Lovell’s AEW Dark Review 10.13.20

Hey everyone! We’ve got a host of matches set for this edition for AEW Dark, but before we dive in, let’s reveal a big announcement.

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Let’s jump into this week’s episode of AEW Dark.

– Excalibur and Taz are on commentary once again. No Veda Scott or Ricky Starks.

Evil Uno (11-5) vs. Frankie Kazarian (23-17) vs. The Blade (NR) vs. Jungle Boy (20-12): Hell of a way to start the show. We’ve got a BROUHAHA with all four men, as Jungle Boy gets the better of Uno while Kazarian bests Blade. Nice technical spots as we get counter pin attempts until Blade pulls Jungle Boy out of the ring. Uno slips in and cradles Kazarian for two. Kazarian with a roll-up for a pin attempt and he sends Uno out with a clothesline. Blade with a suplex into the corner on Kazarian, and Jungle Boy with an awesome combination of kicking Uno in the face on the top rope while hitting offense on Blade. Kazarian temporarily gets some momentum but Uno stops that and hits some chops to Jungle Boy. Uno with a vertical suplex on Jungle Boy for a two count. Some shenanigans from Uno, and then he and Blade finally start fighting each other. They exchange some stiff chops and forearms until Jungle Boy and Kazarian rejoin the mix.

Fun spot with Jungle Boy using the monkey flip on Kazarian, who hits a double clothesline on Uno and Blade. Back-to-back topes from Jungle Boy on Uno and Blade, but Kazarian is back in control as he hits a fishermen’s suplex on Blade for a near fall. Uno hammers Blade with a kick to the face, then Jungle Boy flips over for a two count on Uno. That leads to Uno hitting a vicious neckbreaker on Jungle Boy for 1….2….no! More action all over the place, and we work to Jungle Boy and Kazarian hitting each other with crossbody attempts. Blade and Kazarian try for a double superplex on Jungle Boy, but Uno comes in from behind and goes for the finish on Jungle Boy, but Jungle Boy counters into a pin for the win at 8:29. After the match, Dark Order hits the ring and kicks Jungle Boy’s ass. That leads to Butcher, Christopher Daniels, and Marko Stunt coming out. Luchasaurus hits the ring and destroys 5, 10 and Alex Reynolds.

Blake’s Take: Fun opener with lots of action, and they’re obviously building toward a huge tag team match with all parties involved. ***

The Lucha Brothers (9-8) vs. Lee Johnson and Cesar Bononi (AEW tag team debut): Penta gets in Bononi’s face, but that doesn’t work and he tags to Fenix. Bononi manhandles Fenix and tags in Johnson. Penta with a kick to the spine on Johnson from the apron, and that allows the Lucha Brothers to take control. Johnson eventually fights his way out and tags to Bononi, who runs wild on Penta and Fenix. Bononi catches Penta off the tops, then in a crazy spot, catches Fenix on his shoulders and gets a two count on Fenix. That’s HOSS strength. However, Penta goes to his patented ballbuster off the top to slow Bononi down, which is honestly a good strategy. We work to Johnson taking out Fenix and Bononi powerslams Penta in the corner and nearly gets the pin. Penta hits the slingblade on Johnson and tags to Fenix, who takes out Johnson and Bononi. Penta and Fenix hit the spike piledriver on Johnson and that’ll do it at 5:01.

Blake’s Take: Another win for the Lucha Brothers, but Johnson and Bononi obviously have potential. **1/2

Brandon Cutler (0-25-1) vs. Peter Avalon: Hogan vs. Andre, Rock vs. Austin, and Cutler vs. Avalon. These two have records only a mother could love. Cutler looks around for the Young Bucks in the audience, but they aren’t there. Avalon runs out and attacks Cutler from behind on the ramp, then proceeds to kick Cutler’s ass. Avalon grabs a mic and tells the referee to declare him the winner by forfeit. Cutler crawls in and the match officially starts. Avalon continues the onslaught and knocks Cutler to the outside before grabbing the mic and telling the ref to count him out. Cutler makes it in before the 10 count with a little help from Leva Bates and Avalon continues the destruction. Single leg crab from Avalon, and eventually Cutler shoves him off as Avalon accidentally bumps into the ref. Cutler hulks up and hits a leg drop on Avalon on the apron. Avalon throws Bates into Cutler and then jumps over to take out Cutler. But Cutler gets in the ring and hits a tope suicida and both men are down. Back inside and Cutler hits the springboard elbow for two. Avalon gets a near fall of his own after that, and we get to Cutler hitting a brutal reverse DDT but Avalon kicks out at two. Avalon hits a slam and gets a two but Cutler kicks out. Avalon grabs his book, and he goes to use it on Cutler, but it somehow hits the ref who does down. Cutler goes for the pin but no one is there to count. Avalon grabs the book and Cutler grabs the dice and we get a DOUBLE DQ at 7:27.

Blake’s Take: FIGHT FOREVER. *******

– Sonny Kiss hypes the upcoming match with Matt Sydal.

Matt Sydal (1-1) vs. Sonny Kiss (11-15): Kiss with a flurry of offense early until Sydal takes control with the leg lariat. Kiss tries to regain the advantage but Sydal stops that quickly, and we get a roll through as Sydal locks Kiss’ leg and arm. Sydal then gets a two count but doesn’t hook the legs. Sydal with more offense with an inverted hook on the fishermen’s suplex and that gets another near fall. Kiss fights back with the standing head scissors and a split-leg drop for two. Kiss with a spinning kick on Sydal in the corner. Kiss goes up top for the diving leg drop but misses, and Sydal locks in the cobra clutch which he turns into the STF that forces Kiss to tap at 5:39.

Blake’s Take: Nice showcase for both, with Sydal showing off a variety of offense. **

Aaron Solow, Angel Fashion, and M’Badu (AEW trios debut) vs. Dark Order “3”, “4”, and “10” (AEW trios debut): LONG JOHN SILVER HAS ARRIVED. And so has Anna Jay. Silver is sporting a bandage around his head after getting destroyed in the Dog Collar Match. Silver throws Solow down quickly and gets some offense in before M’Badu gets the tag. Silver vs. M’Badu is a main event anywhere in the world. Reynolds in and M’Badu makes quick work of him before Fashion gets the tag. Running knee strike from Fashion gets a one count on Reynolds. 10 into the mix and he hits a cutter on Fashion for a near fall. Reynolds hits a backbreaker and uses the cocky cover for two. Reynolds rakes the eyes and tags to Silver and he kicks Fashion and yells “I’M FREAKING JACKED, BABY!” How can you not love this man? M’Badu apparently doesn’t love him as he cleans house. But Silver and Reynolds hit a double team move on him, with Solow getting the tag. 10 hits a spear to Solow to give Dark Order the momentum back, and we get the triple team finisher for the win at 5:47.

Blake’s Take: It’s fun watching these three Dark Order members do their thing. They’ve gotten better and better. Also, don’t forget that John Silver is FREAKING JACKED! **

Red Velvet (0-8) vs. Elayna Black (AEW debut): Brandi Rhodes is on commentary, which makes sense after Velvet made the save against Anna Jay last week. Thrust kick from Velvet and she hits an elbow drop for two. Velvet starts favoring her knee, and Black goes right after it. Black with a kick to Velvet’s back for a two count. Black goes for a dropkick but Velvet holds onto the ropes and hits three straight clotheslines. Velvet drives Black into the mat, then hits the double knees to the back of the head. Velvet with a running knee strike to get her first AEW win at 3:21.

Blake’s Take: This furthered the interactions between Red Velvet and Brandi, and that’s a good ally to have in AEW. *1/2

Ricky Starks (8-2) vs. Fuego Del Sol (0-1): Starks wastes no time putting the boots to Fuego. Starks throws him around to different corners and then hits a stiff chop. Running back elbow to Fuego to give Starks even more momentum. Fuego hits a dropkick out of nowhere, but Starks follows it up by with a backdrop to Fuego on the stage. Starks goes over and joins commentary for a few before continuing the ass-kicking on Fuego. However, Fuego hits a superkick, but Starks doesn’t like that as he hits the Roshambo for the victory at 2:59.

Blake’s Take: I love Ricky Starks. He’s so good. NR

– Scorpio Sky and Christopher Daniels are about to cut a promo when Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard make their way in. They set up Daniels vs. Spears for next week.

Billy and Austin Gunn (8-0) vs. Ryzin and Maxx Stardom (AEW tag team debut): Starks stays on commentary for this one. Ryzin with some quick offense on Austin and we work to Stardom making his way in. But the Gunn Club take control with some tandem offense and Billy chases Stardom outside. Back in the ring, with Stardom hitting an ax kick on Billy. But Billy regains the advantage until Ryzin tags in and hits a huge clothesline on Austin. Good teamwork from Ryzin and Stardom, with Ryzin hitting a backbreaker on Austin as Stardom gets a two count. Double clotheslines and Billy and Ryzin both get the tag. Ryzin with a thrust kick to Billy’s face and Billy got walloped there. Austin comes in and hits the hip toss into the quick draw for the win at 4:32.

Blake’s Take: The Gunn Club is still undefeated. **

Darby Allin (10-5) vs. Nick Comoroto (AEW debut): Comoroto, who was formerly with NXT, is a monster and AEW is presenting him that way. He shoves Darby into the corner and Starks and Taz are impressed. Comoroto chases Darby outside, but the latter slides back in. That doesn’t matter as Comoroto hits him with an elbow to the face. Comoroto goes to work on Darby for a while, then Darby goes for the Coffin Drop but Comoroto catches him and hits a backbreaker for a near fall. Darby on the apron and he works on Comoroto’s arm, but Comoroto uses his opposite hand and brings Darby back in the ring. Darby climbs up and on the ropes and drops down to try to destroy Comoroto’s arm. Comoroto uses one hand to pick up Darby, but Darby spins over and starts working on Comoroto’s arm again. Comoroto goes for a spear in the corner, but Darby moves and hits the Coffin Drop on Comoroto’s back to get the win at 5:45. After the match, Darby runs to attack Starks at commentary.

Blake’s Take: Really liked what we saw from Comoroto here. He obviously wasn’t used much in NXT, but there’s no denying that the dude looks like a badass. Of course, this also furthered the hatred between Darby and Starks. **1/2

– KiLynn King hypes her match with Nyla Rose. This was a short but strong promo from King.

Colt Cabana (11-7) vs. Griff Garrison (1-10): Uno is here to cheer on Cabana. Cabana and Garrison exchange holds until Garrison lands a stiff kick to Cabana’s face. Garrison goes for a splash in the corner but Cabana moves out of the way. Cabana stays on offense for a while, then Garrison hits a rolling elbow strike. Big splash from Garrison in the corner, and he goes for more but Cabana gets the boots up and hammers Garrison in the face. Cabana off the top with the diving splash for a near fall. Cabana locks in the Billy Goat’s Curse and Garrison has no choice but to tap at 4:41.

Blake’s Take: Another win for the Dark Order, and Uno was happy, so that’s all that matters. **

Nyla Rose (10-2) vs. KiLynn King (0-9): These two had the interaction during the Dark Order/Nightmare Family brawl a few weeks ago, so that sets up the match. They go right at each other but Nyla throws King away. King hits a few kicks, but Nyla catches King and tosses her. Nyla works on King in the corner until King reverses the tables with some offense of her own. Headbutt from King but then she misses the enziguri as Nyla ducks it. Nyla with the German suplex and then hits the Beast Bomb for the victory at around three minutes.

Blake’s Take: Well, at least King got a promo. This was Nyla doing her thing. NR

– Vickie grabs the mic and says they won’t be put to the side. Vickie is making an executive decision that Nyla won’t get back in the ring until Hikaru Shida gives Nyla a shot at the AEW Women’s title.

Joey Janela (11-14) vs. D3 (0-1): Janela with a shoulder block, but D3 uses the head scissors to take control. D3 off the top but misses a moonsault, which leads to Janela spinning him around and dropping him on his face. Janela with more offense, but D3 hits a hanging neckbreaker and an elbow drop. Janela drops D3 on the apron and picks him up for an airplane spin before hitting a Death Valley Driver on the floor. Back inside, and Janela hits a big lariat. Janela picks D3 up and hits three brainbusters. Yes, three. D3 tries to get up but Janela just throws him down and gets the pin at 4:52.

Blake’s Take: Janela destroyed D3. He destroyed him. **

Wardlow (6-1) vs. Elijah Dean (AEW debut): This poor dude Elijah Dean is about to get Wardlowed. Dean tries to chop down Wardlow, but that strategy simply does not work as Wardlow hits the spinebuster. Wardlow then delivers a huge clothesline. Wardlow goes to leave the ring because he thinks he knocked him out, which is such a great heel move. Wardlow hoists Dean up on the turnbuckle and hits the knee strike to knock him out at 1:57.

Blake’s Take: Wardlow is a beast. NR

Eddie Kingston (3-2) vs. Baron Black (0-3): Kingston with the takeover and these two are exchanging a few holds. Kingston works on the arm and hits some knees to the midsection of Black. Chops from Kingston, then Black adds some chops. Black with a discus clothesline in the corner and he gets a two count. That pisses off Kingston, who goes to the front chancery to get the win at 2:44.

Blake’s Take: Kingston isn’t playing around. NR

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7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

When AEW announced 14 matches for this show, there was some negative feedback. And yes, this one was nearly two hours. However, what works for AEW Dark is that it's not a show you have to watch from start to finish. Each match presents a different storyline or purpose, and even matches that involve factions like Dark Order can be consumed without having watched the others. That makes it a pick-and-choose show, but it's understandable why it could be intimidating for fans who aren't as invested in AEW on a weekly basis. With a second TV show, perhaps it'll offer a different approach for AEW Dark. But again, it's about development, and I'm all for young talent getting more reps and more matches. This edition featured solid storyline advancement for a variety of characters, even if the majority of the most notable stuff was early on.