Dynamite
Date: December 23, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s the holiday season and for once this show isn’t going head to head with NXT thanks to an NBA game. I’m not sure what to expect from this week’s show but the Young Bucks are defending the Tag Team Titles. Other than that it’s time to build towards the next two weeks of New Year’s Smash. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Jericho/Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Top Flight

The fans sing Judas to make sure you know that Chris Jericho is the coolest thing in the world. Jericho and Darius trade shots to the face to start with Jericho getting the better of things without much effort. Darius gets in a shot of his own though and it’s Dante coming in for a double kick to the chest. It’s off to Friedman, who gets dropkicked to the floor, meaning it’s a double slugout to put the Inner Circle in trouble.

Friedman is knocked outside again but Jericho clotheslines Dante down to take over. Back in and Jericho knees Dante in the ribs and hits a belly to back suplex. There’s the double flapjack to Dante and a quick distraction lets MJF choke away. A catapult sends Dante throat first into the bottom rope and Jericho throws his feet on the ropes for two like a villain should. Jericho’s superplex attempt is broken up though and Dante hits a high crossbody for two.

The hot tag brings in Darius for a standing Spanish Fly on MJF and a suicide dive hits Jericho. Back in and a springboard missile dropkick gets two on MJF, followed by a DDT for the same. Jericho is back up with a spinebuster into the Lionsault for two but the Walls is countered into a rollup for the same. Darius grabs a sunset flip on Jericho and sends Dante flying over the top onto MJF with a dive (sweet) for a near fall at the same time. Jericho drops Dante onto the apron and it’s the Heatseeker to give MJF the pin at 11:40.

Rating: C+. Not too bad here as Top Flight is one of the smoothest teams that I’ve seen in a good while. They could use some polish (as could everyone) but for as young as they are, they’re a heck of a team. Jericho and MJF working well together is interesting and I’m curious to see where the whole Inner Circle deal goes.

Post match Jake Hager gets in the ring and says the team has been doing great in recent weeks, save for Wardlow that is. Wardlow has been gone dealing with his own stuff instead of worrying about Inner Circle business. It’s obvious that Wardlow is an asset but he’s also an a******, so next week it’s Hager vs. Wardlow. MJF tries to talk Hager out of it and Jericho is annoyed.

We get a music video from the Acclaimed talking about the Young Bucks, who suck up to Dave (just Dave) for star ratings and quit Twitter because they got upset.

Here’s what else is coming on the show.

Tony Schiavone brings out Sting for a chat in the ring. Sting knows that he has come full circle by coming back to TNT and he is glad to see that the jungle is still intact. Tony asks about Sting looking at Darby Allin but Sting says that’s kind of a complicated question to answer. Instead, Sting talks about watching the matches through the curtain with Dusty Rhodes, who decided to put some bright colors on his face and tights. Then Sting was going to face Ric Flair and get funky like a monkey.

Now Sting sees Cody Rhodes in the ring and it’s hard to fathom. He goes back to Darby but here’s Team Taz to interrupt. Taz says that the speech would bring a tear to a glass eye and Ricky Starks says this is the jungle. Team Taz comes to the ring so Sting grabs the bat, only to have Allin and the skateboard morph in next to him. That’s fine with Taz, who says they’ll wait until January 6 when Brian Cage can win the TNT Title. This showed me two things. 1. A skateboard is a pretty stupid looking weapon. 2. Allin is a rather small man, as Sting is hardly a giant.

MJF comes up to Santana and Ortiz and brings up Santana losing his stepfather recently. MJF knows what it’s like because he just lost his grandfather to cancer and it was the hardest thing he’s done. He’s here for Santana though, and Santana seems to accept the friendly gesture. They shake hands and Ortiz seems to buy it also, with MJF not even saying anything as they leave.

Dark Order/Colt Cabana vs. Jurassic Express

It’s 5/10 for the Order. Jungle Boy rolls up Five to start as Excalibur explains the numbers to JR. Cabana and Luchasaurus come in with Cabana being kicked out to the floor in a hurry. That means it’s time for 10, with Luchasaurus slamming Stung down onto him a few times. Boy comes back in and gets caught in a German suplex for two.

We take a break and come back with Luchasaurus getting to come in and clean house, including the standing moonsault to 5. Marko dives in off of Luchasaurus’ shoulders to take Cabana down but 5 runs him over. The frog splash gets two on Stunt as everything breaks down. Luchasaurus throws Stung over the top onto Cabana and 10, leaving 5 to be flipped into a sitout powerbomb from Boy for the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than the usual Jurassic Express match, which may be due to Stunt not being left on his own for too long (the lack of dancing helped too). Let Luchasaurus come in and wreck stuff while Boy does the bulk of the work. The Dark Order, especially this group of them, can lose over and over again so this was hardly some big waste of talent.

Post match Marko talks about how good it is to be back but Tully Blanchard and FTR cut them off, with Tully saying it’s time to let the trained professionals talk. The teams meet on January 6 and this is personal because FTR wants the titles back. Stunt better be careful too, because Tully might have a flashback to the 80s. Stunt to be held back, which makes me dread the idea of Stunt getting anything over on Tully. Good promo from Blanchard here, now that he is finally getting to talk.

Kenny Omega and Don Callis are arriving at the hotel, where Callis isn’t happy with Pac making Omega vs. Rey Fenix. When did wrestlers get to make matches around here? Omega is ready to destroy Fenix in a few weeks and once he’s done, Konnan can take him back to AAA. Fenix is the kind of guy who gets hurt, while Omega gets titles. This promo style is starting to work for them more and more.

Butcher vs. Pac

Butcher looks like he’s wearing Shinsuke Nakamura’s pants that shrunk in the wash. Eddie Kingston is on commentary and Tony has to shush him for talking while trying to promote a match. Pac slugs away to start and gets sent outside, which doesn’t cause him much trouble. Back in and Pac kicks away at Butcher as Eddie and Tony continue to bicker with some surprising chemistry.

Butcher is right back with some hard shots of his own though, even as Kingston tells Tony to stop putting himself over. Pac gets crushed in the corner a few times as Eddie isn’t happy with the referee. They head outside with Pac getting in a few shots and reversing a whip into the barricade. Butcher kicks him in the face and Eddie demands that commentary “put that over”.

We take a break and come back with Pac kicking away but the Blade’s distraction breaks up the Red Arrow. A big clothesline drops Pac again and a running layout powerbomb gets two on Pac. Butcher goes to do something and Eddie shouts to PICK HIM UP for a good while, only to have Lance Archer come out to go after Kingston. The distraction lets Pac hit a kick to the head and the Black Arrow is good for the pin at 11:53.

Rating: C+. That ending hurt this a bit as Butcher was standing around far too long until we got to the point. Archer going after Kingston is interesting, if nothing else due to how little Archer seems to need Lance Archer. Butcher looked good here and it was nice to see him get to showcase himself. Pac still needs to shake off the ring rust though.

Eddie isn’t happy, but does show respect to JR. Kingston: “Schiavone, up yours.”

Jade Cargill finds it interesting that Brandi got pregnant as soon as she showed up. Shaq wants Cody Rhodes and AEW better find her a better opponent, because she’s tired of this s***. I’m getting rather tired of them having to work s*** into every other promo.

Miro wants Tony Schiavone to get fired up but Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford need to announce their wedding date. They load up the video announcement but here are the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy to interrupt. Well at least their video, as we see Trent being loaded into an ambulance last week to get rid of him. Anyway, the wedding is going to be on the beach on February 3 (happy freaking birthday to me) and it is going to be the defining moment of this company’s history. JR: “This is a train wreck.”

Dustin Rhodes vs. Evil Uno

Lee Johnson and Stu Grayson are here too as Uno jumps Dustin to start. They fight on the floor with Uno hammering away, only to chop the post by mistake. Uno knocks him down again though and it’s a Swanton for two as commentary tells us about how great Dustin is. We take a break and come back with Dustin hitting the Flip Flop and Fly, only to charge into a boot. Not that it matters as Dustin is right back with the bulldog for the pin at 8:28.

Rating: C. Not too bad here and they were putting in some effort, even with the lack of time when you factor in the break. Uno got to showcase himself a bit here but it’s not like taking a loss to Dustin is that big of a problem. Dustin is in a bit of a weird place as he’s a veteran but doesn’t have much in the ways of storylines. Nice enough match though, as Dustin isn’t going to have many bad ones.

Post match Uno offers another chance for Dustin to join but Dustin kicks him away. Grayson comes in with the Knightfall so here’s QT Marshall for the save. Marshall gets taken down as well so Johnson hits a springboard dropkick to take the Order down.

Shawn Spears sits down with Schiavone and talks about how how no matter what company he is in, the glass ceiling is still there. It’s a management problem, and he really doesn’t like Tony suggesting that Spears himself is the problem.

Hikaru Shida’s interview about being attacked by Abadon is interrupted when she is attacked by Abadon.

Hikaru Shida vs. Alex Gracia

Non-title. Shida starts fast with a Falcon Arrow attempt but Alex is having none of it. After a quick trip tot he floor, Gracia gets two off a small package and nails a running boot in the corner for the same. Shida is annoyed at being hit in the face, setting up a delayed vertical suplex. The running kick to the face connects but hold on as here’s Abadon for a distraction. Shida beats her up in a hurry and heads back inside to counter Gracia’s headscissors into a backbreaker. The Falcon Arrow finishes Gracia at 3:32.

Rating: C-. This was more about the Abadon deal than anything else but I’m rather over the whole evil monster characters. AEW does those rather frequently and while Abadon is good at it, there have been so many characters of a similar nature that it loses its impact. Gracia was acceptable in the short bit of time that she had here.

Post match the brawl is on again with Abadon biting Shida’s neck to draw blood.

Here’s what’s coming over the next few weeks, including the return of Jon Moxley next week.

Tag Team Titles: Acclaimed vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are defending and Max Castor raps his way to the ring again, this time about their winning streak. Matt works on Castor’s arm to start and shrugs off the comeback attempt. A dropkick into an armdrag has Castor in trouble and Nick comes in to stay on said arm. It’s off to Bowens but the Bucks sent them both to the floor to send Bowens into the barricade.

Nick spears Castor down and it’s time to head back inside. Matt gets taken down this time though and Castor gets in a few shows, only to have Nick get the semi hot tag without much effort. House is cleaned until Nick’s Swanton hits Bowens’ raised knees. We take a break and come back with the Bucks starting to fire off the kicks, including Nick hitting Castor with a kick from the apron.

Back in and Matt hits Locomotion into the Sharpshooter on Bowens. Castor strikes away but can’t break it up, allowing Nick to pull Castor outside for a Sharpshooter on the floor. Both are broken up and it’s Nick being shoved off the top. A suplex/high crossbody gets two on Nick with Matt making the save. An errant superkick takes the referee out and the boom box to the head gets two from another referee (that spot still makes no sense and never has). Matt powerbombs Bowens through a table at ringside and the BTE Trigger finishes Castor at 13:47.

Rating: C-. This really didn’t work as it was little more than an extended workout for the Bucks. It certainly didn’t help the Acclaimed, whose big move was hitting them with a boom box. The rapping entrance helps, but that’s all they had here and it showed badly. The Bucks didn’t give them much here, which made for a pretty long 13+ minutes.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t their strongest effort, but again it feels like they’re setting up for the big shows over the next two weeks and that’s ok. I’d much rather step back a bit for a week to let things breathe than burn through stuff on a show that doesn’t matter. As usual: if this is their weak show, they’re in a pretty good place.

Results

Chris Jericho/Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Top Flight – Heatseeker to Dante

Jurassic Express b. Dark Order/Colt Cabana – Sitout powerbomb to 5

Pac b. Butcher – Black Arrow

Dustin Rhodes b. Evil Uno – Bulldog

Hikaru Shida b. Alex Gracia – Falcon Arrow

Young Bucks b. Acclaimed – BTE Trigger to Castor

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: December 9, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

Things are getting a little wacky around here and that makes things all the more interesting. Above all else, Kenny Omega is now the World Champion and last night he appeared on Impact Wrestling to say….well I’m not completely clear but it is definitely going somewhere in the future. Other than that, we get to hear from Sting after last week’s debut. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Hybrid 2 vs. Young Bucks

Non-title. Before the match, the Bucks say they don’t know what is going on with Kenny Omega and they haven’t talked to him in over a week. They start fast with the Bucks sending them outside to start, meaning it’s time for a big flip dive. Back in and we settle down a bit with the Bucks hitting a double basement dropkick on Evans. Angelico comes in to send Matt outside but Nick is right back up to kick Evans off the apron.

Nick is knocked off the apron as well and it’s the assisted 450 for two on Matt. The superkicks take the Hybrid 2 down though and the hot tag brings Nick back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Nick hits the slingshot X Factor to rock Angelico. Nick powerbombs Evans onto the Acclaimed at ringside and it’s a top rope splash/standing moonsault combination for two on Angelico. Evans is back in with a 450 for two on Nick but he gets powerbombed into the enziguri in the corner.

A springboard Doomsday Device onto the ramp drops Evans again and it’s a double superkick to Angelico for two. More Bang For Your Buck is broken up and Evans hits an inverted hurricanrana on Matt. Angelico wrenches Matt’s knee with a spinning leglock with a name that only Excalibur cares about. Even with his brother’s knee getting cranked, Nick goes up top for a Swanton for the save, even with the leglock still being on. The Bucks hit a slingshot spike Tombstone to put Evans down on the floor and it’s a double superkick into the BTE Trigger to finish Angelico at 11:42.

Rating: B. Well that was a lot. There were all kinds of flips and dives here and that’s exactly why you book a match like this one. The selling wasn’t there and the psychology was non-existent, but there is no reason to look for either of those in a match like this. If you’re not looking for those and treat these things like the junk food wrestling that they are, it’s a fine way to spend some time.

Post match the Acclaimed jump the barricade to go after the Bucks but SCU runs in for the save.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman gets to beat Orange Cassidy tonight and upset a lot of not so smart marks. He’s going to bash Cassidy’s head in because he’s better and Cassidy knows it.

Darby Allin does a word association test with members of Team Taz. He sees Powerhouse Hobbs as a snake in the grass, Brian Cage as a puppet, but he’s also someone waiting for an opportunity, which Allin will give him. Then we see Sting’s face and Allin chuckles.

Here’s Cody for a chat….and hang on because here’s Sting. Arn Anderson steps up to Sting to say he wanted to get a closer look and then walks away. Tony Schiavone says something similar and goes to leave but Sting says come give him a hug. Sting thanks Tony for helping him throughout his career and asks for one more IT’S STING for old times’ sake. Tony gives him what he wants (Never say no to a 61 year old man in face paint holding a baseball bat. Remember that.) and Sting says this is awesome.

With Tony gone, Cody says welcome back and thanks Sting for the assist last week. Cody has been waiting to share a ring with him for a very long time….but Sting isn’t here for him, at least not right now. Sting says there is something really familiar about this place and points to Darby Allin in the rafters.

This ring is the jungle and he’s glad to be back on TNT. Cody again says welcome back but Sting says that the only thing for sure about him is that nothing is for sure. He is here full time and plans to be around for a good while. The way Sting chooses to play is his business and he gives Cody a rather firm pat on the back. Sting: “See you around kid.” Sting sounded more energized and invested here than he ever did in WWE, though I’m scared to see how much of that good look goes away if/when he has a match of any kind. For now though, rather nice start.

Team Taz talks about how Cody needed Sting to come save them. Well now Cody’s former star student, Taz’s son Hook, is training with them and they’re ready to beat someone up.

FTR vs. Varsity Blonds

That would be Brian Pillman Jr./Griff Garrison. Pillman gets taken into the corner to start and the beating is on in a hurry. Back up and Pillman brings Wheeler over for the tag to Garrison. A few rooms of the house are cleaned and it’s a spinning legdrop from Garrison to give Pillman two. Pillman misses the middle rope spinning crossbody though and the chinlock goes on as we take a break.

Back with Pillman getting caught in a Demolition Decapitator and being sent outside for a shot from Tully Blanchard. Pillman manages to get in a quick shot though and Air Pillman allows the hot tag to Garrison. House is cleaned but Harwood slips out of a suplex. Pillman comes back in and is caught with a brainbuster and the Goodnight Express gives Wheeler the pin at 8:08.

Rating: C-. Perfectly watchable match with the Blonds mostly getting squashed to put FTR back on the winning side. FTR is a team who could work with anyone around here and hopefully that is the case going forward. The Blonds are fine for the young pretty boy team and you can never have enough of them.

Post match FTR gets in a staredown with the Jurassic Express on the floor.

Hangman Page is in a six man tag next week against Matt Hardy and Private Party but he doesn’t have any partners. John Silver and Alex Reynolds pop up from behind the bar (Page: “How long have you been there?” Silver: “About seven minutes.”) to offer their services. Page eventually relents, but it’s one match only. Works for the cult guys.

Dustin Rhodes vs. 10

Rhodes shoves him around to start and they’re on the floor in a hurry with Dustin sending him face first into the barricade. 10 drops him onto the apron though and they head inside again with 10 hitting a big spinebuster. Dustin is sent outside again but Aaron Solow grabs 10’s arm, earning himself a pump kick to the face. Back in and Dustin gets in a shot of his own, setting up the bulldog for the pin at 5:51.

Rating: D+. Just a match here with 10 getting in most of the offense until a bit of a surprising choice for interference gave Dustin the chance. 10 looked solid here, but other members of the Dark Order have moved pretty far ahead of him in recent weeks. Then again the team is kind of all over the place at the moment so I’m not sure how much this is going to help him.

Post match here’s the Dark Order, with Evil Uno saying Dustin has a long legacy in wrestling and has been around for a very long time. That comes with a lot of pressure, so he should join the Dark Order as Seven. Tony: “He doesn’t want to be that number.” Dustin extends his hand and then slaps Uno in the face. Uno calls the troops off before they get to Dustin and says he’ll be waiting when Dustin sees the light.

Tony Schiavone has a sitdown interview with Shaquille O’Neal and Brandi Rhodes. Brandi doesn’t like hearing all of Shaq’s accolades but Shaq talks about Jade Cargill injuring Brandi’s arm. Shaq didn’t like what Jade did to her arm and Brandi agrees, though she will get in Cargill’s face again if she does the same. Shaq understands that and says he and Cody were just messing around on Twitter.

He has all the respect in the world for the wrestlers and the Rhodes Family, so Brandi gets up and shakes his hand with a smile. She goes to leave without incident, but Shaq says that while Brandi’s arm is in a sling, she should get some pointers from Jade. That’s too far for Brandi, who says she’s sick of this s***, throws a drink in Shaq’s face, and calls him an overgrown a******. They got the point across, but dang Shaq can be hard to understand with that deep voice.

Here’s the Inner Circle for their summit. They have had a week to figure things out but if this doesn’t work, the team is done. That’s not why Jericho put the team together and it was embarrassing. Now MJF and Sammy don’t like each other, Ortiz hates all of them and Santana was so mad that he didn’t even come to work this week. MJF interrupts and says they are all friends and he wanted to join this team because they are great. Sammy snaps and says he’s tired of MJF, with Ortiz saying that MJF is growing on him like a fungus.

They try to calm Sammy down, with Sammy eventually agreeing to shake his hand. However, if ONE MORE THING happens, he’s quitting this team and taking it out on Jericho. They shake hands and Jericho says things are calm…..but Jake Hager doesn’t like Wardlow staring at him. Jericho tries to calm things down and they agree to stop staring. They’re on the same page and know that they need to dominate AEW as only they can. They have a big main event tonight with MJF promising to end Orange Cassidy. The team all puts their middle fingers in and it’s all cool. I’m sure.

FTR and Tully Blanchard say they’re great together, unlike Jurassic Express, who are a bunch of crazy people. They are the 82 Ford Bronco with Mario Andretti driving and they are ready to win the titles back.

Eddie Kingston/Butcher and the Blade vs. Lance Archer/Lucha Bros

The brawl is on outside before the bell with everyone going at it in a hurry. The bell rings with Pentagon getting dropped hard and having to be taken to the back. Fenix gets caught in the corner as the numbers game is already in trouble. Eddie hammers away on Fenix and then sends him chest first into the corner as Jake Roberts is sitting on the stage. Blade gets to choke away with his leg but Fenix manages a shot to Kingston’s face.

The hot tag brings in Archer to slug it out with Butcher before hitting some running shoulders to both Butcher and Blade in the corner. We take a break and come back with Archer hitting a German suplex on Blade, only to grab at his knee. The hot tag brings in Fenix with the springboard and there’s the big dive to take Kingston down. Back in and the powerbomb/neckbreaker combination finishes Fenix at 9:21.

Rating: C. This was a weird one with the Penta deal being a weird way to go *assuming it wasn’t legit that is). Archer continues to be a heck of a monster and it’s easy to see why he is so dominant all the time. What we got here was fine, but it was a weird way to go with the choices they had.

Post match Archer cleans house without much effort again.

Nyla Rose, Jade Cargill and Vickie Guerrero are beating up Red Velvet. Ivelisse and Diamante come in for the save.

Abadon vs. Tesha Price

Price looks scared to death and being thrown across the ring makes it even worse. Abadon hammers away in the corner and hits the Widow’s Peak for the pin at 1:12.

Post match the beating continues until Hikaru Shida makes the save with a heck of a kendo stick shot to the head. Abadon sits up and Shida and Price bail in a hurry.

The Inner Circle is ready to destroy Orange Cassidy.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring to interview Kenny Omega….who arrives in a helicopter with Don Callis. After the big entrance, Tony talks about how he has never been more disgusted than he was when Don Callis interfered last week (yeah still not that big of a deal). Callis talks about Tony Khan welcomed him into his home and then Callis screwed him over. Callis: “Welcome to the wrestling business kid.”

This might have been a bigger screwjob than Montreal because the AEW Title raises the stakes. Callis gives us a fast version of last night’s Impact promo: he has known Omega since Omega was ten and the plan has been in place for years. Now Callis, as the invisible hand, has pushed Omega to the World Title after helping put together Omega vs. Chris Jericho in the Tokyo Dome, which brought AEW to fruition. Omega talks about how they had this ultimate plan and waited a year to pull it off.

Then last week it was a fine art performance and it was downright inspirational. Everyone fell for it from commentary to Jerry Lynn. What mattered most though was Jon Moxley fell for it and no one kicks out of the One Winged Angel. You haven’t seen anything yet and Omega does goodbye and good night. The delivery was good…..but the big idea behind it is that they needed a plan to get Omega, who has the biggest reputation of anyone here in the company and helps run the whole place, to become World Champion? That’s kind of hard to buy, though Callis’ promo was good.

Dynamite Diamond Ring: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Orange Cassidy

The Inner Circle and the Best Friends are here too. MJF jumps him to start and breaks the sunglasses to really make things serious. A Stundog Millionaire gets Cassidy out of trouble though and they head to the apron, with Cassidy missing a charge into the post. MJF ties Cassidy’s fingers in the turnbuckle to make it worse and it’s a chinlock back inside. Cassidy gets sent outside again and the Inner Circle gets in the group stomping. Sammy posts Cassidy and we take a break.

Back with MJF mocking the hands in the pockets, only to have Cassidy come back with the tornado DDT. MJF hits the top rope stomp to the arm but has to duck the Orange Punch. A double underhook shoulder breaker sets up a tiger driver for two and they’re both down. Cassidy is back up to dive onto the Inner Circle but MJF gets in the Heat Seeker back inside. Jericho sends MJF the bat for the Eddie Guerrero treatment, but Cassidy doesn’t even catch it, puts his hands in his pockets, and falls down.

MJF grabs the bat and gets caught in a nice twist on the usual deal, meaning the referee throws the bat outside. The Beach Break gets two so MJF is back with the Salt of the Earth, but Cassidy rolls out. The Orange Punch, with the bad hand, gets a delayed two and another one connects, but this time Wardlow puts the foot on the rope. Everyone brawls on the floor so here’s Miro to deck Cassidy and put his hands in his pockets as MJF steals the pin at 13:23.

Rating: B-. There was a lot going on here and it got a bit messy at times, but dang they had me with some of the drama in the near falls. What matters most here is MJF keeping the ring and keeping the Inner Circle going for the time being, as their breakup is something you should stretch out rather than hot shot. Good match, even with all the chaos going on.

Post match Miro, in his Versace sweater, wrecks the production staff, including throwing one off the stage to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was an up and down show and I’m not sure what to think of the whole thing. The wrestling wasn’t as good this week but after last week’s huge show, it’s understandable that they need a little breather. The main event and the opener both worked and it’s not like the there was anything completely horrible throughout the show.

The important parts here were Sting, Shaq and Omega and…..yeah I’m not sure on them. The Sting stuff was good, as Sting looked and sounded like his old self, but how long does that charm last? I can’t bring myself to care about Shaq, especially when it seems to be more about Brandi than anyone else. That leaves Omega, and while the story of why they needed a plan doesn’t really work, it’s still WAY too early to know where this whole thing is going to pass judgment on it yet. Overall it’s a good show, but they have a lot of things to address going forward.

Results

Young Bucks b. Hybrid 2 – BTE Trigger to Angelico

FTR b. Varsity Blonds – Goodnight Express to Pillman

Dustin Rhodes b. 10 – Bulldog

Eddie Kingston/Butcher and the Blade b. Lucha Bros/Lance Archer – Powerbomb/neckbreaker combination to Fenix

Abadon b. Tesha Price – Widow’s Peak

Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Orange Cassidy – Pin after Miro interfered

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Dark
Date: September 1, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz

Great, Excalibur is back. I didn’t know what I would do without the weird emphasis on combiNATIONS or hearing the exact and undisputed proper Japanese and Spanish names for moves while he also gets in his jokes from PWG. Would it be too much to ask Taz to choke him out? Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Taz and Excalibur welcome us to the show so I have to look at Excalibur’s stupid…well chin in this case.

Eddie Torres vs. Shawn Spears

They go with the grappling to start with Spears taking him down and then putting a knee into Torres’ arm. Back up and they lock up against the ropes until Spears takes him outside for rams into various objects. They get back in with Torres hitting a running dropkick, only to get hit in the face. The Death Valley Driver finishes Torres at 3:49.

Rating: D+. Another nothing match here for Spears who gets to win match after match and never goes anywhere but that’s the case for a lot of Dark regulars. It isn’t a terrible match, but Spears has been around this show for a long time and wasn’t all that great when he was a regular on Dynamite. That’s a weird place to be, but it might be time to try him out on Dynamite again. It’s not like this is anything interesting and it would make sense to give someone else a shot.

Post match Spears gets in a shot with the loaded glove.

Santana and Ortiz vs. Rysin/Faboo Andre

Santana headlocks Rysin to start as Taz suggests that Trent’s mom’s van was almost going to a chop shop. Rysin elbows Santana in the face but gets kicked down into Three Amigos. Andre comes in to dropkick Ortiz and a middle rope spinning crossbody gets two. Everything breaks down though and a pop up sitout powerbomb plants Andre. Ortiz kicks Andre in the face for the pin at 3:29.

Rating: C-. This was slightly more entertaining than the opener as it was more of a squash and had a guy named Faboo Andre, which makes everything a little bit better. Santana and Ortiz are another team who could be a big deal around here but haven’t had a chance near the top of the division. It doesn’t help that they’re feuding with the Best Friends over a mom’s van but I’m sure that’ll go somewhere good in the end.

Post match Santana and Ortiz are impressed by the Best Friends finally showing some fortitude. One thing though: Trent’s mom needs to stop calling Ortiz’s phone because it’s not going to happen.

Cassandra Golden vs. Allie

QT Marshall is here with Allie. They lock up to start for a standoff, which Excalibur says is Golden giving Allie fits, because Excalibur doesn’t know what fits mean. Allie elbows her in the face and grabs a swinging neckbreaker, followed by the sliding elbow. That’s enough to send Golden outside so Allie throws her back in, with Marshall putting Allie back on the apron. Back in and a running hip attack gives Golden one in the corner and we hit the chinlock. Allie fights up with some knees to the ribs and the running bulldog, followed by the Eye of the Hurricane (Down the Rabbit Hole) for the pin on Golden at 4:14.

Rating: D+. Allie continues to turn into a wrestler around here, which has taken some time but she is already a few steps ahead of a lot of the people in the division. It wasn’t much of a match but Golden got in a little offense, which is better than some people get around here. Allie was the point here though and that worked out well enough.

The Best Friends brawl with Santana and Ortiz in the back.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Angelico

This could be good. They fight over a wristlock to start with Kazarian taking him down but Angelico flips out. A front facelock has Kazarian in trouble but they get up for a standoff. An exchange of legsweeps set up one each until Angelico takes him down by the leg into a leglock. Kazarian gets two off an Oklahoma roll but Angelico gets in a right hand to the face.

Something like an Octopus hold on the mat is switched into a leglock to keep Kazarian in trouble. Back up and Kazarian walks into an elbow to the face and it’s right back to the leg cranking. Angelico pulls him out of the corner and hammers away with right hands, setting up the springboard spinning legdrop for two. Angelico is back up but the Fall of the Angels is broken up, allowing Kazarian to hit a reverse DDT for the pin at 7:50.

Rating: C+. Believe it or not, two of the better people on the show have the best match on the show in a good while. I can’t say I’m surprised whatsoever and I’m also not complaining whatsoever. This was a rather nice match between two people who were able to have a little time and get something going, which is what I want to see out of Dark a lot more often.

Brandi Rhodes comes to the stage for a chat with Tony Schiavone. Tony brings up the Nightmare Sisters losing in the Women’s Tag Team Tournament so Brandi calls him Anthony. She knows what it means to be pretty and Anna Jay only got the win because she’s part of Daddy Brody’s special team. You can be pretty but you need to be smart too, so come to her face to face. Brandi trying to sound tough is one of the funniest things this show has ever done.

Donnie Primetime/Ryan Rembrandt vs. Gunn Club

Billy headlocks Rembrandt over to start and it’s off to Austin as commentary laughs about the Gunn Club. It’s back to Billy, who catapults Rembrandt into Austin’s middle rope clothesline. Primetime comes in and commentary talks about how similar he is to Joey Janela. With that horrible thought out of the way, Billy comes in and cleans house before handing it back to Austin for the Quick Draw (which Excalibur doesn’t know, because he isn’t that great of a commentator) and the pin at 3:47.

Rating: D+. Of all the matches that Gunn Club has had around here, this was the most recent. They beat up more jobbers because that’s all they do around here, but since their entire deal deal is Billy Gunn and Son, there isn’t exactly much room for them to grow. Much like Joey Janela/Sonny Kiss, just throw them up onto Dynamite so a big team can beat them and then they can come back down here.

Abadon vs. Dani Jordyn

Jordyn is a little freaked out by Abadon, as she should be. Abadon yells a lot so Dani slugs away and slaps her in the face, which goes as well as you would expect. That earns Jordyn a running clothesline and Abadon starts going after the leg. The knee is crushed into the mat and Abadon does it again for a bonus. A DDT to the leg keeps Jordyn down and Abadon sends her to the apron to sweep the leg again. Back in and Abadon leg laces her with some right hands to the leg making Jordyn tap at 5:00.

Rating: C. This is the kind of match that can do someone some good on this show. Abadon is someone who is climbing the ladder around here and it is a good idea to have her get wins like this. Granted it might not mean as much without having her win a few matches on the other show, but for now, this was an effective way to push Abadon, which is one of the points of something like this.

Tony Donati vs. Ricky Starks

Taz is in a much better mood. After playing some air guitar during his entrance, Starks drives him into the corner to start but Donati grabs a rollup for two. Starks sends him outside with ease and takes it right back inside for a belly to back suplex. There’s a dropkick to Donati and Starks gets in a little dancing. Donati gets in another rollup for another two so Starks gets serious and Roshambos him for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: D+. Not too bad here as Starks continues to look good. The better point for him though is the fact that Starks gets to do something on Dynamite and probably All Out. You’re only going to get so much out of exclusively squashing jobbers so having Starks down here for some target practice is a nice change of pace over what a lot of the Dark regulars get to do.

Jurassic Express vs. Jon Cruz/David Ali

Marko Stunt is here on crutches with the two who don’t look ridiculous in the ring (and yes, one of those is a walking dinosaur who says he is 65 million years old). This is Cruz and Ali’s debut as a team so they don’t have the fist bump timing down just yet. Cruz tries a sleeper on Luchasaurus to start and is quickly thrown off. Ali comes in and gets chopped in the corner as the squash is on early.

It’s off to Boy for some hurricanranas before he holds Ali up for the Tail Whip from Luchasaurus. Ali slips out of the chokeslam attempt and hands it back to Cruz for a jumping enziguri. Luchasaurus kicks Ali in the head anyway and does the same to Cruz for a bonus. Boy adds a sliding elbow to the back of Ali’s head and the Extinction Level Event finishes Cruz at 4:58.

Rating: D+. I’ve given up on the hope of having Jurassic Express being a serious team but this involved Stunt having to stand around instead of interfering or doing that horrible dance so this could have been a lot worse. Cruz and Ali were just target practice for the Express which is hardly a surprise, but it wasn’t exactly thrilling.

Red Velvet vs. Anna Jay

Jay hammers away in the corner to start but gets taken down with a leg lariat. Velvet kicks her down in the corner and hits a bottom rope elbow for two. Some bad right hands and choking have Velvet down and a snap suplex sets up some forearms to the ribs. Back up and Velvet drops into the splits, seemingly for the sole purpose of Jay hitting a Natural Selection.

Back up and Velvet gets the better of a slugout, setting up some clotheslines. Running knees to the back give Velvet two but Jay kicks her in the face. Jay makes sure to look at the camera a few times before knocking Velvet down on the floor. Back in and some curb stomps set up a rear naked choke to finish Velvet at 5:00.

Rating: D-. What in the name of some random reference or term was that? Jay was inducted into the Dark Order last week and seems ready for a feud with the biggest women’s name in the company. Velvet went toe to toe with Jay here and it was rather ridiculous, especially given that Jay is hardly ready for a five minute match based on her past performances. They missed here, and it made Jay look really bad.

Shawn Dean vs. Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here too. Sabian uses some signs (ala Sammy Guevara) to promote his Twitch streams and his crop tops. Dean is so intimidating that Sabian doesn’t bother taking off his sunglasses while Taz and Excalibur talk about the gym. Sabian knocks him into the corner and asks why we’re doing this again. A knee to the face and a kick to the chest connects….and the referee says it was wide right. Ok then. Dean uses the distraction to hit a hard German suplex into a floatover DDT for two. A pop up knee stops Dean again though and it’s the Deathly Hallows for the pin at 4:17.

Rating: C-. Sabian is one of those guys I could see working rather well on Dynamite and it isn’t like it’s difficult to boo someone always on Ford’s arm. He feels like a mainstay around Dark though and that’s not exactly a great usage for him. It’s clear that he has some ability and he has been getting better, so let him go and see what he can do. How much more can you really get out of him around here?

Initiative vs. Private Party

Leva Bates is here with the Initiative. The Initiative starts fast and takes Quen down for a double chop into a double splash for two. Avalon knocks Kassidy off the apron but Quen fights out of trouble like he’s beating up a pair of jobbers who happened to get a gimmick. Kassidy comes in with a top rope double stomp to the back into a belly to back suplex for two on Cutler, though only after some staring at the camera. Avalon comes in for a high crossbody on Quen as everything breaks down in a hurry.

A suicide dive drops Quen on the floor, followed by a split legged moonsault for two on Kassidy. The hot tag brings in Quen for a big moonsault onto both of them but Quen has to flip out of an apron hurricanrana from Bates. Back in and Cutler avoids a charge from Quen, with Kassidy tagging himself in. Cutler hits a 450 for no count because Quen isn’t legal, meaning it’s Kassidy with an Oklahoma roll for the pin at 4:21.

Rating: C+. This worked too as they were flying in and out of there as fast as they could. That’s more to Private Party’s tastes, which might be better for them every now and then. They have been doing their thing for a good while now and while I liked them being reined in by FTR on Dynamite, it can be smart to let them go out and do their thing like they did here.

Post match Avalon snaps and beats up Cutler, including a shot to the head with the 20 sided die. They really spent all those weeks and months getting them closer to winning and then finally have them lose here? Really?

Dynamite preview takes us out.

Overall Rating: C-. I kept having to correct myself from calling Dynamite the main roster but in reality, that’s pretty much what it is. In WWE, there are people you know are never making it up to the main roster and that is how it feels with this show compared to Dynamite. A lot of these people are just interchangeable jobbers, which is fine enough, but when you have so many people with nothing to do, maybe it would make sense to drop some of them.

I get the idea of giving indy wrestlers work, but there comes a point where you’re just wasting your contracted talent for the sake of having this show continuing. It was a lot easier with just an hour and thirty four minutes (yeah just), but this could be so much tighter and more effective of a show. They seem to like what they’re doing here, but we are long past the point where you can see the divide between the two levels of the talent. There are some who float back and forth, but if they’re good enough to be on Dynamite full time, they probably shouldn’t be here, in what is effectively a training ground.

Results

Shawn Spears b. Eddie Torres – Death Valley Driver

Santana and Ortiz b. Rysin/Faboo Andre – Kick to Andre’s face

Allie b. Cassandra Golden – Down The Rabbit Hole

Frankie Kazarian b. Angelico – Reverse DDT

Gunn Club b. Donnie Primetime/Ryan Rembrandt – Quick Draw to Primetime

Abadon b. Dani Jordyn – Leg lace

Ricky Starks b. Tony Donati – Roshambo

Jurassic Express b. Jon Cruz/David Ali – Extinction Level Event to Cruz

Anna Jay b. Red Velvet – Rear naked choke

Kip Sabian b. Shawn Dean – Deathly Hallows

Private Party b. Initiative – Oklahoma roll to Cutler

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: August 18, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Veda Scott

We’re coming up on a weird week here as Dynamite will be going up against half of Takeover on Saturday as the NBA Playoffs are moving this week’s show. I’m not sure what to expect from this show, but I’d bet on a bunch of not so competitive matches with names who aren’t often on Dynamite. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Commentary gives us a quick preview, with Taz not being pleased with Veda being taller than him.

Michael Nakazawa vs. Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here too. Sabian takes him down by the arm to start but stops to kiss Ford. Nakazawa gets in a takedown of his own, uses the oil, and spins around on Sabian’s back. Sabian isn’t pleased and sends him to the apron for a springboard kick to the face. That means a running flip dive to take Nakazawa down again as Taz talks about Turkish baby oil. A belly to back suplex connects and Nakazawa loads up the underwear claw, which, OF FREAKING COURSE, goes onto his own face. Sabian DDTs him and hits a hanging swinging neckbreaker (apparently the new Deathly Hallows) for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: D-. I’m not a big Sabian fan but he was one of the best things I’ve ever seen by comparison. I know Nakazawa is Kenny Omega’s friend and people have been hired for worse but….come on already man. It’s not even occasionally funny like Orange Cassidy or anything close to it, which makes him one of the worst things I’ve seen in a very long time.

Shawn Dean/Frank Stone vs. Joey Janela/Sonny Kiss

The strong looking Stone shoves Joey down to start and it’s off to Dean, who gets caught in a quick headlock. A Russian legsweep into a Meteora from Kiss has Dean in trouble of his own, meaning Stone comes back in. As Taz talks about almost getting in a fight with Steve McMichael in Joe Gomez’s bar (that raises more questions than we have time for), Stone splashes Joey in the corner and plants him with a belly to belly.

Something close to a Demolition Decapitator gets two and Stone adds a backbreaker to keep Joey in trouble. A double DDT allows Joey to make the tag though and it’s Sonny coming in to pick the pace way up. That includes the handspring slap in the corner to Dean but the middle rope splits splash misses. Cryme Tyme’s old G9 gets two on Sonny and everything breaks down. Joey’s top rope elbow into the splits splash gives Kiss the pin on Dean at 5:43.

Rating: C-. Janela and Kiss might not be the best team in the world but they have gone from absolutely nothing to something completely watchable most of the time. There is no shame in being the best team on Dark and it isn’t likely that they are ever moving beyond what they are here, at least not permanently. They’re fine enough for a show like this and the match was fine enough.

Shawn Spears vs. Will Hobbs

Tully Blanchard is here too. Spears grabs a headlock to start but Hobbs shoulders him into the corner. That’s enough to send Spears outside for a breather but he comes back in to start on Hobbs’ leg. A dropkick to the knee sets up a slingshot splash to the leg, plus some trash talking. Hobbs is back with a spinebuster for no cover as the knee is gone at the moment. Back up and another shot to the knee sets up the Death Valley Driver to finish Hobbs at 4:44.

Rating: D+. Another match and another instance where I have no reason to believe that Spears is anything more than meh. He’s fine at what he does but I don’t ever remember being interested in something he did or said. There’s a reason he never got that high up the ladder anywhere else and it is on display again here. Spears can have a passable match with anyone, but don’t expect more than that.

Post match, Spears hits him with the glove.

Ricky Starks talks about being too handsome to be hardcore and he’s coming for Darby Allin, who looks like he was raised on dog food and dope. This is going to be Allin’s last supper for messing with Ricky Starks. Old school “I don’t like you because of X” promo here.

Initiative vs. Hybrid 2

Leva Bates is here with the Initiative. Avalon and Angelico don’t do much to start so Evans springboards in, where Cutler kicks him in the head. A very bridging rollup gives Evans two and sets off a pinfall reversal sequence for two each. Avalon comes back in for a double chop into a double splash for another near fall. There’s a dropkick to put Evans on the floor but Evans takes the book from Avalon for a cheap shot.

Angelico’s belly to back suplex stays on Avalon’s back and Evans starts in with the trash talk. The choking ensues in the corner as Tony talks about having a big mustache back in the 80s. Evans misses a jumping backsplash though and the hot tag brings in Cutler to clean house. Angelico is sent hard onto the ramp and Cutler hits a Phenomenal Forearm to drop Evans.

Avalon comes in for a knee to Evans’ chest and Angelico has to make a last second save. An assisted 450 gives Evans two on Cutler and he adds a springboard corkscrew moonsault onto both of them. Back in and Cutler escapes Angelico’s Splash Mountain and Avalon hits a split legged moonsault for two more. Now Splash Mountain sends Avalon into the corner and the 630 gives Evans the pin at 10:41.

Rating: C-. Another match that wasn’t too bad with the near falls working well enough. At the same time though, there wasn’t exactly the greatest amount of drama as the Initiative isn’t about to win in a spot like this. Throw in that the Hybrid 2 isn’t all that interesting in the first place and there wasn’t much that could work out here.

Red Velvet vs. Abadon

Velvet is “straight out of your mama’s kitchen.” Abadon on the other hand crawls to the ring, as is her custom. Velvet goes straight for the arm but gets shoved out of the corner for a running kick to the face. A headbutt cuts Velvet off again and Abadon sends her out to the apron. Velvet manages a kick to the head though and brings her to the apron as well, only to get pulled down hard by the arm. Back in and Velvet flips out of a belly to back suplex so Abadon blasts her with a clothesline. The Cemetery Drive (Widow’s Peak) finishes Velvet at 3:55.

Rating: C. Velvet showed some fire here and made me want cake so this one gets some extra points. Abadon has a great look and seems like someone who could be a solid midcard villain. Other than that though, there wasn’t much to see here again, but that is the case with most of the matches on this show.

D3/Ryzin/Faboo Andre vs. Dark Order/Colt Cabana

It’s John Silver/Alex Reynolds for the Order here. Cabana and Andre (I’m assuming it’s Andre because I can’t imagine anyone else on this team being named Faboo) with Colt armdragging him down for a staredown. It’s off to Ryzin but Silver makes a blind tag and gets rolled up for two.

Silver fires off some kicks to send Ryzin into the corner and Reynolds comes in for a snapmare. D3 comes in and Reynolds takes him down in a hurry, meaning a pose can be struck. Cabana gets tagged in but wants nothing to do with a cheap shot in the corner. Instead the Order hits back to back German suplexes to send D3 into the corner for the Flying Apple. The double front flip DDT finishes D3 at 4:09.

Rating: D+. This was a nearly complete squash and that’s what it should be, though Cabana having issues with the Dark Order has been going on for a good while now. I’m not sure where the story is going but it has been going on long enough now that the limited interest that was there in the first place is going away. Cabana vs. Lee down the road doesn’t exactly interest me, but maybe they have something else in mind.

Lee Johnson vs. Ricky Starks

Starks goes with a standing switch but gets pulled down into a quickly broken chinlock. Lee grabs a rollup for two and Starks isn’t sure what’s going on here. Back up and Starks hits a heck of a dropkick but Johnson runs the ropes and hits one of his own. The trip to the floor lets Starks get in a shot on the way back in to take over.

Starks runs the ropes and then falls backwards onto Johnson (with his arms crossed to make it a standing Coffin Drop). Back up and Johnson wins a slugout and grabs a cutter. A springboard missile dropkick gets two on Starks and Taz is sounding a little nervous (Taz: “That was Veda. That was Veda.”). Starks crotches him on top though and grabs the running Dominator (Roshambo) for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C. Probably the best match of the night so far and I can’t say I’m surprised. Johnson is one of the better of the jobber crew and Starks has been consistent from the day he debuted. I can also go for Taz as his big supporter on commentary, though it would be nice to see that translate to Starks being in a big match on Dynamite. The back injury probably kept that from taking place already, but hopefully it is coming up soon (or at All Out).

Post match, Wardlow comes out and gives Johnson an MJF campaign button, which Johnson wears to avoid more pain.

Tony Donati/Baron Black vs. Santana and Ortiz

Santana throws Black down to start as we talk about the destroyed minivan. An atomic drop into a Backstabber gets Black out of trouble but Santana pulls him into the corner. Donati comes in and gets DDTed in a hurry, followed by a quick suplex. A running elbow in the corner sets up a sitout powerbomb, followed by a kick to the face for the pin at 2:41. That worked.

Lance Archer vs. Jon Cruz/Jesse Sorensen

Jake Roberts is here with Archer. Hold on though as there’s no Cruz, because Archer is carrying him to the ring and then drops him to the floor. The bell rings twice for some reason and Archer blasts Sorensen with a shoulder. Cruz tries to interfere and gets thrown into the corner, setting up some alternating running shoulders. The two manage to kick him down and are promptly planted in a hurry. Cruz is chokeslammed onto Sorensen and for some reason makes the save. The double EBD Claw finishes at 2:39.

Post match Jake teases the DDT but drops Cruz instead.

Alan Angels vs. Billy

That’s Billy….with Austin Gunn of course. Well Austin leaves, but good thing he was there or you might not know who Billy is. Oh and that’s Alan 5 Angels because the Dark Order is still doing the numbers thing. Billy shoves him down a few times to start and a right hand does it again. Angels gets sent hard into the corner a few times and they walk around on the floor for a bit. Back in and Billy hits a Jackhammer for two but Angels is back up with a shotgun dropkick. A release tilt-a-whirl slam plants Angels but he avoids the Fameasser and kicks at the legs. Billy doesn’t mind and hits the cobra clutch slam for the pin at 4:01.

Rating: D+. Of all the Billy matches he has had in AEW where he didn’t do much other than play the hits and not exactly make me want to see his son, this was the latest. Billy still looks good but it isn’t like I’m going to go out of my way to see what he does these days. Good for him for sticking around and staying on Dark, but it isn’t like it’s anything more than nostalgia.

Post match the Dark Order run in for the beatdown until Austin makes the save with a chair. Billy: “I’M AN OLD MAN!”

Butcher and Blade/Lucha Bros vs. SCU/Private Party

Butcher shoves Daniels down to start and hits a running corner clothesline for a bonus. It’s off to Kazarian for some High/Low but Kazarian gets taken into the corner for the choke from Blade. Kazarian takes Blade down into a rollup for two and it’s off to Kassidy. A slingshot hilo gets two on Blade but Fenix comes in to take Kassidy down. Kassidy is back up with a hurricanrana so it’s Pentagon and Quen coming in.

Quen cranks on the arm and brings Daniels back in as the fast tags begin. A top rope stomp to the arm gets two on Pentagon and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Pentagon hits a Sling Blade so Blade can come back in to hammer on Kassidy. Butcher whips Kassidy hard into the corner and Pentagon adds the loud chop against the ropes. Fenix’s near Muta Lock doesn’t last long and the good guys are drawn in so Butcher can choke on the ropes.

Fenix superkicks Blade by mistake though and the hot tag brings in Quen to clean house. Everything breaks down in a hurry and Fenix trades kicks to the head with Quen until they’re both down. Daniels Rock Bottoms Pentagon and looks to set up the BME but Fenix breaks it up in a hurry. Private Party hit stereo dives onto Pentagon and Butcher. The Fear Factor plants Daniels with Kazarian making a save and it’s the suplex onto Blade’s knees to pin Daniels at 10:54.

Rating: C. The star power and time helped this one a bit though there isn’t much going on here other than a fast paced ending. That’s the case with most of these bigger Dark matches, but at the same time it’s nice to have something a little more serious after an hour and twenty minutes of squashes. Daniels taking the pin makes sense too, as it’s not like SCU needs any wins to be a big deal around here.

Post match the Bros aren’t happy Butcher and Blade got the pin.

Quick preview for Saturday’s Dynamite wraps us up.

Overall Rating: D+. It isn’t a bad show but at the same time there is only so much that can be said about a show that comes and goes like this with nothing of note. The wrestling was ok at best and I’m not going to remember anything that happened on it next week. The longer times seem to be the new norm and as annoying as that is, it’s what AEW loves to do and that’s the kind of thing you have to like if you’re going to be around here.

Results

Kip Sabian b. Michael Nakazawa – Deathly Hallows

Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela b. Frank Stone/Shawn Dean – Splits splash to Dean

Shawn Spears b. Will Hobbs – Death Valley Driver

Hybrid 2 b. Initiative – 630 to Avalon

Abadon b. Red Velvet – Cemetery Walk

Colt Cabana/Dark Order b. Ryzin/D3/Faboo Andre – Double front flip DDT to D3

Ricky Starks b. Lee Johnson – Roshambo

Santana and Ortiz b. Tony Donati/Baron Black – Kick to Donati’s face

Lance Archer b. Jon Cruz/Jesse Sorensen – Double EBD Claw

Billy b. Alan Angels – Cobra clutch

Butcher and Blade/Lucha Bros b. SCU/Private Party – Suplex onto Blade’s knees to Daniels

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Dark
Date: August 4, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz

Things are getting interesting around here again as the road to All Out is getting bigger and bigger. The most important thing we seem likely to be seeing is Maxwell Jacob Friedman challenging Jon Moxley for the World Title. I’m not sure how much we will be seeing of that round here, but at least they seem to have a goal in mind about a month out. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Tony and Taz give the usual quick preview.

Will Hobbs vs. Scorpio Sky

Hobbs jumps him in the corner to start and hits a good spinebuster for two. Sky slips out of a powerslam though and hits a running kick to the back of the head in the corner. The TKO gives Sky the pin at 1:15. Well that worked.

Post match Sky puts a chair in the ring and calls it symbolic. Lately, people have been calling him the king of AEW Dark so this might as well be a throne. Sky does not like the idea of that being his ceiling because he is one of two people to pin Chris Jericho around here. You people have forgotten who he is so say the name and remember it. Nice promo here and I could go for more from him.

Gunn Club vs. Serpentico/Aaron Solow

Serpentico dives at Billy’s leg to start to no avail. Billy kicking him in the face works a lot better and it’s off to Austin, who runs Serpentico over for two. Serpentico gets him into the corner though and Solow comes in, only to be quickly armdragged. Solow hits a slingshot stomp but Austin kicks Serpentico away. That’s fine though as Solow is right there with a basement clothesline to keep Austin down. Austin sends them into each other though and rolls over for the hot tag to Billy. A missed charge sends Serpentico outside and Austin hits the Fameasser on Solow. The hiptoss neckbreaker finishes Serpentico at 5:26.

Rating: D+. The Gunn Club is just there at the moment as a way to get Austin on TV. He isn’t exactly making me all that interested but I’ll take him over Billy doing his old shtick again. They’re harmless as a Dark team and the match could have been worse, as we at least got a fresh jobber pairing to fed to them.

Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela vs. The Initiative

Janela’s headlock doesn’t get him very far with Cutler so he grabs a running rollup to send Cutler into the corner. It’s off to Kiss so Cutler ducks underneath him and dives onto Janela on the floor. That’s fine with Kiss, who hits his own dive to take Cutler down with a DDT. A running hurricanrana takes Avalon down but he pops back up to take Kiss into the corner. That doesn’t last long either though as Janela comes in for a Hart Attack. Part of the Motor City Machine Guns’ Dream Sequence gets two as Taz talks about being buried online.

Janela hits a running forearm to knock Avalon up the ramp but misses a charge to send himself into the set, hurting his arm in the process. Back in and Avalon works on the banged up shoulder, followed by more of the same from Cutler. Janela dives for the tag but gets driven back into the corner. As you might have guessed, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later and Kiss gets to clean house. Janela throws Avalon at Leva Bates but takes too long, allowing Cutler to escape.

Cutler gets shoved off the top and into a fireman’s carry from Avalon, allowing Kiss to hit a top rope Blockbuster to take them both down. Avalon is back up with a middle rope Russian legsweep for two on Kiss, followed by Bates hitting a Sliced Bread off the post to drop Janela. Back in and Janela is already up on the apron again, allowing Kiss to make another tag. Janela throws Avalon into an electric chair and Kiss adds the top rope splits splash for the pin at 9:38.

Rating: C. The match was entertaining but you really can see how little of a traditional structure their tag matches have. This was about pumping as many spots as they could into a single match and while that wasn’t bad, it does get a little repetitive at times. Janela and Kiss are getting better as a team, though I’m still not sure I can imagine seeing them get much higher up the card than they are now.

Abadon vs. KiLynn King

King goes straight at her to start and they head to the mat for the slugout. Abadon is sent outside where she whips King into the barricade. Back in and King is sent face first into the mat, only to come back with a middle rope dropkick. It’s Abadon getting back up first though (in a rather creepy way) but King gets two off a release German suplex. Abadon doesn’t mind though as she kicks her in the face and hits the hurricanrana driver for the pin at 4:08.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have much time here and that was possibly better for Abadon. What makes her work so well for the most part is having her out there in a quick match and let her do her creepy thing. King is someone who could go somewhere if she had a character or story of some sort but the potential is there.

Jack Evans vs. QT Marshall

Angelico and Allie are the seconds. Marshall takes him into the corner for a clean break and they trade wristlocks. Evans flips out of a hiptoss and adds a handstand kick to the face. Taz thinks Tony would be over huge if he could do that as Evans hammers away in the corner. A middle rope spinning crossbody is countered into a suplex from Marshall and they head outside for a bit. Angelico offers a distraction and Evans hits a running flip dive to take over.

Back in and Evans flips around before poking him in the eye, setting up something like an Octopus hold, with Evans hanging in the air off of Marshall’s shoulders. Marshall gets out and counters Evans’ springboard with a powerslam for the big crash. A pop up right hand gives Marshall two but Evans kicks him in the head. The standing corkscrew moonsault gives Evans two and draws Allie up to the apron. Angelico uses the distraction to get in a cheap shot though and Evans grabs a backslide with a flip over for the pin at 8:24.

Rating: C-. That might be the biggest upset ever on this show, assuming you consider it to be that big of an upset. Evans and Angelico are a nice midcard heel team and it’s nice to see them back after such a long time away. Allie and Marshall continue to be a weird combination, but I don’t think I can picture anything happening to them anytime soon.

Post match the beatdown is on until Dustin Rhodes makes the save.

FTR vs. Griff Garrison/Brian Pillman Jr.

Points for Pillman for getting as much ring time as he can. FTR seems to get some advice from Tully Blanchard before they come through the entrance. Harwood and Pillman start things off and it’s a quick standoff. A wristlock doesn’t last long for Harwood as Pillman flips around and kicks him in the head. After the Hollywood Blonds camera work, Pillman allows the tag off to Wheeler, who chops away rather hard. Pillman is back up with a high crossbody and a superkick, allowing the tag to Garrison.

Harwood pulls him down by the hair but he’s back up with a heck of a right hand to Wheeler. Pillman is back in with a running shot in the corner and an armbar. Wheeler powerslams his way to freedom though and it’s Harwood tying him in the ropes to strike away. A kick to the head almost gets Pillman out of trouble but Wheeler drags him right back to the corner. Pillman slips out of of a gordbuster and rolls over to bring in Garrison….who walks into the Goodnight Express for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C. I liked the ending to this one as it was a nice twist on the usual story. Instead of going with Garrison cleaning house and going into the ending sequence, they just knocked Garrison silly for the pin. Pillman continues to look young but full of potential and that’s a place that he can grow from in a big way.

Post match we see Shawn Spears watching FTR.

Butcher and the Blade vs. Private Party

Butcher easily drives Quen into the corner to start and it’s off to Butcher vs. Kassidy. This time it’s Kassidy being brought into the corner and the beating is on in a hurry. A hiptoss into a dropkick gets Kassidy out of trouble but Blade cuts him off with a hot shot. Butcher comes back in and hits a running clothesline in the corner. The quick tag brings Quen back in though and everything breaks down. Blade is sent outside, where he helps break up Silly String so Butcher can plant Quen to take over again. Some corner clotheslines give Butcher two and it’s time to stand on Quen’s throat.

The chinlock goes on for a few seconds but Quen sends Blade into the middle buckle. The hot tag brings in Kassidy, who mostly misses a springboard Stunner to knock Blade off the apron. A springboard flipping Stunner to Butcher works a bit better and it’s already back to Quen. Butcher gets double drop toeholded onto Kassidy’s knees for a standing moonsault to the back from Quen. Blade shoves Quen off the top for a big crash to the floor, leaving Kassidy to miss his Swanton. The suplex onto Blade’s knees is enough for the pin at 8:48.

Rating: C+. It really is amazing how much better it is to have even a pair of midcard teams like this fighting each other on this show. They give us something a little more interesting and makes the stakes feel somewhat higher. On top of that, the match wasn’t too bad as it felt a lot more structured than a lot of AEW matches, even though the ending wasn’t in the most doubt.

The Dynamite preview wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. The length was a lot better on this show and it made things easier. The biggest problem with a show being that long continues to be that it feels draining to look over and see how much longer there is. They kept this show short and to the point, with only a handful of matches and the winners getting to showcase themselves a little bit more than usual. In other words, doing what should be the point of the show.

Results

Scorpio Sky b. Will Hobbs – TKO

Gunn Club b. Serpentico/Peter Avalon – Hiptoss neckbreaker to Serpentico

Joey Janela/Sonny Kiss b. Initiative – Top rope splits splash to Avalon

Abadon b. KiLynn King – Hurricanrana driver

Jack Evans b. QT Marshall – Flipping backslide

FTR b. Brian Pillman Jr./Griff Garrison – Goodnight Express to Garrison

Butcher and The Blade b. Private Party – Suplex onto Blade’s knees to Kassidy

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: July 28, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz

We’re back to the long form show as this week is going to have more content than an episode of Dynamite. This time around the show is featuring 12 matches over the course of an hour and fifty minutes for reasons I don’t think I want to understand. Hopefully we at least get some good action. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quick announcer preview.

Initiative vs. FTR

That would be the official name for Peter Avalon/Brandon Cutler, because you want to lose in style. The Young Bucks are watching at ringside and Tully Blanchard is in the bleachers. Harwood headlocks Avalon down to start and it’s off to Cutler in a hurry. Wheeler’s distraction lets Harwood get in a shot from behind, because FTR needs to cheat against these goofs.

Avalon comes back in for a double flapjack for one on Wheeler, who sticks out his leg for a tag. That doesn’t count as Harwood was too far down the apron though, in a rule you don’t see used all that often. Wheeler grabs a headlock but gets belly to belly suplexed….right into his own corner so it’s Harwood coming back in. Avalon’s right hands actually stagger Harwood so it’s back to Wheeler, who misses a charge in the corner. Avalon hits a split legged moonsault for two but Harwood BLASTS him with a clothesline. Cutler is knocked outside and it’s the Mind Breaker to finish Avalon at 7:16.

Rating: C-. They didn’t even bother with teasing the upset here as FTR isn’t going to be losing for a good while. It’s almost weird to see the spike piledriver being used in modern wrestling but it is a heck of a finisher. Cutler and Avalon having a name doesn’t make things much better for them, but at least they’ve found a niche here. Granted it’s a losing niche, but it is still a niche nonetheless.

Post match Revival shakes hands with the Bucks.

Michael Nakazawa/Pineapple Pete vs. Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela

Kiss loads up a headscissors on Nakazawa to start but Nakazawa pulls out the baby oil (here we freaking go). Janela takes it away though and sprays it on the back of Kiss’ trunks, which Nakazawa’s face is pulled into. Taz: “….what the heck was that?” Exactly what you should have expected? Pete sprays more oil in the middle of the ring so Kiss’ handspring elbow doesn’t work. It’s off to Pete who gets a running start and slides off of Nakazawa’s oiled back to crash into Kiss in the corner but a jumping hug doesn’t work due to slippage.

Janela comes in with a double dropkick and it’s Kiss coming back in to trade some missed charges with Pete. Pete’s knee to the face gets two on Kiss but he escapes a double suplex and makes the hot tag to Janela. A German suplex into the corner rocks Nakazawa and there’s a Death Valley Driver. Nakazawa is sent outside for a suicide elbow from Janela, followed by a top rope splash for two on Pete. Back in and Nakazawa underwear claws Pete by mistake and it’s a shot to the face from Janela. Kiss adds the top rope splits splash for the pin on Pete at 5:19.

Rating: F. Nakazawa is the definition of the kind of “comedy” wrestling that I can’t stand. Not only is his stuff not funny in the first place, but he does the same bits every week. There’s all of the oil nonsense and then the underwear claw always goes onto the wrong person. How many times can they do the exact same gag over and over and over? Kiss and Janela aren’t going to become a top team, but they work well together and Kiss’ athleticism and gymnastics are very impressive.

Skyler Moore vs. Abadon

Abadon does her crawl to the ring and takes Moore down to hammer away. A lot of yelling scares Moore but she slugs away anyway and grabs a DDT. Back up and Abadon pops her neck and chases Moore outside. A whip into the barricade has Abadon in trouble and a World’s Strongest Slam gets two. Abadon is right back with the Widow’s Peak for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: D+. Abadon plays the creepy monster well and not being able to feel pain is one of those classic ideas that will always work. They need someone to stand out as different in the women’s division and Abadon certainly fits the description. Moore doesn’t win much but she looks different enough to make herself a bit memorable.

Shawn Spears talks about the importance of the black glove. He is ready for people trying to take his throne, which is why the glove is self defense.

Dark Order vs. Shawn Dean/Will Hobbs

Evil Uno and Stu Grayson for the Order with the rest of the team on the stage. Grayson takes Dean into the corner to start and it’s off to Uno for a shot to the face. Grayson’s kick to the chest keeps Dean in trouble but he enziguris Uno down. Not that it matters though as Grayson comes back in for a Rock Bottom. A side slam/springboard elbow plants Dean again until he grabs a swinging neckbreaker.

Hobbs has been dropkicked off the apron though, meaning Dean has to hit a running flip dive onto Uno instead. Back in and the hot tag brings in Hobbs to clean house, including an Oklahoma Stampede for two on Uno. Everything breaks down and it’s the Knightfall to Hobbs, setting up the Fatality to finish Dean at 5:44.

Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse, though I don’t quite buy the Dark Order as the top challengers to the Tag Team Titles. Hopefully their title match can be a good one without a ton of drama, though a surprise isn’t out of the question. Dean and Hobbs are still good for a quick appearance like this though and that’s a valuable thing to have.

Scorpio Sky vs. Corey Hollis

Feeling out process to start as they fight over a hammerlock into a standoff. Sky gets in an atomic drop into a Russian legsweep for two before hitting a good dropkick. Hollis heads outside and sweeps the leg before hitting a shot to the face. A middle rope spinning kick to the head gives Hollis two more but Sky blocks a Stunner. Some small packages get two each until Sky kicks him in the face. The Stundog Millionaire gets Hollis out of trouble but his top rope splash hits raised knees. The TKO finishes Hollis at 5:21.

Rating: C. I know I say it every week but man alive is Sky smooth in the ring. He can do this kind of thing against anyone around and that makes him a very easy watch. I could go for more of him on a higher level and that doesn’t seem to be too far out of the realm of possibility. They played Hollis up as someone of note here too so maybe he’ll be around in the future.

Penelope Ford vs. Kenzie Page

Kip Sabian is here too. Ford sends her into the corner for a running clothesline to start but Page hits a clothesline of her own. A charge is sent into the middle buckle though and Ford glares down at Paige for daring to try something. We hit the fish hook camel clutch and commentary goes into a Fresh Prince routine since Ford is from Philadelphia. Ford hits a Stunner but charges into a superkick. That just earns Paige a Lethal Injection into a fisherman’s suplex for the pin at 4:47.

Rating: D+. Ford has come a long way in the last few months and that’s great to see. This wasn’t much of a match though as Ford isn’t ready to be out there squashing people. Paige is another one of the several jobbers that they throw into these spots, so it wasn’t like Ford had the greatest stuff to work with in the first place.

Wardlow vs. Aaron Solow

Solo’s strikes have no effect and Wardlow knocks him hard into the corner. Some hard shots in the corner set up a swinging release Rock Bottom and Wardlow hits a heck of a clothesline. Wardlow knees him out of the corner and the referee stops it at 2:54.

Post match Wardlow stays on him and hits the F10.

Dark Order vs. Best Friends

Oh well where would we be without TWO Dark Order matches??? It’s Alex Reynolds and John Silver for the team here and they jump the Friends from being to start. They head outside with the Friends being sent into the barricade but shrugging it off to take over without much trouble. Back in and we get the big hug but Strong Zero is broken up. A Stunner into a German suplex gets two on Trent and the Order takes turns raking their boots over his face.

Silver hits a running double leg takedown for two and Reynolds hits a cutter for the same. Trent shrugs off some YES Kicks and hits a few forearms, only to have Reynolds take Chuck down to break up a hot tag attempt. A double torture rack faceplant gets two on Trent but he’s back with a belly to back suplex to Reynolds. The hot tag brings in Chuck and Silver is thrown into Reynolds in the corner. Chuck’s Falcon Arrow gets two on Silver as everything breaks down. The Awful Waffle finishes Silver at 9:09.

Rating: C-. This was every middle of the road Friends match you’ve seen in a long time. The action was fine, the story was fine, but it was the Dark Order’s B team vs. the Best Friends. As usual, that’s where the matches on this show keep losing me: after an hour, I really don’t need to see these people out there for nine minutes before the obvious conclusion.

Post match the Dark Order chases the Friends off.

Lance Archer vs. Frankie Thomas

Archer has Jake Roberts with him and carries a production worker to the ring. Thomas gets in his face and is Pounced down to start. Hold on as Archer needs to point down at Lee Johnson before heading outside, where he pulls Thomas’ slingshot dive out of the air. Back in and Archer sends him hard into the corner but the Blackout is escaped. A chokeslam sets up the EBD Claw for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: D+. Another match that was similar to everything you see from Archer more often than not. It can be fun to see Archer beat people up like this but can we find something for him to do already? He hasn’t had an important feud since the TNT Title match with Cody and that didn’t go so well for him. Find something else for him, please?

Orange Cassidy vs. Serpentico

Cassidy takes his time getting ready and then avoids a charge in the corner. The hands go into the pockets and it’s a dropkick into the nipup. The threat of a Superman punch sends Serpentico bailing to the floor so he pulls Cassidy down by the leg. A slingshot double stomp sets up a short DDT for two. Cassidy sends him outside again and hits the suicide dive but gets caught up top. Serpentico hits a superplex and rolls through, only to get cradled to give Cassidy the pin at 3:17.

Rating: D+. And so, AGAIN, it’s similar to everything we usually see from Cassidy. He did the hands in the pockets, the nipup, the lazy stuff and then the rollup pin. It’s almost like this show has nothing left to offer and is nothing more than putting wrestlers in the ring for the same stuff they do on the shows that matter.

Post match Serpentico charges at Cassidy, who hits the Superman punch.

Sammy Guevara vs. Fuego del Sol

Low Rider is here with Sol. Sammy takes him down with ease to start and the cockiness is flowing early. A front facelock goes on but Sol uses a springboard to reverse it into a rollup for two. Something close to a 619 in the corner connects but Sammy knees a springboard out of the air for two of his own. Sammy’s delayed vertical suplex gets two more and it’s time for a fireman’s carry with squats. Sol is sent outside so Sammy can strike a pose back inside. Back in and Sol hits a faceplant but misses a corkscrew Swanton. Another knee to the face sets up GTH to finish Sol at 5:13.

Rating: C-. I’m glad to see Sammy back as he really is that great to watch in the ring. The confidence is insane for him and it’s something that makes the Inner Circle better. Sol and Rider weren’t exactly great opposition but the point here was for Sammy to get his feet wet again so they worked out fine.

Post match it’s a GTH for Rider as well.

Private Party is ready for the main event and Big Money Matt Hardy comes in to say he likes the two of them. The more over they are, the more over he stays. Now go win by any means necessary. Kassidy: “Wow Big Money Matt. Kind of a d***.”

Private Party vs. Santana and Ortiz vs. SCU

Matt Hardy is here with Private Party. Kazarian and Kassidy start things off and they go to the mat for a bit of a surprise. Ortiz tags himself in and throws Kassidy outside, allowing Kazarian to get in a kick to the face. A neckbreaker drops Kazarian though and Santana comes in with a moonsault off of Ortiz’s back. It’s off to Daniels to double team Santana for two and he falls into the corner for the tag to Quen.

The camel clutch/jumping double stomp hits Daniels but Matt isn’t happy with Private Party posing instead of following up. Santana and Ortiz come in to continue the beating on Daniels and things slow down with the choking in the corner. A sitout powerbomb into a kick to the face gets two with Kassidy making the save. Daniels and Ortiz hit a double clothesline for the double knockdown and the rolling tag brings in Quen.

That means the running flip dive onto Santana and Ortiz, setting up Kassidy’s Lionsault for two on Ortiz. It’s back to Quen for his half of a top rope splash/top rope legdrop and everything breaks down. Ortiz hits a flipping Stunner on Daniels but gets caught by Kazarian’s slingshot DDT. Kassidy dives onto Daniels and Ortiz low blows Quen for the pin at 10:49.

Rating: C. This was the only thing on the show that got my interest up whatsoever and that’s because it felt different. For once it wasn’t the same matches we see week after week with the people being rotated in and out. It’s nice to not have a match where you know what’s going to happen the second you see who the big star is and that was so nice after an hour and a half of the same stuff.

The Dynamite preview takes us out.

Overall Rating: D+. I had to take multiple breaks to get through this thing because this is far from the most interesting way to watch a wrestling show. In addition to having WAY too many matches on the show, the biggest problem is there is nothing going on between them. Other than that Matt/Private Party promo, it’s match after match after match with the same commercials bridging the gaps. This show had the same problem that most Raw’s have: you get through a long stretch and then can’t believe how much time is left. I’m not sure why AEW feels required to put EVERYONE on these shows but it really drags them down a lot.

Results

FTR b. Initiative – Mind Breaker to Avalon

Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela b. Michael Nakazawa/Pineapple Pete – Splits splash to Pete

Abadon b. Skyler Moose – Widow’s Peak

Dark Order b. Shawn Dean/Will Hobbs – Fatality to Dean

Scorpio Sky b. Corey Hollis – TKO

Penelope Ford b. Kenzie Paige – Fisherman’s suplex

Wardlow b. Aaron Solow via referee stoppage

Best Friends b. Dark Order – Awful Waffle to Silver

Lance Archer b. Frankie Thomas – EBD Claw

Orange Cassidy b. Serpentico – Cradle

Sammy Guevara b. Fuego del Sol – GTH

Santana and Ortiz b. Private Party and SCU – Low blow to Quen

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: AEW

Dynamite
Date: June 17, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We’re rapidly approaching Fyter Fest and the card is starting to come together. With so much taking place over the course of the two weeks, we should be in for some rapid fire building and that could make for some entertaining shows. Tonight includes almost a mini tournament to set up the Tag Team Title match at Fyter Fest and that could be good stuff. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Natural Nightmares vs. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page

Omega and Page are defending. Dustin starts with Omega and has to escape an early One Winged Angel attempt. Omega sends him into the corner and tried to jump over but knees Dustin in the head by mistake. It’s off to Marshall for a dropkick on Page but he gets taken into the corner. Omega comes back in with a springboard ax handle to the ribs, only to have Marshall muscle him up with a suplex.

That’s enough for the tag to Dustin and the pace picks up, only to have Omega hit the Kitaro Crusher for two. Omega brings Page back in for a basement clothesline to Marshall, setting up the middle rope moonsault to give Page two. Marshall knocks him back though and the hot tag brings in Dustin to start cleaning house again. Everything breaks down and the champs are sent outside.

Dustin hits a flip dive off the apron and Marshall adds a flip dive of his own to Omega. Back in and Omega blocks the cutter and hits the snapdragon on Marshall. Dustin hits the Canadian Destroyer on Omega but Page is there with the non-Buckshot lariat. Marshall grabs the cutter on Page to put everyone down. Cue Allie to cheer Marshall on but it’s Omega forearming Marshall and throwing him into a German suplex from Page. Dustin is sent to the floor for a dive from Page and the V Trigger gives Omega two on Marshall. The Last Call drops Marshall and the Last Call retains the titles at 12:48.

Rating: B. They did a good job of making a hot match out of a defense without much doubt as to the winners. The Nightmares are a fine midcard team but they aren’t going to take the titles when there is a chance of Omega/Page vs. Jericho/Guevara at a major show. Allie coming out to cheer didn’t change much, but they could make something out of her not being there from the start.

The announcers run down the card.

Video on Anna Jay, the Star of the show.

Anny Jay vs. Abadon

Abadon crawls to the ring (note from Britt Baker: “This girl needs to find Jesus.”) and knees away in the corner before choking on the ropes. A hurricanrana driver finishes Jay at 1:14. Well ok then. This company is going to get some evil, dark woman over and YOU WILL LIKE IT.

Post match here’s the Dark Order with Brodie Lee pointing some members to the ring and having Evil Uno hand Colt Cabana, at ringside, an envelope with a document inside. The rest of the team helps Jay out of the ring and she leaves with them as Cabana reads the papers.

Billy vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Austin Gunn and Wardlow are the seconds (and Billy towers over Wardlow). MJF bails to the floor to start so Billy hammers away as he comes back inside. A big boot misses so Billy tries again and connects this time for two. That’s enough to send MJF bailing up the ramp but Billy brings him back. A throat snap across the top rope doesn’t work for some reason and MJF busts out a Fargo Strut. Billy gets in a few more shots but MJF takes him down as we hit the break.

Back with MJF working on the leg but walking into a tilt-a-whirl slam. MJF goes right back to the leg and puts on a reverse Figure Four. Aubrey Edwards catches him grabbing the ropes and physically breaks it up so MJF yells at her to no avail. MJF kicks him in the leg and tries a Fameasser, only to get backflipped off. Billy’s Fameasser connects but also draws Wardlow to the apron. The distraction lets Wardlow slip MJF the ring and that’s enough for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C-. The wrestling wasn’t all that great but what matters here is keeping MJF going hard. He knows how to cheat to win very well and beating Billy is a fine use of both of them. I’m not sure when the Fameasser became some big legendary finisher, but it really isn’t, especially from Billy Gunn.

Post match MJF goes after Jungle Boy at ringside and the wrestlers stream over the barricade for the big brawl.

Le Sex Gods are ready to become #1 contenders because they’re closer than best friends. They’re brothers, and blood is thicker than water. Or orange juice, and they beat Orange Cassidy to a bloody pulp.

Tony Schiavone interviews Britt Baker and mentions that Hikaru Shida will defend the Women’s Title at Fyter Fest. Baker doesn’t like being interviewed for this so she and Tony are ON A FRIENDSHIP TIMEOUT! She orders Rebel to drive but Big Swole is driving the golf cart and kidnaps Baker.

TNT Title: Cody vs. ???

Cody, with Arn Anderson, is defending against someone from outside of AEW and it’s….a promo from Cody first. He’s out here looking for a challenger and wants the best competition. Someone pops up on screen and it’s……former NWA TV Champion Ricky Starks, who says he has the same grit and work ethic as Cody. After the Big Match Intros, Cody shoulders him down to start but Starks nips up.

Starks slugs away but walks into a dropkick. A shot that looks pretty close to a low blow sends Starks outside and a suicide dive takes him down again. Starks drops him ribs first over the ropes though as Jake Hager is watching from backstage. Anderson offers a quick distraction and it’s time to strike it out. Starks takes him down but can’t hit a tornado DDT. Instead, Cody hits a boot to the face and the scoop powerslam.

Cross Rhodes is countered so Cody hits a gordbuster for two instead. Cody heads up top but Starks catches him with a top rope superplex. Back up and Starks’ running crossbody puts both of them on the floor for another breather. They head back inside for a slugout until Starks hits a spear for two. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence until Cody ducks a clothesline and grabs Cross Rhodes to retain at 8:32.

Rating: B. I’d be surprised if Starks didn’t get a job out of this as he looked great in the NWA and then did it again on a bigger stage here. Starks is someone who could be a star in the future and that’s what AEW (or anyone) can always use. Cody having matches against other free agents is nice for the same dynamic of the John Cena Open Challenges and that’s a really good idea.

Respect is shown post match.

Young Bucks vs. Superbad Squad

The Death part of the Squad’s name was removed in what is probably a good idea. The referee finds some pliers on Jimmy Havoc but leaves the in the corner, which can’t be a good idea. Matt starts for the Bucks so Havoc goes straight for his taped up ribs. The Bucks fight back in a hurry as is their custom, setting up stereo slingshot dives to the floor. After a glare from Butcher and the Blade (all in white for a change), the Bucks sucker Sabian into the corner and knock him into the corner.

Havoc comes in and gets caught in a running flip neckbreaker into a backbreaker but Butcher and Blade jump the barricade. The distraction lets Havoc get in a shot to Matt’s ribs and the villains take over. Back from a break with Matt getting beaten up in the corner as FTR comes out to watch. Sabian adds a penalty kick to the ribs (which he declares wide) but Matt counters a super hurricanrana into a super sitout powerbomb.

The hot tag brings in Nick to clean house and the Sharpshooter has Sabian in trouble. Havoc tries to bring in a mallet (must be a Fiend fan) allowing Penelope Ford to hit Nick with a wet floor sign. Havoc’s Sing the Sorrow gets two with Matt making the save so Sabian hits a springboard DDT for two of his own. Everything breaks down and Risky Business (springboard 450/standing moonsault combination) gets two on Havoc.

The Butcher and Blade offer a distraction but get stared down by FTR. Sabian’s top rope double stomp hits Matt with Nick making the save, allowing Matt (with the bad ribs, which have been worked on all match) to northern lights suplex both of them at once. The Bucks put Havoc upside down in Sabian’s arms and then superkick Sabian’s knees to make him Tombstone his partner (egads man). Double knees to the face finish Sabian at 15:22.

Rating: B-. The action is entertaining but Bucks matches can be incredibly exhausting with one diving save after another, plus one big move after another. They’re very exciting matches but there are times where I see some of the spots and wonder how in the world I’m supposed to believe this is a real competition. That was turned up higher than usual here and it was hurting things.

Post match the Butcher and Blade come in but FTR takes them out. Butcher and Blade are wiped out by stereo spike piledrivers.

Taz and Brian Cage are outside with Taz ranting about how Jon Moxley was ranting and raving about being miserable. That was Taz’s gimmick twenty years ago and now Cage doesn’t know if he wants to drop Moxley on his head or take the title.

Jon Moxley is in this business because he has demons and fighting holds them back. So Cage, beat him if you can, and survive if you can hang in the deep water.

We run down next week/Fyter Fest.

Rebel is searching for Baker, and finds her in a dumpster. Baker yells about it being five hours and ignores Rebel saying it was just one. Baker wants to know where Schiavone is and says he should be here, timeout or no timeout. Rebel sends out an Instagram because fans will want to see Baker being saved. Baker: “So I’m a damsel in distress???” She swears that Swole will pay for this, meaning fines and lawsuits. Now get her out of here! Baker might be the best thing in AEW right now and that’s some serious competition.

Le Sex Gods vs. Best Friends

The winners face Omega and Page at Fyter Fest for the titles and there’s no Orange Cassidy after last week. Matt Hardy is on commentary as Sammy sings Judas during the entrance. It’s a brawl to start with Chuck taking Jericho to the floor for some early choking. A water bottle to the eye makes it worse for Jericho as Trent spears Sammy down. Back in and Chuck stomps on Jericho in the corner but Sammy comes in for a fast dropkick.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so it’s back to Jericho for a hard clothesline. The Lionsault misses though and Jericho tweaks his knee, meaning the tag to Sammy goes through in a hurry. Trent comes in to chop away but Jericho gets in a bat shot to the ribs. Back from a break with Jericho flipping Trent over the top to crash on the mat, meaning it’s time for the pose from Le Sex Gods.

The delay allows the hot tag to Chuck, who hits a powerbomb with Jericho making a fast save. That earns Jericho a trip to the floor, followed by Soul Food into a half and half suplex. The hug is loaded up but Jericho decks Trent (thank goodness) and Sammy takes Chuck to the floor. Jericho grabs the Walls on Trent, who crawls over to the rope for the break. Back up and Trent crotches Sammy on top (Sammy: “Oh my Spanish god.”) and it’s Chuck coming over for the assisted superplex.

Jericho makes his own save and throws Chuck over the barricade. The distraction lets Sammy hit Trent with the bat, setting up the shooting star press for two. As ridiculous of a kickout as that was, commentary does cover it by saying Sammy pulled back too far. The cameraman trips Sammy though (aha) and Strong Zero finishes Sammy at 16:02.

Rating: B-. They actually surprised me with the ending and that’s a good thing. The Cassidy as a cameraman deal is a deal that has worked before and it worked well here. I would have bet on the switch but they managed to do something logical with a pretty good match at the same time. Well done, especially for a Best Friends match.

Post match the cameraman is in fact Orange Cassidy to wreck Jericho. House is cleaned and Tony announces Cassidy vs. Jericho for Fyter Fest.

Overall Rating: B+. I had a really good time with this one and they made it into a solid show overall. It definitely had a focus on tag wrestling but it also helped set up Fyter Fest rather well. The Jay loss surprised the heck out of me, as did Starks’ debut. One of those things is better than the other, but you can’t have a hit every time. Overall, rather good show and one of their better ones in a good while.

Results

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. Natural Nightmares – Last Call to Marshall

Abadon b. Anna Jay – Hurricanrana driver

Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Billy – Ring punch

Cody b. Ricky Starks – Cross Rhodes

Young Bucks b. Superbad Squad – Double knees to Sabian

Best Friends b. Le Sex Gods – Strong Zero to Guevara

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: March 10, 2020
Location: 1^st Bank Center, Broomfield, Colorado
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur
Hosts: Tony Schiavone, Dasha Gonzalez

We’re past Revolution and that means it’s time to start moving forward to Double Or Nothing in May. We might be getting some hype for Blood & Guts though, and that could make for some interesting times given that we’re less than three weeks away. Then again, the people who wrestle on this show are almost never going to make it onto a show that big so it might not matter. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Taz and Excalibur run down the card.

Jurassic Express vs. Peter Avalon/Kip Sabian

Marko Stunt, Penelope Ford and Leva Bates are all at ringside. Sabian has to backflip out of a Luchasaurus chokeslam attempt and that means a Karate Kid pose. Boy and Avalon come in with Peter telling us to be quiet. That earns him a chop to the chest and a springboard armdrag to put him down as the pace picks up. A dropkick has Avalon in more trouble and a springboard dive drops Sabian for a bonus.

Ford breaks up a springboard though and Sabian gets two off a neckbreaker. Sabian is back up with a springboard dropkick into a spinebuster, followed by a double suplex for one. Ford and Bates get in an argument over a book though and, after they shove Stunt away, the distraction lets Luchasaurus come in to clean house. Avalon actually escapes a chokeslam attempt but gets kicked down, setting up a standing moonsault for two instead. It’s back to Boy to start rapid firing the strikes as everything breaks down. The Tail Whip sends Sabian outside and the reverse powerbomb/cutter combination finishes Avalon at 7:58.

Rating: C. Pretty standard match here but it’s great to see Jurassic Express do something after just kind of sitting around for months. I’m not sure what happened to them but they were looking like one of the biggest teams in all of the company. If nothing else, it was nice to see the better version without Stunt out there as the novelty act.

Buy a Pharaoh shirt with some of the money going to charity!

Severino Corrente vs. Jimmy Havoc

This is Corrente’s debut. Havoc works on the arm to start so Corrente punches him in the face. You don’t do that to someone like Havoc, who sends him face first into the buckle to take over again. A double stomp out of the corner sets up a middle rope double stomp but the Acid Rainmaker is countered into a German suplex back into the corner. Havoc bites the finger and pokes the eye though, setting up a running dropkick. A Death Valley Driver into the Acid Rainmaker finishes Corrente at 4:48.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here and that might be a good idea for Havoc. He hasn’t done much around here in a long time and having him get a win like this at least keeps him around. I’m not sure what it means for Havoc’s future, but I can’t imagine seeing him facing Luther on Dynamite.

Post match Luther comes in and beats Havoc down.

Here’s where Dynamite is coming! And buy that shirt.

Abadon vs. Hikaru Shida

It’s Abadon’s debut as well and she’s rather evil looking. Shida seems scared of her to start and backs off early on before running Abadon over with a shoulder. A headscissors puts Shida down and she yells at Shida a lot. Abadon bends Shida’s neck across the rope and it’s time to chop it out. A knee to the face sets up a middle rope dropkick on Abadon but she’s right back with an Edge-O-Matic for two. That just earns Abadon a brainbuster into the running knee for the pin at 5:31.

Rating: C. Abadon feels like one of several evil/creepy wrestlers that you have probably seen time after time but she had a perfectly fine performance here. Shida is someone else who can do a lot in the ring, but at some point she needs to do something a little more than just the running knee. She’s one of the better women in the division though and I can see why AEW is pushing her.

Jimmy Havoc isn’t hurt and wants to fight Luther, who jumps him again.

Avalon and Bates come up to Colt Cabana and tell him to read more instead of listening to podcasts. Peter storms off but Bates comes back up to say that she’s a big fan of his podcast.

Private Party vs. Sonny Kiss/Brandon Cutler

Cutler armbars Cassidy to start and it’s Kiss coming in off a blind tag but everything breaks down. A bunch of kicks miss until Kiss misses a handspring elbow in the corner. Kiss is fine enough to knock Quen down but he’s right back with a monkey flip, allowing the tag back to Cassidy. An atomic drop sets up an enziguri to drop Kiss and the leapfrog double stomp to the back gets two.

Kiss slips out of a double suplex and slides under a double clothesline for the hot tag to Cutler for the house cleaning. Cutler ties both of them in the ropes for springboard legdrops, followed by a suicide dive to Quen. A springboard legdrop gets two on Cassidy, followed by some kicks from Kiss.

Back in and Kiss snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana for two on Cassidy. Quen breaks up the splits though and Kiss is driven back into the corner. A moonsault to the back gives Cassidy two with Cutler breaking the save, setting up back to back fireman’s carry gutbusters. Cutler is sent outside though and it’s Gin and Juice to pin Kiss at 11:21.

Rating: C-. Much like Jurassic Express, what in the world happened to Private Party? They came in as one of the more promising teams in the company and now they’re taking eleven minutes to beat two jobbers? The match wasn’t too bad but Private Party should be at least a little higher up than this.

Post match the Death Triangle runs in for the beatdown on all four. Pac says this is just the beginning so here’s Joey Janela to get beaten down. The Best Friends and Orange Cassidy run in for the save. That’s quite a bit to end Dark.

Overall Rating: C. I liked the wrestling here and it’s almost weird to see an angle take place on this show. It did offer something fresh though and that’s one of the better things that could happen. You can only run the same mixture of lower level performers for so long, though please tell me I don’t have to watch Janela around here going forward. It’s better than Dynamite, but…it’s Janela. Anyway, not a bad show this week with some nice debuts.

Results

Jurassic Express b. Peter Avalon/Kip Sabian – Reverse powerbomb/cutter combination to Avalon

Jimmy Havoc b. Severino Corrente – Acid Rainmaker

Hikaru Shida b. Abadon – Running knee

Private Party b. Brandon Cutler/Sonny Kiss – Gin and Juice to Kiss

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:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6