Lovell’s AEW Dark Review 12.1.20

Hey everyone! We’ve got 17 matches on the card, so AEW Dark is basically becoming a free pay-per-view each week. Free wrestling is a bonus!

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.

KTB (0-1) vs. Shawn Spears (16-2) with Tully Blanchard

I recall being impressed by KTB’s first match on AEW Dark, but that was like 95 matches ago. So, basically, three episodes of Dark! I kid, I kid. As expected, this match was all about the feud between Spears and Scorpio Sky, with Sky coming out with the slug and sitting on the ramp. KTB did what he could, but Spears used the Scorpion Death Lock for the win at 3:38.

Blake’s Rating: **

– After the match, Scorpio plays the MIND GAMES by hitting the TKO on KTB. Spears was dumbfounded, so the plan worked.

Ricky Starks (13-2) vs. Damian Fenrir (0-1)

The thing about Starks is that he’s awesome. Taz notes that Starks told him he didn’t like Fenrir’s hair, so you have to assume Fenrir is gonna get an ass-kicking. Narrator: He did. Starks was aggressive as usual with a lot of hard-hitting offense, and he hit the Roshambo for the victory at 3:58.

Blake’s Rating: **

Danny Limelight (0-2) vs. Brandon Cutler (4-3-2)

Limelight is another talent that has impressed during his appearances on Dark. However, he’s running into a freight train here against the man with the best new undefeated streak in all of wrestling. Limelight gave him a nice slap in the face, which I’m sure pleased Pretty Peter Avalon. Limelight has good charisma and wrestling skills, and he pretty much controlled a large portion of the match. He even had a nice reversal, countering a dive from Cutler to the outside into a submission lock. But it was Cutler that hit the TPK shortly after to get the win at 7:15. Very impressive performances from both men here.

Blake’s Rating: ***

Jon Cruz (0-4) vs. Peter Avalon (1-4-2)

Avalon does not want to be hit in the face. Why can’t his opponents just understand that? He played that up throughout the match, with Cruz actually getting in quite a bit of offense. However, Avalon hit the Marti-knees for the win at 4:50. Cutler and Avalon on a collision course for the next biggest main event in AEW Dynamite history!

Blake’s Rating: **

Shanna (0-3) vs. Tesha Price (0-3)

Shanna returns! Both women were aggressive in this one, with Price hitting some stiff kicks, and as Taz noted, showing off her mean streak. Little commentary nuggets like that add a lot to these types of matches. Shanna had her own mean streak late in the match, as she hit a stunner and maintained control to hit a running dropkick to the face and used the Tiger suplex into the bridge for the victory at 4:35. Shanna

Blake’s Rating: **

– Alex Marvez wants a word with Scorpio Sky, but he’s having none of that.

KiLynn King (2-13) vs. Katalina Perez (0-1)

Excalibur continues to play up King as the “Queen of Crazy,” and again, it’s stuff like that that helps push the characters forward. A lot of these wrestlers aren’t getting much promo time on Dark or Dynamite, so that’s where the great commentary comes into play. These two were not playing around, as they delivered some hard shots at one another. King hit the Kingdom Falls for the win at 3:15. This was a short match, but they made the most of their opportunity. That’s what you’ve gotta do on Dark!

Blake’s Rating: **

Adam Priest and Sean Maluta (AEW tag team debut) vs. Best Friends with Orange Cassidy (18-7)

This is a recurring theme, but Priest and Maluta have also been fun to watch. Priest BRINGS IT and so does Maluta. They were very good as a team in this match, so perhaps they’ll get to work together more in the future. But they ran into a team with even better chemistry, and that makes sense given that Trent and Chuck Taylor are Best Friends. Priest and Maluta sold like champs, but it was Chuck hitting the jumping piledriver on Priest for the win at 5:12.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

Leva Bates vs. Alex Gracia (0-2)

Gracia’s theme song has to be in the top five in the group of AEW unsigned talents. And as some have pointed out, she also has great ring gear, so let’s put that in the top five as well. Ricky Starks is on commentary, and in case you didn’t know, he’s terrific. Gracia has a lot of potential and had some nice moves in this match, but it was Bates that continued her own winning streak by getting the pin at 3:01.

Blake’s Rating: **

Angel Fashion, VSK, and Shawn Donavan (AEW trios debut) vs. Gunn Club (2-0)

The Gunn Club mocked Taz during their entrance, and Taz and Starks were simply fantastic with their responses. While not everyone loves the Gunn Club, I’m actually enjoying their matches more and more these days. Austin is really growing as a wrestler, and you can many of the similarities to Billy in terms of his style. Austin hit the Quick Draw for the victory at 4:58, giving the Gunns another win.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

Matt Sydal (6-3) vs. Aaron Solow (0-4)

I like how AEW is using Sydal thus far. Some may have thought he’d have a bigger role when he first started working with the company, but he’s doing a good job working with younger talent on Dark. Solow played well off of him, and even kicked out of the Northern Lights Bomb at two and a half. This was probably one of Solow’s best performances on Dark to this point. Several near falls late in the match, and Sydal absolutely planted Solow with a hell of a move for the victory at around six minutes.

Blake’s Rating: ***

Stu Grayson and Evil Uno (13-2) vs. Baron Black and Fuego Del Sol (AEW tag team debut)

Weekly reminder that Grayson and Uno are one of the most underrated tag teams in the world. Their teamwork is just on another level. As usual, Excalibur, Taz, and Starks love them some Fuego, but he was no match for the Dark Order. Grayson destroyed Black on the outside, and Uno destroyed Fuego on the inside for the victory at 5:59.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr. (2-6) vs. Cezar Bononi and Ryzin (AEW tag team debut)

Bononi and Ryzin is an interesting team, and it was funny to see Bononi being flabbergasted by Ryzin’s craziness. More matches for Pillman and Garrison certainly helps them build their identity as a team, and they got back on track with the tag team combination for the victory at 4:06.

Blake’s Rating: **

Lindsay Snow (0-1) vs. Ivelisse (2-2)

Taz said it right: These are two TOUGH women. They traded some strong strikes and kicks throughout the match. They weren’t holding anything back, so you’ve got to give them that. Ivelisse hit the front face kick for the win at 3:48.

Blake’s Rating: **

George South Jr. and Bobby Wayward (AEW tag team debut) vs. The Acclaimed (4-1)

I cannot deny my love for this Max Caster and Anthony Bowens tag team. They have embraced their characters and both have great personalities. South and Wayward got a little momentum, but this was all about building up the new signees as they hit the Acclaim to Fame for the victory at 4:08.

Blake’s Rating: **

Chaos Project (5-3) vs. Alex Chamberlain and Seth Gargis (AEW tag team debut)

Chamberlain and Gargis are officially a HOSS team. As for Chaos Project, they’re just nuts! In all seriousness, I do get a kick out of Luther using Serpentico as a weapon and throwing him around onto their opponents. It’s pretty hilarious. Hargis has impressed in his first few AEW Dark appearances, but it was Chaos Project that set him up for the Creeping Death to get the win at 5:54.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

Lady Frost (0-1) vs. Red Velvet (3-11)

Straight outta 31 degree temperatures vs. straight outta your momma’s kitchen. Something’s gotta give! I think both of these women have good characters, and that certainly accounts for something when casual fans tune in to watch a show like AEW Dark. They both stand out in different ways. It was Red Velvet with a running knee to Frost’s face to get the win at 3:20.

Blake’s Rating: **

Dark Order 5 and 10 (1-2) vs. Jurassic Express (13-5) with Marko Stunt vs. Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela (8-7)

This match had a wild start, with all three teams going at it before the bell even rang. Right before the match officially started, Janela took out the cameraman after flying over the top rope. Also, I mentioned my love for Grayson and Uno, but 5 and 10 are coming along nicely as another duo in the Dark Order. Having them in a multi-team tag match like this is good for their improvement as a unit. Lots of high-flying action in this match, and Jurassic Express seemed to have it won before Kiss kicked out at two. Another highlight was Jungle Boy hitting an insane destroyer. Eventually, it was Jungle Boy getting the pin on 5 after the assisted powerbomb for the win at 9:35. Really fun main event.

Blake’s Rating: ***1/2

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7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This was another solid edition of AEW Dark, with short but effective matches throughout the card. AEW has done a good job adding more women's matches each week, so that's a step in the right direction for the division as a whole. Also, most of the returning unsigned talent are finding ways to improve some of the little things in the ring, and it's enjoyable to watch their development. The main event was one of the better tag team matches on Dark in a while, as the three teams involved put on a hell of a sprint. Fun show with a little something for everyone.