All Elite Wrestling presents Dark
Date: 11/8/2019
From: Charlotte, NC
Matches:
1.) Hikaru Shida defeated Big Swole
2.) Leva Bates & Nyla Rose defeated Shalandra Royal & Shazza McKenzie
3.) AEW Tag Team Champions Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky, and CIMA defeated Kip Sabian, Angelico & Jack Evans
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Arn Anderson is the special guest for commentary.
2.) I’m not sure why, but Big Swole seemed to get a surprisingly large initial reaction upon her entrance.
3.) Shida backs Swole against the ropes and cleanly backs off. Swole doesn’t look overly impressed. Swole backs Shida against the ropes and poses. Swole shoulder blocks Shida, but Shida kips up quickly and dropkicks Shida. Shida arm drags Swole, but Swole recovers. Shida catches Swole on a leapfrog and drop toe holds Swole followed by a dropkick. Swole goes to the apron and Shida delivers a running knee strike to drop Swole to the floor. Shida sets up a chair on the floor and leaps off the chair to knee strike Swole. Shida stomps Swole on the mat and delivers a scoop slam. Shida puts a half Boston Crab on Swole, but doesn’t get a submission. Swole fights back to break free from the hold. Shida stomps Swole on the mat to maintain control of the contest. Shida delivers a running knee strike in the corner and gets a two count. Shida forearm strike Swole over the lower back. Swole tries to fight back with strikes. Swole misses a kick and headbutts Shida into a corner. Swole nails Shida with a running uppercut. Swole plants Shida with a flatliner for a two count. Swole gets a hanging choke in the middle of the ring. Shida counters, but Swole gets an inside cradle for a two count. Shida avoids a discs elbow strike with a boot and delivers a backbreaker. Shida tries for a knee, but Swole counters and delivers a big pump kick. Shida avoids a lariat and knee strikes Swole for a near fall. Shida runs the ropes to nail Swole with another knee strike and pins Swole for the win. (**. I’m a bit surprised by the reaction for Swole. She hasn’t done anything of note, but appears to have connected with a portion of the crowd. Swole looked to be able to keep up with Shida here and didn’t look out of place.)
4.) Backstage, Hikaru Shida cuts a promo after the victory. She’s happy that she won the match. She’s here to show the Japanese style in AEW. Shida is asked who will win at Full Gear. Shida thinks that Emi Sakura is going to win the title from Riho, because Sakura knows how to win the big match.
5.) Chuck Taylor replaced Arn Anderson on commentary for the women’s match.
6.) It’s noted that Nyla Rose wanted to compete in a handicap match in an effort to get back into the AEW Women’s Championship scene quicker, but management didn’t allow that and thus Leva Bates is her partner tonight.
7.) McKenzie and Rose kickoff the tag match. Rose gets out of a waist lock quickly and shoulder blocks McKenzie. McKenzie does a cartwheel and kicks Rose, but is met with a clothesline. Royal tags into the match and dropkicks Rose, but Rose barely staggers. Royal forearms Rose, but there’s no impact. Rose nails Royal with a big boot. Rose scoop slams Royal and puts a neck vice on Royal, but doesn’t get a submission. Bates wants to tag into the match, but Rose isn’t interested in tagging out. Rose counters a double suplex by hitting her own double suplex. Rose threatens Bates and misses a splash off the ropes. Royal delivers a flatliner and McKenzie nails Rose with a stiff kick to the face. Rose stops them both with a double chokeslam. Rose scoop slams McKenzie followed by a leg drop. Rose sends McKenzie shoulder first into the ring post. Rose grabs Royal and hits a fallaway slam. Bates wants a tag, but Rose instead sends Royal into Bates to knock Bates off the apron. Royal is sent into McKenzie and Rose hits a German suplex. Rose casually stomps McKenzie on the mat. Rose drives McKenzie down with a vertical suplex. Rose covers McKenzie, but pulls her up at the count of two. Rose sends McKenzie into the corner to force a tag to Royal. Rose slams Royal back into the ring from the apron and delivers a running kick. Rose spikes Royal with a Death Valley Driver, but McKenzie breaks the cover at two. Rose sends McKenzie chest first into the corner. Rose uses Royal’s foot to kick McKenzie and hits a double Samoan Drop. Rose lays McKenzie on top of Royal and heads to the top rope. Rose hits a swanton bomb onto both women. Rose covers both women to win the match. (*. Obviously Bates did nothing and Rose worked a handicap match. It was probably the best decision to make it a handicap match and have Rose dominate for a few minutes.)
8.) Backstage, Nyla Rose is interviewed. Rose says she didn’t tag out because she didn’t have to. Rose reminds us of what she did in the Casino Royale. Rose says none of the eliminations are noted in her record. So, now she’s going to be disrespectful to everyone in AEW one by one.
9.) A video package promoting Cody vs. Jericho for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear is shown. Cody notes that no part of him will be EVP, but rather the 10-year old that always wanted this moment. Brandi knew that they’d lose Cody for this period of time as Cody chased the title. I believe this was shown on Dynamite.
10.) CIMA and Angelico kickoff the six man tag main event. Angelico controls CIMA with a wrist lock, but CIMA quickly counters and takes Angelico down to the mat. CIMA keeps a hammerlock on Angelico and switches to an arm bar. Angelico gains wrist control and takes CIMA down to the mat to keep arm control. CIMA kips up, but is taken back down to the mat. Angelico maintains arm control, but CIMA gets up and they take each other down a few times. Angelico forearms CIMA against the ropes, but CIMA dropkicks Angelico and knocks the other two off the apron. Kaz enters the match, but Angelico breaks free with a knee lift. Kaz arm drags Evans a couple of times and keeps arm control on the mat. Kaz wrenches on the left arm, but Evans arm drags Kaz, but Kaz holds on and rolls through. Kaz maintains a wrist lock, but is kicked by Evans. Sabian enters the match and works over Kaz’s lower back. Sabian chokes Kaz over the middle rope. Sabian grabs Kaz and tries for a suplex, but Kaz breaks free and kicks Sabian followed by a clothesline. Kaz tags in Sky and Skay hits a slingshot splash for a two count. Kaz hits a slingshot leg drop for a two count. CIMA enters the match and axe handles Sabian. Sky tags in and delivers a top rope axe handle, as well. Sabian avoids Sky in the corner and keeps control with a waist lock, but Sky elbows free. Sabian dumps Sky to the apron. Sky strikes Sabian and heads to the top rope. Evans boots Sky on the apron after an eye rake by Sabian. Sky crashes to the floor, but Sabian quickly follows to keep control.
Sabian stomps Sky to prevent a tag and gets a one count on a cover attempt. Sabian keeps Sky on the mat with a chin lock, but Sky breaks free. Sabian nails Sky with a knee strike for a two count. Angelico tags into the match and delivers a strike before tagging in Evans. Evans hip tosses Sky coming off the ropes leading to a near fall. Evans stomps Sky on the mat after taunting the corner. Sky is rammed into the corner chest first and Sabian returns to action delivering kicks before tagging in Angelico to deliver jabs. Sky fights back, but Angelico rams Sky into the corner. Sabian returns to the match and rams Sky into the turnbuckle. Sabian sends Sky into the corner back first. Sabian sends Sky into the corner and delivers a high knee strike. Sabian continues with a shining wizard for a two count. Sabian controls Sky with a front face lock on the mat. Sabian knee strikes Sky, but Sky nails Sabian with a dropkick. Angelico prevents Sky from tagging out, but Sky kicks free and tags in CIMA.
CIMA cleans house with dropkicks. CIMA forces Angelico to punch Evans in the corner. CIMA knee strikes Evans in the corner and double stomps Angelico. CIMA suplexs Sabian onto Angelico. CIMA rocket launches Evans onto his partners. CIMA hits a springboard double knee strike onto Evans. Angelico jabs CIMA, but CIMA hits a backstabber for a two count. Angelico decks CIMA with a right hand. Evans double stomps CIMA as Angelico delivered a side slam. Evans hits a standing 450 splash on CIMA for a two count. Evans heads to the top rope, but is stopped by CIMA. Sabian eye rakes CIMA. Kaz hits a cutter on Angelico. CIMA nails Evans with a German suplex off the middle rope, but Sabian makes the save. Sabian tags into the match. CIMA tags in Kaz, who hits a springboard dropkick on Sabian. Sky enters and holds Angelico to SCU Later. CIMA leaps off the top to hit a double knee strike and pins Sabian. (**. This was kind of a lifeless match, but not a bad one. Angelico and Evans don’t do much for me and they come across as one of the least interesting tag teams in AEW at this point.)
Final Thoughts:
There’s nothing standout here to check out as the final show before Full Gear. It’s a skippable hour of programming.
Thanks for reading.