AEW DARK: July 13, 2021

The PG Era Rant for AEW Dark, Episode 97 (“Open Up A Can Of Pre-Tape”), July 13, 2021.

From the AEW Arena. These were taped before going on the road to Miami, according to sources.

Your hosts are Excalibur and Taz, wearing the same things as last week. They must have done their laundry.

TONIGHT! Dante Martin steps into the ring with independent superstar Rickey Shane Page! Julia Hart looks to rebound from last night by facing Madi Wrenckowski! The Gunn Club look to extend their unbeaten run against The Wingmen of Drake and Bononi! And Wheeler Yuta looks to out-grapple the South African Submission Specialist, Angelico!

PLUS – Big Swole, Uno and Stu, Frankie Kazarian, Ethan Page, Brian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs, Matt Hardy, Johnson/Anderson of Team Nightmare, Penelope Ford, The Acclaimed, Private Party, The Blade, Diamante, and Ryan Nemeth! Also, people I have watched in person!

Opening match: Matt Hardy (w/The Hardy Family Office) (13-3) vs. Jah-C (debut). Jah-C is the current champion of Black Wrestlers Matter, a new promotion. Tomorrow, it’s Matt Hardy against Christian Cage.

Matt warms up with jumping jacks after the bell. Jah-C, who makes it clear he feels surrounded, locks up, but Matt works the arm. Jah-C reverses, getting a hammerlock. Hardy reverses it after a back elbow, trying to get into a crossface chickenwing, bt Jah-C makes the ropes. So Matt tosses him over and out in the middle of the HFO, and the distraction allows Matt a dropkick. Hardy works him against the apron and rips at his face while yelling into the camera. Back in, a slam and he mocks the five-second poses.

Hammer Throw causes Jah-C to Flair Flip, which in turn allowed him to get dropkicks for the comeback. Elbowdrop gets two. Hardy punches out, but Jah-C escapes a slam only to run into a Side Effect. A second one, but Hardy doesn’t cover, instead pounding away. Leech ends it at 4:01. Man, you can see how little Matt has left in the tank with these matches. 1/2* Matt then asks Jora Johl to give him a towel and wipe him off. Johl wasn’t allowed to pose with everyone else, mind you.

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Non-Title: Brian Cage (FTW Champion, 11-2) vs. Foxx Vinyer (debut). Cage has new music, though it may just be a Team Taz remix. Cage is defending against Ricky Starks tomorrow, though.

Vinyer delivers an uppercut at the bell, then kicks Cage only for Cage to stop a whip. Vinyer tries a hiptoss, then a waistlock, but Cage blocks everything and takes over with a clothesline and Argentine neckbreaker (think inverted TKO). Corner shoulder rams and a chop by Cage, and he stops Vinyer going up and over. Vinyer escapes the Alabama Slam and uppercuts Cage in the corner, but he runs into a lariat. Simmons Spinebuster gets two. Reverse STO and Falcon Arrow (not quite the Drill Claw) wins at 1:54. NR, but Vinyer had a unique look and kept it all action.

The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, #3 team, 13-3) vs. Derek Pisutaro and Roman Rozell (0-1). Rozell and Pisutaro are the army vets. “Send you all back to Basic Training.” “What are you, the Coast Guard?” “Write you off like a tax deduction.” “Try to look tough / what are you, the Coast Guard?” Rozell and Pinutaro are bemused. Unlike their last appearance, no sign of the Sergeant.

Rozell and Caster start. Rozell with a single-leg and Caster backs off. Rozell with a waistlock takedown and front facelock, but Caster escapes to a hammerlock. Rozell reverses to a side headlock and Caster shoves him off, nailing a backfirst to Rozell and hooking an armdrag. Bowens in, and he slugs away on Rozell, then goes CLUBBERIN, THEY BE CLUBBERIN TONY. Rozell with a fireman’s carry as Bowens celebrates and he works the arm to bring in Pisutaro. Saluting double back elbow by the Army Men, then Pisutaro with a gutwrench for one.

Hammer Throw, but Pisutaro runs into a calf kick and Olympic Slam. Caster back in, and it’s a trip into a dropkick that knocks Pisutaro out of the ring. Caster meets him there and drops him on the apron, then back in, he brings in Bowens. Double suplex by the Acclaimed, and Bowens toys with Pisutaro. Pisutaro comes back with a HHH facebuster, hot tag Rozell. Northern Lights throw to Caster, release German to Bowens, but the Acclaimed get a swinging neckbreaker and cut off Pisutaro with a low dropkick. Back suplex to Pisutaro, and Caster lariats Rozell. Uranage and Mic Drop ends it at 4:27. Rozell has some good fire, and if they’re students, team them up with Carlie Bravo or Shawn Dean in the future. 3/4*

Diamante (23-14) vs. Harlow O’Hara (debut). WOOHOO! O’Hara was a regular in my home promotion back in the day and has made a few appearances in the WOW reboot. But first, an inset promo where Diamante talks about her last year and stepping up when it matters. She specifically calls out Big Swole. Seeing as O’Hara’s the other talent, I don’t expect she’ll get to do her full High Priestess gimmick.

Lockup, and Diamante gets O’Hara in the corner and gives a slap before getting an armdrag. She goes to a ground hammerlock, but O’Hara rolls through and kicks Diamante away after a struggle. Legsweep gets one, with Diamante getting it back. They exchange waistlocks, with Diamante elbowing out and lariating down O’Hara. Diamante sends O’Hara into the corner and pounds away with forearms before running into a huge slap.

“My turn now!”, and indeed, Diamante eats buckle and gets a mudhole stomped in her. O’Hara pulls down the kneepad, but it takes too long and Diamante avoids it. She trips O’Hara and gets the shotgun dropkick in the corner for two. Shiranui is blocked, but O’Hara runs into a back elbow and Diamante gets a Russian legsweep. Deadweight splash follows, and now the shiranui hits. Half-straitjacket armlock gets the win at 3:03. Hey, my gal Harlow did all right! *

Ethan Page (16-2) vs. Ryan Mantell (0-1). Okay, I know you in the comments were happy to see Mantell, so let’s see if he gets a good second look. Page faces Darby Allin tomorrow in a coffin match. Scorpio Sky is on commentary, of course.

Ethan kicks Mantell and slugs him to start, but he showboats too much and Mantell chops him into the corner. Mantell keeps up the work with an armbreaker, but Ethan goes up and over on a whip and runs over Mantell. Ethan does more shimmying before kicking away on Mantell, then working him over in the corner. He drops an elbow on the neck and talks trash, but Mantell escapes a suplex and gets a pretty dropkick. Corner clothesline follows, but Ethan reverses a Hammer Throw only to eat elbow on a blind charge. Ethan catches Mantell going up and drops him off with an Iconoclasm, and the Ego’s Edge ends it at 2:26. Ethan is very easy to hate. 1/2*

Big Swole (13-1) vs. Sahara Seven (debut). WOOHOO AGAIN! Seven did a few appearances in the old stomping grounds and is Maryland-based. Commentary makes it clear Swole/Diamante will happen in the future. Seven does a “Cleopatra reincarnated” gimmick. Taz: “The winner of this match will be the lady wearing black.” (No points for guessing their outfits.)

Lockup goes nowhere. They exchange waistlocks, but Swole gets a snapmare and soccer kick. Polish Hammer to the back by Swole, who eventually wins a corner whip battle. Seven escapes a charge and splashes Swole in the corner, then adds a hip check and diving uppercut. It gets one. Seven fires off forearms from the top mount, but Swole fires back as she’s picked up. Seven with knee strikes to the head, only for Swole to block and get forearms.

The double-fakeout headbutt follows, but Seven recovers with a kneelift. Swole reverses into a DDT. Cross-chops follow, but a big boot misses only for Swole to pick the ankle. She stomps the gut, and the Clearwater Cloverleaf ends it at 3:01. Got a little sloppy near the end. 1/2*

Swole has a mic and fires up the crowd. She wants to spend some time responding to Diamante. She calls Diamante a “mark-ass trick” (whatever that means). She wonders what Swole will do? How about you become All Elite first? She tells Diamante not to call her out again or she’ll get pummeled. Of course, she said it more colorfully than I did.

Dante Martin (10-4) vs. RSP (debut). RSP, of course, stands for Rickey Shane Page, one of the top draws on the independent scene. I’d say it’s great for him to get a tryout, but Wheeler Yuta was in the same boat and look how he did. Page throws his jacket at Martin from the outside…

…and Martin dives onto Page on the outside with a rana! Back in as the bell rings, and Martin leaps over Page before getting a springboard dropkick for one. Martin boxes down Page in the ropes, but Page returns with a body attack and a backdrop into a kick to the spine on the way down! Uppercut by Page, and he punches Martin in another corner. Another corner splash leads to a suplex throw, and Page tries to wake Martin up.

He sends Martin headfirst into the buckle and uppercuts him, then another avalanche sets up a suplex throw try… but Martin rolls through and gets a second-rope crossbody for the double-down. Crowd is behind Martin. Martin with a forearm and dropkick for the comeback, but Page stops the Hammer Throw and sends Martin to the apron. Martin with an enzuigiri from there, and the double-jump moonsault connects for two. Martin with more forearms, into a prawn cradle for two. Roundhouse spinkick floors Page for two, but Page gets his hand on the ropes.

Page fakes an attack and makes Martin flinch, allowing an enzuigiri. Page to the top, and a ropewalk into a frog splash gets two. Page drags Martin back to the corner to do it again, but the half-senton try this time airballs. Martin’s blind charge eats elbow and Page goes up, so Martin flips up to give him a Frankensteiner! Full Vertical stunner wins it at 5:15. Folks, this is why Rickey Shane Page is a big deal – I’d love to see him get another chance! **1/4

Evil Uno and Stu Grayson (w/Brodie Lee Jr) (20-5) vs. Sean Maluta and Papadon (first time teaming). At least one person in the YouTube chat was talking up Papadon, and I know he’s been around the indies for a very long time. Taz jokes that Justin’s purple tie may be a sign he’s joining the Dark Order. (Say it with me: TUNE INTO NITRO TO FIND OUT!)

Maluta and Uno start. Uno backs Maluta into the corner on the lockup and gives a clean break, but Maluta shoves Uno and gets chopped for his insolence. Maluta goes up and over on a whip and gets a back kick, but Uno wins a shoulderblock battle and stomps on the hands (Evil). Grayson and Papadon in, and Papadon pounds away to start. They get into a strikefest, whch Grayson gets the better of, but he puts his head down. Grayson recovers with a rana out of nowhere, but Papadon blocks Grayson and gets a middle-rope uppercut before striking away in the ropes. Uno tags himself in and catches Papadon in a deadlift German.

Grayson back in, and Uno sends him into Papadon, then adds a big boot. Grayson with the inside-out senton on Papadon, then he floors Maluta before returning to the ring. Uno back in, and he rakes the back (I told you, Evil) before getting into a forearm battle. Maluta trips Uno on the outside, so Papadon clobbers him out of the ring. Papadon chops him while on the outside, and back in, Maluta enters to stomp a mudhole in Uno. Uno tries a headbutt, but Maluta is Samoan so he wins that exchange. Papadon back in, and he gets a snapmare and soccer kick. Grounded headlock follows, and he gets a back suplex when Uno escapes, for two.

Maluta in, but Uno shoves Papadon away and Maluta’s crossbody hits air. Hot tag Grayson, who comes off the top to take out Maluta before cross-chopping Papadon. He slugs Papadon to the outside, but gets caught by Maluta only to recover with an overhead suplex. Uranage by Grayson to Papadon, and Dark Order get the alley-oop powerbomb on Maluta. Running kick and piledriver combination ends Papadon at 5:27. Uno and Stu are just the guys you want on AEW Dark – established veterans who aren’t afraid to give a little in victory and have instant credibility. *1/2

Ryan Nemeth (w/The Wingmen) (4-6) vs. Marcus Kross (and his hair) (0-1). Well, hopefully Nemeth has learned his lesson from last time, when he got upset by Wheeler Yuta. Kross, as I noted before, is clearly doing Super Saiyan Goku cosplay.

Lockup, and Nemeth gets the takedown and wants two points. Nemethblocks a takedown by Kross, then grabs the hair to do a headlock. We criss-cross, and Kross goes over Nemeth’s back and lands a dropkick as Excalibur makes a Back to the Future joke. Double-stomp-elbowdrop bounce gets one. Peter Avalon trips Kross, allowing Nemeth to get a chop to the throat and dump Kross. Avalon and Bononi water down Kross’s hair on the outside (even Taz thinks that was too far), and back in, Nemeth with a Hammer Throw.

Dancing corner spear follows. Nemeth with the hammerlock and headstand, and he pulls Kross’s hair. Back suplex follows and we HIT THE CHINLOCK as the crowd chants “His Hair’s Better”. Jawjacker allows Kross to escape, and he kicks away for the comeback. Yes Kicks follow, but Nemeth catches one only for Kross to recover with a 540 kick for two. He calls for the Kamehameha, but dude, that’s Omega’s move, so Nemeth with a waistlock takedown and Rude Awakening to win at 4:01. You didn’t think he’d get caught losing twicein a row, did you? *1/4

Penelope Ford (7-1) vs. Robyn Renegade (0-5). Still no sign of Kip Sabian, which is weird. Is he hurt? Ford does the twirl and splits for her entrance, but she threw her jacket onto the top rope, blocking the hard cam from seeing her. Whoops.

Lockup, with Ford backing Robyn into the corner and chopping her. Waistlock and Ford sends Robyn into the corner and slaps her back, which visibly irks Robyn. Robyn reverses a Hammer Throw and gets a corner clothesline, but runs into a pump kick by Ford for two. Ford protests to the ref, but she has her shin on Robyn’s throat as she does. Middle-rope choke follows, then the catapult into the top rope. It gets two.

Ford kicks the small of the back of Robyn, then piefaces her, which fires her up. Ford pummels her back down, though, but Robyn escapes the Gut Check and gets a Backstabber. Big lariat follows for the double-down. Double knees on a charge by Robyn and she throws Ford down, but she talks too much and Ford gets a cradle for two. Clothesline by Ford to get back in control, but now Ford yaps to the camera and Robyn is up to her feet. They slug it out, won by Robyn, but Ford catches her with the Gut Check to win at 3:30. It felt like this match had another gear. 3/4* Ford will face Yuka Sakazaki tomorrow.

Earlier Today, Matt Hardy cut a promo on Christian Cage about how he is Hardy’s greatest rival. They’re usually tag team matches, but on TV, he’s 2-0 in singles competition. Tomorrow night, he gets the hat trick in front of crowds. Tomorrow is his moment – a moment he never had because of Covid. For 16 months, Hardy has been working in front of no crowds to build the HFO and make AEW great. Now Cage wants to make a triumphant return? Hardy never took seven years off his career for injuries, and that toughness is why it will be his moment. Cage started it (in the Casino Battle Royal), but Hardy will make him pay, sending him home for good. Not a bad promo.

Frankie Kazarian (18-3) vs. Austin Green (w/Diamond Sheik) (debut). They must have had a lot of matches left in the can, which is fine. Taz says he’s worked with Diamond Sheik before.

Kazarian jumps Green – who is a BIG boy – at the bell, but gets shoved away. Second verse, same deal. Kazarian switches to chops, but he can’t whip Green. Green sends Kazarian into the corner, but a charge eats elbow and Kazarian gets a missile dropkick. Forearm staggers Green, who hasn’t been down yet, and another charge is caught by Green into a Simmons spinebuster. Green chokes him down in the corner, then delivers a huge Mongolian chop to Kazarian’s chest. Green with a suplex as Taz says Sheik is his personal jewelry seller.

Kazarian tries to come back with chops, but Green clubs him down and lands a Hammer Throw into a sidewalk slam for two. Blind charge misses as Kazarian gets outside, and he staggers Green before Sheik grabs the leg. Kazarian kicks him down, which allows Green to try a goozle, but Kazarian drops the arm over the top and makes sure Sheik stays down. Kazarian returns to the ring and gets a running clothesline to FINALLY get Green down. Crossface Chickenwing eventually gets the submission at 3:20. Fun big/little match, but Green seemed to work a little too slowly for my taste. 3/4*

Lee Johnson and Brock Anderson (w/Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson) vs. Mark Davidson and Aaron Frye. Neither duo has teamed in AEW before. You can tell Brock is an Anderson because you could tell me he’s any age between 25 and 50 and I’d believe you. Taz thinks Excalibur is a little too high on the praise of the Nightmare rookies.

Frye and Johnson start. Frye kicks Johnson rather than lock up, but Johnson goes up and over on a corner whip and gets a dropkick after a criss-cross. An armdrag follows, and Johnson works the arm. Anderson in, and it’s a double back elbow with Anderson adding an elbowdrop for one. Side headlock by Anderson and he brings Johnson back in. Johnson works the arm, then grabs the headlock. Davidson gets a knee to Johnson’s back, allowing Frye a clothesline to take over. Davidson in as Johnson is sent to the corner, and Davidson with a chop to Johnson and Hammer Throw into a corner splash.

Frye returns with a running forearm and snapmare, and we HIT THE CHINLOCK. Johnson elbows out, but Frye sends him into the corner. Charge eats boot, hot tag Anderson. Clotheslines to Frye and he sends Davidson off the apron. Corner throw and shoulder rams, then he lifts Frye into a back body drop. Davidson enters and is tossed, and Anderson with a gutwrench something-or-other, Davidson saves. EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL as Johnson sends Frye into Davidson, knocking both men out of the ring and following with a plancha. Back in, Anderson tosses Frye into a SUPERKICK, and the Anderson Spinebuster wins at 4:27. Anderson is very green, but he has a chance to be very good. 1/2*

Wheeler Yuta says he’s a Decoder. He tries to solve his opponents. He knows Angelico’s weakness to solve him: arrogance. Ryan Nemeth didn’t respect Wheeler, and he got beaten. So, go ahead and take him lightly, Angelico – that’s how Wheeler will win.

Julia Hart (w/Varsity Blonds) (3-5) vs. Madi Wrenckowski (3-4). Despite having picked up a few wins along the way, Madi doesn’t get an entrance. She is, however, wearing an intriguing houndstooth outfit. I like it.

Lockup, and Madi forces Hart to the corner and gives a clean break, but glares at her. Another lockup, and Hart grabs the arm, with Madi reversing to a wristlock. Hart flips out of it (with help from the ropes, but I’ll let it slide) and reverses back, but Madi with a leg trip into a headlock. We go International~!, with Hart ending classically with a hiptoss. Blind charge sees Hart slam on the brakes and stop Madi with double boots before adding a front roll into a dropkick for two. Madi with a knee to the gut as Taz still can’t spell, then a Hotshot.

Madi stops to talk trash to Pillman before delivering some Sheamus-style poundings (with Hart around the middle rope). Rope-tangle dragon sleeper by Madi gets two. And another two. She goes back to the dragon sleeper and pounds away, but Hart with a Stunner to break. Madi keeps CLUBBERIN, THEY BE CLUBBERIN TONY, but Hart blocks and clotheslines to get the comeback. Hammer Throw sets up the front handspring clothesline, then a running back elbow. Splits bulldog and standing moonsault gets two. Madi forearms out but runs into a SUPERKICK, and the splits splash wins at 4:21. Perfectly fine indy match! *1/4

The Blade (w/Matt Hardy and The Bunny) (3-0) vs. Jake Tucker (0-1). Still no sign of Butcher, but if you’re a guitarist and you have a hand injury, you’re probably going to make dang sure it’s 100% before returning to physicality. Hardy with some last-second words for Blade (“Don’t introduce your wife to Edge, trust me”) before the match.

Tucker fakes a few charges to an unfazed Blade as we start. He gyrates the hips, but Blade sidesteps the charge and just wants fisticuffs. Tucker obliges, and Blade asks if he can do better than that. Tucker tries, but Blade laughs it off and wants more. Tucker goes for a dropkick instead and pounds away, but gets caught with a boot and suplex drape on the top rope. Gutwrench powerbomb finishes this one at 1:49. NR Excalibur teases a future Blade/Orange match down the line.

Dasha interviews Angelico about Wheeler Yuta. Evans explains who Yuta is, but Angelico dismisses him as a complete unknown. Evans corrects him, saying he’s a hot prospect who could match Angelico with submissions. Angelico is upset at Yuta being on his level, and he’s going to bring out some new and painful submissions. Good luck, Yuta, you got him angry. (But not angry enough to stop vibing.)

Private Party (Isaiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) (w/Matt Hardy) (#5 team, 10-4) vs. Joeasa and Deonn Rusman (first time teaming). Again, we have to say Matt Hardy is facing Christian Cage tomorrow. Joeasa and Rosman have matching shirts – their team name is apparently inFAMy.

Private Party attack before the bell and isolate Joeasa, but a double back body drop try is intercepted and Joeasa gives Quen a neckbreaker. Rusman with a powerslam, and Joeasa covers Kassidy for two. Blind charge by Kassidy eats boot, but Quen pulls Joeasa out and pays for it. Kassidy, though, with a Cutter-like Hotshot on Joeasa, and back in, he works Joeasa over in the corner. Quen in, and he and Kassidy take turns stomping a mudhole and walking it dry.

Quen stomps on Joeasa’s hand and gets a snapmare, then gets his doo-rag. Quen fights with the ref over it, allowing Kassidy to get cheap shots on Joeasa as the ref tries to restore order. Joeasa slides out of a slam and brings in Rusman, who runs over both guys with clotheslines. Deep Six on Quen, and Rusman circles Quen, but Quen vaults the charge and knocks Joeasa off the apron. Kassidy returns for a double-team, and it’s a double 540 kick to win at 3:27. Rusman looked good on the hot tag and that double 540 kick is a vicious finisher. 3/4*

Powerhouse Hobbs (16-3) vs. Travis Titan (0-2). Really, is there any reason this couldn’t have been two episodes? I guess they had them in the can and just wanted to burn them, and Fyter Fest will feature crowds watching both halves of Dark. Hobbs stops the introduction of Titan and smashes him over the guardrail, then tries to suplex him back in. Titan’s clothesline gets no-sold and Hobbs sends Titan into the post.

Back in to start the match, and the SPINEBUSTER OF DOOM finishes it at 12.2 seconds plus tax. NR Taz insists that after tonight, they’ll get it out of their system and EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

Gunn Club (Billy and Colten) (5-0) vs. The Wingmen (Cezar Bononi and JD Drake) (w/Peter Avalon and Ryan Nemeth) (first time teaming). I sense a hoss fight. Sadly, no Love Sled for tonight. Given that Gunn Club hasn’t lost, can you put them in the Top 5 so the Young Bucks can steamroll Billy? Seriously, he’s pushing 60. Wingmen attack before the bell and send Gunn Club into the ropes, but the Gunns low bridge Bononi out and slug out Drake. The fight continues on the floor as Billy sends Bononi into the guardrail and Colten chops Drake.

Billy and Drake start for real, as Billy floors Drake with a right haymaker. Colten in, and after a Billy kneelift, Colten gets a lariat. Forearm by Colten, and he ducks a big boot and gets a dropkick for two. Billy back in, and he wants the Famouser but runs into a stiff right. Manhattan Drop by Drake and a big boot by Bononi gets two. Bononi boxes down Billy in the corner, cutting off any thoughts of a hot tag, then chokes him against the ropes. Billy fights up, but Bononi gets a kneelift and dumps Billy. On the outside, Bononi charges into a boot before being ole’d into the guardrail. (Drake prevents a count, for the record.)

Everyone crawls in, and it’s hot tag Colten. Clotheslines to Drake, and he runs the Wingmen together before getting a leaping lariat on Bononi. Stinger Splash to Drake and neckbreaker to Bononi, but Drake stops the Colt 45 and Bononi clubbers Colten. Hoss Toss by Bononi sets up the Cannonball by Drake for two. Billy’s not on the apron yet, as Drake points out, and he stomps Colten and goes up. Vaderbomb misses, and Billy resurfaces to get the tag. Famouser to Drake, Bononi saves. Bononi and Colton tag in, and Bononi wants the pumphandle slam, but Colten slides out the back and gets the Colt 45 to win at 5:50. Funny bit: during the match, Bononi tried to drag Drake to his corner to get the tag and he yanked Drake’s boot clean off. Billy is just useless as a wrestler right now. 3/4*

MAIN EVENT (finally): Angelico (7-5) vs. Wheeler Yuta (2-1) . Believe it or not, there’s a backstory to this one: last week, Angelico spent way too long dancing and was interrupted by Yuta coming out for his match. Just added to Fyter Fest: Yuta to face Sammy Guevara. A weird pairing, but let’s go with it.

They jockey for position, with Yuta getting a wristlock. Angelico reverses, so Yuta rolls out to a snapmare and chinlock. Angelico slides out and gets a stepover armbar, but Yuta with an ankle pick and he tries an STF, but Angelico makes the ropes and gets a reset. WRESTLING! Angelico with a waistlock off a dropstep and he switches to a full nelson, then a snapmare into a sleeper. Yuta with a Gorgeous snapmare and he asks if that’s all Angelico has. Angelico likes his moxie and they exchange words, which leads to Yuta getting a lucha armdrag.

They exchange waistlocks, and Yuta with his over-and-back into a dropkick. Angelico bails, so Yuta tries a tope suicida only to be caught with a head kick to the ear. Angelico boxes Yuta in the corner, adding a boot choke. Yuta fires back with forearms, but Angelico gets the drop toe hold and just stomps Yuta. Double handed chinlock with a knee to the neck, then Angelico yanks down Yuta and stomps him. He teases the Navarro Death Roll, but takes too long and Yuta kicks away to get out of it before running into a back elbow for one.

Angelico with a rocking horse cloverleaf, but Yuta cradles him out of it for two. Angelico slugs him down and gets a Trailer Hitch before wrapping the free leg around Yuta’s head and getting arm control. He keeps the ankles crossed into a butterfly lock, but Yuta makes the ropes. Yuta chops away to slow Angelico down, but Angelico with a kneelift. Back suplex try, but Yuta falls on top for two. Springboard crossbody gets two. Angelico’s charge eats boot, and Yuta with another crossbody off the top for two. Deadlift German try, but Angelico elbows out. Yuta with an Olympic Slam for a VERY close two, faking out the crowd.

Yuta with a Manhattan Drop and enzuigiri, but Angelico escapes the German and gets a snapmare and big right. Yuta recovers to complete the German and bridge for two. Angelico needs to get outside to recover, and this time Yuta’s dive connects. Back in, Yuta goes up top, but he flies into a dropkick from Angelico. Angelico drops his weight onto Yuta’s leg as it’s draped on the bottom rope, and the Navarro Death Roll ends it at 8:08 (though he holds on for a few extra seconds, much to Excalibur’s disdain). Beautiful. *** Great way to end the show.

TOMORROW!

• Hardy vs. Christian!
• Brian Cage vs. Starks for the FTW Title!
• Ethan Page and Darby Allin in a Coffin Match!

HOW I’D BOOK DYNAMITE!

1. Jon Moxley over Karl Anderson to retain the IWGP US Title.
2. Wheeler Yuta over Sammy Guevara after MJF knocks Guevara out with the diamond ring.
3. Christian Cage over Matt Hardy.
4. Hangman Page, after much prodding from Dark Order, finally says he’ll come after Kenny Omega and the AEW Title… and he wants it at All Out.
5. Ricky Starks over Brian Cage to win the FTW Title when Powerhouse Hobbs drums Brian out of Team Taz.
6. Yuka Sakazaki over Penelope Ford.
7. Darby Allin closes the lid on Ethan Page.

STATS:

BELL-TO-BELL – 68:39 over eighteen matches (average time 3:49)

MATCH OF THE NIGHT – Angelico/Yuta

FIVE STARS:

1. Angelico
2. Dante Martin
3. Wheeler Yuta
4. Matt Hardy
5. Rickey Shane Page

Tomorrow night, let’s fyte!