisingly Hagane didn’t kick out of that.
Rating: ***
Review: This was an action packed match, but it felt like Hagane just got way too much for the sake of Kenny trying to put him over. Just felt like one or two nearfalls too many.

Invictus Khash vs. Action Andretti

The new rising AEW star Action Andretti back on an episode of Dark, where i’d like to add his breakout occurred after your boy called it. Decent back and forth early, Andretti showing his high paced offense that got the fans behind him initially. He tosses Khash into the corner and lays into him with a series of chops. Khash with a handful of hair sends Andretti to the mat before locking in a chinlock. Andretti to the outside, he flips over Khash and drops him with a lariat then a neck breaker. Khash to the outside, Andretti with a tope to Khash, then another! Andretti with a superkick and follows with the running shooting star press and covers for the victory.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was a solid win for Andretti, a tad less impressive than beating Chris Jericho but impressive none the less.

Marina Shafir vs. Angelica Risk

Lockup early and Marina in control immediately. Marina smothering Risk and the referee forces a break, Risk with a spear and brief offense but Shafir catches her quick with a backbreaker and a submission for the very quick victory.
Rating: N/A
Review: Cool squash I guess. Not sure what this does for Shafir as it’ll easily be forgotten by the time we get to match 11 on this card.

Gus de la Vega vs. Parker Boudreaux

Parker in control early sending Gus into the corner and follows with an immediate right hand. Parker tossed into the top rope and follows with a lariat then grinds his wrist into the nose of Gus. Parker lifts him up and slams him down to the mat immediately covering for the victory as he growls a little more.
Rating: N/A
Review: Another squash, a tad more impressive but still not too memorable of a squash. Funny moment at the end as Excalibur once again sends it to Julia Hart but instead it’s a Fight Forever commercial.

Angelico and Chaos Project vs. Jay Marte, Jarett Diaz, & Richard Adonis

This is quite the strange six man tag but i’m here for Angelico picking up some odd pals. Angelico and Diaz kick this one off and Angelico shows his ability to exchange holds and gain control. Serpentico tags in and works over Diaz for a moment dropping him with a rana and a dropkick. Luther tags in and hits the assisted kick to the midsection to Diaz. Serpentico with the quick tag and hits the drop toe hold headbutt to Serpentico onto Diaz. Luther slams Serpentico face first into the face of Diaz, good weapon use. Diaz in control drops Serpentico and tags in ~Adonis. Marte with the quick tag and covers for one before tagging in Diaz. Serpentico with a superkick to break free. Adonis tags in as does Luther, Luther with a series of boots to all of his opponents then scoop slams them all onto eachother. Serpentico with a dive to the outside, Angelico tags in and locks in the navarro death roll and gets the submission victory. Luther is pumped and lifts Angelico up to celebrate finally winning. For some reason Schiavone tells us that Angelico and Serpentico are the Spanish announce team, today I learned. Now he tells us that they’ll be the Spanish Announce Project.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was a decent little tag match and the post match stuff was goofy but great. I don’t expect this group to go all the way to the top but I do appreciate them coming together and getting a little backstory as well.

Julia Hart vs. Sahara Seven

Tie up early and Hart with a thrust kick to gain separation. Hart with some stiff shots to the back of Seven. Hart locks in the hartless submission for the squash victory.
Rating: N/A
Review: They want to make Julia scary so bad, but I just don’t think they have the means to make that happen, to be fair she has gotten a lot better over time but i’m not sold. This squash was not it for me.

– The Wingmen are backstage and say it’s the year of the Wingmen in 2023. Cezar says in 2023 there will be an absolute ass kicking.

Dean Alexander & Rosario Grillo vs. Jeff Jarrett & Satnam Singh

Jarrett says he brought some extra body bags tonight and tells Satnam to do the work for him as he attacks Dean Alexander. Jeff tags in and begins his attack but Dean with a roll up for two but Jarrett immediately follows with a lariat. Grillo tags in and hits the double axe handle to Jarrett. Jarrett trips up Grillo and chokes him in the middle rope before dropping him with a lariat then doing his version of the strut. Satnam tags in and works over Grillo dropping him with a big boot. Dean tries to break it up but Satnam just chokeslams them both. Jeff with the stroke all while Satnam stands on the chest of Dean. Jeff covers for the victory. Post match Jeff cuts a promo calling out the Acclaimed promising to wrap a guitar around the head of Bowens and Billy.
Rating: **1/2
Review: This was probably Satnam’s best match and some solid work from an old Jeff Jarrett. It wasn’t a classic but it was fun for what it was. Not a bad promo from Jeff, give us The Acclaimed vs. Satnam and Jeff on Dark, it’s not *that* big of a deal anyways.

Jake St. Patrick & Sage Scott vs. The Wingmen (Pretty Peter Avalon and Ryan Nemeth)

More jobber on jobber action. Peter starts off with JSP he keeps taking him down and counting ala amateur wrestling style. Avalon tags in and they drop JSP with the double back elbow. Avalon with an elbow to Scott on the apron then back after JSP. Nemeth tags in, he sends JSP into Avalon for a scoopslam and they both drop shots onto JSP before Nemeth covers for two. Ryan with a headlock and JSP tries to counter, he does and makes a tag to Scott. Scott with a belly to belly to Nemeth and covers but Avalon breaks it up. Nemeth with a Manhattan drop and Avalon with a superkick. Nemeth with a neck breaker to JSP and covers for the victory.
Rating: **1/4
Review: This was a fine way to get the wingmen a win but I really don’t think that Nemeth is all that great.

Kip Sabian vs. Caleb Konley

Kip quick to it with a boot and a headlock. Kip with a dropkick and covers for a two count. Kip starts taunting and gets rolled up for two. Konley trips up Kip and follows with a torneo into the ring onto Kip covers for two. Back to their feet and they exchange strikes, Konley blocks a number of Kips but Kip distracts Caleb and nails him with a strike of his own. Konley back in control with a bridging suplex covering for two. Konley is dropkicked off the apron, Kip follows with a penalty kick on the apron then a moonsault to Konley on the outside. Kip with a springboard dropkick to Konley sending him into the opposing corner. Kip with a cannonball, he pulls Konely out and hits a twisting neck breaker before covering for the win.
Rating: ***
Review: I can’t lie I quite liked this, I usually can’t stand Caleb but he sold me on this match I might be a fan. Kip was also solid and sold well, I actually don’t mind someone like Kip who actually hasn’t lost much but still has a vibe like he could lose any match.

Jade Cargill vs. Dream Girl Ellie

Jade tosses Ellie clearly not intimidated. Jade chokes her into the corner and sends her into the ropes, Ellie attempts a crossbody but Jade catches her and tosses her with the fall away slam before doing a kipup. Jade with the pump kick and then hits jaded and covers for the quick victory.
Rating: N/A
Review: A solid squash match for Jade, not exactly out of this world but she’s gotten really good at looking strong in these matches as she should. There’s something about how she carries herself that she’s one of the first wrestlers appearing on Dark that feels bigger than the show.

Ricky Starks vs. Cezar Bononi

Ricky goes behind quick and locks in a headlock but Cezar sends him into the ropes and drops him with a shoulderblock before sending him into the corner and lays into him before the referee calls him out of the corner. Cezar looks for snake eyes to Ricky but he counters with a tornado DDT. Nemeth grabs the boot of Ricky and the referee gets after him, now Avalon does it as he’s distracted, Ricky pulls him onto the apron and Cezar takes him out. Ricky with the spear and covers for the victory. Ricky grabs a mic and says he’s upset after last week and he has a lot to say but he’ll share it with everyone on Dynamite tomorrow and promises it’ll be great.
Rating: ***** Five Star Ricky never disappoints
Review: Ricky could be on the cusp of really going to the top, he’s been in great form lately and is really finding himself. This match was a quick throw away but it’s not bad to see him get a relatively easy win over someone that’s a bit bigger than him.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This weeks Dark was good, it was helped a good bit by featuring talent like Jade, Starks and Kenny. People I can actually believe are winning squash matches. I don't hate Kenny's match going the way it did either, if you take into consideration that it's his first singles match in over a year it actually makes sense that he struggled a bit. Kicking off with Kenny then ending with Jade and Starks is always gonna be a good show, most of the middle stuff was ok, it's good to get job teams like The Wingmen wins from time to time and this was a good place for it. Overall good stuff.