AEW Dark 10/8/2019

All Elite Wrestling presents Dark
Date: 10/8/2019

Matches:
1.) Darby Allin defeated CIMA
2.) The Hybrid (Angelico & Jack Evans) & The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon & Rey Fenix) defeated Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) & Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen
3.) Allie & Dr. Britt Baker DMD defeated Penelope Ford & Bea Priestley
4.) SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) defeated The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt)

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Tony Schiavone hosts AEW Dark, a show showing matches that didn’t air on Dynamite. It’s essentially ‘dark matches’ but being shown on YouTube.

2.) Cima works over Allin to kickoff the match, but misses a clothesline. Allin forearms Cima several times and hits an arm drag to send Cima to the floor. Allin takes Cima out with a suicide dive to the floor, three times. Cima avoids the Coffin Drop and slams Allin to the mat. Cima sends Allin into the corner and deliver a dropkick to the back managing a two count. Cima switches to a modified arm bar on the mat, but doesn’t get a submission as Allin reaches the ropes. Cima goes to the top rope, but is stopped by Allin. Allin puts Cima in the tree of woe and headbutts Cima’s knee. Allin delivers a running attack to Cima in the corner two times. Allin drives Cima’s leg down to the mat with a DDT. Cima knee lifts Allin in the corner to avoid a splash. Cima overhand chops Allin and hits a tornado DDT for a two count. Cima chops Allin a few times. Allin chops and strikes Cima several tomes. Allin hits a stunner for a two count. Cima counters the Coffin Drop by getting his knees up.

Cima hits a backstabber and the Perfect Driver for a two count. Cima springboards off the top to nail Allin with a knee strike to the back of the head, but only manages a two count. Cima goes to the top and misses a double knee strike. Allin hits a Code Red and nearly wins the match. Allin hits the Coffin Drop and pins Cima. (**3/4. A fine match to kickoff AEW Dark. Cima had some impactful moves and held my interest when he was in control of the contest. Allin finally hits the Coffin Drop, which is noted as being not hit in AEW prior to this. Allin is a lot of fun, and his reckless style keeps my eyes on the match.)

3.) it’s announced that Darby Allin will square off against Jimmy Havoc on AEW Dynamite. There’s also a tag team tournament taking place on Dynamite.

4.) Private Party dropkick Hybrid to the floor after Evans stopped Pentagon from doing his taunt. Fenix hits a dive to the floor onto Best Friends. Quen takes out Hybrid with a somersault dive. Pentagon and Fenix double team Kassidy in the corner and follow up with stereo kicks to the head for a two count. Angelico jabs Kassidy a few times. Kassidy forearms Angelico a few times, but is taken down to the mat. Evans enters and kicks Kassidy as Angelico held Kassidy. Pentagon chops Kassidy against the ropes leading to Kassidy screaming. Kassidy dropkicks Pentagon to the floor. Kassidy kicks Fenix to the floor, as well. Evans knocks Quen off the apron and keeps control on Kassidy. Kassidy is sent into the corner and sends Angelico into Evans in the corner with a hurricanrana. Angelico stops Kassidy from tagging out. Taylor tags in and clotheslines Angelico a few times followed by a Slice Bread. Taylor runs into a boot by Angelico. Trent back elbows Angelico in the corner and hits a tornado DDT. Evans hits a springboard back elbow to Best Friends.

Taylor catches Evans and allows Trent to hit a sliding German suplex on Evans. Taylor clotheslines Evans over the top to the floor. Fenix and Pentagon stop Best Friends from diving to the floor. Hybrid avoid baseball slides and hit Best Friends with strikes. Orange Cassidy puts his hands in his pockets and is decked by Angelico. Best Friends hammer away on Hybrid to protect their friend. Angelico backdrops Taylor to the floor and knee strikes Trent. Evans hits an assisted 450 on Trent. Evans kicks Kassidy, but Quen dropkicks Evans to the floor. Quen plants Angelico with a tornado DDT. Taylor dropkicks the Lucha Brothers to the floor. Trent stops Taylor and they hug. Best Friends hit stereo dives over the top to the floor. Orange Cassidy goes to the top rope and takes everyone out with a dive to the floor. Pentagon runs into a knee by Taylor. Taylor hits Sole Food and Trent hits a suplex. Fenix helps Pentagon to avoid a double team by Best Friends. Fenix runs the ropes and kicks Taylor. Pentagon hits a backstabber on Taylor. Fenix hits a double stomp on Taylor an Pentagon plants Taylor with a Package Piledriver for the win. (***. It’s a wild match as expected with eight guys going nuts to get as much as they can. It felt a little repetitive in spots, but it’s an enjoyable match.)

5.) Allie and Priestly kickoff the tag match. Priestly decks Baker on the apron. Allie hits a neckbreaker and an elbow drop on Priestly for a two count. Baker tags into the match, but Ford is tagged into the match. Baker gets a rollup on Ford, but only manages a two count. Baker tosses Ford for a two count, again. Baker forearms Ford, but Priestly distracts Baker allowing Ford to pull Baker to the mat. Ford rams Baker into the corner and hits a handspring elbow in the corner. Baker elbows Ford, but Ford hits a northern lights suplex for a two count. Baker nails Ford with a discus forearm strike. Allie tags into the match and delivers a running elbow. Baker nails Ford with a running knee and Allie connects with a sliding clothesline in the corner for a two count. Allie chops and kicks Ford to the mat followed by a sliding forearm against the ropes. Priestly nails Allie with a kick from the apron. Ford stomps on Allie and Priestly tags in after Ford nails Allie with a shoulder ram in the corner.

Priestly leaps off the top to double stomp Allie on the left arm. Priestly stomps on Allie’s left elbow. Ford returns to the match, but Allie fights out of the corner with forearm strikes. Allie kicks Ford away and tries to tag in Baker, but Priestly pulls Baker off the apron. Ford misses a handspring elbow in the corner. Allie yanks Ford to the mat, but misses a running hurricanrana as Ford counters with a powerbomb. Baker mounts Priestly and delivers right hands on the mat. Baker pummels Priestly with forearm strikes, but Priestly cuts Baker off. Baker responds with a forearm strike. Baker hits a slingblade and a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Priestly ducks a clothesline, and hits a German suplex for a two count on Baker. Allie tags in and kicks Priestly and almost wins after a bridge, but Ford breaks the cover. Baker tosses Ford to the mat, but is kicked by Priestly. Allie has Priestly on her shoulders to hit a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Priestly stops Allie with a jawbreaker and Baker tags in. Ford enters as well and Baker hits a running neckbreaker. Baker plants Ford with a DDT for a two count. Allie spears Priestly to the floor. Baker messes up a leg hooked neckbreaker, but locks in the Lock Jaw to win the match by submission. (*1/2. The crowd was mostly dead for this match and Baker seemed to be a bit sloppy throughout. There were moves that she seemingly struggled to execute well and I’m wondering if she ditches the moves, or figures it out. I’ve been a fan of Allie for a while and hope she doesn’t get lost in the shuffle here.)

6.) AEW World Champion Chris Jericho & Sammy Guervara square off against Adam Page & Dustin Rhodes on AEW Dynamite. 7.) Stunt and Daniels kickoff the main event with Daniels mocking Stunt’s height. Stunt has a headlock on Daniels, but Daniels delivers a shoulder block. Daniels kicks Stunt in the midsection, and Stunt gets a two count with an inside cradle. Stunt arm drags Daniels and stomps Daniels on the back. Stunt taunts Daniels, but Daniels ends up casually walking over Stunt and dances, too. Kazarian and Jungle Boy enter the match with Kazarian getting a one count. Kazarian gets another one count on a rollup. They trade several rollup attempts. Kazarian slams Boy and hits a springboard leg drop for a two count. Kazarian keeps leg control on the mat and rolls through with Sky to slam Boy to the mat. Sky rams Boy into the corner and Daniels tags into the match.

Boy sends Daniels into Sky and Luchasaurus gets tagged in. Luchasaurus nails Daniels with a standing kick to the head. Boy tags into the match and takes Daniels over with a suplex. Stunt and Boy hit a powerbomb/leg drop combo on Daniels for a two count. Stunt nails Daniels with a running dropkick in the corner. Boy tags in and hits a backstabber on Daniels. Stunt hits a senton splash leading to a near fall by Boy on Daniels. Daniels elbows Boy out of a headlock. Daniels hits a tilt a whirl slam on Boy. Sky kicks Boy and dropkicks Boy to the floor. Sky kicks Luchasaurus several times followed by a double stomp. Kazarian enters and hits a DDT with help from Sky for a two count. Luchasaurus sits up and avoids a kick. Luchasaurus kicks Kazarian and Daniels off the apron. Luchasaurus kicks Kazarian, but Sky forearms Luchasaurus a few times. Luchasaurus slams Sky to the mat gut first. Boy and Stunt hit stereo dives to the floor. Luchasarus hits a standing moonsault on Kazarian for a two count. Stunt kicks Kazarian and Boy hits a German suplex. Luchasaurus drives Kazarian face first to the mat. Stunt hits a running shooting star press for a two count. Sky dumps Luchasaurus to the floor. Boy chops Sky and Kazarian several times, but is met by a knee from Kazarian. Kazarian hits another knee and Boy is met with a gut buster by Daniels after a toss by Kazarian. Luchasaurus pulls Daniels to the apron as Stunt knee strikes Kazarian for a two count. Daniels drives Luchasaurus down to the mat face first from the apron. Kazarian and Sky hit a powerbomb/backstabber combo on Stunt for the win. (**1/2. A decent main event, but a predictable outcome considering Stunt is the most obvious guy to eat a pin. SCU is one of the more entertaining acts in AEW and should likely be the favorites to win the AEW Tag Team Championships.)

Final Thoughts:
Considering AEW Dark is likely going to be more of a Sunday Night Heat show instead of a Smackdown show, I thought the show was enjoyable and was a quick hour long watch. Thanks for reading.

From: Washington, DC