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AEW DARK TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
RECORDED AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, ORLANDO FL
AIRED ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY RYAN HOWARD, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur and Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
The show kicks off with Alex Marvez interviewing Jade Cargill & Leyla Hirsch ahead of their match on Dynamite. Leyla says she knows she can beat Jade, as Cargill just laughed her off.
-Tony Schiavone and Taz are on the call, welcoming us to the show, introducing our first match. Excalibur is still on his honeymoon, but Taz says he’ll be back soon so they can both kick out Tony.
(1) THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE (w/Bunny) vs. HUNTER KNOTT & ROSARIO GRILLO
Butcher & Blade attacked at the bell with a double team shoulder tackle on Grillo, before they isolated Knott. Butcher screamed at Knott that he is looking at the next champs as Blade hit a front suplex and punt to the ribs. Knott was put away with the neckbreaker powerbomb for the win.
WINNERS: The Butcher & The Blade in 2:00
(Howard’s Analysis: Quick and dominant showing for our first match in the AEW Dark Zone. I’m more than fine with Butcher & Blade getting a title shot once they stack some more wins now that Butcher is healthy.)
(2) ANNA JAY vs. ASHLEY D’AMBOISE
Anna hit a quick Northern Lights Suplex, but Ashley avoided a corner attack, choking Anna with her boot. Anna turned the tables with forearms and a corner spin kick, hitting a somersault neckbreaker follow up. Anna quickly slapped on the Queenslayer for the quick submission. Post match, Bunny attacked Anna, but Tay Conti made the save.
WINNER: Anna Jay in 1:30
(Howard Analysis: I’m happy to see Ashley back on Dark. She’s one of those that looked good during the Daily’s Place days. Sadly she didn’t get to show much here, as this was all Anna Jay in her return to singles action since injury.)
(3) 2point0 (MATT LEE & JEFF PARKER)(w/Daniel Garcia) vs. ANDREW & ERIC LOCKHART
The bell sounded and Lee clobbered Andrew with a lariat & suplex. Parker & Lee hit a double team drop toe hold step up elbow combo. Andrew was isolated for 2 minutes before making a hot tag to Eric, who cleaned house briefly, but ran right into Two for the Show to give 2point0 the victory.
WINNERS: 2point0 in 2:30
(Howard’s Analysis: I enjoy 2point0 squash matches so much and I also like that Matt Lee did the belt gesture multiple times in this one. It leads me to believe more wins are coming and they will be climbing the ranks, which I am all for.)
(4) JADE CARGILL (w/Mark Sterling) vs. ANGELICA RISK
Jade quickly took Risk down, but ran into a corner back elbow. Risk went up top for a cross body, but Jade caught her into a nice fall away slam into a kip up. Jade clobbered Risk with a pump kick before hitting Jaded for the win. Post match, Sterling said Jade will crush Leyla Hirsch like a bug and says there’s a height requirement for rides at Universal. Taz was insulted by short jokes. Mark said Hirsch has trouble climbing mountains and calls Jade her Everest.
WINNER: Jade Cargill in 1:00
(Howard’s Analysis: Well, Risk got off a back elbow, which is more than most can say against Jade, so it’s the little victories. Jade looked solid here, but I still don’t get the pairing with Sterling.)
-We cut to a Diamante & Big Swole video package about their main event last week. Diamante says they will always have bad blood, while Swole said she’s going to the top.
(5) FUEGO DEL SOL vs. MYSTERIOS MOVADO
Movado attacked at the bell, but Fuego responded with a dropkick and charging corner spear. Fuego flipped out of the corner, but ran into a Movado lariat. Movado hit a bodyslam & headbutt which led to Taz calling him Headbutt Jones, so enjoy the new nickname Movado. Fuego starts mounting a comeback with an enziguri and springing moonsault. Fuego went up top and hit the Tornado DDT for the 3.
WINNER: Fuego Del Sol in 3:00
(Howard’s Analysis: Fuego gets his first singles win! Commentary didn’t put over how huge that was, as he’s only won a few tag matches prior to this. Congratulations Fuego!)
(6) SHAWN SPEARS vs. KHASH
A fan early made a 10 comment and was quickly called a jackass by Spears, who had a nice back & forth series of counters with Khash. Spears got a cheap shot back elbow in the corner, but ran into a knee lift and upper cut. Spears responded by throwing Khash into the railing outside multiple times, back suplexing him on the apron. Back in the ring, Spears lowered his knee pad and drove Khash’s face into it repeatedly before hitting a nice face breaker for two. Spears calls out Darby on camera, saying this C4 is for you as he put away Khash.
WINNER: Shawn Spears in 3:30
(Howard’s Analysis: Credit to Khash, who had a nice series in the early going, but after that, it was all Shawn Spears, who is more than ready for Darby.)
-We get a history package of the partnership between Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss. Sonny said he will remind us all that Joey is a loser. Janela said next week the end is here for Sonny and the beginning for Joey & his unnamed woman.
(7) JORA JOHL & TH2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) vs. BEST FRIENDS (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta)(w/Kris Statlander)
Taz hopes Tony dances to Angelico’s theme at his anniversary with Lois, but Tony only promises he’ll dance like him. I’d pay money to see Tony Schiavone dance like Angelico. The match starts with Yuta & Angelico doing a nice series before Chuck tagged in with a suplex and a pose for the fans. Evans tagged in and Chuck immediately put the boots to him. Orange tagged in and didn’t participate in the double suplex on Evans, leaving Chuck to do all the work. Orange pulls at Evans’ hair, leading to Angelico & Johl to attack him to take control. Johl connected with a nice stalling suplex as the H.F.O. took turns isolating Cassidy. At one point Jack Evans said Orange Cassidy is nothing on Apple Jack, hitting a standing corkscrew moonsault. Orange made the hot tag to Yuta, who wiped out everyone, capped with an Angle Slam on Johl. Yuta skinned the cat into a German suplex on Angelico. TH2 & Johl hit a combo of moves on Taylor for two. Cassidy made a blind tag while Chuck hit his corner step up knee; Yuta hit a hurricanrana off the apron on Angelico & Orange hit the Orange Punch on Johl for the win.
WINNERS: Best Friends in 8:00
(Howard’s Analysis: This was a whole lot of fun. It was action packed from the start. This was another chapter in the Best Friends vs. H.F.O. saga with everyone looking good in this one.)
(8) LEYLA HIRSCH vs. KILYNN KING
Taz said many might see Leyla as having a height disadvantage, but he sees it as an advantage with Leyla’s hips being under her opponent for natural leverage. That was some solid insight from Taz. Both ladies scramble on the mat with KiLynn getting a front face lock, but Leyla countered into a spinning head lock takedown. Leyla low bridged King to the floor as Hirsch went for a dive, but KiLynn cut her off. King got a two count off a suplex and hit a corner flatliner. Leyla countered a suplex into a small package for two, but ran into a quick KiLynn clothesline. King locked on a bear hug, but Leyla fought free and we got a slug fest with clubbing forearms. KiLynn put a stop to that with a pump kick, but Leyla floated over a suplex and hit multiple release German suplexes. King rolled outside and Leyla hit a dive through the ropes. Leyla quickly hit a Saito suplex back inside and a nice moonsault for two. KiLynn answered with a fall away slam and high head kick for two of her own. KiLynn looked for a powerbomb, but Leyla wiggled free into a roll up, then running knee strike for the victory. Post match, Jade Cargill got in the ring and we had a face off before Leyla shot a double leg and we got a brawl to end the show.
WINNER: Leyla Hirsch in 7:30
(Howard’s Analysis: This was honestly one of the best women’s matches I’ve seen on Dark. Both ladies looked fantastic here. I think this was the best KiLynn has looked and Leyla looked great as well. Definitely recommend this match, but I sadly think Leyla is losing tomorrow to Jade, which I hope I’m wrong about.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the AEW Dark Zone’s debut. Some classic squashes, a fun 6 man tag, and we got an excellent main event. They also built the Leyla vs. Jade match well during the show ahead of Dynamite. 8-10 matches is perfect and if it stays in that ballpark, Dark is one of the most easily watchable shows in my opinion.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S AEW DARK REPORT: 9/7 AEW DARK TV REPORT: Diamante vs. Big Swole, Joey Janela vs. Lee Moriarty, Dark Order in action, more
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