Rants

AEW DARK (Daily’s Place Finale): July 6, 2021

By Andy PG on July 6, 2021

The PG Era Rant for AEW Dark Episode 96 (“Celebrate the Legacy with an Eternal Show”), July 6, 2021.

From the AEW Arena, one last time.

Your hosts are Excalibur and Taz. It’s Casual Tuesday.

TONIGHT! We send Daily’s Place out with a series of bangs! KiLynn King locks up with Tay Conti! Wheeler YUTA gets a return appearance, this time facing Ryan Nemeth! Jack Evans goes to the air against Mike Sydal! Chaos Project gets the uphill battle of a lifetime against #1 contenders Penta El Cero Miedo and Eddie Kingston! Ashley Vox goes at it with Red Velvet! Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela hope to hammer things out in Britt Baker’s Waiting Room! And we have a first win on the cards as Baron Black and Ryzin face Marko Stunt and Fuego Del Sol!

PLUS – Kris Statlander, The Blade, Marshall/Solow of the Factory, Lance Archer, Angelico, Abadon, Spears/Wardlow of the Pinnacle, Matt Sydal, Dark Order, Varsity Blonds, and Bear Bronson!

Opening match: Lance Archer (26-5) vs. Ryan Mantell (debut). As always, Jake Roberts reports to commentary. Actually, he’s already there and doesn’t get an entrance. He does talk over Justin’s ring announcement of Mantell. Is Ryan related to Dutch?

Archer lariats Mantell before the bell and pummels him. Mantell ducks the short-arm clothesline and gets a pair of clotheslines into a corner clothesline. Archer comes back with the Pounce and pummels Mantell with rights. Suplex throw follows. Archer stands on Mantell’s throat in the corner as Jake says Archer has a new move. Short-arm clothesline connects (“That’s not it, I did that years ago”), followed by some crossface blows. Mantell tries to fight back, but Archer wants more before getting a pop-up forearm.

Mantell is placed on the ropes, and the Blackout is set up, but Mantell escapes and gets a boot up on a blind charge. Mantell ducks another and gets a corner spear before working Archer over in the corner. Archer tanks a clothesline and boots Mantell before getting Uncle Slam for two. Jake: “Lance, don’t mke me come down there.” Helicoaster wins it at 3:07. Jake admits he got ribbed when Archer told him he had a new move. Mantell was feisty here. 1/2*

QT Marshall (19-2) and Aaron Solow (9-14) (w/Nick Comoroto) vs. The Hughes Brothers (Terrence and Terrell) (0-3). The Hughes Brothers are, of course, D’Von’s twin sons. Marshall will face Cody Rhodes in a strap match on Dynamite tomorrow. Terrell was nice enough to wear a T-shirt to tell them apart. Ricky Starks joins us con commentary.

Marshall and Terrence start. Lockup, and Marshall gets a throw on Terrence. Marshall gets a waistlock takedown and slaps around Terrence, who responds with a clothesline. Terrence slams Marshall, and Terrell gets a Finlay Roll with Terrence on his shoulders to squash Marshall, getting one. Marshall rushes Terrell into the corner and brings in Solow, who slugs away. Solow with a back elbow, but Terrell blocks the suplex and reverses. Terrence in, and he gets a corner spear on Solow, with Terrell following with a clothesline and whipping Solow into an overhead suplex from Terrence.

Terrence with a back elbow, but Marshall clotheslines Terrence from the apron as Solow stomps away. Marshall in to get a back elbow on Terrence for two. Terrence with a jawjacker, but Marshall smashes Terrell off the apron and brings in Solow for a back suplex/neckbreaker combo (ironically, as that was a Dudley Boys move) for two, Terrell saves. Solow’s charge airballs and Terrell gets the ref to make Nick Comoroto back off before switching off with Terrence! Comoroto’s allowed to stay, but Terrell escapes the Pedigree and goes wild on Solow.

Back suplex follows, then Terrell smashes Marshall off the apron. Big slam, and Terrence is tagged in… for the WAZZUP DROP~! Terrence sends Marshall outside, and the brothers call for 3-D, but Marshall trips Terrell and Solow cradles Terrence for two. Solow with a 540 kick, and Marshall gets the Diamond Cutter for the pin at 5:10. Terrell gets one too. This was so much fun. **1/4

EVERYONE SMILE! It’s time for The Waiting Room! Rebel’s introduction is sufficiently over the top. (For the record, this appears to have been taped BEFORE the injury.) We’re headed to Miami! We’re getting a Cody/QT strap match. Cody gets into straps, which might explain Baby Rhodes (no kinkshaming, though). And in August, AEW goes to Brittsburgh for the Rampage debut! “Pittsburgh’s Only Hope” – no, not the Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates – is coming home. But enough about Britt – let’s bring out Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela!

Janela says it’s an honor to be around Baker. But there’s more – Baker is going to fix Janela’s mouth (and get a new Range Rover with it), and Janela is so excited that he’ll get all the smooches. But Baker gets them on topic, seeing Kiss is upset. Janela says he’s feeling “a certain type of way”… fustrated! He even tells Sonny this and asks for a hug… but Sonny shoves him down. He then apologizes for his behavior and lets it all out. Remember, Sonny helped Janela find himself; Sonny backed Janela all the way when he was at his highest; but it was also Sonny getting beaten up while Janela was at go-go bars. Janela can’t explain… but the next person through the door can! It’s…

…Alex Marvez? (Britt: “We didn’t book him.”) The crowd boos as Janela tries to bring him out, and Marvez is nowhere to be found. Janela then calls Marvez and asks where he is… Marvez went to the go-go bar without him!

This finally makes it hit Janela – he has to blame himself for how Bad Boy Summer became Sad Boy Summer. Through a breaking voice, he says they were together through the lows of 2020, and the fans love them together. Janela begs for Sonny to be there for him, and he’ll be there for Sonny.

Sonny puts the ball in Janela’s court: Kiss will turn his back, and it’s either hug or walk out. Britt wants Janela to cheap shot Kiss, but Janela instead pulls out… special sunglasses for Kiss. Then he offers the hug, and Kiss accepts. (AWWWWW.) Baker’s distraught, but as Kiss celebrates, Janela warms up the SUPERKICK… ah, he was doing it to troll Britt. Sonny and Joey hug again before walking off together. And everyone’s happy. Except Britt and Rebel, who argue over why the carnage didn’t follow. Who knew Janela was a human being?

Abadon (10-1) vs. Natalia Markova (0-2). And from romance to whatever the hell Abadon is. Even Ricky Starks is rendered speechless by Abadon.

Markova with a go-behind to start, but Abadon reverses. Markova tries to take an arm, but Abadon gets out and nails a clothesline. Markova slaps Abadon, which may be the dumbest thing in this episode, and Abadon screams and tanks some forearms. Abadon sends Markova into the corner face-first, then climbs up but Markova hangs her up in the corner. Abadon pulls herself free and dodges a high kick before pummeling Markova. Markova gets a high kick on the second try, but Abadon adjusts her skull and Markova freaks out. Markova does a Matrix dodge, so Abadon splashes her down. Running Yakuza kick follows, then the leg-wrap DDT to win at 2:17. Y’all wanna see a dead body? 1/4*

Matt Sydal (20-6) vs. Carlie Bravo (0-1). A reminder: Sydal will face the debuting Andrade El Idolo tomorrow in Miami. Bravo is getting one last look before going back to the Factory.

They talk to start before locking up. Sydal sends Bravo to the corner and gives a clean break. The two jockey for position before locking up again, with Sydal getting a headlock into a double wrist takedown and ground wristlock. He transitions to a front facelock, but Bravo gets up and gets arm control. Sydal reverses it, then cuts under to get a Gorgeous Snapmare for one before going back to the arm to ground Bravo. Bravo goes up and over Sydal before getting a pair of armdrags, but Sydal picks the leg and lands a standing Mariposa splash for two.

Sydal with a Bow and Arrow stretch, then he stomps on the back with both feet. Starks: “He’s got a mean side to him, doesn’t he?” Bravo with a right hook to get a cradle for two. Bravo with more rights, but Sydal comes back with a spinning heel kick to the jaw. Sydal chops Bravo, but Bravo catches Sydal in a jawbreaker uranage for two. Clothesline misses, and Sydal catches him coming back with a leg lariat. Lightning Spiral gets the win at 3:47. Just a warmup for Sydal. 1/2*

The Blade (w/The Bnnny and Matt Hardy) (11-2) vs. Tre LaMar (debut). If you follow the indies like I do, seeing Tre LaMar’s name up there gets your attention, as he’s one of the hottest unsigned prospects out there. He’d be a natural in Impact’s X Division, for example, but they have their own Tre(y). Blade/Bunny vs Orange/Statlander tomorrow. Excalibur even calls Lamar promising.

Blade dropkicks Lamar before the bell and stomps a mudhole in him. Then goes back to make sure he walks it dry. Big chop by Blade, then a right hook in the corner. Another chop and Lamar can barely stand. Lamar flips out of a back suplex and gets a waistlock ride, but Blade escapes. Lamar leaps over Blade twice, then drop toe holds him into the middle rope before slingshotting him off and getting a dropkick. Blade cuts him off with a kneelift and tosses him to the apron, adding a shot to the buckle. Blade goes up, but Lamar catches him with a gamengiri and slingshots back in to get his own high knee.

Bunny trips Lamar, but Lamar recovers to catches Blade before Blade catches him in a tilt-a-whirl slam. Matt wants the end as Blade chokes Lamar before sending him into the corner. He dumps Lamar and gets the referee, so Bunny stomps away on Lamar. Blade then heads out and attacks Lamar on the outside, and back in, it gets two. Blade with a lariat on Lamar for two. Blade with a ground chinlock to wear Lamar down, but Lamar escapes and gets a cross-chop to start the comeback. Pump kick and Hammer Throw, then Lamar rolls to the apron and catches Blade in the gut. He goes up, and a twisting crossbody for two.

He goes up again, but the double-stomp is avoided only for Lamar to land a Pele. Back up one more time for Lamar, but the frog elbowdrop misses. Clothesline From Hell by Blade (which should be his finisher) and Blade takes his belt off. The ref tells him not to use it, but while the referee is disposing of it, Bunny tosses in the brass knuckles and Lamar is out cold for the one-foot pin at 6:24. Lamar played a really good underdog. **

Bear Bronson (w/Bear Boulder) (8-11) vs. Ben “Big Trouble” Bishop (debut). Well, Boulder is still in street clothes as Excalibur lets us know it’ll take a few more weeks before he’s medically cleared. It’s Bronson and Bishop with Bryce as bref. Ref. Darnit, Taz. Bishop looks to be 6’8.

Lockup, and after a long struggle, Bishop gets Bronson into the corner and slaps him. Bishop asks for Test of Strength, and they hook up, with Bishop getting the advantage. Bronson pulls himself back up and takes control, but Bishop with a knee to the gut and he goes CLUBBERIN, THEY BE CLUBBERIN TONY until he walks into a powerslam (!) from Bronson.

He lifts Bishop in Oklahoma position, but Bishop slides down the back and lands rights. Bronson fires back and chops him down with a kick and forearms, but he runs into a big boot. Bishop stomps away and corners Bronson, getting the Nash boot choke. He follows with a knee in the corner, then a back elbow and sidewalk slam (speaking of Nash) for two. Bishop tries a running boot in the corner but Bronson dodges and Bishop’s hung up.

Bronson pummels him down before getting a single-leg overhead Tazplex. Avalanche and another Tazplex follows, then Bronson just beats Bishop down back and forth like Jordynne Gace. Lariat floors Bishop, then the Earthquake drop wins it at 4:30. Bishop has potential as a hoss, but he needs more throws. *1/4

Baron Black and Ryzin (0-1) vs. Fuego Del Sol and Marko Stunt (first time teaming). Fuego and Marko are both guests on Sammy’s vlog, so that’s their connection. Of note: the only person in this match who’s won before is Marko, so we’re guaranteed someone getting a first win. Extras at ringside are absolutely in Fuego’s corner to get that win.

Fuego and Black start. Code of Honor, but Black pulls Fuego into a headlock. We go International~!, and Black catches Fuego in a fireman’s carry, but Fuego lands on his feet and gets a headscissors, armdrag, and dropkick. Stunt and Ryzin tag in, and Stunt leaps on Ryzin to get a headlock. Ryzin can’t throw him off, but Stunt’s shoulderblock try backfires as Ryzin laughs. They finish International~!, with Stunt getting a dropkick and flipping Ryzin through the legs, so Fuego comes in with a dropkick for two.

Black gets Fuego in the back on the apron, and Ryzin with a chokeslam/Side Effect hybrid for two. Black back in, and it’s an avalanche by Ryzin with a head kick leading to an atomic drop/Backstabber combo by Black for two. Gory Special hooked by Black, seriously hyperextending the shoulders, but Fuego escapes. Black cuts off the hot tag into a Manhattan Drop/Exploder combo for two. Fireman’s carry into an electric chair, but Fuego rolls off into a Victory Roll Stunner on Black. Enzuigiri and it’s a hot HOT tag to Marko, who gets a leg lariat on Ryzin.

Shiranui try on Black, but Black blocks so Stunt gets a lucha armdrag. Diving elbowdrop to Ryzin, then a Shining Wizard for two. Both lightweights go up as Black and Ryzin bail, and it’s stereo top rope moonsaults by Stunt and Fuego. Back in, Stunt goes up, but Ryzin crotches him and follows. But Fuego tags himself in as Stunt escapes the superplex, and Fuego comes off the onto Ryzin with the TORNADO DDT OF DEATH… and it gets the pin at 5:35!! They put up the Record With A 1 In It Chyron! FIRST WIN ALERT!! Griff Garrison, Alan Angels, Dustin Rhodes, and Sammy Guevara come out and put him on their shoulders. It’s every bit the feel-good moment for Dark aficionados that I expected. Fun match too. **1/4

Kris Statlander (w/Orange Cassidy) (#4 women, 9-0) vs. Viva Van (debut). Sorry, still stoked over Fuego Del Sol getting the storybook ending.

Lockup, and Statlander tries to boop Van. Van gets arm control to stop it, so Statlander cartwheels a few too many times before getting the Boop. Van is not amused and charges, so Statlander gets a legsweep and handstand legdrop for two. Van cuts Statlander off with a roundhouse kick and legsweep, then smacks Statlander on a slide. More chops by Van, but Statlander begins to power up and fights back. Van cuts her off with a leg lariat for two. Statlander catches Van charging in with an Oklahoma Slam, then works her over in the corner. Kneelift in the corner and Statlander lifts Van in an electrric chair, dropping her in the middle of the ring. Booker T Axe Kick leads to the Big Bang Theory to win at 3:14. Very sloppy. 1/4*

Varsity Blonds (w/Julia Hart) (#1 team, 15-4) vs. Chad Lennex and Zachariah (w/Dustin Rhodes) (0-1). As a reminder, that second team consists of graduates of Dustin Rhodes’ Academy, and he enters behind them to give them a last-second pep talk. I’m assuming all three are going on the road together, though it wouldn’t surprise me if they took a few weeks off because of Pillman’s MLW commitments.

Pillman and Zechariah start. Lockup, and Pullman works the arm, rolling through to stop a reversal and bringing in Garrison. Garrison maintains arm control, and Pillman drops an axhandle and rides down Zechariah with a wristlock (adding a knee to the arm). Pillman keeps the hold through a snapmare attempt and drops more knees on the arm, so Zechariah goes to the ropes to break. Zechariah tries to get a quick punch on Pillman, then follows up a slug-out with a Manhattan Drop and rana. Pillman avoids a dropkick, though, and gets a suplex as Garrison enters.

Three-Point Stance by Pillman into a big boot, and Garrison’s legdrop gets two, brother. Zechariah goes to the eyes and brings in Lennex, who kicks away on Garrison in the corner. Pillman tags himself in, though, and a dropkick Hart Attack follows. Lennex pulls Pillman into the middle rope throat-first, though, and kicks away in the corner. Zechariah in, and he stomps a mudhole in Pillman. He and Lennex get an avalanche/Claymore combination for two. Lennex keeps between the Blonds and keeps firing away, but Pillman knocks Zechariah off the apron and puts the boot up as Lennex charges.

Zechariah cuts off the hot tag, though, and Garrison’s protests allow another shot to the head. Lennez in, but Pillman leaps up top and gets a crossbody on both guys. Hot tag Garrison, and he clotheslines and boots both men. BACK body drop on Lennex (.8 Warlord), and the long-distance Stinger Splash follows. Falcon Arrow by Garrison, then a Discus Punch to set up Air Pillman for the win at 4:59. They gave the new kids a chance to get some shine, but they need a LOT more work. Still, if those are their early matches, they’re a darn sight better than what I did at that experience level. 3/4*

Angelico (6-4) vs. Prince Kai (0-1). We last saw Kai getting beaten by Orange Cassidy in seven seconds flat. Angelico dances his way to the ring and is infinitely cooler than you. A reminder: this month has the two-part Fyter Fest, then Fight For the Fallen, which is a nice summer thing.

Lockup, and Angelico gets wrist control. Kai reverses, blocking Angelico’s attempts to power through, but Angelico spins to a backslide into a double-wrist into a throw. Angelico with headlock control, into a hammerlock, but Kai switches to an armlock. Angelico trips Kai and rolls him to his feet, but Kai trips Angelico and lands a dropkick. He then begs Angelico to come at him, and Angelico uses the chance to reset.

A knee to the gut gets Angelico back in control, and he strikes Kai into mush in the corner. More calf kicks and a left jab follow in another corner, then a Hammer Throw, but Kai blocks impact, crawls through Angelico’s legs, and gets a snapmare and crucifix for two. Neckbreaker by Kai gets two. Angelico with a Hotshot from the apron, and back in, he gets a Pele and ankle pick. Navarro Death Roll ends it at 3:30. Kai had his moments. 1/2* Note to self: learn the Navarro Death Roll. We get an extended dance by Angelico, but the music stops playing…

…as Wheeler Yuta comes out for the next match. They bump into each other as Yuta gives him a dirty look.

Ryan Nemeth (w/The Wingmen) (4-5) vs. Wheeler Yuta (0-1). To be fair, I’m a fan of “person from one match runs into person from next match to start something”, so let’s see if Angelico or Yuta does anything. It’s possible this is just Angelico being a weirdo. Yuta is the current IWTV Heavyweight Champion and is part of the Foundation in Ring of Honor I believe.

Lockup, and Nemeth gets a fireman’s carry for two point. Nemeth with a waistlock and rides Yuta down, then picks him up and takes him down again. Yuta reverses and runs around Nemeth to get a dropkick, so Peter Avalon adjusts Nemeth’s hair. Yuta catches Nemeth with a lucha armdrag and goes up top, but Nemeth crotches him and gets a back suplex. He tosses Yuta and the Wingmen quickly try to fix Yuta’s hair (well, that’s one way to interefere), and back in, Nemeth with a Hammer Throw. He does the dance into a corner spear, getting two. Rude Awakening is set up, but Yuta pushes out and trips Nemeth into a side crucifix…

…FOR THE PIN AT 2:37! FIRST WIN ALERT! Oh, Nemeth is furious. Yuta is making sure it’s real. And just like that, Dark has its Horowitz moment. 3/4*

Shawn Spears (5-1) and Wardlow (6-2) vs. Hunter Knott and Rosario Grillo (debut). Tomorrow, it’s Wardlow with FTR against Hager and PnP. Knott and Grillo have matching jackets – I wonder what their indie team name is. The referee removes Spears’ chair before the match.

Wardlow and Knott start. Knott tries a single-leg, but Wardlow just picks him up and chucks him down. He goes for a waistlock, but Wardlow reverses and throws him to the mat. Anyone got a Plan C? Knott with a jawjacker and he tags in Grillo to double-team Wardlow, but he runs through their back elbows and tosses Knott throat-first to the outside. Grillo jumps onto Wardlow but gets stuck in the corner, where the Pinnacle beat him down. Spears with nasty chops as Wardlow yells at him, then Wardlow returns to whip Spears for a knee to Grillo.

Wardlow with a pair of suplex throws on Grillo, then he stares at Knott before doing a third one. Spears calls the shots, but Grillo elbows out of the corner and tags in Knott. Knott with some right hands, but Wardlow catches him with a spinebuster as Spears beats up Grillo on the outside. The ref asks Wardlow to stop him, and Wardlow calms Spears down and asks him to go back to the corner. Back in, Spears tags in, and the Death Valley Driver ends it mercifully at 3:37. Total slaughter. 1/4* Spears wants to use a chair on the poor fools, but the ref and Wardlow talk him out of it.

KiLynn King (12-6) vs. Tay Conti (w/Brodie Lee Jr) (#2 women, 17-3). Please put Junior on commentary one more time for old times’ sake. King is someone I’ve seen grow into being a featured wrestler, and while I don’t think she’s going on the road, it’s clear that in a few years she can be a regular contender. Sadly, Junior stays at ringside.

Lockup, and King with a waistlock takedown. Conti reverses to a front guillotine, but King gets out and maintains a hammerlock, avoiding Conti’s attempts to reverse. Conti finally slips out and gets sayonagis, but a pinning predicament is too near the ropes and King grabs them. King blocks another judo throw with a big clothesline for two. Hammer Throw, but the blind charge misses and Conti spiringboards from the middle to the top rope with a sunset flip for two. Both women block the others’ pump kick, and Conti catches a clothesline with an STO and a Hager head-and-arm triangle. King’s legs are long enough to make the ropes.

King fights her way up, catching Conti trying to go up and over and landing Snake Eyes on her. Small package gets one. Conti is thrown into the corner, and King gets a boot choke. Conti ducks a clothesline, but walks into a Polish Hammer for two. Shots to the kidneys follow, then a pumphandle Oklahoma Slam for two. King is getting frustrated, hooking a ground dragon sleeper and demanding Conti give up. Conti knees out, so King tries a sleeper only to be caught with a jawbreaker.

Conti fires away and gets the clotheslines for the comeback, finishing with a ripcord kneelift. Pump kick in the corner, then three Broski Boots to King. King rolls out of the ring, but she blocks an apron kick, climbs up, and gets a Rock Bottom on the apron! Back in, it gets two. Conti tries to slug it back, but King ducks a clothesline and has an O’Connor Roll blocked. Conti lands on her feet on a hiptoss, and she hooks the DDTay for the pin at 6:50. A year ago, there’s no way this match would be REMOTELY this good. **1/2 Conti and Jr share what’s probably a goodbye hug.

We’re backstage with the Varsity Blonds. Pillman first congratulates the students on being fine athletes, but says they bit off more than they can chew. Garrison promises to keep winning until they get the tag titles. Just a puff piece.

Will Allday, Chandler Hopkins, Jason Hotch, and Dean Alexander vs. Dark Order (Colt Cabana, Alan Angels, Alex Reynolds, and Preston Vance) (w/Brodie Lee Jr). Both teams are together for the first time. Well, in this incarnation anyway. The YouTube chat was high on Hotch from his singles matches, so it’s nice to see him back.

Reynolds and Hopkins start. Lockup, and Hopkins with a go-behind. Reynolds with a hammerlock takedown into neck-scissors, but Hopkins escapes to a front facelock into a wristlock. Reynolds rolls through and snapmares Hopkins, getting a crucifix for two before keeping wrist control. Hopkins handsprings out into a headlock takedown, but Reynolds gets neckscissors only for Hopkins to handspring out. WRESTLING!

Hopkins is proud of himself, then turns around into a Reynolds dropkick. Colt iun, and he gets a ripcord into a right hand from Reynolds. This brings Hotch in, who kicks away on Colt but runs into a BACK body drop (.8 Warlord there too). Colt with wrist control, but Hotch reverses and chops Colt. He mocks the Dark Order salute and chops again, but Colt gives him a receipt. Angels tags in (Brodie Jr had his hand up for a tag in a funny moment), but Allday gets a blind tag and lands a lucha armdrag on Colt. Angels avoids everything Allday has before getting a cradle for two and a sliding knee.

Vance in, and he and Angels do a dropkick/fallaway slam combo. Alexander tags in, but gets sent to the corner by Vance and pummeled. Hammer Throw and corner clothesline follow, then a pump kick. Hopkins enters and dives onto Vance, but Vance catches and powerbombs him. Alexander gets an elbow up before running into the SPINEBUSTER OF DOOM from Vance. Angels in and he goes up, and the Frog Splash gets the pin at 4:05 as Vance cuts everyone off. Brodie Jr shoves the ref away so he can raise their hands. Get enough Dark Order people together and you’re guaranteed a fun match. 3/4*

Jack Evans (w/Matt Hardy and Angelico) (16-33) vs. Mike Sydal (w/Matt Sydal) (5-12). Angelico has a new coat and bucket hat, but the same dance moves. Hardy makes sure Evans is more focused than Angelico seemed to be. Matt makes sure Mike can do his yoga warmups by keeping an eye on Evans and Hardy.

Evans kicks away to start and adds rights, but Sydal cartwheels away and gets a series of armdrags and lock. He turns it into a bridging pinfall for one, then catches Evans in an armbar. Evans backs Sydal into the corner and slugs away, but Sydal goes up and over and backflips and gets a leg lariat for two. Chops by Sydal, but Evans avoids a whip and gets a 540 kick before going ground and pound. Knees to the head follow, then a Russian legsweep for two. Leg lariat sets up the standing Skytwister for two. Evans puts Sydal up top and follows, but Sydal shoves him off and cartwheels away before ducking with the splits and landing an enzuigiri.

Sydal goes lotus position to recharge himself before getting a rolling fireman’s carry into a seated armbar on Evans. Hardy puts Evans’ foot on the ropes, though. They flip behind each other before Evans stomps the foot and nearly throws Sydal into the referee. Sydal slams on the brakes, but it leaves him vulnerable for the Backslide Clutch for the pin at 4:06. I was hoping for another 2-3 minutes. *1/4

Ashley Vox (2-5) vs. Red Velvet (17-4). Look, if you’re closing out Daily’s Place, why not do it with an overloaded show to get everyone some shine? It’s just living up to tradition.

Lockup, and Velvet gets a headlock takedown. Vox reverses to neckscissors, but Velvet gets out and gets a legsweep cover for one. Backslide follows for another one-count, then a jack-knife try for two. Velevet with more armdrags, then a leg lariat. Velvet boxes Vox in the corner, but Vox ducks the haymaker finish to get a forearm and enzuigiri. Vox floors Velvet and pounds away for two. Neck crank follows. Velvet gets out and tries to slug it out, but Vox catches her with a fisherman’s suplex for two.

Fish-hook to Velvet, but Velvet escapes with a backfist (sort of) and clotheslines for the comeback. Vox tosses Velvet to the apron, but gets caught with a pair of ax kicks, the second one ending in the splits. Back in, it gets two. Velvet with forearms and a tilt-a-whirl to send Vox into the middle rope, adding double knees. Chef’s Kiss wins it at 3:17. These two were not on the same page. 1/4*

Main event (I hope): Chaos Project (Luther and Serpentico) (10-14) vs. Eddie Kingston and Penta El Cero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes) (next challengers, 4-0). Tomorrow, the No Fear Kings will face the Young Bucks in a street fight for the AEW Tag Team Titles. This came about because they beat the Bucks in a non-title match, the first time AEW pulled that trigger. Abrahantes is loving every minute of being Penta’s manager/translator/cheerleader. Luther flubs the Cero Miedo hand signal.

Kingston and Serpentico start. Serpentico pokes Kingston’s chest and chops him, which Kingston just stares at. Serpentico with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and a dropkick, and he brings in Luther who keeps working him over in the corner. Luther yanks at Kingston’s ear, then punches him down in the corner before getting a boot choke. Chop in the corner – slightly more effective than Serpentico’s – but Kingston reverses and chops bac. Luther does the same thing, so Kingston bites Luther’s nose (don’t try to out-dirty the Mad King).

Luther trips down Kingston and bring sin Serpentico, who enters with a slingshot double-stomp. It gets one. Serpentico with right hands, but Kingston stands up and chops Serpentico hard. So Serpentico goes to the eyes and snapmares Kingston into a chinlock. Kingston fights out, but Serpentico keeps him in the Chaos Project corner so Luther can come in. Back elbow in a neutral corner and a short clothesline, then a series of kneedrops. Serpentico back in, and Luther lifts him up for an assisted legdrop and facebuster splash. Then Luther tosses Serpentico’s head into Kingston a few more times, because it’s AEW Dark and why the hell not.

It gets two. Serpentico can’t drag Kingston to the corner, so he rolls him over instead and goes up top. Senton bomb misses, though, and it’s hot tag Penta. He catches Serpentico into a backbreaker before getting Silencio Chops without his gloves on Serpentico. Luther gets a knee up, so Penta knocks him off the apron and catches Serpentico into a powerbomb backbreaker. It gets two as Luther saves and kicks Penta out. Kingston and Luther slug it out, ending in Backfirst to the Future, but Serpentico catheds Kingston with a spinkick. Unfortunately, Penta’s legal, and after a Saito suplex, it’s the Fear Factor to win at 6:24. This was fine. *1/2

DYNAMITE ROAD RAGER!

  • Cassidy and Statlander face Bunny and Blade!
  • PnP and Hager face Wardlow and FTR!
  • Andrade El Idolo debuts against Matt Sydal!
  • MJF has a message for Chris Jericho!
  • Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall meet in a Strap Match!
  • And the tag titles are on the line in a Street Fight as Penta and Eddie face the Young Bucks!

HOW I’D BOOK IT:

  1. Andrade El Idolo beats Matt Sydal.
  2. Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall do the “each touch three at once” finish, with Cody winning.
  3. FTR and Wardlow over Santana, Ortiz, and Hager when Wardlow knocks out Ortiz after MJF’s interference. MJF then says it’s time to address Jericho.
  4. MJF’s ultimatum: he will not face Jericho UNLESS Jericho can beat all four Pinnacle members in four straight weeks, starting tonight.
  5. Chris Jericho over Shawn Spears.
  6. Cassidy and Statlander defeat Bunny and Blade when Cassidy gives Blade the Orange Punch.
  7. It takes help from the entire Elite, but the Young Bucks do hold off Penta and Kingston to retain the Tag Titles.

STATS:

BELL-TO-BELL – 73:29 over seventeen matches (average time 4:19)

MATCH OF THE NIGHT – Conti/King

FIVE STARS

  1. Tay Conti
  2. Hughes Brothers
  3. Fuego Del Sol
  4. Joey Janela
  5. Wheeler Yuta

Last one out of Daily’s Place, turn out the lights.

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