wrestling / TV Reports
Acero’s AEW Dark Review 5.19.20
Hey everyone! Please head over to Larry’s GoFundMe for his daughters. We all appreciate it.
When I look back on the time I’ve spent at 411mania.com, there has always been one constant; Larry. I struggled to write this without talking about myself and how long I’ve been here until I realized this was simply a byproduct of what Larry was good at. He wanted us to shine, individually, as a writer of the site. Larry wasn’t a mountain that left a shadow; he was an inspiring view just close enough to motivate, and far enough to let you live. It’s been ten years since I first covered a RAW for Larry so he could spend some time with his family, and within those ten years, the site – and Larry – altered the landscape of my life. Ten years ago, I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer; Larry pushed me. Ten years ago, I didn’t know I’d publish two books; Larry pushed me. Ten years ago, I didn’t know I’d be a staple on a site I would read as a high school kid; Larry pushed me. He never shot any idea I had down, and didn’t even bat an eye when I considered helping out a friend with another wrestling site. He saw my worth, but never kissed my ass.
The internet is a strange place; it’s a world with a sheen on it. This thinly veiled world where anonymity gives strength and privacy is as powerful as one allows it. Larry let us into his life more than I think people give him credit for. We knew of his daughters, of his wife, of his mother, of his health scares, his leg loss. We knew far more than we should have, and yet there will always be aspects we will never know. Could never know. Those morsels are for his family, and I pray you remember them and cherish them. To his wife and kids: he spoke of you all the time. We knew of the love for The Colony and Hana, we knew the adoration for the wife. I hope they do, too.
If there’s one thing you could do right now; some dream that doesn’t seem realistic. A painting. A novel you’ve been working on. A mixtape. A song. A fucking new quilt. Do it. Stop the worrying; the fear of uncertainty, the possibility of failure. Just fucking do it. Don’t let anything stop you. Larry didn’t. He wanted to watch wrestling, and holy shit did he watch wrestling. Nothing stopped him. He turned that encyclopedic knowledge into something else. He ushered in a new era for a site that was just two colors. He touched lives daily. He made you feel. You can do the same for someone else. We all have a thirty-minute time limit in this ring called life, and sometimes the X gets thrown up early. Sometimes, it’s not all fun and games. Sometimes, the curtain call comes sooner than any of us would like. So go out and have the best fucking match you can with the people that you love.
As for this site; the readers; what we do here; I feel there will be some uncertainty. For me, I am here. For Larry, I am here. I am 411. I will cover RAW tonight and I’ll do it the best I can. I’ll maybe take a little sip of the bubbly in honor of Larry. I’ll fume under my breath that people are reading Csonka’s RAW review, and not my recap. I’ll get angry that he has more comments than me, and all he is doing is complaining while I’m actually working – even though no one worked harder than him. I’ll text him that my feed sucks, and he needs to find a replacement for RAW for the fiftieth time. I’ll leave him a long, drawn out message about what he and I need to do a podcast on, who needs to hear it, why I need The Rs back, what this site means, and a whole laundry list of items only for him to reply to me with:
RIP Boss Man.
– Tony
Hey everyone! It’s me, Tony Acero. With what’s been going on, I feel I have the need to express this multiple times for a while. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. I am in, no way, attempting to fill the shoes of Larry, but I will be doing everything I can to honor him. Please work WITH me , not against me, during this time. For him. For 411. Thank you.
Match 1: Dani Jordyn vs Hikaru Shida
I’m a little late so I get to the show about 5 mins in. Jordyn pins Shida after a DDT then rolls her up for a 2 count. She then works the left arm, trying to destroy the shoulder. Btoh girls up, and Dani holds onto the wrist and lays in on her with some punches. Shida fires back. A kick is missed and Shida sends Dani into the corner. Running knee to Dani! Shida with a missile dropkick! She covers for 1..2..NO!!! Shida is all smiles. She feels like she’s go this. She hooks, for a suplex, then covers for 1..2..NO!! Shida with a rising knee strike. Falcon Arrow and a pin for 1..2…3!!!!
Winner: Hikaru Shida
Nicely packed action-filled match
Total Rating: *
Match 2: QT Mareshall vs Clutch Adams
Lockup to start. QT has his ribs taped. Ref breaks the corner lockup and Adams kicks the ribs. Clutch gloats to no one, then eats a right hand. QT works the arm, drives his shoulder into the shoulder. Again. He spins it, high knee. Shoulder from Adams, another in the corner. Kicks to the mid in th corner. High leaping stomp to the mid before the ref hits 5. QT reveseres. Whip to the ropes. Misses a clothesline. Crossbody, but QT catches him and hits a sick vertical. QT is sent to the outside. Adams rushes, eats a corner, High knee from Adams who comes in for a cover. Pin for 1. QT kicks out. Clutch pulls QT to the center, stomps the middle, then gets kicked away. Clutch suplexes QT onto the ropes and gloats a bit. Cover for 1….NO! Another 1 count! Whip by Clutch into the corner, hard. QT drops, seated, stands to give Clutch an elbow, then sends Clutch up and over onto the outside ramp! QT heads to the outside, hits a clothesline, sending Clutch back into the ring. Right hands followed by a chin check and a whip. He waits, Adams kicks, QT with a backbreaker into a Flatliner! QT grabs the head of Adams, but Clutch sends him back into the corner. Back suplex, NO into a front smash.
Clutch with a fireman’s. QT Cutter for 1…..2….3!!!!
Winner: QT Marshall
Solid, if not relatively average affair.
Total Rating: **
Match 3: Jason Cade vs Marko Stunt
Lockup! Cade with a heel slap. Stunt flies with a bunch of rights and lefts. Knees to Cade. He keeps beating him down, but Cade slides outside. Stunt tries to head out, Cade heads back in, Stunt uses the apron, flies, runs with a Shining Wizard. Cover. 1..2…NO!!! Cade in the corner, he dodges, and Stunt moves. High kick to Cade. Springboard elbow drop to the back of the head. Cover for 1…2..NO!!! Cade on the apron. Stunt is held back by the ref. Cade pulls the arm into the rope. Cade gets Stunt into the corner, hits a bunch of rights. Boot to the chin. Stun kicks out of the corner. Chop, but Cade with a sick ass right elbow to the face. He lifts up Stunt then hits a knee to the midsection. Stunt with a chop. Kick to the side. Whip to Stunt, who eats the buckle chest first. Stunt with a right. Again. Another. Chop. Cade kicks. Cade with another hard right to the face. Stunt with right hands. Whip is reversed and Cade sends Stunt to the corner. Running elbow from Cade. Cade misses a splash. Stunt misses one too. Cade lifts stunt to the top. Elbow from Stunt. Cade kicks the legs, then feeds him an elbow, hops up, and hits a DDT from the top rope! Cover for 1..2…NO!!!
Cade grabs Stunt, gets a fireman’s, pops up, but Stunt with a rana, smashing Cade’s head into the mat. Whip to the outside. Suicide Dive to Cade!!! Stunt sends Cade back in. Cade is up in the corner. Stunt stands, runs into a boot, and Cade hops to the top rope. Stunt stops him with a punch to the back and a
Razor’s Edge to Cade!!! Stunt to the top! Huge 450 Splash and a pin for 1..2….3!!!
Winner: Marko Stunt
Nice to see some color in the match!
Total Rating: **
The medical staff checks on Stunt as he stares at to the ceiling.
Match 4: Musa and Lee Johnson vs Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford) and Jimmy Havoc
Lee and Kip to start in the battle of three letter names! Lockup and Lee is the unlucky guy to get the wrist lock on him. He flips out and gets a go behind. Kip sits out of the hold, spins and works the front wrist lock again. Roll out of Kip, bounces off his head, works the arm again, snapmare into a cover and a 1..2..NO!!!! Head lock takedown into a head scissor by Johnson. Kip turns into it, tries to hand stand out of it, runs into a headlock. Kip stands, turns a bit, works the wrist again of the left arm. Kip tags in Jimmy. Jimmy with a few uppercuts and forearms, a certain juxtaposition from Kip. Stomps in the corner, ignoring the ref. Lee stands, eats a forearm to the face. Fisherman’s Suplex to Lee. Tag to Musa. Jimmy offers a hand shake. Musa ain’t havin it. Lock-NO! Jimmy with a right hand. He sneds Mus a into the corner and stomps the man down then tags in Kip. Kip grabs the head and gets a side headlock. Rope work and Kip ducks, hops, nearly trips, slides under, shoves, and hits a leg lariat! Kip gets whipped to the corner. Musa rolls off the back, hits the ropes, step up head scissors. Dropkick. Musa with a running uppercut. Lee in after the tag, hits an uppercut as well. Tag to Musa. Musa is distracted, Kip pokes the eye. Tag to Jimmy. Jimmy with a snapmare, cinches the head. Tag to Kip who double teams Musa with an Manhattan Drop, and a kick from Jimmy. Kip with a head lock. Tag to Jimmy. Axe to the back, elbow to the face, another right to Musa. Tag to Kip. Kip kicks the back of the head nd enters the ring. Musa with a kick, then a right, kick is stopped. Kip with a hard swinging foot to the face. Musa eats mostly knee. Kip tags in Jimmy. Jimmy with a snapmare and we get another double team, this time with Jimmy holding Musa’s head like a football and Kip with a huge punt. Knox says it’s wide left. Lol. Jimmy locks the head, hits the suplex. Jimmy with a boot to the face. Jimmy bites the ear of Musa.
Jimmy sends musa into the corner, tags in Kip, and we get another whip. Musa with a boot to the face. He sends Kip over the top rope. Back elbow. Musa dives, under Jimmy. He whips Jimmy into the corner, and Jimmy meets the buckle with his face. Tag to Lee. He baseball slides kip, then hits a running uppercut to Jimmy. Whip to Jimmy. Running clothesline. Hook, suplex, and Lee with a kip up. Haha. “kip.”
Running kick to Jimmy. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Jimmy ain’t havin it. He finishes Lee off with a huge clothesline then an elevated DDT and a pin for 1..2…3!!!
Winners: Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc
Kip and Jimmy have that awkward chemistry that shouldn’t work and looked like they were having a lot of fun.
Total Rating: **1/2
Match 5:Shawn Dean vs Rey Fenix
Lockup to start. Fenix steps forward, then into the hold, working the wrist. Fenix with the go behind. He tries for the other arm, but Dean ain’t havin it. He turns to front, then a side headlock to Fenix. Fenix works the mid section, twists the left hand, but Dean flips out of it, works his own, Fenix drops down then back up, Dean with a dropkick, and we get a pause. Dean hits the ropes. Fenix also hits the ropes, and we get a hook kick! Fenix mounts. Dean tries to roll out of it, but Fenix locks in a cross arm breaker. Dean with the rope break. Fenix attacks the back. Fenix with a chop to the chest. Fenix locks the head. Brainbuster attempt, but Dean breaks it and hits a running high knee into the corner. Swinging kick is blocked. Fenix to the 2nd rope. Kick from Dean to the chest, and Fenix lands on the outside. Dean hits the ropes. He flies over the top rope with a lift onto Rey!!!
Dean with a chop to Fenix on the outside barricade. He sends Fenix into the ropes, but Fenix slides right back out. He hops on the apron, ducks a right, hits a right, flips into the ring, dropkick to Dean. Fenix locks the arm behind his leg and gets a chokehold, then pulls the leg back in addition to the neck hook. Fenix with a Fireman’s but Dean drops, Fenix holds he hand, Ripcord kick! Dean on the ropes. Fenix gets sent to the ropes, swings through them, says NO then chops Dean!!! He springboards, Dean catches him with a Tiger Driver! Pin for 1….NO!!!!! Dean is shocked. SHOCKED I SAY! Dean with a right. Dean removes his elbow pad and hits another, but Felix kicks him right in the chin. Fenix bounces off the 2nd rope, spins, kicks the face!
Fenix with. Muscle Buster set up, but adds a spin and a pin for 1..2….3!!!
Winner: Rey Fenix
Good lord Fenix is good. Dean played his counterpart really well tonight, too, though.
Total Rating: ***
Match 6: Jon Cruz vs Luther
Right hands to start from Luther. A chop is next. Another chop on the ropes. Another chop! Luther screams at his fist, then misses a right. Misses another. Cruz tries for some offense, but Luther hits a knee to the face then a big boot. Kicks to the back. Luther attacks the back with rights then some shoulders. Luther won’t let go of the hair. He whips to the ropes, hits a riht to the face, and Jon flips in the air. Luther tells us to pray for us. He is the original death dealer. He grabs Cruz by the face and pulls his smile back into the camera. Luther sends Cruz to the outside. He sends Jon onto the barricade, rather softly. Luther drags Jon back into the ring. Luther with a boot in the corner to Jon’s neck. Jon kicks out of the corner. He flies with a right hand. Jon’s dumb ass tries to body slam Luther, and it doesn’t work. Luther grabs the head and lifts him like a baby, then swings his legs upward and slams Jon down face first.
Luther sits on the back of Cruz. He pulls for a Camel Clutch, but pulls at the lips instead and Cru taps out immediately.
Winner: Luther
Well that certainly was NOT for me, lol.
Total Rating: ½*
Match 7: Ryan Rembrandt and Mike Reed vs Private Party
Quen and Ryan to strt. Quen grabs the head, locks it up, and Ryan works the wrist. Quen head scissors and hits a hiiiiiigh dropkick. Tag to Kassidy who comes off the ropes with a head scissors, sending Reed into the rope face first. We get some double team work on Reed. Kassidy dusts his kicks off then grabs the back of the head of Ryan. Chop to Ryan. Whip to the ropes. Reed grabs t he boot, Kassidy flies ofer the rope, kicks Reed in the fe, and Ryan takes advantange and hangs him up. Quen cheap shots then distracts the ref as Ryan tries to suplex Kassidy into the ring. Kassidy lands on his feet. Ryan with the go behind. Kassidy back elbow misses and Ryan gets a Northern Light for 1..2..NO!!! Hammerlock then he works the arm and tags in Reed. Reed with a side Russian Leg Sweep. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Reed with a right hand. Tag to Ryan. Inverted Atomic Drop into a knee strike from Ryan and a pin for 1..2..NO!!!! Tag to Reed who comes in and they double team Kassidy, who hops over twice and tags in his partner, Quen. He hops, tosses Ryan into Reed, uses him to step up and Enziguri Reed, then hits one to Ryan. Quen flies and spins onto both men on the outside! Elbow drom Quen on the inside. Tag to Kassidy. Whip to Ryan, and Kassidy runs in, runs up the back of Kassidy, hit a stunner, boot from Quen, an assisted drop from Quen and a pin for 1..2..NO!!! Reed breaks it up. Kick from Quen who gets sent to the apron. Kassidy rolls off his back, back in the ring, spins and hits Silly String to Reed, but Reed isn’t legal!
High kick to Ryan. Face buster to Ryan. Kassidy to the top rope. Senton and a pin for 1…2…3!!!
Winner: Private Party
Little mix up there at the end, coupled with a subpar team of Rembrandt and Reed makes for a below average affair.
Total Rating: *1/2
Match 8: Sammy Guevera vs Alan Angels
They meet in the middle of the ring to talk some shit. Sammy takes offense to being called a punk. He shoves the face, then they lockup. Sammy gets Alan against the ropes. Headlock from Sammy, hammerlock switch and a takedown then Sammy spins on Alan and poses. Go behind again, and Alan works the left arm. Sammy tries to scrape the face, back flips out of the hold. Alan rolls through, ankle pick, Sammy leap frogs, backflips, dropkick! Nice. Sammy spins on his booty and poses. Alan with a chop. Sammy kicks him in return. Chop from Sammy. Headlock and a suplex attempt. He hits it. Cover for 1…NO! Sammy with an elbow drop attempt, misses, Alan goes for a springboard, turns, and gets hit with a high knee from Sammy! Sammy toys with Alan a bit, then steps on the back of him while choking him up on the ropes. Sammy runs and kicks the ropes, choking Alan up in the process. Sammy asks Tazz for some verbal fellatio, and Tazz obliges. Sammy with forearms to Alan. Sammy with some squats. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! HUGE CLOTHESLINE! Sammy stomps the hand hard.Sammy heads to the top rope. Sammy stands, waits, points, hops down on his feet, then goes to slap Alan, but Alan holds on. Alan with a right hand of his own. Sammy chops. Alan comes back with one. Alan with a kick, rights to the face, misses a kick, but Sammy with a spinning back hand. Alan with his last ounce of energy kicks Sammy in the head. Both men up. Sammy up first. He runs, misses a clothesline, Alan checks his chest, another, ducks a right, right, left, kick, another kick, enziguri, Alan up, hits the ropes, misses a clothesline, gets shoved into the corner. Alan hops over the top rope, high swigning kick to Sammy, dive through the ropes and kicks hard! Ala gets Sammy with a fireman’s.
Guevera with a knee! He has the torture rack, into a GTH! Holy shit. What a nice sequence there from both men at the end! Pin for 1..2…3!!!
Winner: Sammy Guevara
Those last thirty seconds. Damn. Nice.
Total Rating: ***
Match 9: Serpentico vs Darby Allin
Lockup and a side headlock takeover from Darby. Serpy tries to esacpe, but Darby takes him down again. Serpy gets himself to the ropes and Darby has to break the hold. Serpy arm drags Darby down and Darby breaks the hold, hits a shoulder block, hits the ropes, arm drag off the springboard.Darby gets a poke in the eye. Running knee to Darby! Darby falls to the outside. Serpy whips Darby right into the steps! Serpy tosses Darby into the ring and drops some stomps to Darby. Cover for 1..2..NO!!!! Right hands to the face. He beats down Darby a bit then sends him face first into the corner. Serpy drags the face across the ropes then dives in with a cutter and a pin for 1. Serpy runs the ring, but Darby puts the ref in between the two, and Serp stops him. Darby runs into a hit, Darby to the top rope. Superplex to Serpentico and a cover for 1..2..NO!!! Whip from Darby is reversed. Springboard coffin drop but Serpy catches him and drops him, Darby sends him over the top rope to the outside! Darby with the coffin drop to the outside!
Back in the ring and Darby hooks the leg, rolls him up, goes for a Leg Lock, gets it, pulls back, and we get a pin for 1..2…3!!!
Winner: Darby Allin
Inoffensive and uneventful.
Total Rating: **
End Show