SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW DARK TV REPORT
OCTOBER 22, 2019
TAPED 10/16 IN PHILADELPHIA, PA.
AIRED LIVE ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY ZACH GRAHAM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz
Host: Tony Schiavone
-Tony Schiavone opened the show from the studio and announced the lineup for AEW Dark tonight. Joey Janela vs. Brandon Cutler first, Nyla Rose vs. Leva Bates, and the night would end with Cody & Dustin Rhodes teaming up with The Young Bucks to take on Private Party & Strong Hearts. Schiovane said we’re jumping straight to the action and showed a clip of Taz coming out and joining Excalibur as a guest commentator before jumping straight into the first match.
(1) JOEY JANELA vs. BRANDON CUTLER
The match opened with a lock up and Janela playing to the crowd as he escaped various holds by Cutler. The announcers talked about Cutler’s time away from wrestling and Taz tried to say that time off can help because “absence makes the heart go fonder.” Janela hit Cutler with a lariate, followed by a tope suicida, before taking a lap around the ring and hitting Cutler with an elbow after jumping off the steel steps. Janela picked up the win after hitting Cutler with a suplex off the top rope.
WINNER: Joey Janela in 9:00.
-Excalibur threw back to Schiavone who introduced the next installment of Undesirable to Undeniable with Cody Rhodes.
-Cody Rhodes introduced QT Marshall saying he’s a man he met at Ring of Honor and the man that stepped up and helped produce All In. Cody talked about going to the premiere of The Wrestler: A QT Marshall Story, and while WWE didn’t bite, Cody fell in love with him. QT told the story of being paying for a tryout with ROH and getting the job, making him feel “undeniable,” but the locker room didn’t like him which made him feel undesirable. He said in his third match he popped two discs in his neck and after surgery he stopped wrestling. QT talked about selling his house in Florida, moving to Georgia, betting on himself, and opening a wrestling school which is how he got in touch with Cody and Brandi. Cody announced that QT will be wrestling in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.
-Back to Schiavone who introduced the two competitors in the next match.
-The Librarians came out first, Peter Avalon shushed the crowd and when they didn’t comply, he called them all rude. Avalon then mocked Philadelphia about Bryce Harper, the Philadelphia Eagles, and mocked their love of “a fictional boxer.” Leva stood behind him not appreciating Avalon’s cheap digs at the local crowd before taking the microphone away from him and shushing him.
(2) NYLA ROSE vs. LEVA BATES (w/Peter Avalon)
Avalon threw books at the feet of Rose immediately to try and distract her, Bates attacked Rose from behind and after a couple of drop kicks in the corner. Rose quickly took control and hit Bates with a powerslam. Rose hit a Death Valley Driver, but Avalon would jump up on the apron causing a distraction. Bates would get a two count on a quick roll up attempt. Rose quickly took control again and picked up Bates and threw her onto Avalon, then swung Bates into the ring steps. After re-entering the ring, Rose hit the Beast Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Rose in just under 5:00.
-Tony Schiavone then announced the matches for tomorrow night’s AEW Dynamite. Britt Baker will be wrestling Jamie Hader. There will also be both Semi-Final Tag Team Championship Tournament matches which are Private Party vs. Lucha Bros and SCU vs. Dark Order.
A video package on Dark Order then aired of some of their highlights in their matches thus far in AEW. Shiovane then threw to a replay of the attack on SCU by The Lucha Bros followed by Alex Marvez interviewing Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazerian asking for an update on Christopher Daniels. They said they don’t know his condition, but they’ll find a way to beat Dark Order and hopefully meet The Lucha Bros in the finals.
-Next, a bloody Pac was shown, angry at Jon Moxley following their tag team match last week. He said he’s done nothing but help Moxley since he got to AEW. First by taking his place against Kenny Omega at All Out, then by laying out Kenny for him last week with the chair. Pac promised to make Moxley regret the day he betrayed “the Bastard.”
-Schiavone then promoted AEW’s upcoming Dynamite tapings through December 18. Schiovane then talked about Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes before going to a recap of the Jericho vs. Darby Allin Championship match from last week. Then it was time for the main event.
(3) CODY & DUSTIN RHODES & THE YOUNG BUCKS (w/Brandi & MJF) vs. PRIVATE PARTY & STRONG HEARTS (CIMA & T-Hawk)
Cody and CIMA started the match. Cody quickly rolls to the outside and gave Brandi a kiss, Cody then turned to MJF to give him one too and MJF quickly backed away. Cody tagged in Dustin, who tagged in Matt Jackson. Cody jumped in to interfere after Matt Jackson took a chop from T-Hawk, only to get a chop of his own before he scurried to the outside and jumped into the crowd for a moment. Private Party then isolated Matt Jackson and focused the attack on his right arm. Matt gained control after Private Party took a moment to mock the Young Bucks. Nick Jackson then came in and took control before tagging in Dustin Rhodes. Dustin then hit everyone with a scoop slam.
As action spilled outside the ring, Brandi Rhodes climbed up on the apron and took out everyone below in plain view of the official. Cody then distracted the ref as MJF took off his coat and ran the ropes as if he was going to do an over the top rope dive, but after running the ropes a couple of times, he decided not to and mocked the Philadelphia crowd. The Young Bucks and the Rhodes brothers then trapped each of their opponents in a corner of the ring with their legs draped outside the ropes, but their bodies still inside. All four then ran from the middle of the ring and kicked the middle turnbuckle where their opponents were sitting, effectively giving them all a low blow. MJF distracted the official to avoid the disqualification while this was all set up and executed. Dusting Rhodes then pinned T-Hawk after hitting The Final Reckoning, while Nick Jackson had a hold of T-Hawk’s leg.
WINNERS: Cody, Dustin Rhodes, & The Young Bucks in 17:00.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was an okay episode of AEW Dark. The first match felt dead; the crowd didn’t seem into it apart from the occasional cheers for Joey Janela as he played to the crowd. The women’s match was not very good, in my opinion. I think both women could benefit from more training before being put on television, or at least be matched up with some stronger wrestlers. The match was slow and plodding, to say the least and the crowd wasn’t interested at all. The main event was good if you enjoy that style of wrestling. The EVP’s and Dustin didn’t seem to take it too seriously with some of the shenanigans which can be annoying and frustrating when these matches are included in competitors’ records. The obvious interferences by everyone gets old; wrestlers randomly deciding to jump in the ring when they aren’t the legal man is annoying to me. Having Brandi and MJF on the outside interfering as well was just too much for me. If it was toned down, I think it would’ve been more enjoyable, but it felt cartoonish. On a positive note, I thought Taz did an excellent job and it felt like he and Excalibur were gelling nicely. I wouldn’t mind if Taz did more of these AEW Dark tapings based on his performance tonight.
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