Dark – December 17, 2019: The Packed In Version
IMG Credit: AEW
Dark
Date: December 17, 2019
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Vickie Guerrero, Excalibur
Hosts: Tony Schiavone, Dasha Gonzales
We’re still down in Texas and it’s time to get ready for a pretty big episode of Dynamite this week. That’s where a bunch of recaps could come in handy as there was a lot set up last week. The quality and importance of the matches on this show are almost impossible to guess, but that can make for a fun time of finding out. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video looks at the Young Bucks wanting to build the company on the back of a strong tag team division but admitting that they haven’t been as good as they should be. Now though, they’re the #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles. They love SCU and the three of them will be at the Bucks’ house for Christmas dinner. They’re coming for the belts though, no matter how awkward it makes Christmas.
The hosts run down the card.
Vickie Guerrero gets an introduction. To be fair, that’s kind of a cool surprise and not the kind you would have bet on (if that makes sense).
Private Party vs. SCU
Non-title. Kassidy and Kazarian start things off with Kazarian grabbing a headlock takeover. Back up and it’s another headlock takeover in case the first one didn’t stick. An exchange of near falls sets up a standoff and the fans are rather pleased. They even slap hands and it’s a double tag to bring in Quen to face Sky. A dropkick puts Quen down but he’s right back up with one of his own, only to have Kazarian come in for a leg lariat.
The springboard legdrop gets two and it’s back to Sky for some strutting….and it’s Kazarian coming back in for a German suplex. Quen sends Kazarian into Sky though and the hot tag brings in Kassidy. A moonsault takes down both champs and a flapjack/bulldog combination gets two on Sky. There’s a stomp to the back of Sky’s head and the Party stops for some dancing.
Kazarian hits a double clothesline out of the corner and then goes over to get the tag from Sky in a smart move. House is cleaned again and it’s an assisted Unprettier for two on Quen. SCULater is broken up so Quen hits the big flip dive to take out Kazarian and Sky at the same time. Kassidy hits one of his own and it’s Quen getting two on Sky back inside. The shooting star press misses Sky so Kassidy forearms Kazarian a few times. Silly String is broken up and SCULater finishes Quen at 12:23.
Rating: B-. Were you expecting this to be anything but good? Private Party continues to look solid but also continues to lose, which is quite the problem for them. At the same time, SCU wasn’t about to lose in a non-title match, especially not a day before a huge title defense. They did some nice stuff here and it was exactly the kind of match you would have expected.
Here’s your weekly women’s division recap including Big Swole defending Emi Sakura, Brandi Rhodes’ Nightmare Collective promo, and the women’s standings:
5. Emi Sakura
4. Nyla Rose
3. Hikaru Shida
2. Kris Stadtlander
1. Britt Baker
Joey Janela joins commentary.
Britt Baker vs. Machiko
This is Machiko’s debut and she has very colorful hair. Baker kicks her down to start and a crucifix gets one. Machiko’s arm is sent into the corner so we hit the crossface chickenwing. A superkick sets up Lockjaw finishes Machiko at 3:23.
Rating: D+. I’m not sure what there is to say here. Baker is someone who gets pushed and then comes up short in the bigger matches. She is going to be in a #1 contenders match with Kris Stadtlander and hopefully she can get the win that has eluded her so far. The potential is there, but unless she goes somewhere with it, that doesn’t matter.
Kris Stadtlander vs. Bea Priestley
Stadtlander starts fast and bends Bea back to…poke her? With that out of the way it’s a spinning legdrop to keep Bea down but she grabs a crucifix for two of her own. Bea heads to the floor and drops her onto the apron to take over for the first time. Back in and a running dropkick against the ropes gives Bea two.
The Cheeky Nandos kick misses though and Stadtlander gets two off a suplex. A discus lariat knocks Priestley outside and there’s the suicide dive. Cue the Nightmare Collective in the crowd to tell Stadtlander to “come home” , allowing Priestley to get in a kick to the head for her own two. An Oklahoma roll gives Stadtlander two but she gets dropped with a Saito suplex. Stadtlander is right back with an ax kick for another near fall and the Big Bang Theory finishes Priestley at 9:27.
Rating: C+. They were having a good match and the Nightmare Collective didn’t cause too much of a problem. That being said, their cameo only reminded me of how lame of an idea the whole thing seems when you have the Dark Order and maybe Butcher/Blade/Bunny at the same time. At least get something that isn’t so dark for a change? Stadtlander continues to look good and I could go for her beating Baker to get the title shot.
We run down the Dynamite card.
Stadtlander says Britt Baker is next and makes a bunch of space references. She’ll be Britt’s leader.
Hybrid Two/Pac vs. Best Friends/Orange Cassidy
Chuck headlocks Angelico down to start but it’s quickly broken for a standoff. The Friends start taking turns on Angelico’s arm as Janela makes some thinly veiled references to Jim Cornette. Taylor grabs a half crab on Angelico but Evans makes a quick save. That’s fine with Chuck, who hits Soul Food, only to allow the tag to Pac. A kick to the head sets up a hiptoss to give Evans two and it’s back to Angelico to continue the rapid fire tags.
Chuck rolls over for the hot tag to Trent to clean house, including a big running flip dive onto the Two. Pac breaks up the hug though and the fans are NOT pleased with that one. The fans want Orange but have to settle for Trent getting choked in the corner. Evans kicks Trent in the head for two more, followed by Pac’s Blue Thunder Bomb for two more.
Trent manages a half and half suplex but Angelico makes the save and knocks Chuck off the apron. He doesn’t bother with Orange (Joey: “Because he fears for his life.”), only to walk into a spinning DDT from Trent. The hot tag brings in Cassidy and the place goes NUTS as he takes off his glasses. The hands go into the pockets for a dropkick into a nip up, plus a dodge to make Pac pump kick Evans by mistake.
Cassidy hits the slow motion kicks on Pac before taking the hands out for a tornado DDT. The glasses go back on and Cassidy hits a suicide dive to take out all three of them at once. That means a three way hug back inside and Cassidy’s top rope splash gets two on Angelico. Chuck’s moonsault misses though and it’s an assisted moonsault to set up Pac’s 450 for two. Pac kicks Cassidy to the floor and snap German suplexes Chuck. The Brutalizer finishes Taylor at 13:22.
Rating: C+. This is a great example of a match where your tastes may vary and I can get that. The energy was high enough to make the match work and the place went coconuts for Cassidy, but at the same time I absolutely would not have had Pac in there with all the goofiness. That kind of stuff can have its place in wrestling (and it certainly will around here) but Pac is a potential main event talent. He did win, but it shouldn’t have been that much of a relief that he did.
Tony and Dasha wrap things up.
Overall Rating: B. I liked this one more than most of the recent episodes and a lot of that came from them shaving the time down a bit. This week’s show was about ten minutes shorter and it didn’t feel like they had to fill in as much time as they did in previous shows. This show doesn’t need to recap everything or show all of the big points from Dynamite. Just get in, have some nice matches, show some recaps, and get out. That’s more what we got here, and while I could go for a bit of a shorter show, it was still a better outing.
Results
SCU b. Private Party – SCULater to Quen
Britt Baker b. Machiko – Lockjaw
Kris Stadtlander b. Bea Priestley – Big Bang Theory
Hybrid Two/Pac b. Best Friends/Orange Cassidy – Brutalizer to Taylor
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
https://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/
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