Lovell’s AEW Dark Review 5.4.21

Hey everyone! It’s Tuesday. You know what that means.

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

Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricky Starks vs. Aaron Frye & Brick Aldridge

Brick Aldridge vs. a man built like an actual brick house in Hobbs. Let’s see who wins. Spoiler alert: It was Hobbs. He just destroyed these poor gentlemen and got the win at 32 seconds while Starks just lounged on the ramp.

Blake’s Rating: SQUASH

Leyla Hirsch (7-3) vs. Diamante (5-2)

AEW Dark regulars know how much I enjoy the work of these two, so I appreciate TK adding this showcase to the card. The check is in the mail! Wait, it’s the other way around. I expected Hirsch and Diamante to deliver some brutal strikes, and that’s what they did. Hirsch is a star in the making, and she locked in the submission to force Diamante to tap at 2:37. Obviously, this match was much shorter than expected, but it really highlighted Hirsch’s incredible in-ring ability.

Blake’s Rating: NR

Varsity Blonds vs. Liam Gray and Adrian Alanis (0-2)

Brian Pillman Jr. is paying tribute to his late father with the bengal orange trunks, and that’s pretty awesome. Gray and Alanis controlled this match early on, with Griff Garrison being the one waiting for the hot tag. Once he made his way in, the Blonds took care of business with Pillman hitting the flying clothesline and Garrison getting the pin for the victory at 3:40.

Blake’s Rating: **

SCU (11-0) vs. Jake St. Patrick & Spencer Slade (AEW tag debut)

Could St. Patrick and Slade be the ones that force SCU to break up? I don’t like their chances, folks. However, I do appreciate Slade rocking some green to build the chemistry with his partner. What I like about these SCU matches on Dark is they always make their opponents look good. But while St. Patrick and Slade got a little momentum, it was Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian hitting the Best Meltzer Ever for the win at 4:15.

Blake’s Rating: **

Big Swole (7-0) vs. Megan Bayne (AEW debut)

Swole’s theme song gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Bayne is playing the role of a Greek goddess, and as a history buff, I’m a fan. She played up her strength a bit, but it was Swole walking away victorious with the victory at 3:33.

Blake’s Rating: *1/2

Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela (11-1) vs. Justin Law & Kit Sackett (0-1)

We gonna get that Janela heel turn at some point? I know, I know. I ask the question every week, but I’m genuinely curious. Taz laughing at his own jokes is when you know they’re really good, and there’s a lot of that with this hilarious duo of him and Excalibur. This was all Janela and Kiss (and Taz) as they picked up the win at 2:37.

Blake’s Rating: **

KiLynn King (7-3) vs. Julia Hart (AEW debut)

Justin Roberts reminds us that this match has a 20-minute time limit, but I’m not gonna lie, I can’t see it going the distance. Hart is an angry cheerleader, and her calling out her own name mid-match cheerleader-style was a highlight. King is very crisp with everything she does in the ring, and she’s only getting better. She hit the Kingdom Falls for the victory at 3:45.

Blake’s Rating: **

Serpentico (0-2) vs. PAC (4-0)

How can you not love PAC? This man is a beast. The only thing about Serpentico and Luther wrestling in singles action is that Luther can’t legally use Serpentico as a weapon. Luther also couldn’t help Serpentico in the match, as PAC forced Serpentico to tap out at around three minutes. Afterward, PAC gave an evil stare into the camera in a way that only PAC can.

Blake’s Rating: **

The Bunny (13-5) vs. Leila Gray (0-4)

The Bunny’s character work has been tremendous in recent months. She is great, especially when he starts laughing uncontrollably. Gray played off of her well, as Bunny was dominant en route to notching the win at 3:28.

Blake’s Rating: **

– PAC with Alex Marvez. PAC says Death Triangle is coming after the top names in AEW.

The Acclaimed (5-1) vs. David Ali & Vary Morales (AEW tag debut)

Max Caster might be the most unsanitary wrestler on the planet, but the man does not lack charisma. Caster trying to get Ali and Morales to clap for Bowens being back in action was pretty hilarious. This was all Caster and Bowens, and they hit the Acclaim to Fame for the victory at 2:49.

Blake’s Rating: SQUASH

Hughes Bros (0-2) vs. Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page (4-0)

I’m a huge fan of Scorpio Sky as a heel. It gives him that extra edge, the pairing with Page worked well for both even in a loaded AEW tag team division. Great heel teamwork early in the match, and while the Hughes Bros certainly have a lot of potential, they were no match for the rising duo of Sky and Page. Sky locked in the submission to earn the win at 3:50.

Blake’s Rating: **

Cezar Bononi, Ryan Nemeth, and JD Drake (AEW trios debut) vs. Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, and Stu Grayson (1-0)

Pretty Peter Avalon is back! RATINGS GOLD. Apparently so is Drake wearing a top that I do not think came from his closet. As for Dark Order, I’ve said this before, but I really Uno and Grayson eventually get a shot at the AEW tag titles. They’re one of the most underrated tag teams out there. Good back and forth action in this one, and Drake showed off his versatility. But much to PPA’s displeasure, it was Uno and Grayson hitting Fatality for the victory at 7:07.

Blake’s Rating: **3/4

Dante Martin (4-1) vs. Danny Limelight (3-4)

HERE WE GO. This should be a hell of a match. Limelight has been, well, elevated to AEW Dark Elevation, so it’s good to see him back on AEW Dark. Dante is one of the most athletic dudes in the company, and that’s saying something. The height he gets when he jumps is rather insane. Limelight is equally impressive with everything he does, and he really understands the importance of making every move feel significant. This was very competitive, with numerous counters and momentum swings throughout the match. Limelight caught Dante with a brutal elbow late, but Dante battled back and hit the 450 Splash for the win at 9:26. Really good stuff here.

Blake’s Rating: ***1/4

Lance Archer vs. Luther

Luther holding Serpentico by the ear on the way out, which is always a treat. Jake Roberts back on commentary, and I’m fine with that for every single Archer match. Jake says the first thing that comes to his mind and that’s a thing of beauty. Archer countering Serpentico’s sneak attack during his entrance was entertaining. Fuego Del Sol made his way into the mix in the middle of the match, running off Serpentico. That led to Archer gaining the advantage, and he slammed Luther to notch the victory at 4:05.

Blake’s Rating: **1/2

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6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This edition of AEW Dark was a sprint, with 14 matches in around an hour and a half. As always, since you know what you're getting with the short matches, I tend to focus on the character work and in-ring development. Dante Martin vs. Danny Limelight was a lot of fun, and elsewhere, Leyla Hirsch, PAC, Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, and others delivered good performances. The same is true for Excalibur and Taz, who continue to be the most entertaining commentary duo in wrestling. They're just hilarious.