IMG Credit: AEW

It’s almost weird to do one of these for this company. AEW has not been around all that long and they don’t do a lot of pay per views. For the most part they are a television company but they do throw out the occasional major show. That’s what we have here with Revolution and the card has been really well built up. Hopefully they can live up to the hype, which they have managed to do almost every time so far. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Dark Order vs. So Cal Uncensored

This is built around a mystery involving the Dark Order’s Exalted One, with the questions being who is he and when is he showing up. The first one is what matters most here though, as Christopher Daniels is kind of perfect for the whole thing. At the same time though, he might be a red herring, as AEW has done a very good job of making you wonder who it is going to be.

As for the match, I’ll take the Dark Order to win. They should be on their game more to impress the Exalted One and it’s not like SCU needs the win. This should be a good enough match, though I wouldn’t let the Dark Order stay in the ring for very long. Daniels isn’t likely the Exalted One, but at least we’re getting an interesting search through the suspects.

Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes

Sometimes you need an old standard for a story and that’s what you have here. Hager was part of the group that attacked Rhodes and put him on the shelf so now Rhodes wants revenge. What else do you need for something like this? AEW has done a nice job of setting up the feuds and then letting the promos do the heavy lifting and that’s what we have here.

Hager should win this one, though Rhodes will put up a heck of a fight and get in his offense. At the end of the day though, Hager is being presented as the Inner Circle’s monster and there is no reason to have him lose his first match with the company. Have him go out fighting as hard as he can but just being outmatched by the big, powerful monster.

Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

Similar idea to Hager vs. Rhodes, but with a little less cowboy and a little more…whatever Allin is. Allin has caught on with the AEW fans like no one else in the promotion and is one of the names the company can point to and say they have created a star. You don’t get to do that very often and Allin has been a shining example. This is one of his bigger matches to date and he should be fine.

I’ll take Allin to win here as Guevara is talented but he’s not the same as Hager, who is a monster needing to be protected. Allin is someone who wants revenge as well and in this case he should be getting it, preferably with the skateboard involved. He’s grown on me a lot and Guevara has been a favorite since I first saw him in Orlando a few years back. This is Allin’s to win and the place will go nuts for him.

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy

This is the one that is going to get some people talking, but it might not be in the same way that AEW is hoping for. We have a rather serious wrestler in Pac, who just came out of a war with Kenny Omega and Orange Cassidy, who is the comedy guy with a massive following. The thing is this isn’t the same as a comedy guy being elevated to a spot he isn’t ready to be in. Cassidy is a different kind of wrestler (I’m not entirely sure what kind) and that could make this different.

That being said, of course Pac wins here, as AEW knows better than to have Pac lose twice in a row, especially to someone who is going to stay over no matter what they do. Cassidy isn’t someone who ever needs to get in the ring because the fans are going to cheer for him no matter what, which is a good spot to be in. Pac wins here as he should, but the shenanigans are going to be something to see.

Women’s Title: Nyla Rose(c) vs. Kris Stadtlander

This is an annoying one for me as I really like Stadtlander but she might be running into a buzzsaw here. Rose is someone that AEW is pushing hard and with good reason, so I’m not sure if they would pull the trigger on Stadtlander here. Part of the problem is the character, as Stadtlander is a little bit out there with what she does (just listen to JR cut Excalibur off when he tried to explain the alien deal) to be a major featured player in the division. She can challenge for the title, but I’m not sure she can win it.

I have to go with Rose here, as it’s too soon to take the title off of her. AEW has not shown a propensity for changing titles in a hurry and I don’t think that is what they are going to do here. Stadtlander might get a title reign one day, but I don’t think they are going to take the title off of Rose so soon. Maybe down the road, but for now it’s Rose’s to retain, as it should be.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Young Bucks

And now we get into the matches where I either A, really want to see them, B, have no idea what to do with them or C, a nice mixture of both. This is a story that could go on for a LONG time as they are four of the people who really matter in this company. Page and Omega are awesome as the champions who are great in the ring together but might not get along so well out of it and the Bucks are the Bucks.

I’ll go with Omega and Page to retain here, as there are a lot more directions to go with the Bucks coming up short here. They can milk this thing for a crazy amount of time and this should be the first of several matches built around this story rather than the big climax. AEW seems smart enough to understand that and hopefully everything will be as good as it seems like it could be.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Cody

Now this is what I want to see. If there wasn’t a big World Title match on the show, this could headline in a heartbeat (as could the Tag Team Titles, which is a good sign). They have built this up incredibly well since the last pay per view and now we are in for Cody to get the chance to FINALLY give Friedman the beating that he has coming to him. That’s where things get complicated and I’m not sure which way to go.

I was ready to say Cody but I think they’ll find a way to let Friedman escape and extend what Cody has to do to get his hands on him for real, but I’m not sure if that’s the right idea. They have set this up perfectly so far and at some point you need to give the fans what they want to see from the story. Cody needs to crush Friedman at some point but I think they’ll try to extend it again, which is something that could work. Maybe.

AEW World Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Jon Moxley

And then we have this, which again could go either way. Moxley seems primed and ready to take the title from Jericho but….that would mean taking the title from Jericho. I’m not sure if that’s what they need to do just yet as he is as established as he can get, but at the same time he’s so great as champion that it makes a lot of sense to keep it on him. There’s something special going on here when I’m this unsure as it could be either choice.

I’ll take Moxley to win the title here as they are going to need a big moment if nothing else happens. This really is the kind of match where it could go either way and I love that that’s true. Even if they change the title here, there is no guarantee that Moxley keeps it, but I’m not sure I can imagine Jericho beating him at this point. Then again I could be completely wrong, as I tend to be.

Overall Thoughts

This is a top heavy show and that’s a good thing. The three biggest matches on the card could go either way and I want to see how all of them play out. The rest of the show looks good as well and there is a real chance that they could have an awesome show. That tends to be the case for AEW and it wouldn’t shock me to see them knock it out of the park all over again.

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: February 25, 2020
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tazz
Hosts: Tony Schiavone, Dasha Gonzalez

It’s another week and I still don’t know what to expect from this show. They get into a rhythm and then it goes flying out the window the next week. The shows are fine enough most of the time but there are weeks where I don’t need to see most of what they are presenting. Let’s get to it.

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

Excalibur and Tazz run down the card with Tony Schiavone nowhere in sight.

Jimmy Havoc vs. Marko Stunt

The rest of the Jurassic Express is here with Stunt. Havoc misses an early charge and gets knocked to the floor for some suicide dives. A diving tornado DDT plants Havoc again but he’s fine enough to hit a buckle bomb back inside. Cue Dr. Luther and Mel to watch on the stage as Havoc hits a brainbuster and cranks on the neck.

Stunt gets a boot up in the corner but dives into a Crossface to work on the neck a bit more. The neck is bent around the turnbuckle and a fisherman’s suplex gives Havoc two. Stunt fights up with an enziguri and dropkicks Havoc outside, but this time he just sidesteps a suicide dive. The Acid Rainmaker finishes Stunt at 7:32.

Rating: D+. Same thing I always say about Stunt: it’s a nice story once, but it’s too much to believe that anyone has any real difficulty beating him. They didn’t go too long here and Stunt’s offense was mainly fluke shots that Havoc could shrug off, but it looks and feels like Havoc is beating up a twelve year old. The long hair and tiny frame make it impossible to believe and that’s not something that is going to get better.

Tony and Dasha (hey she still exists) talk about….not much really.

Dark Order vs. Strong Hearts

Fallout from the Dark Order trying to recruit Cima to the team. Evil Uno and T-Hawk start things off with Hawk chopping away but getting stopped with a poke to the eye. Grayson comes in and gets his leg dropkicked out, allowing the Hearts to set up a basement dropkick to the face. Something like a reverse Rings of Saturn keeps Grayson in trouble but he drives Hawk into the corner to cut him off. Some right hands keep Hawk in trouble and Uno adds a big boot.

A jumping knee into a clothesline gets two but Hawk gets in a quick powerbomb. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Cima so house can be cleaned as everything breaks down. The double suicide dive takes the Order out and it’s a missile dropkick to Uno back inside. Uno is fine enough to hit a DDT/Samoan drop combination on the Hearts though and it’s a toss into a powerbomb for two on Hawk. The Fatality finishes Hawk at 8:35.

Rating: C+. That’s one of the best things I’ve seen from the Dark Order so far but what matters most is having the Exalted One show up and be impressive. I’m not sure who it is going to be but they have a few options, some of which could be rather successful. If it doesn’t work though, the team is done for all intent and purpose so they better get it right.

Come to see Dynamite!

Kip Sabian vs. Joey Janela

Falls count anywhere so Janela low blows him on the stage for two at the bell with Penelope Ford making the save. Sabian knocks Ford down by mistake and it’s time to fight by the stage. That lets Ford hit a big dive off the stage with a crossbody but Janela is fine enough to hit a superkick. Ford gets in another distraction though and Sabian hits a flip dive to put Janela down.

They get inside for the first time with Sabian pulling on something like a reverse Koji Clutch until they fall outside again. The fight goes into the crowd with Janela throwing a drink in his face and taking it back to ringside. Janela’s dive off the barricade gets chaired out of the air but Sabian dropkicks a chair by mistake. A prosthetic leg to the head has Sabian drown again and it’s time to set up a table at ringside.

Sabian is back with a half and half suplex on the apron for two, followed by the swinging neckbreaker through the table. Two more tables are set up but Ford is back up with a top rope hurricanrana to Janela. That just earns her a toss into Sabian, who knocks the table over but doesn’t break it. Janela hits a hard kendo stick shot to the head for the pin at 12:29.

Rating: C+. The match was fine enough but I haven’t cared about this feud (or anyone involved in it) since the beginning and this match, which hopefully is the finale, is no different. Janela and Sabian fighting over Ford isn’t worth caring about and they both desperately need something different. It’s a boring feud and hopefully AEW can figure that out.

QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes are ready for their tag match.

QT Marshall/Dustin Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears/Peter Avalon

Brandi Rhodes and Leva Bates are the seconds. Marshall gets hiptossed down to start and that means an early SHH. Dustin comes in for a running knee into a standing twisting moonsault for two on Avalon as the oldest person in the match gets to pick up the pace. Spears’ headlock works a bit better and he tries the Goldust deep breath.

Dustin’s uppercut doesn’t do much good so he goes with the ten right hands in the corner instead. Everything breaks down and Dustin and Marshall get in some stereo dancing jabs. We settle down to Spears dropping Marshall back first onto the apron to take over, allowing Avalon to get two off a leg lariat. Marshall gets away for the tag without much trouble though and it’s Dustin coming in to clean house.

Spears manages a spinebuster though and Marshall gets sent off the top for a big crash to the floor. Back up and Dustin grabs the Code Red for two but Spears runs him down again. A twisting frog splash gets two, only to have Avalon tag himself in. That means a left hand from Spears, who walks out on Avalon to seal his fate. Leva grabs Dustin’s foot to break up Shattered Dreams so it’s a spear from Brandi, followed by Shattered Dreams anyway. A powerslam/sliding reverse suplex combination finishes Avalon at 11:41.

Rating: C. I liked this one well enough but this Spears Needs A Partner deal isn’t going anywhere. The fact that they are already repeating the same idea with the same people isn’t a good sign and I don’t know why I would want to see it again. Not a terrible match but it belongs on a show like this one instead of anywhere near the main show.

Overall Rating: C-. This is a great illustration of the divide between the top half of the roster and everyone around here. The show was full of a bunch of wrestlers who have little reason to be anywhere near Dynamite (not the case with everyone here, but the majority of them). There is a big difference between the two pools of talent and I don’t know how necessary it is to keep showing these matches. Not a bad show, but not one you’ll ever need to see.

Results

Jimmy Havoc b. Marko Stunt – Acid Rainmaker

Dark Order b. Strong Hearts – Fatality to T-Hawk

Joey Janela b. Kip Sabian – Kendo stick to the head

Dustin Rhodes/QT Marshall b. Peter Avalon/Shawn Spears – Powerslam/sliding reverse suplex combination to Avalon

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: February 11, 2020
Location: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Tazz, Excalibur
Host: Tony Schiavone

This show continues to be all over the place and that is rather interesting at times. You never can tell what to expect on something like this and that’s one of the best things about it. Hopefully it’s a bit shorter than last week, which was longer than a show like this needs to be. Let’s get to it.

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

Tony runs down the card.

Riho vs. Shoko Nakajima

Non-title. They go with the technical stuff to start with Nakajima grabbing a headlock to little avail. A dropkick puts Nakajima down but she’s able to send Riho out side for a suicide dive. Back in and a cravate with knees to the head rock Riho some more, setting up a running basement Blockbuster. Nakajima pulls on both arms at once but Riho rolls through into a double stomp.

Riho misses a 619 so Nakajima tries and misses her own, only to keep swinging to hit a second attempt for a cool spot. They slug it out until Nakajima grabs a guillotine, only to get reversed into a northern lights suplex for two. A top rope double stomp gets two on Nakajima and it’s off to a pinfall reversal sequence for two each. Nakajima misses a top rope backsplash, allowing Riho to hit a running knee to the face for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: B-. The action was pretty good but Nakajima is the latest name added to a long list of women who aren’t all that interesting in the first place. The biggest problem continues to be we know nothing about them and there is little that sets them apart other than their name and their gear. Yes the action can carry them, but they are going to need something else.

Jimmy Havoc vs. Sonny Kiss

Havoc takes him to the mat to start and Sonny can’t spin out of a wristlock. A quick reversal into a sunset flip gives Kiss two and he takes Havoc down with a hurricanrana. The handspring splash just annoys Havoc so he knocks Kiss down in the corner. They fight to the floor with Kiss chopping the post by mistake, allowing Havoc to bend the arm around the turnbuckle.

Back in and we hit the armbar on Kiss, followed by a suplex to send him into the corner for two. A Death Valley Driver gets two and we hit the Fujiwara armbar to keep Kiss in trouble. That’s broken up and Kiss hits a one armed belly to belly, plus a front flip kick to the ribs for two. Kiss tries a Matrix but hurts his arm, setting up Havoc’s cross armbreaker, with the finger being bent back to make Kiss tap at 10:01.

Rating: C. I was shocked by the fact that the arm actually played into the finish and that’s a good thing. It’s the kind of a finish that you don’t get very often and I’m glad to see them doing something like that for a change. Nice enough match and I’m not sure what Havoc is doing next, but I’m not sure I even remembered him being around.

Dr. Luther seems to threaten Jimmy Havoc.

Here’s where Dynamite is coming.

Hikaru Shida vs. Cassandra Golden

Golden is taller and grabs a headlock to start. Shida’s shoulder has no effect and Golden throws her down by the hair. A whip into the corner gets two but Shida manages a backbreaker. Golden is right back with a much bigger side slam and a Vader Bomb gets a deep cover for two. This time it’s Shida coming back with a running forearm and a missile dropkick puts Golden down. She isn’t down long though as she is right back up with a running enziguri and a Falcon Arrow. Shida is fine enough to hit a running knee (popular move around here) for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: C-. Golden was impressive enough here and Shida has already proven herself. I got more out of Golden than I did Nakajima earlier, if nothing else because she stood out a bit more. We got a good enough match here but it’s nothing overly memorable, which is fine enough on a show like this one.

Dark Order vs. Jurassic Express

Jungle Boy/Marko Stunt here while Alex Reynolds and John Silver are out with the Order. Stunt avoids a charge from Grayson to start and hits a springboard bulldog. That just earns Stunt a running elbow to the face so it’s off to Jungle Boy for a hiptoss. A basement superkick has Grayson in trouble and it’s Uno coming in for an elbow to the face. Uno hits a Swanton for two more and Grayson adds a spinebuster for the same.

Boy tries to fight up but gets his back raked to take him down again. A slingshot hilo to the apron keeps Boy down and there’s a t-bone suplex to make it worse. The Fatality is broken up though and it’s Stunt coming back in for the dodging disguised as offense. A tornado DDT plants Uno as everything breaks down.

Boy hits a suicide dive on Silver and Reynolds, followed by a Samoan drop for two on Uno. Grayson gets caught in a bridging German suplex so Uno slams Stunt onto him for the save. Uno tells Boy to stop and then punches him in the face before Grayson catches Stunt’s super hurricanrana. That means Stunt can be thrown at Uno for a sitout powerbomb and now the Fatality is good for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: C. I’m not sure on having a THIS IS AWESOME during this one but at least they had some fast paced action at times and Stunt took the fall. It’s amazing how much more interesting the Dark Order is when they’re not talking and how much less intimidating they are when Uno is one of the focal points. Grayson looks fine but Uno looks like an indy guy who stumbled in here. Fix that and you might have something.

Post match the Dark Order goes after Boy but here are Luchasaurus and SCU for the save. Posing ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling is what mattered here and we had a nice enough night. Couple that with the show being shorter than last week and the lack of a match being shot with a handheld camera and this was an upgrade. They had a decent enough variety this week and I liked what we got well enough. This show is going to be built entirely around the wrestling and this week’s was better than most so call it a good one.

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: January 28, 2020
Location: Watsco Center, Miami, Florida/Norwegian Pearl, International Waters
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone
Host: Tony Schiavone

We’re back on the boat and I’m not sure what to make of this show anymore. Last week’s edition was just under half an hour long and I’m kind of digging that. There is something nice about getting in and getting out, as you don’t want to overload the fans with too much content. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

From Miami.

Nyla Rose vs. Shanna

Tables match. Shanna goes right after her to start and the right hands fly in a hurry, only to have Nyla shove her away. The first table is pulled out early on so Shanna dives off the apron to take Rose down. That just earns her a shove into the barricade and the table is set up in the corner. A drop toehold sends Rose head first into but not through the table. Shanna hits a running dropkick in the corner and takes her up for a super hurricanrana right back down.

The table is set up in the middle this time but Shanna can’t lift her up. She can however block an AA through the table and DDT Nyla onto the side for a nasty landing. The table is set up outside so Nyla is sent to the apron. Shanna tries a dive but gets caught in a chokeslam through the table to give Rose the win at 8:04.

Rating: D. This was really bad with neither looking good and the table stipulation not being needed. JR acknowledged how bad it was with the bowling shoe analogy and I don’t know what else they were expecting. How else was something like this to go? Pretty bad miss here but at least Rose is being rebuilt.

Post match Rose goes after her again but Sadie Gibbs comes out for the save. That just earns her another chokeslam through another table.

Here’s where AEW is coming.

From the cruise.

QT Marshall vs. Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here with Sabian. They run the ropes to start without getting much contact until Marshall hits a handspring kick to the face. Marshall goes up but gets pulled down by Ford, allowing Sabian to hit Eat Defeat for two. Sabian works on the arm for a bit, followed by a hanging swinging neckbreaker for the same. Hold on though as Marshall needs to go outside and yell at a fan, allowing Marshall to make the comeback. A tilt-a-whirl slam gets two on Sabian and Ford has to save him from an armbar. Back in and Sabian grabs a sunset flip so Ford grabs his hands for the leverage and the pin at 6:36.

Rating: C-. Battle of two good hands here and that’s not really enough to keep my interest. The wrestling was fine enough, with Ford being fine as the cheating manager. Neither of them are going to go anywhere anytime soon, but that is the case with a lot of people featured in AEW at the moment.

From Miami again.

Dark Order vs. Sonny Kiss/Brandon Cutler

Cutler has some new gear, including a 20 sided die. Grayson runs Kiss over to start and drives him into the corner so Uno can come in for two off a big boot. It’s back to Grayson to suplex Kiss down while telling him that he can be more. Kiss is back with a legsweep and a slingshot splits legdrop. One of the Creepers grabs the leg though and it’s Nightfall into the Fatality for the pin on Kiss at 3:10. Cutler was never in the match.

Rating: D. The squash was a good idea for the team but Uno is still dragging things way down for the team. He looks like a joke and Grayson’s good look isn’t enough to overcome anything. I could go for more squashes like this though as it lets the winners showcase themselves, which isn’t the case around here often enough. Try some more of them out and see where you get.

Overall Rating: D-. I really can’t call this a waste of time as it’s only thirty two minutes long but this show has rapidly become the Main Event/Superstars show without the recaps. In other words, it doesn’t offer a ton of value and I’m curious to see how they’re going to retool this to make it work for television. No one would watch this show on regular TV and I’m not sure how much value it is going to have online either. It’s not bad, but it’s a completely nothing show.

Results

Nyla Rose b. Shanna – Chokeslam through a table

Kip Sabian b. QT Marshall – Rollup

Dark Order b. Sonny Kiss/Brandon Cutler – Fatality 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

Dynamite
Date: October 23, 2019
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

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

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Lucha Bros vs. Private Party

Quen headlocks Fenix to start but can’t hit a standing moonsault. A dropkick sends Fenix into the ropes but it’s Pentagon hitting an enziguri from the apron, allowing Fenix to snap off a release German suplex. Kassidy makes the save and it’s Fenix being sent to the floor. A pop up hurricanrana sends Pentagon outside as JR doesn’t seem pleased with the style of offense so far. An atomic drop into an enziguri sets up a jump over Kassidy’s back into a double stomp to the head.

Quen hits the crazy high flip dive to take out Fenix on the floor, leaving Kassidy to enziguri Pentagon again. Fenix is right back in with a top rope double stomp to the standing Quen’s back, followed by a pop up double stomp low to Quen in the corner. Kassidy is set on Quen’s shoulders so Fenix can dropkick him down, making Quen hit a reverse hurricanrana to plant Kassidy in a heap.

The Pentagon Driver gets two on Quen so Fenix sends him into the ropes, only to have Quen cartwheel over to the ropes. Kassidy springboards in and picks up the pace (if that’s possible), including an Asai moonsault to Pentagon. A slingshot crucifix bomb gets two on Fenix, setting up the assisted Sliced Bread from Kassidy. Quen takes off the jacket and hits the perfect shooting star for the….two count.

Fenix is back up with a Gory bomb/legdrop combination for two and it’s back to Pentagon for the house cleaning. The spike Fear Factor is broken up and Gin and Juice hits Fenix. He isn’t legal though so it’s another Gin and Juice for Pentagon, who reverses into the Canadian Destroyer. Pentagon breaks Quen’s arm and it’s the spike Fear Factor for the pin at 12:23.

Rating: A-. Yeah what do you want me to say here? This was incredible stuff with both teams looking like they moved as one and the whole thing was just awesome. The Bros are just on a different level right now and get better every single week. I could have gone with either team winning here but dang this was a blast.

Wardlow is still coming.

We look at Christopher Daniels getting taken out, giving him a pinched nerve to put him on the shelf for six to eight week.

Video on the Dark Order.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Dark Order vs. SCU

The Creepers are here with Dark Order. Grayson and Kazarian exchange armdrags to start so it’s Uno coming in and getting dropkicked down. Grayson is already back in so Kazarian and Sky take turns on his arm again. A Pele kick gets Grayson out of trouble though and Uno sends Sky into the steps. Back with Sky still in trouble and the Inner Circle coming into the arena, tickets in hand.

Sky slips away and brings in Kazarian to clean house, including a neckbreaker for two on Grayson. Everything breaks down and Kazarian gets suplexed into Sky in the corner. Kazarian gets in his slingshot cutter though and it’s a double dragon sleeper to the order….so let’s cut to some young woman in the crowd and come back with the hold broken up.

Grayson flips onto Kazarian as we keep cutting to the Inner Circle in the corner. Uno hits something like the Bitter End bu the Fatality is broken up. Kazarian hits a running DDT onto the apron to drop Uno and it’s SCULater (Gory Bomb spun into a knee from Kazarian) to finish Grayson at 13:48.

Rating: C+. It was good for the most part but my goodness Dark Order has an ability to suck the life out of a show. No one was buying this as having any drama whatsoever and they really could have shortened things up a bit. That and drop it with the camera cuts. WWE does that all the time and it’s annoying there too.

Joey Janela vs. Kenny Omega

Janela grabs the arm to start but gets sent out to the apron. Omega’s running boot knocks him to the floor and there’s the big dive, with Kenny sitting down and yelling up at the Inner Circle (still in their private box). Back in and Janela starts the chops before sending Omega outside for the big crossbody.

We take a break and come back with the Inner Circle shouting a lot and Omega getting German suplexed into the corner. A top rope elbow connects with Omega but he’s fine enough to drop a showboating Janela face first onto the turnbuckle. Janela is right back with a block to the V Trigger and a fisherman’s buster for the double knockdown. A Swanton to the apron only hits apron so it’s the V Trigger into the One Winged Angel to finish Janela at 13:46.

Rating: C+. Well that was quite the drop from their hardcore match, which tends to be the case every time with Janela. I’m not big on Omega most of the time, but I can at least get the appeal of him and he certainly does something big more often than not. Janela….yeah I’m not really getting it. He looks like a guy in tights doing stuff with no real idea of why he’s doing things and that shows badly a lot of the time.

Here’s Cody for an interview but the Inner Circle starts blowing air horns every time he talks. Cody says that this isn’t like the other wrestling company they used to work for and he can come up there and take Jericho out. Jericho makes fun of him and we get a shot of Cody showing the almost entirely empty hard camera side. After that rather bad angle, here are Dustin and MJF (Jericho: “Now I’m supposed to be scared of someone wearing a scarf? Who wears a scarf?”) to even things up a bit.

Diamond Dallas Page of all people is here to even things up and the Inner Circle bails into a locked room. MJF hands Cody the scarf so Cody can break through the glass and the fight is on as they head into the concourse. JR: “They’re gonna destroy Dip N Dots!” Jericho points at the ticket as security breaks things up and takes Cody away. Jericho was awesome here, as he tends to be.

Young Bucks vs. Best Friends

The Bucks superkick Orange Cassidy to start so it’s a brawl early on. The Bucks throw Chuck to the floor and it’s a neckbreaker/backbreaker combination on Trent. They all head outside with Trent spearing Matt and it’s a Doomsday Knee to Nick. A knee to the head keeps Nick in trouble and Trent knocks him outside as we take a break.

Back with Nick rolling out of a 450 and getting caught in a German suplex. Matt takes a Saito suplex and everything breaks down. Taylor’s standing Sliced Bread sets up a sitout powerbomb for two on Matt. The Falcon Arrow (with Excalibur getting in his jokes) gets two more and Trent hits Matt with a super German suplex.

Soul Food into a half and half and Cassidy is back up for the hands in the pockets dive onto the Bucks. Strong Zero hits Matt but Nick Swantons in for the save. The Doomsday Knee hits Nick, so he backflips out of it and lands on his feet, showing that a springboard knee to the head has no effect. More Bang For Your Buck finishes Chuck at 12:08.

Rating: C. This was like watching the opener in slow motion and that’s not a good thing. For the life of me I don’t get the Best Friends and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. They kept this a little shorter too and that’s a better choice. Not every match needs to be some big showcase, especially when the Bucks are set for a huge match at Full Gear.

Post match the Bucks accept Santana and Ortiz’s challenge for Full Gear.

Video on Britt Baker, who is making her homecoming tonight. JR: “She can break your teeth and fix them in the same day!”

Jamie Hayter vs. Britt Baker

Baker starts fast but gets thrown into the corner and knocked off the apron. Baker gets whipped into the barricade and we take a break. Back with a slugout going to Baker but Hayter grabs a sleeper. That’s broken up with a drop back and a clothesline gives Baker two. Hayter comes back with a Michinoku Driver for two but Baker grabs a middle rope brainbuster. Hayter’s release Rock Bottom plants Baker and a clothesline gets two more. Baker hits her in the face though and a cutter (very popular move tonight) sets up the fisherman’s neckbreaker for two more. Lockjaw finishes Hayter at 8:31.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t a big match or even very good but it got the nice moment out of the way. I’ll certainly take that over having someone get the big homecoming in WWE and then losing so Vince can laugh about it or whatever. Baker has some star power but it seems like it’s going to be a while before she gets a real run at the title.

Hayter is in the back for an interview but cuts off the questions….as Brandi throws her down from behind. Brandi glares at the interviewer and storms off without saying anything.

Jon Moxley vs. Pac

Pac jumps him from behind with a chair on the ramp and the beating starts on the floor. They get in for the opening bell and Pac loads up the Red Arrow, sending Moxley bailing outside again. Pac’s running flip dive takes Moxley down and we seem to have a concussion. A running kick to the head cuts Moxley’s comeback off and we take a break.

Back with Moxley blocking a German suplex onto the apron and hitting the headlock driver instead. Moxley nails a suicide dive as we have five minutes of TV time left. The Cloverleaf has Pac in the ropes at four minutes left but Pac is right back with a super Falcon Arrow for a close two.

Moxley gets knocked to the floor and it’s a 450 from the apron for a VERY surprised look from a fan. Back in and the Red Arrow misses as we have a minute left. The Paradigm Shift connects but it’s a delayed cover as TV time runs out at 12:09. JR: “Twenty minutes of intensity and they couldn’t settle it.”

Rating: B-. The ending intrigues me as there are a few directions they could go with it, though the concussion deal (which to be fair they never specifically said) came and went about halfway through the match. The match was entertaining though and these two come off as stars, so it’s a smart move to not have either of them take a fall here.

Post match Moxley hits the Paradigm Shift on the referee for letting the time run out. Moxley rants about the time limit to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I had a really good time with this show and the hot angle with Jericho vs. Cody made up for some of the weaker (yet still good) matches. The opener was excellent and maybe the best match I’ve seen yet from AEW. Just a heck of a fun two hours and they feel like they’re getting into a groove out there, which is pretty impressive so soon. Awesome show this week and next week could be even better.

Results

Lucha Bros b. Private Party – Spike Fear Factor to Quen

SCU b. Dark Order – SCULater to Grayson

Kenny Omega b. Joey Janela – One Winged Angel

Young Bucks b. Best Friends – More Bang For Your Buck

Britt Baker b. Jamie Hayter – Lockjaw

Jon Moxley vs. Pac went to a time limit draw

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

AEW Dark
Date: October 15, 2019
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross

I’m not sure what to expect here and that’s kind of the point of the whole thing. Last week’s show was completely watchable but at the same time, it isn’t exactly something that you needed to watch. We could be in for a lot of different things around here tonight, but I would bet on wrestling being a focal point. Let’s get to it.

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

Before Dynamite, the Young Bucks were getting ready when Kenny Omega came in. Instead, he’ll face Joey Janela in an unsanctioned match on Dark. Tony Schiavone repeats what we just heard.

Schiavone is in the studio and introduces us to the first match.

Kip Sabian vs. Sonny Kiss vs. Peter Avalon

Yes they’ve managed to get the Librarians on the show and Avalon isn’t happy with the crowd disrespecting him. Therefore, sports jokes ensue, none of which make this any better. The bell rings and Avalon shushes the crowd, earning himself a double dropkick to the floor. That leaves Kip and Kiss to flip around a lot with Kiss getting the better of it and striking a pose. Kiss does his big series of flips into a slap and hits the splits but Avalon is right back in to knock him down. Shushing ensues and we hit a seated full nelson on Kiss.

Sabian dropkicks Avalon to the floor and hits the springboard flip dive, only to hurt his hand in the process. The doctor comes out and checks on him, showing a large section of empty seats, though this is before the show officially started so it’s a lot more forgivable. Avalon suplexes Kiss but Sabian is back up for some running kicks to the head in the corner. Sabian gets thrown at Kiss, who hits a DDT as Avalon adds a neckbreaker for two each. Now it’s Kiss popping up for a double facebuster to both of them. Avalon knocks him outside but walks into the Deathly Hallows to give Sabian the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C. Now this was a different kind of presentation as you had a flamboyant character, a gimmick and a standard wrestler. That’s a good mixture of everything being thrown together at once and getting a good enough match as a result. This made a lot of sense as a dark match to opening the night and Sabian gets some momentum while keeping Kiss strong.

Dark Order/Hybrid Two vs. SCU/Cima

Hold on a second though as Jack Evans needs to hold up an SCU Sucks sign and then throw it into the crowd. Angelico and Cima start things off and that could be interesting. Cima gets hiptossed down but nips up into an armdrag. A crucifix gives Cima two and it’s off to Daniels to stay on Angelico. Actually make that Grayson, who walks into an armbar for his efforts. SCU and Cima get Grayson in the corner and it’s a series of dropkicks in the corner to really knock him silly.

A Stunner/DDT combination takes the Dark Order down and Kazarian follows up with a slingshot hurricanrana to the floor to take Grayson down again. The parade of dives begins until Grayson takes Sky back in for a torture rack into a backbreaker. Kazarian grabs a slingshot Stunner though and it’s now the parade of finishers. Sky starts cleaning house until the Hybrid Two get in a double low blow. Evans backslides Sky and flips over for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. This was the designed showcase match with eight people doing a bunch of stuff, though they made sure to get in a heat segment, which does help things a lot. It was a match we have seen better several times before but it was entertaining and had some good looking dives. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with two boring teams winning, but that’s something they can work on over the next few weeks.

Cody sits down with referee Audrey Edwards to talk about her road to where she is now. WWE tried her out a few times but wasn’t signed for unclear reasons. The undeniable moment (which seems to be the theme here) is when she is holding up the title and everyone knows it is the main event. This was a fine enough interview with someone you don’t usually hear from.

Highlights of Young Bucks vs. Private Party, which works for me.

Quick look at the Tag Team Title tournament brackets.

We look at the end of Dynamite, with the battle lines being drawn between the Inner Circle and everyone else.

Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela

Unsanctioned match and yes they do turn the lights out for a second in some nice symbolism. Joey goes straight to the floor and it’s time to grab a chair. Omega isn’t having that though and hammers away in the corner but a hurricanrana sends him outside. Of course that means the suicide dive and Janela smiles a lot. That means it’s time to throw in more chairs and a ladder as we’re getting close to three minutes in.

Omega tries to fight back but gets a chair pelted at his face. He’s fine enough to hit the running Fameasser onto a pile of chairs, which Janela was kind enough to pose in front of. A running flip dive to the floor connects with Janela’s but Omega’s legs crash into the barricade, meaning it’s time from the sanctioned doctors. The table (of course) is thrown in and Omega nails a top rope missile dropkick to the back of the head.

The Regal Roll into the middle rope moonsault gets two and the snapdragon makes it even worse. They slug it out on the apron until Omega hits another snapdragon out there and Janela is looking a bit dead. The One Winged Angel onto the steps is broken up though and Janela German suplexes him onto the floor for the next OW spot. Janela bridges a table between the steps and apron but stops to whip Omega into the ladder in the corner.

A hard German suplex sends Omega into the ladder for two, only to have Omega pop up with a V Trigger. They’re both down for a bit but Omega gets up top, only to be superplexed right back down. Janela can’t Russian legsweep him through the bridged table (which is face up) so he backdrops him onto another upside down table instead. The Death Valley Driver into the ladder rocks Omega again but Janela misses a frog splash off the ladder through the table.

Omega gets two off a Sky High and there are two more V Triggers, into Jon Moxley’s Paradigm Shift for two. A missed charge lets Janela send him over the top and through the table for the big crash. Janela puts him in a chair and knocks him right back out of it, which seems a little counter productive. Omega is right back up and loads up a pair of chairs back to back. Just because Janela is kind of out there, he gets slammed off the top, back first onto the top of the two open chairs. The One Winged Angel through a chair gives Omega the pin at 26:31.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was a blast, even if you ignore a lot of the problems with the lack of a story, the violence for the sake of violence and Janela still not being able to do much outside of hardcore stuff. I had a good time with it though and that’s all it needed to be. Omega gets the big win, though it isn’t over the highest level of competition.

Tony gives us a quick sendoff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a very different kind of show with two pretty standard matches to open things up and a match that you could have seen on a top pay per view to wrap it up. I liked the big main event though and it’s the kind of showcase match that the company was looking for. Good show here, and completely different than what I was expecting to see from this series, in a positive way.

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