Lovell’s AEW Dark Review 10.27.20

Hey everyone! We’ve got 15 matches set for this edition for AEW Dark, including the only rematch that could rival Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant on The Main Event in 1988…BRANDON CUTLER vs. PETER AVALON!

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry Csonka’s daughters is still active. Please contribute and share if you can.

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

– Excalibur, Taz, and Anthony Ogogo on commentary.

Evil Uno & Stu Grayson (9-2) vs. Top Flight (AEW tag team debut)

AEW knows how to get the ratings since LONG JOHN SILVER and Anna Jay are both out for the first segment. Good aggressiveness from Uno and Grayson in this match. As Taz notes, Top Flight is a perfect name for the team of Daunte and Darius Martin because they’re super athletic and have some nice offense. I could see them in AEW at some point in the next several years because they do have both a versatile skill set and a lot of potential. Of course, they weren’t winning this match, but this was way more competitive than most probably expected it to be. Loved the back and forth, and Uno and Grayson certainly sold Top Flight’s offense like true pros. But it was Uno and Grayson that hit Fatality for the win at 7:36.

Blake’s Rating: ***

Ricky Starks (9-2) vs. VSK (AEW debut)

Taz thinks Starks is the future of AEW, and I can’t disagree! This dude is so good and his mannerisms are just awesome. What I love about him is one second he can be playing around and the next he flips the switch into ass-kicker mode. VSK got a little offense in, but this was all about showcasing Starks. Even Ogogo had no choice but to recognize the greatness of Starks, who hit the Roshambo for the victory at 3:32.

Blake’s Rating: **

– Eddie Kingston with Bunny and she talks about how QT Marshall was into her and bought her all kinds of stuff. So, she just got bored of him. There’s the explanation people wanted about why Allie left QT. She’s back with her real family now, and Kingston doesn’t like that the Nightmare Family is ahead of his family in the rankings.

Matt Sydal (2-1) vs. Lee Johnson (0-13)

Can we get Lee Johnson vs. Ben Carter again?! Can we? Wait, that’s right, Carter signed with WWE. I’m not happy about it. I thought Excalibur did a good job noting that Johnson likes to pattern himself after Kenny Omega. That’s the character development you need to get people invested in a guy that’s 0-13. Even a tiny mention of something like that connects some dots about who you’re watching in the ring. Ogogo was also very good here doing the same. Several nice near falls in this match, with Sydal also working some submission moves late in the match to push the idea that he’s reinventing himself. Good match with Johnson trying everything he could to get the win, but Sydal eventually made him pay for it by locking in the Cobra Clutch to force Johnson to tap at 9:18.

Blake’s Rating: ***

Hikaru Shida (18-1) vs. Leyla Hirsch (AEW debut)

Before the match, Hirsch gives the babyface AEW stars in the crowd the middle finger. I LOVE HER ALREADY. And Miro joins commentary for this match. I LOVE HIM TOO. By the way, I thought Ogogo was very good for his first appearance on commentary. He’ll be back. Several minutes into this match, it looked like Hirsch was knocked silly, but the ref checked on her and she kept going. Then Shida and Hirsch exchanged some hard shots before Hirsch hit a tope suicida. More back and forth with Hirsch pulling off a nice reversal into a cross armbreaker. This was a great sequence with Shida eventually reaching the ropes. Shida hit the Falcon Arrow for the win at 6:38, but they really made Hirsch look like a future player in the women’s division since she went toe to toe with the champ. Her style is unique, with some comparing it to that of Kurt Angle. Even if she’s not that, she’s someone AEW should consider signing.

Blake’s Rating: ***1/4

– QT is PISSED that Bunny took his credit card and dignity. I’ve been there, QT. I’ve been there. Dustin Rhodes is also pissed

Jersey Muscle & Danny Limelight (AEW trios debut) vs. Jurassic Express (6-3)

While Jersey Muscle is the name of a team, I think it would be an equally great name for one wrestler. Hulk Hogan vs. Jersey Muscle would’ve been great on the house show circuit in the Northeast in the mid-80s. As for this match, I always enjoy watching Jurassic Express as trios. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, and Marko Stunt all offer different styles, so it makes for a lot of variety in the match. However, the star of the show here was Danny Limelight, who got all the limelight with a nice sequence late in the match. Jersey Muscle even nearly got the pin on Marko. But Marko got his revenge with a destroyer for the win at 7:19. Another fun match here.

Blake’s Rating: ***

The Hybrid2 (2-3) vs. SCU

This Hybrid music is just the best. Of course, this match was set up on last week’s show after Frankie Kazarian squared off with Jack Evans. Hell of a technical sequence early from Kazarian and Angelico, continuing the momentum of what’s been an awesome show thus far. This was lots of technical wrestling and submission maneuvers, and I think it’s important to stress the variety you see on a show like AEW Dark. That’s why even with the 15 matches, you get a little something different in every single one of them. The finish to this one focused on Evans and Angelico getting a little too cocky, which allowed Kazarian to use the small package on Evans for the win at 9:17. After the match, Evans and Angelico went on the attack, so that’ll likely continue this feud.

Blake’s Rating: **3/4

Anna Jay (3-3) vs. Katalina Perez (AEW debut)

Miro out and Brandi Rhodes into the commentary booth. Excalibur brings up Anna attacking Brandi on the John Silver edition of a Shot of Brandi. WORLDSTAR. Anna showed off a few impressive kicks, and she pretty much controlled this match from start to finish before locking in the Queen Slayer for the win at 3:43. She’s so into this character now and it’s just great.

Blake’s Rating: **

Brandon Cutler (0-25-2) vs. Peter Avalon (0-26-2)

And it’s time for your main event. No countouts, no DQ, no nothing. Somebody has gotta win this thing. Business picked up early with Avalon FLYING off the stage and taking Cutler down on the outside. WE’VE GOT A TABLE. Who’s gonna go through it? We’ve also got a garbage over Avalon’s head and upperbody, and for some reason Cutler thought it was a good idea to do a flying elbow onto the can and hurt his elbow in the process. No wonder this guy is 0-25-2! It turns out Cutler went through one of the tables. Library books are everywhere as Excalibur reminds us some people like physical media. And we’ve got a thumbtacks tease! Actually, it’s dice. Hilarious. Avalon takes a book away from Leva Bates, so she calls him a son of a bitch and slaps him. Physical media for the win. Brass knucks and AVALON TAKES A BUMP ON THE DICE. He’s broken in half! Both guys go through the first table that was set up, and here come the Young Bucks to cheer on Cutler. That leads to Cutler countering a move off the top for the VICTORY at 11:10. He did it! 1-25-2!

Blake’s Rating: ********** (in all honesty, this was really good ***1/2)

Best Friends (17-7) vs. Anthony Bowens & Max Caster (AEW tag team debut)

Caster did his best John Cena before the match by cutting a few raps on Best Friends. This is what I mean by showing off the personality of these unsigned talents to get fans invested. Good work! Enjoyed the team of Bowens and Caster in this one, but it was Best Friends getting the win with Strong Zero at around five minutes. It was hard to follow the classic before them.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

– Scorpio Sky finds his dressing room destroyed, and someone has written “Thief” on the mirror. Interesting.

Brian Cage (9-1) vs. Fuego Del Sol (0-2)

Talk about a clash of styles, this is it. Starks comes out shirtless to join commentary. The man is a legend. Fuego nearly got a pin on a reversal early on, but Cage destroyed him with Weapon X for the win at 2:45. Cage is a machine.

Blake’s Rating: SQUASH

Dark Order’s 10 (2-3) vs. Sean Maluta (0-1)

Excalibur thinks 10 is the biggest powerhouse Dark Order has outside of Brodie Lee. Has Exlacibur seen LONG JOHN SILVER? He’s freaking jacked, baby. 5 got involved with some shenanigans, which fits Dark Order’s approach. Maluta did get some offense, so that was good. However, 10 hit the clothesline to the back of Maluta’s head for the victory at 3:48. Then it was 5 and 10 with a double team move on Maluta afterward to send a message.

Blake’s Rating: **

Ivelisse & Diamante (5-1) vs. KiLynn King (AEW tag team debut) & Savannah Evans

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a fan of King. She does good work. So do Ivelisse and Diamante, who are great as a team. King got a flurry of offense in on both of them, and again, I think she’s got a bright future. However, she took another pin here, as Diamante hit the Code Red for the win at 4:17.

Blake’s Rating: **

Aaron Solow (0-3) vs. Sonny Kiss (11-18)

At least Kiss has recovered from the tournament loss to Omega. Maybe this will also be a squash. It wasn’t, as Solow played up his character and got mad to the point of getting in Aubrey Edwards’ face. That changed the momentum with Kiss eventually hitting the leg drop off the top for the win at 4:30. But here comes Lance Archer and Jake Roberts. Archer destroys both Kiss and Solow, and Jake teases that he wants to DDT someone and that there are some changes coming that people won’t like. Archer says he wants the winner of Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston and is gonna kick a lot of ass on his way there.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

Nick Comoroto (0-1) vs. Will Hobbs (4-6)

This is a true HOSS FIGHT. Vince McMahon has to be wondering what went wrong with his talent acquisition team with these two dudes. Well, this one wasn’t quite a back-and-forth match, as Hobbs hit the spinebuster and frog splash for the victory at 2:12.

Blake’s Rating: NR

Darby Allin (11-5) vs. Alex Chamberlain (0-1)

Starks wants to throw down in fisticuffs with Darby. He wants it bad. Chamberlain stretched Darby a bit, but you knew where this was headed even with some solid back and forth in this match. Darby hit the Coffin Drop off the top for the win at 4:33, and Starks and Taz are not impressed. Starks hits the ring and Cage comes in from behind to attack Darby on the ramp. Hobbs makes the save, so that advances that storyline.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

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8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

We hit a new record length for AEW Dark at 2 hours and 23 minutes. That's not gonna be everyone's cup of tea and understandably so. However, from a wrestling standpoint, it was probably one of the best editions of the show I've seen in a while, and not just because there was a lot of it. There were many competitive matches featuring a host of impressive unsigned talents, and that's what I enjoy with a developmental show. Avalon vs. Cutler was terrific after the all the build to it. Shida vs. Hirsch was also great, and the latter would add another dynamic to the AEW women's division should they choose to sign her. Top Flight, Danny Limelight, and others also had good performances. Just a fun professional wrestling show.