IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: June 9, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur

Last week’s show was a nice change of pace as it was down to about forty five minutes, making things feel a lot better. This week though it’s a different world as we have World Champion Jon Moxley in action. Hopefully the show is as easy to watch as it was last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Taz and Excalibur welcome us to the show.

Fuego del Sol/Low Rider vs. SCU

Kazarian legsweeps del Sol to start and it’s quickly off to Sky for a knee to the ribs. A butterfly suplex gives del Sol two and Rider comes in with a springboard missile dropkick for the same. Rider misses a charge in the corner though and it’s a hot tag to Kazarian to clean house. The hiptoss neckbreaker hits del Sol (always looks cool) and SCU Later finishes him at 2:58.

Alan Angels joins the Dark Order and is renamed 5.

Lee Johnson vs. 5

Some more of the team is here with 5. Johnson shrugs off the beating in the corner to start and dropkicks 5 to the floor. Back up and 5 sends Johnson arm first into the post and starts working it over. A fireman’s carry slam plants Johnson but he’s right back up with some clotheslines. The leg lariat drops 5 and he gets knocked to the floor for a big running flip dive. Back in and the Blue Thunder Bomb gives Johnson two but 5 hits a hanging DDT onto the apron. Brodie Lee comes out to watch as 5 hits a modified Backstabber (boots instead of knees) for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C. The match was pretty much skippable but what matters is they gave Angels something to do after some rather impressive performances on this show. That opens up some doors as it gives the wrestlers an added incentive to work hard around here while also boosting the company’s roster. That’s a good sign going forward and a smart thing to do.

Post match, the rest of the Dark Order, minus Lee, beats down Johnson.

Santana and Ortiz vs. Musa/Brady Pierce

Ortiz flips Musa down by the arm to start and they trade some standing switches. A rake to the back keeps Musa in trouble and a sitout powerbomb makes it worse. Pierce’s save fails as both of them are sent outside for a moonsault from Santana. Back in and Santana throws Musa into the corner for the tag to Pierce, who misses a quick moonsault attempt. Pierce and Musa are laid on top of each other in the corner for the assisted Cannonball. The Street Sweeper finishes both of them at 5:09.

Rating: C-. Santana and Ortiz are getting more and more entertaining every week, which says a lot given how good they were in the first place. They’re the kind of team who works so well together and it’s fun to see how well they gel as a unit. Give them some big matches already because they can hang with (if not beat) any team in the company.

QT Marshall tells Dustin Rhodes that their tag match is now a singles match for himself. Dustin isn’t pleased and seeing the Natural Nightmare shirts that Allie made doesn’t make it better. Brandi gets a special one and asks who the f*** this is for, as it’s about three sizes too big.

Butcher And Blade vs. Pineapple Pete/Anthony Catena

Butcher drives Pete into the corner to start and goes Arn Anderson with an eye rake across the rope. It’s off to Blade for a beating in the corner as the announcers run down the name Pete (which is an inside joke of course). A fisherman’s neckbreaker into a fisherman’s DDT plants Pete and it’s off to Catena. Blade hits a Stunner into Butcher’s hard clothesline and the running powerslam gets two. The suplex onto Blade’s knees finishes Catena at 3:59.

Rating: D+. It isn’t often that getting rid of the talented manager makes things that much better but it was the case here. Butcher and Blade were little more than heel goons to start so it is nice to see them getting to do something for a change. The match was total destruction, and that’s a nice way to rebuild a team like Butcher and Blade.

QT Marshall vs. Zack Clayton

Allie, Brandi Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes are all here with Marshall, though Allie goes over for commentary. Marshall knocks him down to start as Allie talks about all of the training she has been putting Marshall through. Clayton sends Marshall over the top so he skins the cat but Clayton dropkicks him to the ramp. That’s enough to send Allie down to ringside as Clayton hammers away even more back inside.

A knee drop gives Clayton two and the powerslam is good for the same. Clayton goes for the turnbuckle so Brandi gets on the apron, only to be knocked down onto Dustin. Marshall uses the distraction to hit a Lethal Combination as Brandi is clutching her wrist. Allie claims a broken nail so Marshall checks on her, much to Dustin’s annoyance. Allie grabs Clayton’s leg (it isn’t clear if Marshall saw it) and the Red Delicious is enough to give Marshall the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C-. The match was nothing of course but it’s rather nice to have a story going on around here. It’s not a hard story to set up with Marshall siding with Allie over the team, though it’s not like Allie has been completely evil or seems to have some other motivation. Maybe that comes later though, as you know a Rhodes story is going to get the attention.

Christopher Daniels vs. Sonny Kiss

Daniels slams him down to start and works on the arm but Sonny bounces out of a wristlock. The armbar has Daniels in trouble and it’s an armbar into another one. Let’s do that a third time until Sonny gets two off a forearm. The fourth armbar goes on and you can feel Daniels’ frustration setting in. Back up and Daniels sends him hard into the corner, setting up the STO into a Crossface.

Sonny grabs the rope and a much more aggressive than usual Daniels stomps away in the corner. Sonny fights back with a dropkick into a hurricanrana, setting up the standing hurricanrana for two. A victory roll gets the same and there’s a spinning kick to Daniels’ head to drop Daniels again. Daniels counters a quick flip though and kicks him in the ribs, setting up the Angel’s Wings for the pin at 8:25.

Rating: C. This was more interesting from Daniels as he is better as a heel than a face. It certainly wasn’t a full on face turn or anything, but it was cool to see him showing a different side of himself. Let some of that aggression out, especially when he is against someone whose style might frustrate him. If nothing else, a split from SCU could be rather interesting.

Jurassic Express vs. Peter Avalon/Brandon Cutler

Marko Stunt is wearing Luchasaurus’ shin guards, which look like chaps on him. See it’s funny because he’s small. Avalon laughs off the idea of facing Stunt so Luchasaurus comes in to chop him over to Cutler instead. Cutler tries to bail to the floor but gets grabbed by the head and pulled back inside. A superkick gives Luchasaurus two but Cutler scores with an enziguri.

That just earns him a wheelbarrow suplex and it’s off to Stunt, who is dropped down onto Cutler for two more. Avalon comes in and gets caught in a super hurricanrana but Stunt spends too much time looking at Leva Bates. That lets Avalon slam him off the top and Cutler slaps on a torture rack (Taz: “The Total Package Brandon Cutler.”). Stunt gets out of a gorilla press and tornado DDTs Avalon, allowing the hot tag to Luchasaurus.

House is cleaned in a hurry and it’s time for Cutler and Avalon to fight. Stunt dives onto both of them but gets caught and tossed onto Luchasaurus. He throws them right back for a double knockdown but Avalon kicks them both down. Avalon hits a sunset bomb into a slingshot elbow from Cutler. Luchasaurus dodges a double running knee and nips up before Stunt springboards in with an armdrag to Cutler. Stunt hits his own Tail Whip and a double chokeslam finishes Avalon at 10:38.

Rating: D+. Remember every complaint I’ve ever had with Stunt matches? It was all of the same ones here, with so many “See, he’s SMALL” deals that it gets annoying in a hurry. I can’t quite say Cutler and Avalon are above this, but egads man. How many people have to be in the ring with him and not just pummel him into a pulp?

Jon Moxley vs. Robert Anthony

Non-title and Brian Cage is standing near commentary. They wrestle to a quick standoff to start and Anthony bails to the floor to get out of a headlock. Moxley trips the leg to take Anthony down, which Taz says he saw coming because he knows this stuff. That’s where Taz can be really really valuable as he’s viewed as someone with a knowledge of this stuff and can explain it very well.

Moxley takes him down again and goes to the arm as Cage doesn’t look overly impressed. Anthony is sent outside for a suicide dive, with Moxley coming up favoring his shoulder a bit. Back in and Moxley starts in on the leg with some dragon screw legwhips and the half crab. A release suplex drops Anthony again and it’s time to wrap his back around the post. There’s a Hartbreaker around the post but Anthony grabs a quick tilt-a-whirl faceplant.

Taz is losing his mind over Anthony not covering and going for a surfboard instead, which is pretty sound advice. Moxley’s Gotch style piledriver is countered into a Death Valley Driver for two. The Paradigm Shift is countered as well but Moxley slams him off the top. A double chickenwing slam plants Anthony for a surprise two so it’s the Texas Cloverleaf to make him tap at 13:10.

Rating: C-. This was an angle rather than a competitive match and commentary did a great job of making the story clear. Moxley was trying to show off in front of Cage and didn’t take Anthony seriously until the ending, when he finished Anthony pretty much with ease. That’s a good way to go, and I’m not sure how the title match is going to play out. It’s nice to have that feeling and hopefully they can keep it up. Also, big points to Taz here, who called the match perfectly given the circumstances. He stood out here, which is rare for commentary.

A quick Dynamite preview takes us out.

Overall Rating: C-. The show is watchable and it’s nice to have some bigger names and angle advancement, but it’s the same thing I ask almost every week: why does it need to be this long? You had eight matches here and two of them had any major (or even moderate) angle advancement. You couldn’t cut out two of those? Say the SCU match and Jurassic Express? Those matches don’t make the show any bigger of a deal and just extend it longer than it needs to be. Just let them have the night off instead. It’s not that important to get them in the ring every week and it makes the show feel long, which isn’t good.

Results

SCU b. Fuego del Sol/Low Rider – SCU Later to del Fuego

5 b. Lee Johnson – Backstabber

Santana and Ortiz b. Musa/Brady Pierce – Double pin after a Street Sweeper

Butcher and Blade b. Pineapple Pete/Anthony Catena – Suplex onto Blade’s knees to Catena

QT Marshall b. Zack Clayton – Red Delicious

Christopher Daniels b. Sonny Kiss – Angel’s Wings

Jurassic Express b. Peter Avalon/Brandon Cutler – Double chokeslam to Avalon

Jon Moxley b. Robert Anthony – Texas Cloverleaf

IMG Credit: AEW

Dark
Date: June 2, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur

Now we get back to something a little bit less interesting with the night of the jobber matches. Usually that would mean the night of squash matches, but that’s not how it tends to work for whatever reason. The biggest problem with the show is how long it tends to run, so hopefully it’s a bit shorter tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

We run down the (rather shorter) card.

John Skyler vs. Billy Gunn

Austin Gunn is in his dad’s corner and Skyler bails into the corner to start. Billy grabs an armbar to send him right back into the corner and a hammerlock makes it worse. Austin is rather pleased so Skyler heads outside to glare at him. Back in and Gunn hits a spinebuster….but Austin tells him not to use a powerbomb. Instead it’s the Fameasser to finish Skyler at 3:39.

Rating: D+. Just a quick match here and there’s nothing wrong with Billy getting a win over a low level guy. Austin being the big cheerleader plays into the roles that the two of them have had in the stands, though I’m not sure how much of a future they have together. The father and son thing is a nice touch though so it’s not exactly torture.

Earlier today, Brandi and Dustin Rhodes are ready for a tag match tonight but there’s no QT Marshall. Cue Marshall in a Corvette, with Allie in the passenger seat. Brandi and Dustin aren’t sure about this but Marshall and Allie leave, promising to be back in a bit. Dustin says bring something to eat so Marshall throws him the apple. Brandi isn’t letting that happen because it’s nasty.

Joe Alonzo/Jon Cruz vs. Butcher and Blade

Butcher and Blade jump them to start and the beating is on in a hurry. Butcher sends Alonzo flying and it’s Blade sending him into the corner for the early beating. A side slam/legdrop combination plants Cruz but he gets away for the tag to Alonzo. The comeback is cut off in a hurry as Butcher runs him over without much trouble. An assisted spinning Rock Bottom gives Butcher two but Alonzo gets in a kick to make the quick tag. That just earns Cruz a suplex onto Blade’s knees for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C-. This was an extended squash and that’s not a bad thing. Butcher and Blade have never gotten out of the blocks and they barely ever win a match. Maybe not having Allie around is a good thing for them as she is going to get all of the attention. The tag division has all kinds of potential so the team has their work cut out for them, but maybe it can work.

Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler aren’t sure if they can win, but Leva Bates insists that she is the missing element that they needed.

Christi Jaynes vs. KiLynn King

Jaynes lays over the top rope during King’s entrance and doesn’t seem overly nervous. A running shoulder drops King so Jaynes throws in some dancing. They trade rollups for one counts until King grabs an armbar. She even swings Jaynes down, which looks a good bit painful. Jaynes finally gets her into the corner and hammers away before standing on King’s hair. Some more dancing and a kick to Jaynes’ back gets two but King is back up with a release German suplex. They trade rollups and Jaynes grabs the tights for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C-. They were working fast here and that’s not a bad thing. Jaynes is someone with all kinds of star power and I can see why they would give her the win here. King isn’t quite the same level of star but she certainly has a lot of potential so there wasn’t a bad choice here. Not a bad little match, but the time hurt them a good bit.

Big Game Leroy/EJ Lewis vs. Santana and Ortiz

Leroy is playing a Nintendo Switch and has to be reminded that the match is about to start. Commentary says this is Santana and Ortiz’s first match since “all the way back at Double Or Nothing.” Indeed, all the way back ten whole days. Santana kicks the Switch out of Leroy’s hands and the stomping is on in the corner. Lewis comes in but Ortiz takes him down to set up a running backsplash as the beatdown is on in a hurry.

The Gory Stretch goes on and Santana comes in for some chops. There’s a kick to the face and Santana insists that it is supposed to hut. Lewis’ comeback is cut off with a superkick and a Michinoku Driver gets two. Ortiz throws Lewis into the corner so Leroy can come back in. The assisted Cannonball sets up the Street Sweeper to finish Leroy at 5:10.

Rating: C. Another extended squash but Santana and Ortiz are a more entertaining team than Butcher and Blade. The two of them beat the heck out of Leroy and made you see why they were signed in the first place. Leroy was a funny jobber with the Switch and Lewis took a heck of a beating so what else could you need?

Natural Nightmares vs. Brandon Cutler/Peter Avalon

Brandi Rhodes is here with the Nightmares, Leva Bates is here with Cutler/Avalon and Allie sits in on commentary. Dustin and Cutler start things off as Allie is swooning over QT. With the feeling out process going nowhere, it’s off to Avalon vs. Marshall, the latter of whom hits a suplex for some applause from Allie. Leva offers a leg trip and Marshall is sent outside for a suicide dive from Avalon. It’s off to Cutler for a springboard forearm and Avalon’s leg lariat gets two.

Cutler comes back in for an enziguri into a Swanton with Dustin having to make the save. Marshall kicks him away though and the hot tag brings in Dustin to clean house. Everything breaks down and Avalon and Cutler get in an argument, meaning Bates has to break up the Unnatural Kick. Brandi comes in for a Stunner/cutter on Bates, who is thrown into Avalon. That leaves Cutler to take Dustin’s Canadian Destroyer and a cutter from Marshall is good for the pin at 7:28. Brandi dubs the cutter the Red Delicious.

Rating: C-. This was fine despite the lack of drama as to the winner. That’s all it was supposed to be and they did a good enough job with the Allie stuff. I’m not sure what her big plan is, but at least she’s back on screen and that’s a good thing. I have a feeling it winds up being more about Brandi than anyone else, but that is often the case with anything involving her.

After a quick Dynamite preview, Marshall declares Allie the apple of his eye.

Overall Rating: C. Sweet merciful chicken wings this is so much easier at about 45 minutes than an hour and a half. This was a perfectly fine low level supplemental show, with the quick promos adding a little something as well. The length is the big appeal though as you don’t feel drained after you’ve seen an hour and still have three matches to go. Keep it like this, I beg of you.

Results

Billy Gunn b. John Skyler – Fameasser

Butcher and Blade b. Joe Alonzo/Jon Cruz – Suplex onto Blade’s knees to Cruz

Christi Jaynes b. KiLynn King – Rollup with tights

Santana and Ortiz b. EJ Lewis/Big Game Leroy – Street Sweeper to Leroy

Natural Nightmares b. Brandon Cutler/Peter Avalon – Red Delicious 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: May 26, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz

It’s the first show after the very good Double Or Nothing and you know what that calls for: nearly an hour and a half of overly competitive jobber matches! I’m not sure if this is the new permanent norm or if they’re just burning off a bunch of material they taped on the off chance that they wouldn’t be able to tape for a good while. Either way, it’s hardly must see material. Let’s get to it.

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

Tazz makes it clear that he will not be getting into any details about his relationship with Brian Cage. That’s wrestling code for “this was taped before that happened.”

Dark Order vs. Natural Nightmares

Jon Silver/Alex Reynolds here. The Nightmares snap off an early double Russian legsweep on Reynolds to start and Dustin adds the running knee lift. Cue Allie of all people, with Marshal’’s apple. Marshall certainly seems interested and Silver uses the distraction to get in a cheap shot and take over. Reynolds’ uppercut gives Silver two but Marshall tells him to go with the chest kicks. The big one is countered in a hurry so the hot tag brings in Dustin for the house cleaning. The snap powerslam plants Silver and Marshall adds a cutter for the pin at 5:02.

Rating: C-. It’s not the biggest story but Allie eating an apple now counts as the top story on this show in about a month, if not more. I can always go for more of Allie as she is a great manager, but I’m worried about how long it might be before the angle gets any followup. If this show was taped that long ago, it could be a good while indeed.

Michael Nakazawa vs. Brandon Cutler

Cutler starts fast with a running forearm for an early two as Taz talks about Cutler’s losing streak. Nakazawa comes back with a spear but Cutler comes in from the apron with a kick to the head for his own near fall. Hold on though as Nakamura is out of oil, likely sending him into a downward spiral. Cutler keeps kicking away, despite having been busted open somewhere in there. The torture rack goes on and Nakazawa gets sent over the top. They fight on the floor and it’s Nakazawa sending him into the barricade for the first countout in AEW history at 6:20.

Rating: D. So yes, we needed to see these two have a match that actually got a little bit of time on this show. The wrestling was just there for the sake of filling in time and it’s not like either of these two mean anything. It’s why they’re here, having a glorified comedy match without ever being mentioned anywhere else.

Post match here are the Librarians, with Peter Avalon saying this is proof Cutler is the worst wrestler in the world. Therefore, Cutler can go sit on commentary and watch Avalon pick up a win.

Peter Avalon vs. Jungle Boy

Boy grabs an early headlock takeover and we’re already in the technical material. An armdrag puts Avalon on the floor but the rest of Jurassic Express won’t let him leave. The distraction lets Avalon post him and it’s a suplex for two back inside. A leg lariat gives Avalon two more and we hit the headscissors. The moonsault misses though and Boy hits a hard clothesline.

Boy’s springboard tornado DDT gets two but Avalon is back with a Meteora to the back of the head for his own near fall. Leva Bates gets on the apron for the assistance but winds up on Luchasaurus’ shoulders. Cue Marko Stunt to kiss her, meaning Boy can grab a modified STF for the tap at 7:30.

Rating: D+. The match was only somewhat better than the previous one and that’s not much of a compliment. Avalon has never been interesting and having him in a feud with Cutler over who the worst wrestler in the company is doesn’t sound too promising. As usual, there are people in wrestling companies who don’t need a story. Avalon, Cutler and Nakazawa fit the descriptions.

Serpentico vs. Christopher Daniels

Serpentico goes for the arm to start but Serpentico grabs a headlock. Some armdrags into the armbar put Serpentico down so he slugs away, only to walk into a leg lariat for two. Daniels hits a high collar suplex (Taz: “Thanks to him for stealing my gimmick.”) but Serpentico takes him down as well. A slingshot elbow gives Serpentico two but Daniels STOs him down. The release Rock Bottom into the BME gives Daniels the pin at 4:27.

Rating: C-. A little better here, but that might be due to having Daniels in there. He’s always good for a quick win and can make anyone look decent. Serpentico has been around a few times now and showed me a little more this time around. I don’t think he goes anywhere significant, but a not terrible performance is better than an awful one.

John Skyler/Brady Pearce vs. Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela

Pearce knocks Kiss down to start but Kiss kicks him into the corner for the early tag to Janela. That means Pearce gets laid over the middle rope and gets caught with a front flip ax kick to the ribs from Kiss. Skyler offers a quick distraction though and Pearce gets in a kick to the face. Janela avoids a charge though and the hot tag brings in Kiss for the house cleaning. Everything breaks down and Kiss kicks Pearce through the ropes, setting up the suicide dive. Back in and Janela drops a top rope elbow to finish Skyler at 4:37.

Rating: C-. This was your random partners with nothing else to do getting a win. There wasn’t much to talk about in this one but Kiss had his usual charisma turned up high. Janela continues to be someone who is just there, despite his ability to make his eyes bug out more than should be humanly possible.

Tony Donati/Faboo Andre vs. Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc

Penelope Ford is here with Sabian and Havoc. Andre gets jumped before the bell but manages to dropkick Sabian into the corner for what is likely the highest level of success he should expect here. Havoc comes back in and walks into a spinning middle rope crossbody from Andre. Sabian is back in to stomp Andre down in the corner, leaving Havoc to bite the face. Ford gets in a cheap shot from the floor so Havoc’s running big boot can get two.

A PK to the chest connects, though the referee said it was wide right. The lack of Stadium Stampede references as a result would tell me that there is a time gap between the tapings. The Acid Rainmaker misses though and (the bloody, from Havoc’s bite) Andre dives over for the hot tag to Donati. A hammerlock suplex gives Donati two on Sabian but he’s right back up with the hanging spinning neckbreaker. Sabian’s top rope double stomp sets up a dropkick/Michinoku Driver combination to finish Donati at 6:58.

Rating: D+. Another match that came and went as Sabian and Havoc are a fine midcard team, but there isn’t much of a reason to have them take this much time to beat a pair of jobbers with next to no experience around here. What am I supposed to get out of this? Or out of anything on this show actually?

Mr. Grimm vs. Wardlow

MJF is here with Wardlow, who slams Grimm down and stomps away in the corner to start. A missed charge sends Wardlow into the post, but he easily counters a springboard into a German suplex. The F5 is broken up but this time the running shoulder connects in the corner. A knee to the face knocks Grim out at 2:59.

Post match Wardlow hits the F10 for a bonus.

Lee Johnson vs. Colt Cabana

They shake hands to start and fight over a wristlock with Johnson bailing into the corner. As the announcers debate if Tony Schiavone or Tony’s wife is the bigger heel, Cabana gets two off a quick rollup. Cabana cranks on the arms into some crucifixes for two each until Johnson makes the mistake of firing off a chop. Johnson dropkicks him in the back to knock Cabana into the corner, which just annoys him. The Flying Apple into the Bionic elbow into the Billy Goat’s Curse finishes Johnson at 3:43.

Rating: C-. Cabana isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but at least his comedy seems to be more about chuckles than some big laugh that rarely connects. There isn’t much else to say about him, but that’s the case with most comedy wrestlers. Johnson continues to be someone they seem interested in, though that 0-8 record isn’t helping him.

KiLynn King vs. Penelope Ford

Sabian is here with Ford. King is a giant compared to Ford and grabs a headlock to start. Some standing switches don’t go anywhere so King runs her over with a shoulder. That lets King yell at Sabian, meaning Ford can get in a shot from behind. Stomping in the corner keeps King down and a suplex gives Ford two. Some choking doesn’t do much on King, who snaps off a dropkick. King misses a charge in the corner though and Ford hits a cutter for the pin at 4:53.

Rating: D+. The back and forth between eh and erg matches continues with Ford not exactly looking like a star here. Ford is talented in the ring but she needs someone better to make this work. King looked like someone who could go a little further with some more time, which is the kind of thing that you can get in this situation.

Shawn Dean/Alan Angels vs. Best Friends

Orange Cassidy is here too. Taylor works on Dean’s arm to start and adds a dropkick for a bonus. Trent comes in for the double elbow and it’s off to Angels, who is taken to the mat in a hurry. A hard clothesline cuts off Angels’ comeback but a springboard dropkick sends Trent into the corner. Dean suplexes Angels into Trent in the corner for two but Trent gets in his own suplex. The hot tag brings in Chuck to pick up the pace, including sending Dean into a spear from Chuck. Angels gets powerbombed and the big hug sets up Strong Zero for the pin on Angels at 4:24.

Rating: C. This was better just because of the shorter run time, but the #1 contenders shouldn’t be in any trouble against two guys who literally have never won a match between them around here. That’s the case with almost everyone on this show though and that hasn’t stopped them yet. Not a terrible match, but maybe I’m just numb to the Best Friends by now.

Overall Rating: D+. They did the same thing they have done for the last two weeks but this time around the matches were even weaker than usual. They weren’t terrible or anything really close to it for the most part, but it continues to be a show that you don’t need to watch in any situation. I’m assuming this was just a bunch of material they needed to burn off, but it makes me wonder how much they taped when they had the chance. This is about thirty jobber matches in three weeks. They can’t have many more, right?

Results

Natural Nightmares b. Dark Order – Cutter to Silver

Michael Nakazawa b. Brandon Cutler via countout

Jungle Boy b. Peter Avalon – STF

Christopher Daniels b. Serpentico – Best Moonsault Ever

Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela b. John Skyler/Brady Pearce – Top rope elbow to Pearce

Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc b. Faboo Andre/Tony Donati – Dropkick/Michinoku Driver combination to Donati

Wardlow b. Mr. Grimm via knockout

Colt Cabana b. Lee Johnson – Billy Goat’s Curse

Penelope Ford b. KiLynn King – Cutter

Best Friends b. Shawn Dean/Alan Angels – Strong Zero to Angels

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: May 19, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz

For reasons I don’t think I want to understand, this week’s show is even longer than last week’s, clocking in at an hour and twenty seven minutes. Factoring out commercials, that is as long as a regular two hour wrestling show, comprised almost entirely of squash matches. Why this is seen as a good idea is beyond me, but that has never stopped AEW before. Let’s get to it.

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

Quick preview of the show.

Hikaru Shida vs. Dani Jordyn

Dani has her burn book. They trade shoulders to start with Shida’s giving her a knockdown, followed by a backbreaker to keep Dani down. A running knee to the face lets Shida point at the camera but Jordan hits a springboard DDT back inside. The Tommaso Ciampa flipping armbar has Shida in more trouble but she’s out in a hurry with a missile dropkick for two. Jordyn grabs a German suplex, which Shida no sells and hits a running knee to the back of the head for two more. The running knee (yes another one) into the Falcon Arrow finishes Jordyn at 5:08.

Rating: D+. I’m guessing Shida went to the Kenny Omega school of “knee people in the face over and over”, though at least she isn’t doing it fifteen times a match. Shida is geared up for the title shot against Nyla Rose and a title change wouldn’t surprise me. AEW has done a good job of building her up and if she winds up as champion, it could be a rather smart move. Then again Rose could keep the title too. It could go either way and that’s always welcome.

Clutch Adams vs. QT Marshall

This is Adams’ debut and Marshall has taped up ribs. Marshall starts in on the arm so Adams gets smart by going after the ribs with shoulders in the corner. A crossbody is pulled out of the air though and Marshall muscles him up for a suplex. Adams goes right back to the ribs for two of his own but he charges into a shot in the corner. A backdrop puts Adams on the ramp and some shots to the face put him down back inside. Some rams into the corner put Marshall in more trouble but he’s right back with a cutter for the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C. Marshall is a fine hand in the ring and that’s what he got to do again here. I can see why he’s around here and it’s a good place to put him. That being said, he probably shouldn’t be having this much trouble against a guy named Clutch making his debut. Then again, that’s a problem up and down this show.

Marko Stunt vs. Jason Cade

They’re going to have someone as talented as Cade lose to Stunt? They start fast with Cade being sent outside and a sunset flip giving Stunt two back inside. Stunt hits a knee to the face so Cade just hammers him down in the corner. A whip sends Stunt chest first into the corner and he’s busted open. Cade elbows him in the face and gets two off a DDT. Stunt is back up and sends Cade outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Cade goes up but Marko catches him in a Razor’s Edge out of the corner. A 450 gives Stunt the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C-. Yeah I still can’t buy Stunt as a serious guy. He’s fine enough in something like this, but I don’t want to see Cade as a threat to anyone else for a long time. Stunt just threw him off the top and then beat him clean in less than five minutes. Not off a fluke rollup or anything, but by a clean pin. I’m sure that’s not what will happen, but anyone associated with Stunt is treated a little oddly anyway.

Post match Stunt has to be checked out.

Lee Johnson/Musa vs. Jimmy Havoc/Kip Sabian

Sabian and Johnson start things off with Johnson working on the arm early on. A headscissors puts Sabian down but he’s right back up with a headlock. Havoc comes in to stomp away at the ribs and send Johnson flying with a suplex. It’s off to Musa, who shakes hands like a schnook and gets punched in the face for his efforts. Sabian comes back in to run the ropes and hit a leg lariat to keep Musa in trouble. Musa snaps off a running hurricanrana into a dropkick and it’s back to Johnson for his own dropkick.

Havoc isn’t having any of that and comes in to pull on Johnson’s face to take over again. The villains take turns beating on Musa in the corner, including Havoc’s eye poke. Sabian adds a kick to the chest and Havoc suplexes him down. Musa fights back and sends Havoc into the corner, allowing the hot tag to Johnson. That means the comeback can be on but Havoc cuts him off with the Acid Rainmaker into the fisherman’s DDT for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: D. If you wanted to see two guys beat up some jobbers for longer than it should have taken, this was a match you’ll want to see. Sabian and Havoc are fine at what they do but they haven’t been anywhere above the midcard in AEW so far. Johnson and Musa have done well so far, though when you know they’re not going to win, the interest goes away in a hurry.

Shawn Dean vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix gets pyro. Dean gets caught in an armbar to start but slips out into a headlock. That doesn’t last long as Fenix kicks him in the face and throws on a cross armbreaker. With that broken up in a hurry, Fenix goes with the loud chop against the ropes so Dean knees him in the face. Fenix gets sent outside and Dean hits a big flip dive, even going feet first into the barricade. Back in and Fenix hits his rolling dropkick into a quickly broken chinlock. Fenix tries a slingshot but gets caught in a tiger bomb for two. You don’t do that to Fenix, who is right back with the springboard kick in the corner into the Black Fire Driver for the pin at 5:34.

Rating: C+. As usual, Fenix has one of the more entertaining matches of the night, mainly due to pure athleticism. I’ve been a big Fenix fan since the first time I’ve seen him and I can go for him either in singles or tag matches. Dean is one of the better jobbers, but it’s still more of the same problem on the entire show.

Jon Cruz vs. Luther

Luther hammers away to start and adds the chops, only to yell at his hands to give Cruz a breather. Cruz gets sent face first into the corner and more shouting ensues. See he’s a bit insane. Luther rips at Cruz’s face and sends him outside for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Luther slowly pounds away, with the screaming included. Cruz gets a boot up in the corner but Luther knocks him right back down. A reverse suplex into a camel clutch with Luther ripping at the face makes Cruz tap at 4:43.

Rating: D+. Well that Luther sure is wacky. This was the first match that felt like a squash after a bunch of far too competitive ones. That being said, Luther is as much of a niche/gimmick wrestler as you can have and it’s another match where I’m glad he comes and goes in a hurry.

Ryan Rembrandt/Mike Reed vs. Private Party

Quen throws Rembrandt down to start and Rembrandt is rather irritated. A dropkick drops Rembrandt again and it’s Kassidy coming in as everything breaks down in a hurry. Rembrandt gets caught with a dropkick and chop against the ropes but he’s back with a belly to belly.

Kassidy has to fight out of a hammerlock and rolls over for the tag to Quen so the pace can pick up. Quen uses Reed as a launchpad to kick Rembrandt, followed by the big flip dive to the floor. An assisted Sliced Bread gets two on Rembrandt and there’s the Silly String to Reed. He’s not legal though so it’s a springboard X Factor to take Rembrandt down instead. Kassidy’s Swanton connects for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: C. Private Party is still great as the two guys who go out there and do their cool spots, but there isn’t much to them beyond that. They have some incredible athleticism but so can a lot of teams around here. It never seems like they have a reason or a plan in the match as it’s more just spot after spot. In other words, they’re AEW junk food.

Alan Angels vs. Sammy Guevara

The announcers put over Angels as someone who can hang with the stars but can’t get over the hump. How is that not the case for most of the people on this show? Angels calls Sammy a punk to start so Sammy headlocks him (as you deal with most insulting people). The wristlock doesn’t last long as Angels rolls away, only to get taken down in a hurry. Sammy stops to dance so Angels is back with some hard chops.

Angels rolls over his back into a quickly broken crossface and then mocks Sammy’s pose. A springboard is broken up with Sammy’s jumping knee and it’s time to choke on the ropes. Sammy demands that commentary praise him and then does the fireman’s carry squats. Those take too long and he gets rolled up for two so Sammy stomps on his hand.

The delayed vertical suplex plants Angels again but he’s able to block the big slap. They chop it out and then trade spinning kicks to the head for a double knockdown. Angels is up first and strikes away but Sammy knees him in the face. The GTH (Go To Hospital/Burning GTS) is good for the pin on Angels at 7:49.

Rating: C+. Angels continues to be entertaining and it’s easy to see why Sammy is seen as such a big deal. The match was another entertaining one and I could see Angels becoming something if he is given a few wins. There’s a natural talent to him and he could either hang in there on Dynamite or be a star in a mid-sized promotion.

Serpentico vs. Darby Allin

From what I can find, Serpentico is Jon Cruz under a mask. Believe it or not, Allin starts with a headlock so Serpentico crawls over to the ropes. Serpentico is back with an armbar but Allin is right back up with the springboard armdrag. That just earns him a running knee to the floor and Serpentico hammers away back inside. A springboard cutter gives Serpentico two but Allin is back with right hands to the face. Allin’s top rope superplex gets two and there’s a backdrop to the floor. That means the Coffin Drop to the floor takes Serpentico down again and it’s the Last Supper to give Allin the pin at 5:22.

Rating: C-. Allin continues to look good and is an established star in the company. It’s good to see him get what was almost a squash, though Serpentico didn’t exactly thrill me. He’s better than he was as Cruz but that’s not exactly saying much. At least Allin got to showcase himself, but that Coffin Drop is a rather dangerous looking move and hopefully it doesn’t backfire on him.

A quick preview of Dynamite and a reminder that Mike Tyson will be at Double Or Nothing wrap us up.

Overall Rating: D+. I know it seemed like I was complaining a lot during this and that’s because I do not understand why this show is put together this way. It’s a YouTube show that they film before and after Dynamite. Unless this is broadcast somewhere else that I’ve never heard of, there is no need to make it this long. The show is now having more content than Dynamite and I don’t get the point. Doing a show like this is fine but it should be about forty minutes or so at most, not a show that would last two hours if you took out commercials.

What do fans get out of this? A chance to see wrestlers who are often competing on Dynamite? The matches and show as a whole aren’t terrible or anything, but when you’re watching one after another with no doubt about the winners and they’re mostly mediocre at best, you get bored in a hurry, which feels a lot longer when you know you have so much time left. I don’t get the thinking here and this show has gone from a nice little supplement to a chore to watch. That’s not good, and it’s not like there is anyone making them do it this way.

Results

Hikaru Shida b. Dani Jordyn – Falcon Arrow

QT Marshall b. Clutch Adams – Cutter

Marko Stunt b. Jason Cade – 450

Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc b. Lee Johnson/Musa – Fisherman’s DDT to Johnson

Rey Fenix b. Shawn Dean – Black Fire Driver

Luther b. Jon Cruz – Face pulling camel clutch

Private Party b. Ryan Rembrandt/Mike Reed – Swanton to Rembrandt

Sammy Guevara b. Alan Angels – GTH

Darby Allin b. Serpentico – Last Supper

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: WWE

Dark
Date: May 12, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz

We’re back to the full length of this show, meaning it’s over an hour long this week. That’s quite the jump from a few weeks back when it wasn’t even breaking twenty, but things have opened up a bit since then. Hopefully they can make the show work well enough as that kind of length can be a problem given what they are going for with this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Excalibur and Taz give us a pretty vague preview of the show.

Shawn Dean vs. Colt Cabana

Chicago explodes and thankfully the referee is wearing a mask. Colt takes his time folding up his jacket and headlocks Dean down. Dean bails into the corner but gets taken down with a wristlock. Back up and a dropkick sends Cabana outside and things slow down a little bit. Cabana comes back in to work on the arm but gets caught in a waistlock. That just earns Dean some snap jabs and the Flying Apple sets up the Superman pin at 4:54.

Rating: C. Dean is someone they’ve been using a lot and that’s a good sign for his future. He has done well enough in spots like this though he is far from being ready to win anything. If nothing else though, this will get him all the indy cred he wants once the independents start back up. Cabana was his usual self here and that’s not a bad thing.

Jurassic Express vs. Mike Reed/Ryan Rembrandt

It’s Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus for the team here and they start wrecking things early. The Tail Whip puts Reed and Rembrandt on the floor, earning them a dive from Boy. Back in and Reed plants Boy down to take over for the first time. Rembrandt runs him over for two and a belly to belly is good for the same. Boy rolls over Reed’s back though and the hot tag brings in Luchasaurus. Reed slips out of a fireman’s carry but gets chokeslammed into a standing moonsault. Some superkicks send Reed outside and the reverse powerbomb into a cutter finishes Rembrandt at 5:39.

Rating: D+. AEW really needs to understand that it’s ok to squash people more often. Luchasaurus is a monster and shouldn’t be needing the better part of six minutes to finish these two off. It wasn’t terrible (mainly because Marko Stunt wasn’t in there), but the jobbers got in too much offense and it got a bit annoying at the end.

Lee Johnson/Musa vs. Private Party

This is the third straight match with someone from Chicago. Kassidy and Johnson trade waistlocks to start and it’s quickly off to Quen for an enziguri to take over. Musa low bridges Quen to the floor though and it’s a big dive from Johnson to drop him again. Back in and Musa snaps off a suplex for two but it’s back to Kassidy without much trouble. It’s Johnson getting caught in the corner for a splash from Quen, who tags out at the same time. Musa gets sent outside again and it’s a running Downward Spiral from the apron over the top. The shooting star press finishes Johnson at 5:36.

Rating: C-. Another match that just existed here as Private Party continues to be a team who knows how to look flashy but don’t know a ton about structuring a match. Or in this case about squashing a team of jobbers, though we’ve covered that well enough. The shooting star always looks great though and I had missed it over the last few months.

10 vs. Jon Cruz

10 shoves him down to start and takes Cruz’s head off with a clothesline. They head outside with Cruz being sent into the steps, only to have 10 miss a charge into the steps as well. Back in and 10 hits the spinebuster for the pin at 2:33 to finish in a hurry.

Post match, Brodie Lee comes out to applaud.

Fenix vs. Alan Angels

Fenix headlocks his way out of a waistlock to start but gets reversed into a small package for two. Back up and Fenix moonsaults over him and hits a hard superkick for two more. Some slaps to the head set up a leglock that lasts all of half a second. The announcers make Toru Tanaka references as Angels comes back with shots to the face.

That earns Angels a dropkick to the face and a kick to the chest. Angels is back with a springboard dropkick of his own and a clothesline on the apron drops Fenix again. Back in and a top rope double stomp to Fenix’s back sets up a moonsault for another near fall. Fenix pops back up and hits a high crossbody into the Black Fire Driver for the pin at 6:36.

Rating: C+. Match of the night so far by a mile as Fenix continues to be one of the most entertaining people in any company. He can make anyone look good and that’s what he did here. That being said, Angels didn’t quite reach the point that he did with Chris Jericho on commentary. Anyway, nice match here as they continue to make Angels look like a thing.

Dani Jordan vs. Kris Stadtlander

Dani brings out a binder. They trade headlocks to start with Stadtlander taking her down a few times in a row. Jordan is back with a crucifix for two so Stadtlander does the nose touch. A short armscissors doesn’t work for Stadtlander so she elbows Jordan to the floor. Jordan rams her back first into the apron for two back inside and a basement dropkick gets the same. Stadtlander moonsaults over her in the corner and a running knee sends Jordan into the barricade. Back in and Stadtlander hits a Pele into Big Bang Theory for the pin at 4:33.

Rating: D+. Jordan didn’t seem interested in slowing down for most of Stadtlander’s offense here and that’s where things start to go south in these matches. The point should be to promote Stadtlander, as in the person who regularly works here. Jordan sticking in there took the focus off of Stadtlander and that’s not a good idea.

Orange Cassidy vs. Jason Cade

The Best Friends are here with Cassidy beach towels. Cade won’t let him put his hands in the pockets so it’s a headlock to slow things down. Cassidy grabs a single handed wristlock and puts a hand in the pocket, so Cade tears off the sunglasses. That annoys Cassidy, so he sweeps the leg and hits a dropkick into a nipup, all with the hands still in his pockets. Trent throws in some extra sunglasses and Cassidy armdrags him down before….posing with the thumb up. That annoys Cade so much that he hits a jumping knee to the face, only to get crucifixed for the pin at 2:41. That’s another match that happened.

Post match, Cassidy gets dressed again.

Britt Baker vs. Skyler Moore

Baker immediately claims a shot to the nose AND a broken nail on the first lockup attempt! Moore grabs a rollup for two so Baker kicks her in the face. Angry stomping ensues and Baker sends her throat first into the middle rope. Baker puts her foot against Moore’s jaw and pulls a bit, allowing her to explain dental issues. Moose grabs a small package for two so Baker knees her in the face. A fisherman’s neckbreaker sets up Lockjaw (with a glove of course) to make Moore tap at 5:07.

Rating: C-. Now this was more like a squash, which makes sense as Baker is on the way to a big match this week on Dynamite. I can’t get over how much better Baker has gotten in the last month and a half or so and it shows that they can figure things out. That means a lot for their future and Baker has been a great bright spot.

Dr. Luther vs. Jimmy Havoc

No DQ and Havoc has Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford with him. This is such a big match that the sun has come back out to check it out. Luther throws him into the corner to start so Havoc bites the finger. Havoc snaps the arm across the top but Luther is back with a toss. Sabian slips Havoc a chair so he can unload, only to have Luther throw the chair at his head to break it up. A big flip dive to the floor drops Sabian and Havoc and Luther backbreakers him onto an open chair.

Back in and Havoc is hiptossed through the open chair for a nasty landing, causing Luther to scream a lot. Sabian offers a distraction though and Havoc catches Luther on top. The super hurricanrana sends Luther over the chairs so Havoc lays him on them instead. A top rope double stomp gets two so they head onto the ramp. Luther grabs a butterfly suplex and something close to a top rope bulldog sends Havoc hard into the mat. Ford throws water at Luther’s face though and Sabian pelts a chair at his head. That’s enough for Havoc to hit a fisherman’s DDT for the pin at 7:15.

Rating: C-. What exactly does it say that Havoc needed help from two people to beat Luther? I know he’s one of Jericho’s buddies and Luther certainly hasn’t embarrassed himself in any of his appearances, but Havoc probably shouldn’t be having trouble with someone who has been around that long and who doesn’t have the biggest reputation.

A quick Dynamite preview ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. Well that happened. This was almost an hour and fifteen minutes of nothing but average (above average once) matches with a lot of mid to lower midcard wrestlers. This could have and probably should have been split into three different shows, just for the sake of length. Watching three or four of these matches at once would be one thing but nine in a row is a good bit too much in a single sitting/show.

Results

Colt Cabana b. Shawn Dean – Superman pin

Jurassic Express b. Mike Reed/Ryan Rembrandt – Reverse powerbomb/cutter combination to Rembrandt

Private Party b. Lee Johnson/Musa – Shooting star press to Johnson

10 b. Jon Cruz – Spinebuster

Fenix b. Alan Angels – Black Fire Driver

Kris Stadtlander b. Dani Jordan – Big Bang Theory

Orange Cassidy b. Jason Cade – Crucifix

Britt Baker b. Skyler Moore – Lockjaw

Jimmy Havoc b. Dr. Luther – Fisherman’s DDT

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: May 5, 2020
Location: Undisclosed Location
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Cody

The show continues and I’m not sure what that is going to mean. AEW has made an interesting choice with this show as it means nothing but can often give you a few good moments of wrestling a week. Maybe that’s what they’re trying for and if so, well done. Let’s get to it.

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

Quick card rundown.

10 vs. Ryan Pyles

That would be 10 from the Dark Order, meaning Brodie Lee is with him. 10 runs him over with a clothesline and sends Pyles flying out of the corner. Pyles gets sent outside so 10 follows him outside, looks at Lee, and hits a hard chop. Back in and Pyles hurts his own hand on a chop as I try to figure out why the video screen says Dynamite instead of Dark. Lee is livid that Pyles got in that much so it’s a spinebuster to give 10 the win at 2:22.

Shawn Dean vs. Sammy Guevara

Cody calls Sammy the Starscream to Chris Jericho’s Megatron. I never watched Transformers so I’ll assume that’s a good comparison. Sammy pulls out his phone before the match and spends so much time talking to it that he gets rolled up for two. That means the beating is on so Sammy grabs the fireman’s carry and does some squats. Dean muscles him up for a suplex though and a rolling knee gets one. The count earns him some kicks to the head for two and we hit the chinlock. Shawn fights up with some shots to the face and a DDT but he walks into the Burning GTS for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C-. Dean is someone who could be turned into something with some more time and experience and that’s not a bad thing. I’m not sure if AEW is going to bring him in full time or anything but for someone who is there to make others look good for the time being, he has done well enough. Sammy on the other hand comes off as a star every time he’s out there and AEW knows what they have.

Kip Sabian vs. Colt Cabana

Sabian has Penelope Ford with him and this is fallout from about six weeks ago on Dynamite. Sabian slaps him in the face to start and grabs a quickly broken headlock. They run the ropes for a bit until Cabana hits a bigger slap to send Sabian outside. Back in and Sabian misses a springboard kick to the face so Cabana starts in on the arm. It’s off to the leg next, followed by the arm and the leg at the same time.

With that broken up, Colt runs the ropes so Sabian holds up his hand and says stop. Cabana runs him over anyway, suggesting that he isn’t great at following orders. A Ford distraction lets Sabian take him off the apron…but Ford won’t kiss Sabian for some reason. Sabian kicks Cabana in the chest for two and a springboard missile dropkick connects for the same.

A stomp to the face blinds Cabana a bit but he can get the boots up to block a springboard splash. Cabana strikes away and hits the Bionic elbow for two. The Flying Apple drops Sabian but Ford gets in to block something off the middle rope. That’s enough for Sabian to get in a low blow for the pin at 10:27.

Rating: C. This felt like the biggest Dark main event in a long time and you could have seen it taking place on a slow episode of Dynamite. That’s all you can ask for in a show like this as it’s not like there is anything to be expected around here. It was nice to see a story tied together from Dynamite though and for what it was, this worked out perfectly fine.

A quick Dynamite preview ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. Of course this isn’t a show worth going out of your way to see but the thirty minute run time made for a pretty sweet spot compared to the very short or very long shows. You don’t need a show built around dark matches to go very long but you also don’t want it to have no value at the same time. This worked well enough and it’s not like you can get overly annoyed at a show this short.

Results

10 b. Ryan Pyles – Spinebuster

Sammy Guevara b. Shawn Dean – Burning GTS

Kip Sabian b. Colt Cabana – Low blow

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: April 21, 2020
Location: Undisclosed Location
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho

This show continues, though it isn’t like it’s something that you can really get annoyed about. Given that the show barely breaks twenty minutes anymore, it’s really just a blip that comes and goes with no consequences. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but it also makes it less important than Main Event. Let’s get to it.

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

Anna Jay vs. Penelope Ford

Kip Sabian is here with Ford. Jay’s tights say Jayy but everything else says Jay so we’ll go with the majority. Something seems to be amiss here as this is announced as Jay’s AEW debut, and that isn’t exactly accurate as you can see another match of hers on this same YouTube channel. Cody even references Jay’s first match so I’m not sure what’s going on.

Feeling out process to start with Jay taking her down into a headscissors and a headlock. Back up and Ford runs her over with some shoulders but a hiptoss sends Ford into the corner. Sabian offers a distraction though and Ford hits the handspring elbow for two. Choking with a kiss ensues but another handspring elbow misses. Jay hits a dropkick and a running seated Blockbuster for two but Ford is back with a Stunner. A fisherman’s suplex finishes Jay at 5:17.

Rating: D+. I don’t think there is any secret to the fact that part of the point of this match was the positive visuals, but at the same time, neither of the two of them embarrassed themselves. Ford is getting better and Jay was quite good given that she hasn’t even had ten matches (though it might be a lot higher given AEW’s questionable counting), the match was acceptable enough. The women’s division still needs work, but it is getting better as time goes on.

Joe Alonzo vs. Cody

Brandi is here with Cody. Alonzo does everything for the views and Tony is handling commentary alone here. Cody’s takedown attempt is cut off so he works on a wristlock into a hammerlock instead. A release gordbuster lets Cody do some pushups so Alonzo goes outside to hit on Brandi. Back in and Cody no sells a cutter and kicks Alonzo in the face. The Gale Lock (another finisher) makes Alonzo tap at 4:13.

Rating: C-. Not bad here as Alonzo got to show off a little bit. It was little more than a squash but when you’re getting to face one of the bigger stars in the company, you have to make the most of it. Alonzo didn’t look like a star or anything, but he had a fine enough match and that’s all you can ask for. Well that and Cody to have a few less finishers, though that’s false hope at this point.

Overall Rating: C-. I know I say this every week but I’m not sure what the point is in having this show. It’s not like there is anything to gain from it as fans who are going to be watching this are probably watching Dynamite. At sixteen minutes, how much can you get out of it, even as a big fan? The show is too short to be offensive but not long enough to mean much. It’s a strange show, but I can’t get mad at it with what we were given here.

Results

Penelope Ford b. Anna Jay – Fisherman’s suplex

Cody b. Joe Alonzo – Gale Lock

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: April 14, 2020
Location: Undisclosed Location
Commentators: Cody, Tony Schiavone

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

Tony gives us a quick intro and we’re ready to go.

Billy vs. Shawn Spears

That would be Billy Gunn of course, with his son Austin in his corner. Spears goes straight to the ramp at the bell and they shout at each other about the lack of fans. This time Spears bails into the corner as Austin leads the non-existent fans in a LET’S GO BILLY/SHAWN SPEARS SUCKS chant. They finally lock up after about a minute and a half of stalling/chanting and Spears grabs a snapmare, allowing him to dance a bit (the fact that it emphasizes Billy’s most famous gimmick is just a coincidence).

Billy goes with a wristlock before just punching Spears to the floor. That sends Cody into a conspiracy theory, suggesting that Britt Baker is NOT a real dentist but just a dentist’s ASSISTANT! Back in and Billy knocks him to the floor again, this time with Austin stalking Spears around the ring. It worked so well the first two times that Billy punches him outside a third time, followed by a toss over the timekeeper’s table for a bonus.

Spears posts him though and sends him into the barricade for a six count and it’s time to stomp away back inside. Hang on though as we need some water, allowing Spears to do the Tommaso Ciampa self applause from the apron. A DDT plants Billy again and Spears tells him to suck it, earning himself a hard clothesline.

Billy hammers away in the corner but gets caught with a low superkick into a low Codebreaker for two more. Spears gets pulled out of the air with a Downward Spiral and the Fameasser puts Spears on the floor. Back in and the Stinger Splash misses in the corner and Spears hits the C4 for the pin at 15:31.

Rating: C. Nice enough match here, though again I’m not sure why they didn’t hold this back just in case they needed something for Dynamite later. It got TV time and since commentary wasn’t even in the arena, it could have been done anytime. Spears is slowly getting back on the right track, but I think we’ve seen his limits already.

A Dynamite rundown ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. I’m not sure what else I can say here as it is literally a one match show. I can get the idea a little more when there are three matches included, but why even bother with this show? It was one match between some lower level talent, so why not turn this into a recap show? There is enough going on in AEW to make it work, though again I can’t complain that much about a 21 minute show with a perfectly acceptable match.

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: April 7, 2020
Location: Undisclosed Location
Commentators: Cody, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz, Jimmy Havoc

So in a world where AEW had to do a marathon taping because they don’t know when they will be able to tape again, this show still exists. Why that is the case, instead of saving these matches for as long as they can in the case of a rainy day isn’t clear, but I’m sure I’m just missing the importance of making sure that an unnecessary supplemental show keeps running. Let’s get to it.

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

QT Marshall vs. Lee Johnson

Marshall takes him into the corner to start and they run the ropes a bit. A hiptoss takes Marshall down and we hit the quickly broken armbar. There’s a legdrop for two and it’s off to an abdominal stretch. Marshall charges into some boots in the corner but it’s a Lethal Combination to put Johnson down. The Swanton gives Marshall (who is cut underneath the eye) the pin at 4:05.

Rating: C-. What is there to say about something like this? It was just a quick squash featuring a low level guy who is only there in a tag team that doesn’t have the biggest future. That being said, Marshall is a great hand and someone who can do a fine enough match with just about anyone.

Wardlow vs. Ryan Pyles

MJF is here with Wardlow, who slowly takes off his black suit. The release F5 and a delayed cover finishes Pyles at 29 seconds.

Kip Sabian vs. Tony Donati

Penelope Ford is here too. Sabian snapmares him down to start but Tony grabs a headlock to slow things down. That earns him an armdrag takeover but a shot to the check sends Sabian into the corner. The ruse allows Ford to choke on the ropes and a penalty kick gives Sabian two. As the announcers discuss the different kinds of football, Tony grabs a hammerlock brainbuster for two. A quick edit takes us to Sabian striking away and pulling Tony down into kind of an Octopus Hold/Koji Clutch on the mat for the tap at 6:03.

Rating: C-. This was slightly more competitive than I would have expected, though it is nice to see Sabian getting in a win for a change. He rarely does anything significant but it’s better than seeing him lose over and over again. Sabian and Ford could be a rather nice midcard pairing so hopefully they get put in the right place.

Overall Rating: D. Well that happened. This was a nothing show with three matches that were either squashes or close to being one and that isn’t exactly a show that needed to exist. I really don’t see the point in having this show take place but at less than nineteen minutes, it’s rather hard to get too annoyed. Nothing to see here, and that’s just a step above being literal.

Results

QT Marshall b. Lee Johnson – Swanton

Wardlow b. Ryan Pyles – Release F5

Kip Sabian b. Tony Donati – Reverse Koji Clutch

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 31, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Cody
Hosts: Tony Schiavone, Cody

Things have been shake up a bit around here and that might be a good thing. Last week’s show saw a bunch of squash matches to go with the competitive matches and that is the kind of thing that can help the show going forward. Sometimes you need to mix things up and that is what AEW is doing, at least with Dark. Let’s get to it.

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

Cody and Tony welcome us to the show and we get the big news of the show: the first half of the first round of the TNT Title tournament:

Cody vs. Shawn Spears

Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin

The other half of the first round will be unveiled tomorrow night on Dynamite and the final takes place at (the still scheduled as of tonight) Double or Nothing.

Matt Sells vs. Sammy Guevara

Sells is very 80s. They walk around the ring for a bit to start with Cody referencing the Mulkey Brothers for an old school feel. Sammy easily slams him down, goes up top, and hops back down for a slap to the face. Some Madison Rayne hip thrust faceplants to the mat have Sammy in trouble but he’s right back up with a spinning kick to the face.

A rolling cutter pus some posing gives Sammy two, but he pulls Sells up before the pin. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Sammy does squats with Sells on his back. Sells is back with a neckbreaker, only to have Sammy knee him in the face. The Burning GTS (good name for the reverse AA into a knee to the face) finishes Sells at 5:30.

Rating: C-. Little more than a squash here but Sells made a bit of an impression. I could go for more of him as there is always room for a nostalgia character like him. Sammy getting a near squash win is a good idea for him too as he needs some momentum going into the TNT Title tournament.

Post match Sammy says no one can do what he does so anyone who wants some, come try him. They’ll all bow before the king.

Shawn Dean vs. Shawn Spears

Cody drops the address of the Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky as he recaps his feud with Spears from last year. Some snapmares into a cartwheel have Dean down and a clothesline cuts off his comeback attempt. The running Death Valley Driver finishes Dean at 3:40.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t as impressive as the first match but that’s partially because Spears isn’t as entertaining as Guevara. It was fine enough to give Spears a win, but the last year really has shown that he is little more than a good hand in the ring. Maybe he can do something else later on, though it is going to need a heck of a reboot given where he is at the moment.

Preston Vance vs. Darby Allin

Vance isn’t waiting and suplexes Allin off the ropes during the pre-match posing. Darby avoids a charge though and Vance crashes hard into the post. Back in and Vance kicks him in the face (nice one too) and it’s Allin getting chopped in the corner. A missed charge in the corner sends Vance outside and it’s Allin hitting the suicide dive. Back in again and Allin strikes away, setting up the Code Red for two. Vance is fine enough to hit a pair of cutters for two but Allin grabs the flipping Stunner. The Coffin Drop finishes Vance at 5:20.

Rating: C. I liked that one more than I would have bet on as Vance certainly has a good look. He got to showcase himself a bit here and that is the kind of thing that something like this gives him a chance to do. Allin getting to overcome some adversity and win in the end is a good thing as the star power he has for someone with his experience is astounding.

Jon Moxley vs. Faboo Andre

Believe it or not, this is non-title and Faboo is from the Butterfly Garden. Moxley is behind a camera to start before walking through the empty stands to get to the ring. Well it’s certainly different. Moxley stomps away in the corner but Faboo slips out of a suplex. That earns him a clothesline and a Gotch style piledriver into the STF finishes Faboo at 1:17.

Post match it’s Jake Hager running in to choke Moxley out. He lets go and slaps Moxley to wake him up a bit before leaving, with Moxley tackling the referee in his confusion.

The hosts wrap us up.

Overall Rating: C. I had a good time with this show and that’s one of the things that you aren’t guaranteed with a show like Dark. This was an old school Superstars style show and I liked what we got to see here. They aren’t likely to discover the next big star, but these guys are going to get to look like a big deal in their local companies and that means a lot for their futures. At the same time, the AEW stars get to look good and dominant, making it a success for everyone. Well done in a nice change of pace.

Results

Sammy Guevara b. Matt Sells – Burning GTS

Shawn Spears b. Shawn Dean – Running Death Valley Driver

Darby Allin b. Preston Vance – Coffin Drop

Jon Moxley b. Faboo Andre – STF

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