Tonight’s episode is available to watch below:
Tony Schiavone welcomed us to Cleveland for the start of this week’s Dark. He talked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then threw it to Taz and Excalibur.
JUNGLE BOY & MARKO STUNT DEFEATED SONNY KISS & BRANDON CUTLER
Cutler has undergone a gimmick makeover since I last saw him on Dynamite. He’s painted his face, changed up his gear, and rolls a Dungeons and Dragons dice during his entrance.
Stunt and Cutler began. Stunt did a couple of comedy spots. Jungle Boy tagged in and used a springboard arm drag. Kiss tagged in and hit a triple back handspring into a back elbow in the corner, then a handspring into an axe kick. Very impressive.
Jungle Boy made a comeback, again hitting springboard arm drags. Stunt tagged in and got cut off by Cutler. Cutler hit a black hole slam for a near fall. Kiss tagged in. Stunt used a tijeras. Kiss sat down into a cradle for a two count.
Jungle Boy got a hot tag. Cutler tagged in as well. Jungle Boy used a standing Muta lock. Kiss interfered, but got tossed over the top rope. Stunt tagged in, hit a flipping stunner off the top, then pinned Cutler.
The finish was a little clunky, but this was alright.
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Brandi Rhodes visited a therapist. I think I know this therapist. Hi, Teil!
The therapist talked Brandi through her issues with the Nightmare Collective. She encouraged her to let go of the Collective, to let go of all the criticism of her on Twitter. Brandi was hallucinating, seeing subliminal messages from the therapist. Brandi left, passing a stuffed animal on the couch where the therapist had been sitting.
I think Brandi might be hallucinating and talking to a stuffed animal? I’m not sure. We’ll have to see how this plays out.
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HIKARU SHIDA DEFEATED MEL
Mel was accompanied by Dr. Luther and Kong.
Mel attacked Shida at the opening bell. Kong used a kendo stick shot on Shida from the floor while Mel took the referee.
Mel continued the attack on Shida in the corner. Shida low-bridged Mel to the floor. Shida pulled a chair from under the ring to use as a launch pad for a knee strike. Luther jumped in Shida’s path and took the knee strike for Mel, allowing Mel to regain the edge over Shida.
Back in the ring, Mel hit a slam. Shida escaped a vertical suplex attempt and hit an enzuigiri. Shida then hit a vertical suplex. Shida hit a missile dropkick for a near fall. Mel came back with a black hole slam, then hit a standing leg drop for a two count.
Mel tried a chokeslam, but Shida used a victory roll for a near fall. Mel then used a crucifix for a two count. Shida used a judo hip toss for a takedown, then hit a running knee for a two count.
Luther jumped on the apron and took the ref. Kong tried for a kendo stick shot. Shida ducked, and Kong hit Mel. Shida then used the kendo stick on Kong.
Mel dead-weighted Shida on a falcon arrow, but Shida got a two count off of it. Shida then hit a running knee strike for the pin.
After the match, Kong and Luther were brow beating Mel for losing. Kong slapped Mel in the back of the head. Luther then grabbed Kong. Mel hit Kong with strikes, then whipped Kong through a section of the barricade.
Mel sent Kong into the steps. Mel hit a leg drop off the apron to Kong on the steps and they both crashed to the floor. Luther and Mel left with their arms raised.
Shida was good in this match. Mel is green, but she has size and moves well. She just needs more ring time.
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Schiavone previewed the upcoming schedule, then threw it to the intergender match from the Jericho Cruise.
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KENNY OMEGA & RIHO DEFEATED KIP SABIAN & PENELOPE FORD
This was a great match, and I’m sure it was even better live. The production values here hurt the presentation, as a shaky handheld camera on the floor provided the only footage. This is the best I’ve ever seen Ford look in the ring.
Sabian and Omega began. Ford demanded a tag immediately. She slapped Omega. Omega teased tagging out but decided to face Ford instead.
They locked up. They traded left arm holds. Ford used a side headlock takeover. Omega used a headscissors takeover. Ford used a handstand escape and tagged out. Sabian ducked under an attempt to lock up and called for Riho, so Omega tagged out.
Riho began to get the best of a chain wrestling sequence, so Sabian hit a strike. Riho came back with arm drags and teased a slam. Sabian countered with a slam. Riho slipped out of another slam attempt, then tagged out.
Omega hit Sabian with chops, then used a running powerslam for a near fall. Omega hit a suplex. Riho tagged in for a double stomp, then used a single-leg crab. Sabian forced a rope break. Omega tagged back in. Omega and Riho did some double team spots. Omega hit a Kotaro Krusher for a near fall.
Riho tagged in and hit a series of chops. Sabian raked her eyes and tagged out. Ford hit Riho with chops, then stomped her down in the corner. Sabian got a tag and hit a back suplex, then used a camel clutch. Omega broke up the hold. Ford jumped in and dragged Riho back to the Superbad corner.
Sabian tagged in and Riho hit a tijeras. Riho rolled through and hit a double stomp, then tagged Omega. Omega hit you can’t escape, then hit a brainbuster for a near fall. Riho got a tag. Omega hit a snap rana. Riho hit a top rope headscissors, then hit a high cross off the top for a two count.
Omega tagged in. Sabian avoided a buckle bomb and hit an enzuigiri. Ford tagged in for a handspring back elbow and a high kick. Sabian tagged in for a missile dropkick . Ford hit a codebreaker into a leg drop from Sabian.
Omega blocked a tornado DDT from Sabian, then hit a V-Trigger. Riho and Ford tagged in. Ford hit a stunner for a near fall. Ford missed a handspring attack. Riho hit a knee strike and a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall.
Ford avoided a double stomp off the top. Both tagged out. Omega hit a snap dragon suplex. He went for a V-Trigger. Sabian pulled the referee in his path. Omega held up. Ford jumped in and hit a low blow to Omega.
The match broke down and all four jumped in. Riho hit a snap dragon on Sabian. Omega blocked a stunner from Ford, then hit her with a snap dragon. Riho used a crucifix hold on Sabian, allowing Omega to hit a V-Trigger. Omega hit another V-Trigger, then used the One Winged Angel for the pin.
Omega cut a promo after the match. He said wrestling has been around forever, there have been Royal Rumbles, Survivor Series, and a ton of different matches. He said what you’ve just seen is the latest evolution.
Omega said that it wasn’t that long ago that it was said there would be no mixed tag matches in AEW. But today, you’ve just seen that the world is expanding and anything is possible. He put over Riho, then Ford and Sabian, then bid us goodbye and good night, bang.
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Lexy interviewed Dr. Samson who was examining Kong. He said Kong suffered a herniated disc in the attack by Mel and will be out indefinitely.
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Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears entered. Tully cut a promo. He said he and Spears are still looking for a tag team partner for Spears. They found one who looks good on paper, but the work in the ring is the real test. Tully introduced Colin Delaney.
BEST FRIENDS DEFEATED SHAWN SPEARS & COLIN DELANEY
Orange Cassidy accompanied Best Friends.
Spears and Trent began. They locked up. Trent hit the ropes, then landed with double knees on Spears. Spears rolled outside, then both tagged out.
Chuck Taylor and Delaney did a series of teases and counters. Delaney hit a boot to the gut. Spears and Delaney had some miscommunication on a couple of spots. Best Friends hit stereo planchas. They teased hugging. Spears and Delaney cut them off. Delaney then wanted to hug Spears, but Spears turned him down. Spears hugged Tully instead.
Delaney and Spears worked Taylor over in the corner. Spears hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Taylor finally managed a tag to Trent. Delaney tried a misdirection spot but ran into a lariat from Trent. Trent hit a swing DDT on Spears, then hit a tope con giro to Delaney.
Trent hit Delaney with a top rope crossbody for a near fall. Delaney managed a DDT on Trent for his own near fall. Spears tagged in and did some crowd work. The crowd chanted for his old perfect ten gimmick.
Taylor got a tag. Spears blocked a sole food. Taylor hit a sole food to Delaney into a half-and-half suplex by Trent. Taylor covered for a two count. Trent got a tag but got crotched on the top rope. Spears saved for Delaney, then tagged in.
Spears teased a superplex on Trent. Trent fought it off, but got hit by a stunner from an interfering Delaney. Spears hit a C4 on Trent for a near fall.
Things broke down. Trent, Taylor and Delaney got sent outside. Spears teased a dive. Cassidy jumped in the ring and distracted Spears. Trent pulled Spears outside, leaving Cassidy in the ring. Tully jumped in to square off with Cassidy.
Tully and Cassidy both did the pockets spot. Cassidy hit his slow kicks to Tully. Spears jumped back in and sent Cassidy outside.
Back to action, Delaney used a cradle on Trent for a near fall. Taylor hit a knee strike. The Best Friends hugged. Tully pulled Spears off the apron as he was going to climb in to help Delaney. Tully and Spears left, leaving Delaney to take the loss.
Trent and Taylor hit Delaney with Strong Zero for the pin. Delaney joined Cassidy and Best Friends for a group hug after the match.
