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AEW DARK TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 24, 2020
RECORDED AT DAILY’S PLACE, JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
AIRED ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Taz.
Additional announcers throughout the show: Anthony Ogogo and Ricky Starks.
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
– Excalibur and Taz welcomed us to Dark. Anthony Ogogo joined them at the start of the show this week.
(1) VIPRESS vs. BIG SWOLE
Vipress made her AEW debut here. The two locked up to start, feeling one another out. They traded some standing switches, until Vipress was able to ground Swole to the mat. Swole finally took the upper advantage after a stiff back elbow. Vipress tangled Swole’s hair in the ropes, stretching her in the process. The two traded a few more back-and-forths until Swole hit a northern lights suplex for the two. Swole landed a few cross chops and then a tiger driver into a clover leaf for the tap out.
WINNER: Big Swole in 4:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Nice, quick match. Vipress got in more offense than I would have imagined going in. Nice debut, and a solid win for the #1 Women’s contender, Big Swole.)
(2) LEE JOHNSON & AARON SOLOW vs. THE DARK ORDER (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)
Reynolds kicked things off against Solow. Reynolds started off trying to recruit Solow to the Dark Order. Solow seemingly obliged but then knocked Reynolds down. Johnson and Silver were each tagged in. Johnson hit an impressive dropkick on Silver, then tagged in Solow to hit a double team move. Silver found an opening, and tagged in Reynolds, who cut off Solow with a stiff kick as he attempted to dive to the outside onto Silver. Reynolds and Silver were able to take the advantage back. Silver landed a few stiff kicks to Solow, then threw him across the ring. With Reynolds back in, he hit a hanging neck breaker on Solow, then made a quick tag back to Silver. Johnson finally made the hot tag in, throwing Silver to the outside, then hitting a diving leap onto him on the outside. Solow tagged in, attacking both Reynolds and Silver until they countered and hit a combo neck breaker, into a German suplex for the pin.
WINNERS: The Dark Order in 7:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This was a good ‘ol fashioned tag team match, with quick tags and double team moves. Reynolds and Silver specifically worked well here.)
– Leva Bates was shown in a library. Bates spoke to the camera, calling herself “the one and only Librarian.” She said it was time to write her own story after “cutting the dead weight.”
– A Young Bucks book promo aired
(3) MICHAEL NAKAZAWA vs. TRENT (w/Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor)
Nakazawa was checked by the ref, who found multiple bottles of baby oil in his tights and pads. Nakazawa clenched in the fearsome nipple twist on Trent. With Trent off base, Nakazawa hit a diving tackle off the top rope. Trent was able to gather himself on the outside. Back in, Trent gained the advantage, landing a series of chops to the chest. Trent went to the second rope, ready to pounce, but Nakazawa knocked him off, landing Trent’s head on the buckle. Nakazawa was able to put on some baby oil, which he had hidden in the turnbuckle. Trent kept slipping off of Nakazawa, but as Nakazawa went for his “thong claw,” Trent blocked and hit a backdrop driver, then a series knee strikes for the win.
WINNER: Trent in 7:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Mix of comedy and solid action. I’m not a fan of Nakazawa personally, but it’s digestible in drips and drabs. I was most surprised by the length of the match more than anything, thinking this would be a quicker win for Trent.)
– An Inner Circle “A Little Bit of the Bubbly” ad aired.
(4) RED VELVET vs. TESHA PRICE
Early back-and-forth between the two, who traded arms drags. Red Velvet hit a series of body shots to Price in the corner. Price fought back, hitting a running bulldog, then a stiff knee to Red Velvet’s mid-section. Velvet fought back, landing a spinning heel kick to Price’s face. Red Velvet hit a bulldog of her own, then a standing moonsault for a two count. Velvet quickly followed it up with a strike to the side of Price’s head, resulting in a pin for the win.
WINNER: Red Velvet in 3:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Tesha Price showed some really nice swagger here. There was an noticeable edit right before Red Velvet’s pin, so there was a potential botch removed from the finish. Overall a good, hard-hitting match.)
– Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard were shown backstage. Alex Marvez came in to interview them about next steps with Scorpio Sky. Spears gave Sky some advice, telling him that “nice guys finish last.”
– Lance Archer and Jake Roberts came to the ring. Archer took out some standerby’s, as usual. The two traded the mic, asking one another questions about their respective careers, which included a reference to the Macho Man/python bite from 1991. Archer finished by telling the rest of the AEW wrestlers to step up and show him who they are.
(5) VSK & BARON BLACK vs. PRIVATE PARTY (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
The two teams started a bit slower than would be expected, trading quick tags among them. Private Party hit a wishbone and stereo dropkicks to VSK. Kassidy went for a springboard, but landed right into a Manhattan drop by Black, allowing the duo to take the advantage. Black locked in a bow and arrow stretch, allowing VSK to springboard into Kassidy’s chest. Kassidy finally made the hot tag to Quen, who handles both opponents. Quen made the blind tag to Kassidy, and the two hit a combo shooting star press off of Black’s back, leading to a three count.
WINNERS: Private Party in 6:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This was fundamental tag team wrestling at its core, which bodes well for Private Party’s future. The more matches Private Party has like this, the better off they will be.)
(6) KILYNN KING vs. RACHE CHANEL
The two traded multiple reversals early on, with neither able to come away with the advantage. King extended a handshake, but Chanel wasn’t having any, and knocked King to the ground. With the advantage, Chanel kept King in the corner for awhile, only breaking briefly to gloat to the crowd. King was able to take the advantage, landing a series of standing clotheslines, then a release German suplex for a two count. Chanel went for a cross body but King caught her and planted her face first to the mat, leading to the win.
WINNER: KiLynn King in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: A little bit slow in spots early on, but this picked up as it progressed. Impressive showing by both women. As an aside, Taz referred to King’s finishing move as the “Kingdom Falls.”)
(7) SAMMY GUEVARA vs. MARKO STUNT (w/Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus)
Guevara took Stunt down early, then gloated to the crowd (it didn’t take long). Stunt came off the ropes with a tornillo, then hit a dragonrana on the outside. Back inside, stunt hit a diving elbow to the back of Guevara’s head. Guevara hit an impressive springboard 450 onto stunt on the outside. The two went back inside, but not for long. Stunt hit a running dive off the main entrance ramp, then rolled Guevara back into the ring. As Stunt climbed to the top rope, Guevara knocked him down and hit a GTH for the win.
– After the match, Guevara took the mic and talked about he was still standing after a rough 2020. He added that sooner or later, everyone will see what he sees, that he’s the best and will be a champion in AEW.
WINNER: Sammy Guevara in 4:30
(Moynahan’s Take: This was fast and fun. Shame it was as short as it was, but it left me wanting to see this again down the road. Interesting to note that Guevara showed some respect to Stunt after the match.)
– An Inner Circle “A Little Bit of the Bubbly” ad aired.
(8) DREAMGIRL ELLIE vs. PENELOPE FORD (w/Kip Sabian)
The match started but Ford forgot to remove her engagement ring. Dreamgirl Ellie took advantage with a roll up for a two count. Ellie tried following it up with a tope to the outside, but Ford caught her with a stiff punch to the face. Ford hit a double knee drop to Ellie’s midsection. With Ellie in the corner, Ford followed it up with a handspring into an elbow, then a German suplex into a release. Ford then hit a cutter, followed up by a fisherman’s suplex for the win.
WINNER: Penelope Ford in 4:00
(Moynahan’s Take: I really enjoyed this one, as Ford showcased some solid offense. A very good showing all around.)
– A Young Bucks book promo aired
(9) IVELISSE & DIAMANTE vs. LADY FROST & JENNA
All four women started off in the ring to start, but it didn’t last long. Lady Frost showed a lot of athleticism until Ivelisse and Diamante took the advantage by cutting off the ring, keeping Jenna out of the ring. Jenna finally tagged in, taking out both opponents. Diamante tried hopping on Jenna’s back, but found herself in a double chokeslam with Ivelisse included. Ivelisse hit a superkick to Jenna, who was rolled up by Diamante for the three count.
WINNERS: Ivelisse & Diamante in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Another solid tag team match. All four women were very impressive, and Jenna has such a great look that can lead her somewhere. I continue to like the team of Ivelisse and Diamante, and I’d like to see them more on Dynamite.)
(10) BRANDON CUTLER vs. ADAM PRIEST
Cutler synched in a few headlocks to start the match. Priest tried breaking out, but Cutler continued to hold the advantage by landing a flying shoulder tackle. Priest was able to take out Cutler’s legs, which he continued to focus on by hitting a series of dragon screws. Priest hit an impressive neck breaker on Cutler. Cutler, noticeably limping, fought back, and hit a springboard tackle, then a springboard elbow drop. Finally, Cutler landed the TPK for the win.
WINNER: Brandon Cutler in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Solid offensive showing by both men. I believe I made this comment before, but Priest has the stature of a young Dynamite Kid, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from him. Cutler looked very impressive as he continues to build his win count.)
“The Waiting Room with Dr. Britt Baker” aired. Similar to last week, Baker came out to piped in crowd noise. She claimed multiple comedy clubs were looking to book her, then proceeded to make a few awful jokes. Baker the introduced this week’s guest, Tay Conti. Conti was asked to name her favorite women in the division, failing to name Baker. Baker then read some fan mail, starting with a question about Conti’s relationship stats, which set her off. As tensions between Baker and Conti rose, The Acclaim came out with a rap to close the “show.”
(11) THE GUNN CLUB (Billy & Austin & Colten) vs. CEZAR BONONI & KTB & SETH GARGIS
Austin started things off against KTB, who landed a powerful shoulder tackle. Gargis tagged in, and The Gunn Club traded quick tags to keep Gargis in their corner. Bononi tagged in and faced off against Billy. Billy reciprocated with a tackle of his own, then tagged in Austin, who caught a stiff clothesline for his troubles. The trio successfully cut off the ring, keeping Austin in their corner. Bononi planted Austin to the mat, then knocked Billy off the apron. Austin was able to finally tag in Colten, who single-handedly took out all three opponents. Colten hit a dropkick on Gargis, and went for the pin, but it was broken up. Colten followed it up with a Colt 45 (Fameasser) for the win.
WINNERS: The Gunn Club in 6:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Fun six-man match. Bononi and Gargis are huge, and KTB is no slouch. Not too much to say about this one, but I continue to enjoy watching the growth of the younger Gunn Club members.)
– An Inner Circle “A Little Bit of the Bubbly” ad aired.
(12) PANDA X-PRESS (Ultimo Panda & Super Panda) vs. LUCHA EXPRESS (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus)
Jungle Boy kicked things off with Ultimo Panda. Ultimo Panda was quickly tired running the ropes. Super Panda tagged in, as did Luchasaurus, who hit a few power moves. Ultimo Panda came back in, was rocked into the corner. Jungle Boy hit a senton off the top rope for a two count. Panda X-press took the advantage on Jungle Boy until Luchasaurus tagged in. Luchasaurus hit a tail whip then a crescent kick to each opponent. Super Panda hit a frog splash on Jungle Boy, but Lucha Express came back, hitting a series of double teams moves, which led to the pin.
WINNERS: Jurassic Express in 6:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Okay, so this was interesting, and should be seen to be understood. Panda X-press came off as part comedy team, but also got in a bit more offense than would be expected. Not sure how much more we’ll see of Panda X-press, so let’s wait and see.)
(13) TH2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) vs. GRIFF GARRISON & BRIAN PILLMAN JR.
Angelico and Pillman Jr. started things off. Pillman was fired up, hitting an arm drag and a dropkick. He tried tagging in Garrison, bit Angelico cut him off. Evans tagged in, hitting a hanging neck breaker on Pillman over Angelico’s knee. Evans hit a snap suplex for a two. Angelico tagged in, apply a pseudo figure four to Pillman’s legs. Evans tagged in, hitting a standing twisting press. Pillman cut off Evans, who was on the top rope, then hit a suplex, and finally tagged Garrison in for the hot tag. Garrison hit a Stinger splash on Angelico, then caught Evans coming off the top. Pillman tagged in, and hit a flipping neck breaker on Evans, who was still being held by Garrison. Angelico tagged in, and locked in the Navarro Death Roll on Pillman for the tap out.
– After the match, Top Flight came to the aid of Garrison and Pillman, who were getting a beat down from TH2.
WINNERS: TH2 in 6:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Good warm up match for TH2 as they prepare for their match with Top Flight tomorrow on Dynamite. Speaking of, that should be a great, high-flying, and fast match.)
(14) THE ACCLAIMED (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. ALEX CHAMBERLAIN & DAMIAN FENRIR
Chamberlain and Fenrir made their AEW debuts here. The Acclaim once again made their entrance via rap. Bowens started things out with Fenrir. Bowens landed some stiff chops in the corner. Fenrir caught Bowens with a few arm drags, then a few nice dropkicks. The Acclaimed, however, took advantage on the outside, putting the boots to Fenrir. Chamberlain finally tagged in, landing a spinebuster to Bowens. With Fenrir back in, Bowens landed a rolling elbow strike, then tagged in Caster, who hit a diving elbow drop for the win.
WINNERS: The Acclaimed in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: The Acclaimed are ready for primetime; “call them up,” I say! But really, these two are ready to move up to Dynamite. They have the look, swagger, can talk, and have their teamwork down pat.)
(15) MATT SYDAL vs. ALAN “5” ANGELS (w/”10”)
Quick reversals between the two to start. Angels landed a kick to Sydal’s stomach, but Sydal hit a few deep arm drags. Sydal landed a low-angle backdrop. The two battled to the apron, where Angels hit a clothesline that drove Sydal down hard. Back in the ring, Sydal tried fighting back with a few chops, but Angels remained in control. Sydal went for a German suplex, but Angels landed on his feet and drove them into Sydal’s stomach. The two exchanged kicks to the legs, with Angels once again taking the advantage. Sydal came back with a roundhouse kick to the face of Angels. Sydal landed a leg lariat. Sydal went to the top, but Angels got up and hit a rising knee strike. Angels hit a hook kick after “10” distracted the ref, then hit a moonsault press off the second rope for a two. Sydal was able to hit a spinning neck breaker-esque move for the win.
WINNER: Matt Sydal in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: I admit I’ll need to look up a better name for that finisher, but other than that, this was a fun back-and-forth match between the two.)
– A Young Bucks book ad aired.
(16) FUEGO DEL SOL vs. “PRETTY” PETER AVALON
Both men have not won a watch going into this one. The two traded an early series and pin attempts. Avalon clotheslined Del Sol to the outside, then laid across the top rope, awaiting Del sol’s return. Avalon nailed a high leg lariat for a two count. Avalon attempted a superplex, but Del Sol knocked him to the ground, and followed up with a cross body off the top. Del Sol landed a neck breaker for a two count. Del Sol went for a tornado DDT, but missed, allowing Avalon to hit his Martini finisher for the win.
WINNER: Peter Avalon in 5:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Finally, Avalon takes home the W and is now 1-27-2 in his AEW career. Who knew that a gimmick change was all he needed to get it done. Congrats!!!)
(17) CHAOS PROJECT (Luther & Serpentico) vs. DARK ORDER (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) vs. SONNY KISS & JOEY JANELA
All six men started off in the ring, with Kiss and Janela clearing the ring, then diving in unison to the outside on the four opponents. The match officially got underway, with Janela and Kiss double teaming Serpentico. Uno tagged in, and along with help from Grayson on the apron, was able to take advantage over Kiss. Grayson tagged in, planting Kiss in his team’s corner. Luther tagged in, taking over from the Dark Order, and continuing to work on Kiss. Things broke down, as Dark Order and Chaos Project started arguing in the ring, until Janela came in and took them all out. Janela continued with the advantage, hitting a superplex on Serpentico, taking out the Dark Order in the process. Kiss tagged back in, but was again cut off, this time by a DDT from Serpentico. Uno came in, climbed to the top, and hit a senton on Kiss for a two. Kiss fought back with a roundhouse kick to Uno. Chaos Project took the advantage at this point. With Kiss in the ring, Luther held him up for Serpentico to hit their Creeping Death finisher, which was broken up by Janela. Kiss finally made a tag to Janela, who came in but was caught by Grayson, who he then passed off to Uno. Grayson climbed to the top and hit Fatality finish for the win.
WINNERS: Evil Uno & Stu Grayson in 8:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Another fun, fast-paced match. These are tough to follow and report on, but fun at the same time. I went in thinking Janela and Kiss were going to win this one, so it was nice to be surprised a bit with the Dark Order going over here; although that probably shouldn’t have surprised me too much.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Although it was a bit lengthy, this was a very enjoyable episode of Dark. AEW continues to engage me with new talent each and every week, as well allowing other young talent to continue to grow. My match of the night honors goes to Sammy and Marko for their short but fast match.
Stay safe everyone and have a wonderful thanksgiving!
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