All Elite Wrestling presents Dark
Date: 11/5/2019
From: Charleston, WV
Matches:
1.) Shawn Spears defeated Michael Nakazawa
2.) Allie & Sadie Gibbs defeated Mercedes Martinez & Big Swole
3.) Jimmy Havoc & Joey Janela defeated Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Tony Schiavone and Dasha Gonzalez are the hosts for Dark and it’s announced by tony that Dasha will be with him each and every week.
2.) MJF is on commentary for the program along with Excalibur.
3.) Nakazawa goes to a corner and tells Spears to backoff. They lockup and Spears backs Nakazawa into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Spears backs Nakazawa into another corner and cleanly breaks away. Spears gains wrist control, but Nakazawa reverses with a wrist lock of his own. Spears traps Nakazawa’s arm for a moment. Spears takes Nakazawa down with a snapmare. Spears taunts Nakazawa on the mat. Nakazawa oils up with baby oil to get out of a waist lock. Spears chops Nakazawa followed by a kick in the corner. Nakazwa squirts the oil on the floor causing Spears to slip and hits a senton splash for a one count. Tully Blanchard got on the apron and slips on oil, as well. Nakazawa axe handles Spears off the apron. Spears drops Nakazawa over the apron back first. Spears forearm smashes Nakazawa over the lower back several times. Spears chokes Nakazawa on the mat and delivers a stomp. Spears splashes down onto Nakazawa and keeps control of the match while taunting Nakazawa. Spears chops Nakazawa in the corner and sends Nakazawa across the ring before delivering a backbreaker for a two count. Spears locks in a single leg Boston Crab. Nakazawa reaches the ropes to cause a break from Spears. Spears chops Nakazawa on his knees, but Nakazawa gets a second wind and gets in Spears face. Nakazawa fights back with forearm strikes to stagger Spears. Nakazawa decks Spears to the floor with forearm strikes. Nakazawa almost wins with an inside cradle. Nakazawa spears Spears for a near fall. Tully causes a distraction and Spears decks Nakazawa from behind. Nakazawa hits a Samoan Drop and goes into his tights to take off his underwear. Nakazawa has the underwear on his hand and is met with a pump kick. Spears hits a slingshot brainbuster for the win. (*. This probably went a little longer than it needed to go. Nakazawa is an enjoyable comedy character, but the perception of AEW doesn’t seem to fit with the goofy nature that Nakazawa portrays. Spears doesn’t do much for me, at all.)
4.) Gibbs and Swole kickoff the tag match. Swole controls Gibbs with a wrist lock, but Gibbs rolls through to break free. Swole breaks free to get a hammerlock on Gibbs. Gibbs hip tosses Swole to the mat and controls with a sleeper. Swole elbows free and they collide but neither woman goes down. Gibbs shoulder blocks Swole and runs the ropes where Gibbs delivers a slam. There was a random cut a to fan to likely avoid a botch spot. Swole sends Gibbs into the corner and Martinez enters to forearm Gibbs several times. Martinez uppercuts Gibbs followed by chops. Gibbs has Martinez on her shoulders, but Allie tags in and forearm strikes Martinez a few times. Allie hits a crossbody off the ropes and hits a senton splash for a near fall. Gibbs assists Allie on a splash onto Martinez for a two count. Gibbs uppercuts Martinez several times. Martinez misses a splash in the corner and Gibbs delivers an uppercut. Gibbs head scissors Martinez and tries for a slam, but Martinez takes Gibbs down to the mat. Martinez curb stomps Gibbs for a near fall as Allie breaks the cover. Martinez rams Gibbs into the corner and Swole tags back into the contest. Gibbs is driven down with a double team powerbomb and double elbow drop for a near fall.
Swole overhand chops Gibbs followed by strikes to send Gibbs into the corner. Swole uppercuts Gibbs and delivers a cartwheel kick for a near fall. Swole locks in an elevated choke hold, but Gibbs powers out and delivers a vertical suplex. Gibbs shoves Swole away and Allie tags in to clean house. Allie elbows Swole in the corner and nails Martinez with a strike. Allie hits a sliding forearm strike in the corner. Allie does the same strike to Martinez, but they went to a random crowd shot, again. Martinez blocks a suplex attempt and plants Allie with a spinebuster for a near fall. Swole tags into the match and stomps Allie in the corner. Swole snapmares Allie to the mat and keeps a chin lock on Allie. Swole controls Allie with a waist lock, but Allie breaks free. Allie hits a side Russian leg sweep and gets a rollup on Swole for a two count. Swole pump kicks Allie for a near fall. Martinez returns to the ring and they hit a double vertical suplex on Allie. Martinez suplexs Allie several times and the final one is a delayed brainbuster for a near fall. Martinez hooks Allie for a fisherman suplex, but Allie kicks out. Allie hits a backstabber on Martinez. Allie elbow strikes Martinez in the corner and delivers a running elbow strike. Martinez kicks Allie away in the corner and delivers a running knee strike. Swole tags into the match and Gibbs tags in, as well. Gibbs plants Swole with a Samoan Drop. Martinez decks Gibbs from behind, but Gibbs avoids a back suplex. Martinez hits a side suplex, but Allie spears Martinez. Allie nails Swole with a sliding clothesline against the ropes.
Martinez hits a somersault dive onto Allie and Swole on the floor. Gibbs hits a handspring dive over the top to the floor onto everyone. Gibbs has Swole on her shoulders and hits the Cradle Shock, but Martinez makes the save. Martinez spikes Gibbs with a fisherman buster. Allie kicks Martinez and tries for a slam, but Martinez blocks it. Allie plants Martinez with a Death Valley Driver. Swole nails Allie with a rip cord elbow strike and everyone is down. Gibbs slams Martinez and goes to the middle rope, but Swole cuts Gibbs off. Gibbs is driven down by a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo for a near fall as Allie breaks the cover. Martinez heads to the top rope and Swole grabs Gibbs, but Allie makes the save. Allie strikes Martinez on the top rope. Allie arm drags Martinez off the top rope. Allie superkicks Swole and Gibbs goes to the top hitting a moonsault to pin Swole for the win. (*1/2. Swole stuck out as the clear least seasoned wrestler of the group. There were a few moments where Swole looked lost in there and mistimed a few things.)
5.) A video package promoting the issues between Dr. Britt Baker and Beau Priestly are shown. Baker notes that Fight For The Fallen saw her get injured due to Priestly because she kicked her as hard as she could to the back of her head. Baker got calls from everyone, but not Priestly and considers Priestly to be a piece of shit for not checking on her. Baker threatens that she can rip her jaw off her face. Baker and Priestly square off on the Full Gear Buy-In.
6.) From Undesirable To Undeniable this week is with Jimmy Havoc. Havoc feels he’s divisive and thinks feels undesirable often even still. Havoc doesn’t feel quite good enough. Cody says the greatest revenge is success. Havoc started to wrestle how he wanted to in order to get over the feeling of be undesirable.
7.) Havoc backs Jungle Boy into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Havoc keeps a wrist lock on Boy, but Boy quickly counters with a wrist lock. Havoc goes to the ropes to break the hold. Boy arm drags Havoc, but Havoc gains control with a head scissors on the mat until Boy kips up to break free. Boy gains wrist control, but Havoc counters. Boy kips up to break free again. Havoc decks Boy with a right hand strike to drop Boy to the mat. Havoc bites Boy on the arm, but lets go when confronted by the referee. Janela tags into the match and keeps wrist control. Stunt tags into the match and delivers an axe handle to Janela’s arm. Stunt gets wrist control, but Janela isn’t bothered. Stunt steps on Janela’s foot to break free. Janela is double teamed briefly by kicks and kicks out on a cover attempt. Havoc enters and forearms Boy to the mat. Havoc runs the ropes and is met with a dropkick by Boy for a two count. Stunt tags into the match and dropkicks Havoc for a one count. Boy returns to the match and nails Havoc with a kick to the head. Boy dumps Janela to the apron and Havoc accidentally knocks Janela to the floor. Boy sends Havoc to the floor with a hurricanrana. Stunt hits a suicide dive to Havoc and Boy hits a moonsault onto Janela! Janela tries to crawl to the floor, but Boy delivers an elbow drop for a one count.
Stunt tags into the match and double stomps Janela on the arm. Stunt does some dancing, but is nailed by Havoc from behind. Havoc tags back into the match and uses the tag rope to choke Stunt in the corner. Havoc controls Stunt on the mat with a sleeper hold. Stunt elbows free, but Havoc yanks Stunt to the mat. Havoc sends Stunt into the post shoulder first. Janela hits a German suplex and taunts the crowd before stomping Stunt on the mat. Janela controls Stunt with a neck vice in the middle of the ring. Janela tosses Stunt with a German suplex to prevent a tag. Havoc sends Stunt into the guard railing. Havoc covers Stunt, but only manages a one count. Havoc bites Stunt’s on the neck and taunts Boy on the apron. Havoc sends Stunt into the corner, but Stunt delivers a couple of kicks. Stunt misses a kick to the head and Havoc tries for a wheelbarrow, but Stunt rolls through and tags in Boy. Boy cleans house with a clothesline and arm drag. Boy dropkicks Janela on the apron and bites Havoc’s hand. Boy arm drags Havoc and delivers an uppercut. Janela nails Havoc with a running kick to the chest for a two count. Boy sends Janela to the floor and hits a backflip knee drop on Havoc for a two count.
Boy chops Havoc against the ropes and is met with a knee strike by Janela. Havoc forearms Boy and tags in Janela. Janela tries for a suplex, but Boy counters with an atomic drop. Janela sells the atomic drop as if he broke a bone. Boy does another atomic drop and Janela drops to the mat. Janela is met with a series of double stomps. Boy and Stunt hit a rip cord powerbomb/splash combo for a two count as Havoc made the save. Havoc sends Stunt to the floor. Boy fights off both men with chops. Boy tries for a springboard, but is caught by Havoc and kicked by Janela leading to a slam by Havoc. Stunt kicks Janela, but Havoc plants Stunt with a Tiger Driver ’98. Janela nails Boy with a lariat and everyone is down. Havoc tags into the match and grabs Boy to try a rip cord clothesline. Stunt tags into the match and is caught on a crossbody attempt. Havoc spikes Stunt with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Havoc grabs a staple gun from under the ring. Janela tags into the match and waves his finger at Havoc to not use the staple gun. Havoc gives the staple gun to Janela, but Janela uses it on Havoc. Janela superkicks Boy and hits a brainbuster. Janela goes to the top, but is stopped by Stunt. Janela grabs Stunt, but Boy saves Stunt only for Havoc to pull Boy out. Janela hits a middle rope Package Piledriver on Stunt for the win. After the match, a bloodied Havoc grabs the staple gun and tastes his own blood. Havoc simply leaves the ring. (**. The finishing move by Janela was nuts and was not something I was expecting to see. There wasn’t much here to hold interest throughout, but as I said, the finishing move was cool.)
8.) Outside, Tully Blanchard walks up to Joey Janela. Tully notes that Janela put a cigarette in his drink and Shawn Spears attacks Janela. Spears uses pilers on Janela’s tongue to keep Janela’s mouth open and seemingly burns Joey’s mouth with a cigarette, but the camera pulled away from seeing it.
Final Thoughts:
A subpar episode this week as none of the action held my interest nor did I care for it, really. I like that there’s angles on the show as Spears/Janela advances on here. This has been the weakest Dark episode thus far.
Thanks for reading.