Cazer’s AEW Dark Review 2.1.22

It’s Tuesday night so you know what that means! It’s time for another healthy helping of AEW Dark. Tonight they’re promising over 90+ minutes of action which may be a tad long for AEW Dark if you ask me but who knows we have a sweet lineup so it might be awesome. I’m excited to see some familiar faces like Lee Moriarty, Lance Archer, 2.0, Bear Country and others. We’ve also got Marina Shafir, Kidd Bandit, and Aria Davairi on tap for the unsigned gems so we’ve got a nice show tonight.

Anthony Ogogo vs. Marcus Kross

Ogogo comes out before we get the typical introduction from Taz and Excalibur. He runs down how great he is ahead of his match. We have Marcus Kross on the other side well known for his goku-like hairdo but also former tag team partner of Griff Garrison before he joined AEW. Ogogo dominates early with Kross getting a nice burst of action prompting Taz to call him Dragon Ball Z Jones right before Kross gets tossed face first into the turnbuckle. Kross tries to steal it with a rollup but its not too convincing. Ogogo hits the Ogogo slam and covers but picks his opponent up before three. Ogogo hits a lifting strike for the finish and demands Knox count him out for the victory in 2:25.
Rating: N/A
Review: This was a decent little squash, Ogogo has shown a lot of growth over the last year and he’s a great heel because I love to hate on the guy so it’s safe to say his schtick works. Kross got some brief offense in but was almost immediately stopped in his tracks and put away. I enjoyed it for what it was. 

Penelope Ford vs. Angelica Risk

We have Kip Sabian in the front row supporting his girl Penelope. Can’t confirm if he was there for the first match but I do wonder if we will ever get a payoff for this gimmick and if so, soon? Ford showing a continued aggressive side rubbing Risk’s face across the top ropes. Bit of an odd spot when Penelope went for a drop onto Risk but she dodged as she had a ton of time to telegraph it. Ford is dominating this match for the most part but it’s really nothing too crazy. Ford is pretty reliant on the skill level of her opponents and Risk just isn’t quite up to par id say. Ford with the victory after locking in the Muta Lock at 4:00.
Rating: **
Review: This was not bad but really nothing too groundbreaking for these women. Ford’s improved a ton but it’s always better when she’s in there with someone who has a bit more experience. Risk’s been around a few times and isn’t bad just needs some work for sure. 

QT Marshall vs. Toa Liona

I’m a big fan of Toa so I hope he gets a good showcase here. He’s still got the jobber entrance so it might not be much but let’s see. This one starts a little slow as Taz builds up a match between QT and Hook on commentary. Apparently QT has taken all the credit for Hook’s success and obviously Taz doesn’t love that. Toa with a big samoan drop and the crowd gets behind him pretty big. Taz mentions he’s scouting Toa and that’d be a pretty sweet spot for Toa. QT is really good at so much, I get why he’s not put over more by fans but dude is absolutely underrated. Toa fires up after taking a few shots to the face and drops QT with a right hand before doing a little shoulder shuffle I like the swagger. QT with a diamond cutter on Toa as he fired up for a huge forearm and covers for the victory in 4:32.
Rating: **1/2
Review: This was a solid showcase for Toa, I never really felt like Toa could win but QT did an exceptional job at making Toa look like a badass in defeat. The victory came out of nowhere but it works to help Toa look pretty strong. It seems like there could be plans for Toa down the road and the way he got the crowd behind him in Orlando I think it’s well deserved. 

2point0 vs. Ish and Kidd Bandit

I love me some Kidd Bandit and 2.0 so I hope this match is fun. 2.0 are great but Bandit’s inexperience is showing early. Have to wonder if the jitters of the opportunity could’ve got to him. Bandit gets little to no offense in before tagging in Ish who suffers more of the same. Kidd Bandit with the Naruto run and all. The hit Kidd Bandit with two for the show and cover him for the victory in 2:40
Rating: N/A
Review: This was short so it’s not like there’s a lot to complain about but Kidd Bandit is definitely better than we got here. He’s still really green but has started to develop a nice following so opportunities like this will likely continue for the young wrestler. I’m glad it didn’t last long as what we were getting wasn’t that great but I do hope we see more Kidd Bandit soon. 

Lance Archer vs. Jordan Costa

Archer beats Costa to the ring as he’s making his entrance and hits a big chop right in front of Kip. Archer sets Costa on the top ropes and goes for the Blackout early but Costa locks in a sleeper hold. Archer continues to do a great job getting the crowd excited to see him do something cool only to not do it and piss them off. Simple but effective heel work. Archer with a huge chokeslam and claws Jordan and smashes his head into the mat for the victory in 1:45.
Rating: N/A
Review: This was a quick and easy squash. Last week Archer’s opponent hung around a bit longer but Costa didn’t have the same luck. He tried to fight out of the blackout and was successful but still lost quickly. 

– We get a Fuego Del Sol promo backstage with Alex Marvez to hype his match next week with Serpentico. Fuego says he’s going to make it happen with every opportunity he’s given and just because Serpentico can see a tornado coming doesn’t mean he can stop it. Fuego cutting your typical fiery baby face promo he even says his tongue is made of gold and Fuego fans will love that promo but it felt like a mashup of every good fiery promo. It wasn’t bad but hopefully it leads to a sweet match.

Marina Shafir vs. Reka Tehaka

I like the slow burn for Marina but let’s get this woman signed up to a full time deal and pushed to the moon. She’s been a standout for me on Dark and I always look forward to her matches. Shafir toys with Tehaka early but neither woman gains a clear advantage early. I’m not as familiar with Tehaka but she’s getting some good offense in and looks really impressive in this showing so far. Shafir locks in an awkward sleeper hold but it looked like she was about to lock Reka in a mean dragonsleeper sad we didn’t see it. Shafir lifts Tehaka up and they exchange words with Shafir yelling at Reka. Reka locks in a modified submission for the victory in 4:05. I thought we were gonna see a sweet suplex for the finish. Awkward finish for sure.
Rating: **
Review: This started out pretty sweet but it ended flat with Shafir locking in some odd submissions. Reka was pretty cool and someone i’ll have to keep an eye on. For only two years experience she was impressive. This wasn’t bad but i’d love to see these two in six months and see how much they’ve improved. 

Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto vs. Dante Casanova and Cameron Stewart

Not familiar with either of the opponents but Solo and Comoroto are pretty cool. Both could use some wins so this match makes sense. Taz and Excalibur getting their jokes in early as this match just isn’t catching anyone’s attention right away. Comoroto tags in and starts running through the jobbers. Cameron makes a tag to Dante but both men get destroyed after attempting a tag manuever. Finally Cameron exits the ring after being the illegal man for about 30 seconds. Comoroto DDTs Cameron back into the ring and grabs Dante with one hand and tosses him to the mat. Solo asks for the tag and takes in the heat as he hits an assisted backbreaker footstomp for the victory in 3:42.
Rating: **1/4
Review: This is the AEW Dark formula I don’t love. I prefer when we get at least one decent match early now we are seven matches in and none have lasted more than 5 minutes. Cameron was the legal man for a majority of this match and it just didn’t do much for me. Comorotos big spot near the end was a bit odd as we had to wait for him to set it up. I dont know what they need to do with Solo and Comoroto but these two could use some refreshing. 

Tony Nese vs. Zack Clayton

Clayton a larger opponent than Nese but Nese clearly spend more time in the gym. It might be the height but immediately Clayton seems like a more legitimate opponent than we might see on Dark typically. Despite the height difference Nese is controlling a majority of this match but Excalibur and Taz are busy bantering about boats and Connecticut. Clayton’s presence and confidence could go a long way in him appearing on Dark more consistently going forward. Nese hits the running Knese for the victory in 4:45.
Rating: **1/2
Review: Another decent showcase for Nese and Clayton got a bit of action in as well. It wasn’t too competitive but Clayton’s size and presence goes a long way in making him feel like a viable challenger. I like Nese in the position he’s in but he hasn’t really blown me away yet in AEW.

Kiera Hogan vs. Mazzerati

Kiera’s awesome so i’m glad to see more of her and it’s nice to see some new faces as Mazzerati is making her debut here. Mazzerati yells ‘now I have an attitude’ and we get an awkward trip from Kiera sending Mazzerati into the ropes. Mazzerati takes control and hammers into Kiera with lefts and rights a decent back and forth thus far. Keira with an inverted curb stomp into a legdrop and covers Mazzerati for a two count. That looked a bit awkward but with practice it could be a pretty cool move. Mazzerati’s doing a lot of talking in this one and at times it feels ‘heel like’ but it’s not really doing anything for me. Just feels odd. Kiera with a nice spinning kick for the victory in 3:43.
Rating: *1/2
Review: This wasn’t bad but Mazzerati didn’t do it for me. She wasn’t bad but there were just a lot of awkward moments in this match that took it down a notch for me. I’d like to see the Kiera Hogans get more time to either sink or swim.

 The Dark Order’s 10 and Alan “5” Angels vs. Ariya Daivari and Invictus Khash

We’ve seen Khash and Daivari a time or two in the past but never as a team. It’s Preston’s birthday and the crowds chanting for the big man. Taz says Wrestling has lost it’s edge because people were chanting for 10’s birthday. Daivari starts off with Alan Angels and immediately takes advantage early but Angel’s fights back before tagging in the birthday boy. It’s nice to see 10 and 5 work together more as we’ve seen a lot of the other Dark Order teams but not as much for these two. Khash stands toe to toe with Ten and i’m not sure if Khash is big or 10 is a bit smaller because he looks comparable to 10 maybe a bit smaller but not by much. Khash and Daivari are a pretty solid tag team I must say. Taz asks Excalibur if he has issues with Shawn Dean and we get a moment of awkward silence. Odd. Khash and Daivari with control of this one for a bit before Ten makes the tag to five and we get a bit of a hot tag from the smaller dark order member. Five has shown a ton of growth over the last year, his hot tag wasn’t out of this world but he’s fun to watch. Daivari with a frogsplash and I wasn’t completely sold but I did wonder if we might get an upset there. Ten locks in the full nelson and gets the victory over Khash in 7:42.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was a solid back and forth tag match with both teams doing well in their showing. I hope Daivari and Khash can become a consistent team because they worked really well together.
Post match: Tony Schiavone goes to interview the Dark Order but he’s interrupted by QT Marshall who says that 10 and 5 are just another example of people making money off the training of the Factory. QT sends Tony away and says he’ll conduct the interview. He tries to get 10 and 5 to join The Factory as the crowd chants no. They flip off QT and get attacked by Comoroto and Solo. Where is the rest of the Dark Order? I love when they set up future matches for Dark on Dark and have a bit of continuity so this was good stuff.

Bear Country vs. Dante Martin and Matt Sydal

We’re getting into the meat of this card as we close in on the main event. This is a good little semi main and should be a competitive back and forth between both teams. Bear Country have shown signs of success but this looks to be a win for Dante and Sydal if I was a betting man. Dante sure is exciting to watch and it’s cool to see this styles clash and how he’s standing up to the challenge. I like Dante and Sydal as a team but from a storyline perspective it feels a bit odd. I can’t wait for Darius to return so he can return to traditional singles action. If you told me a year ago i’d be a big fan of two guys who come out in weirdo bear masks I’d tell you you’re a fool but here we are and I do enjoy these guys a ton. This is a fun match because it’s nice to see Dante play the role of a babyface in peril against two big dudes. Dante crawls for the tag but Bear Bronson decides to go for a pin, odd choice considering Dante’s not clearly put away and of course he kicks out at two. We get a do a flip chant and Bear Boulder gives them what they want with a middle rope moonsault. Dante moves but that was a sick moment that elicits a holy shit chant from the crowd. Finally Sydal tags in and lays into Boulder with a series of kicks, he points to the knee then fakes Boulder out with a question mark kick to the head. Sydal says if the fans want a flip he’s going to suplex Bronson. He lifts him up and we get a roll up. This was a moment where talking loudly in a match makes sense and doesn’t feel so awkward. Sydal with a flip and cover but Boulder sends Dante into the pile to break up the pinfall. Boulder hits both men with a double powerslam that came together pretty smooth and sweet. Dante with the dive to the outside and we get a replay, not everyday we get quick replays on Dark. Dante with the nosedive and Sydal takes out Boulder to prevent the breakup. Dante with the cover for the victory in 9:42.
Rating: ***
Review: This was the match of the night so far and both teams looked really great. Sydal and Dante are an exciting team and Bear Country are really solid and have become a great part of Dark. I’m glad they gave this time as it was a fun back and forth tho the winners were never really in question.

Joey Janela vs. Lee Moriarty

In the words of the lovely Mark Henry, it’s time for the main event. This should be a good back and forth, I’m not sure who will win but i’d put my money on another Lee Moriarty main event victory if you had to ask me. Lee could use a better theme, AEW’s themes are hit or miss and this isn’t doing it for me. We saw these two mix it up in Chicago a few months back in a solid Dark match that occurred just before Lee was signed. I might say this every time I see Joey but he looks great compared to where he was a year ago physically. Back and forth early with neither competitor taking control. These two work really well together, Kayla gets in the face of Lee to protect Joey but Janela shoves her out of the way to continue his attack on Lee. Taz says he misses the out of shape Janela who looks like crap and I don’t agree. Taz mentions that this Janela is still much more effective than the prior. This has been a really well contested match but I don’t want to give Joey too much credit Lee is a hell of an opponent. Either way they’re having a fun match. Joey with the Janela special death valley driver on the apron, that move gets me every time. Joey distracts the referee giving Kayla Rossi the perfect opening to get involved and huricanrana Lee off the top rope. Joey follows with the liger bomb and almost picked up the victory here. Taz asks who the underdog here is and it’s fair to say this is a pretty evenly contested match between both. This match started out great and has been fine but lost a bit of steam down the stretch. Joey looks for the brainbuster but gets locked into Lee’s flying octopus hold. Lee can’t lock it in so he’s forced to break and Lee picks up the win in 11:41 with a creative roll up.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was fine for what it was but these two are capable of better. I think the hardest part here is both guys were booked to look strong which typically is good but the crowd didn’t really know who to get behind. I anticipated a Janela loss but i’m glad to see he looked so strong in defeat. I hope Janela sticks around he’s a wonderful talent who can typically work as an enhancement guy but still rack up wins like we’ve seen recently. 
Post Match: Lee cuts a promo and says last time he talked to Schiavone he said he was the future of AEW, but the problem is he can’t wait for the future. He has bills to pay right now and tomorrow is never guaranteed so he’s focused on being at the top RIGHT NOW. He says he has to become consistent with his wins. He says from here on out it’s a new focus for Lee Moriarty. This promo was pretty average but if it leads to Lee racking up more wins and getting pushed as he should then i’m all for it.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This was a fine episode of Dark but a tad long. I could've done without one or two of the earlier squashes and while the final two matches were fine there wasn't really anything that great on this card. I don't want to discredit the performances but this was a pretty average episode of Dark all things considered. Last time we went 90+ minutes it was a supershow and featured a number of big stars, we didn't have that and we also didn't have any blow away matches so for that I have to rank this episode of Dark lower than usual. I was impressed with Toa Liona and Reka Tehaka and hope to see them more. It is really cool to see the progression for a guy like Lee Moriarty who is just really starting to get into his AEW run.