Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here with a blow-by-blow of episode 3 of AEW Dark! AEW’s weekly YouTube show, featuring extra matches taped during the previous week’s AEW Dynamite! This episode of course emanates from Philadelphia and interestingly, features ECW legend and former WWE color commentator Taz on the broadcast booth! He and Excalibur will be calling the action.
Let’s get into the blow-by-blow!
We begin with the 0-1 Brandon Cutler against the 0-2 Joey Janela. While both are winless, Janela’s been in a number of impressive, hardcore oriented battles. He’s taken the likes of Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley to the limit in his element.
Brandon Cutler vs. Joey Janela
Lock-up early. Cutler ends up winning out, clean break in the corner. Grappling continues, Janela with a wristlock. Cutler rolls through, reverses the wrist lock. Janela uses the ropes to flip onto his feet but Cutler keeps the pressure on. Janela slips into Cutler’s grasp and escapes into a side headlock. Janela springs off the ropes whilst holding onto Cutler, good hip toss takeover. Cutler reverses with a headscissor. Janela with a handstand! Flips over to escape, takes the wristlock once more, Cutler escapes with a single leg trip. Janela fights back with a shoulder tackle! Cutler with a charge, Janela counters with a back body drop.
Seems it wasn’t just lip service on commentary, Janela showing a different side of himself here. Very solid, pure wrestling. Cutler on the apron, springboards in with a roundhouse kick to take Janela down. Cutler laying in shots now, Janela reverses a whip but Cutler catches him with a flying forearm, 1 count off the first pin attempt. Body slam. Springboard forearm drop, 2 count! Janela fights out of a chin lock, knife edge chop, Cutler responds with a roundhouse kick to the shoulder. Janela with a chop! Cutler with a sharper roundhouse kick to the chest! Janela laying in chops now! Roundhouse kick to the head from Cutler, 2 count!
Cutler hits the ropes, long distance legdrop, Janela rolls out of the way so he crashes and burns. Back elbow out of the corner, Cutler slips around to the back, turns a Half Nelson into a Reverse DDT for a nearfall! Power whip to the corner. Another whip sends him to the opposite corner. Charge, Janela hops over him, dodges around him, drop toe hold slams him against the ropes. Running clothesline flips him over. Tope suicida wipes out Cutler! Janela with a run all the way around the ring, hops off the steps and clears through Cutler with a diving back elbow! Gets some applause for that one.
Throws him into the ring, hooks the leg for 2. Cutler springs over Janela’s head off a corner whip, enziguri lays out Janela! Cutler to the apron, wants a springboard but Janela cuts him off, Cutler falls ribs first onto the top rope. Janela takes Cutler up top! Huge brainbuster off the top rope and that’s that!
Winner: Joey Janela
Cool stuff! Good pure wrestling in the first half, some solid high spots in the latter. Nice to see Joey finally notch a win after putting himself on the line so much in previous matches.
Undesirable To Undeniable With: QT Marshall aka Michael Cuellari
QT is an Associate Producer for AEW, often seen in Road To and BTE skits. Cody explains meeting him in ROH where he did a lot of work backstage. He was one of the guys who helped produce All In. Cody mentions that he was part of a documentary just called The Wrestler, which was meant to be a story painting him as a sympathetic figure to get a job with WWE, only for them not to sign him. Cody describes this as the most brilliant marketing he’d ever seen and asks for a point where he felt undesirable.
QT mentions paying for a tryout with ROH and been given a job on that spot. But for some reason he was immediately labelled as undesirable. He mentions coming in at 26 with a good physique immediately cutting promos on the world champion, which he says was not a good look. He was young and didn’t know any better. In his third match he popped two discs in his neck and didn’t tell anybody. He eventually said ‘screw it’ and got six screws in his neck, when he decided to stop with wrestling altogether. He explains that he never went all in on himself, he had a good job and didn’t want people to think of him as a loser on the way up. One day he woke up and decided to go to Georgia and go all in on being a wrestler. And he says anyone has to.
Cody mentions the six screws but says that he has been medically cleared and declares that he’ll be wrestling in Pittsburgh next week. QT says it was such a good feeling hearing that during the conference call that he forgot to hit mute before talking to his wife about it, and everyone ended up hearing his excitement.
From the sounds of things, QT’s debut will be here on AEW Dark next week!
Peter Avalon of course comes out with Leva Bates (0-1) for her match with Nyla Rose (0-3).
Peter cuts a cheap heat promo on her way out. He talks about the US signing the deceleration of independence in 1776 in the then-nation’s capital of Philadelphia. But in the 1800s the capital was moved from Philadelphia to DC, when this company began to flourish. In the case of Bryce Harper, he went from Washington DC to Philadelphia and they were then eliminated. He calls Philly a town with such rich sports heritage, athletes galore, and they commemorate a fictional boxer. He calls them all defensive but says that’s okay, he’s not worried about their defenses and neither were the Vikings. Leva eventually takes the mic from Avalon and says for everyone here, she will shush him.
Nyla Rose vs. Leva Bates (w/Peter Avalon)
This uh, might not be a super long one, but we’ll see. As they circle the ring, Peter throws in some books to trip up Nyla. Nyla tosses them back at him, Leva attacks from behind, running dropkick takes her to the corner. Corner splashes, very little effect. Nyla catches her on a crossbody, body slam. Misses a legdrop, Leva with a thrust kick to the head, running snap DDT for a 1 count. Nyla reverses a whip, hoists her up, drives her down hard with a powerslam. Whips her, Leva counters with a crucifix into a sunset flip but Nyla too big for it, slams her head into the mat. Hoists her up, Leva with a Booker T style wristlock-into-heel-kick.
Avalon up on the apron to distract the ref as Nyla plants Leva with a Death Valley Driver. Nyla goes over to Peter, start a tug-of-war over a book, Leva with a roll-up for 2. Clothesline takes Leva down. Nyla hoists Leva up with a gorilla press, slams her onto Avalon on the floor! Minor pop. Nyla pursues, drags Leva up by the legs, giant swings her into the steps! Nyla breaks the ref’s count, grabs Leva by the hair and throws her into the ring, stomping onto Avalon’s chest on her way back inside. Plants a foot on the small of Leva’s back as she pulls back on a Single Leg Boston crab. Gets her up, drives her into the corner. Takes her back, Beast Bomb and that’s all.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Noooot great… I get that Leva’s offense wasn’t meant to look effective on Nyla but everything she did seemed legitimately underwhelming. Nyla did alright but isn’t someone who’s going to be able to carry a big portion of matches right now. Librarian gimmick is definitely meant to be bad but it’s pretty clear most crowds are not willing to play along, just makes things awkward. Hard for either of them to have a good match right now. Maybe eventually it’ll lead to a good payoff but it’s bringing down these segments at the moment.
Still, good to see Nyla finally get a win. And I’d complain about the length of the match but the greener members of the roster need to get reps in longer matches and right now Dark is the best place for them to get ’em.
We know Britt Baker will be in action in her hometown of Pittsburgh on AEW Dynamite tomorrow. We now know that her opponent will be England’s Jamie Hayter, who has spent the last year working with the acclaimed Joshi promotion Stardom. She’s also a former RevPro Women’s Champion.
Video package for the Dark Order plays. We then get a replay of the Lucha Bros injuring Christopher Daniels, forcing Scorpio Sky to sub in the AEW tag title tournament. Alex Marvez speaks with Scorpio and Kazarian, asking about Daniels. Scorpio says he has so much going through his mind right now. He doesn’t know the status of Christopher Daniels, he just came from the ring competing in a match that he clearly wasn’t prepared to compete in. He calls Daniels someone he looks up to, someone everyone looks up to, the last he saw of him he was laying in a stretcher. Scorpio calls out Penta and Fenix, saying that falls in their lap. Kazarian says he’d love to say their minds are in the clear but all he can think about is looking into Daniels’ eyes. His mind is on the father and husband that fell last week. But he promises that they will defeat the Dark Order and go on to win the tournament in spite of the Lucha Bros.
Jen Decker tries to speak with PAC after Moxley cost him their tag match last week.
PAC’s face is a crimson mask, how he got so bloody I don’t know. It’s all over his hands. PAC tells Jen to leave and faces the camera, yelling “Look at me!” He says this is the work of none other than Jon Moxley. PAC claims that he’s done nothing but help Moxley ever since he arrived in AEW, bringing up that he stepped in to save his arse at All Out after Mox got pulled, and of course two weeks ago he handed him Omega on a silver platter. “And this is your definition of gratitude?!” He promises that he will make him regret the day he betrayed the Bastard.
Recap of the Jericho/Darby Street Fight from last week. Stronghearts (1-4 overall) out now, being held behind Private Party’s (2-2) velvet rope. This is T-Hawk’s first appearance since Double or Nothing. Cody (3-1-1) still has Brandi accompanying him tonight, but she’s said that won’t be a thing going forward. MJF also comes out to accompany him. Dustin Rhodes (0-3) and the Young Bucks (3-3) are his partners.
Private Party & Stronghearts vs. The Brotherhood & The Young Bucks
Cody and CIMA start us out, lock up. Clean break immediately out of the corner from Cody. “Cody” chant quickly kicks up. CIMA with a waistlock, trips him down, crucifix for a 1 count. Cody takes a quick breather and gives Brandi a kiss, looks over at MJF and starts to do the same only for him to freak out a bit. Cody slips into the ring. “MJF” chant starts! CIMA shoots Cody to the ropes, Cody counters with his drop down palm strike! CIMA slaps Cody across the face, causing Dustin to come in… and that baits a standoff between all eight competitors! Rick Knox stays between them, and the staredown doesn’t come to blows, everyone back to their corners and CIMA tags out to T-Hawk. Cody motions to the crowd, gets a leaping faux hot tag to Dustin. Vet vs. rookie here. T-Hawk with a chop. Dustin with a headlock, shot to the ropes, Dustin gets a few shoulder tackles. T-Hawk hits the ropes, seems to want a bulldog but the veteran Dustin just turns and clotheslines him.
Tag to Nick Jackson, who tags to Matt. Dustin shoots T-Hawk to the ropes, both Bucks come in as Dustin gets T-Hawk up in a Spinebuster, Matt pops Nick up into a flying dropkick to T-Hawk! Definitely needed to rewind a couple times to call that. T-Hawk ducks a back elbow from Nick, basement dropkick clips the legs of Matt. Knife edge chop on Nick. Nick reverses a whip, dropkick countered with a spinebuster from T-Hawk! Matt tries to get the boots up on a charge, T-Hawk throws the feet down and gives him another chop. Cody comes in from behind, T-Hawk whips around and delivers a chop to him as well, which Cody sells by bailing and heading into the front row at ringside so as not to take another!
Tag to Kassidy who comes in, Quen tags as well, Atomic Drop Step-up Enziguri combo followed by a running double stomp from Quen! Tag to CIMA, Quen sets Matt up with a snapmare to get a Hilo from CIMA! CIMA with a snapmare of his own, hooks a leg of Matt to get a complicated hold which Taz calls a Banana Split. Tag to Quen who comes off with a double sledge to Matt’s arm, tag to Kassidy who comes off the top with a double footstomp to that arm. Kassidy mocks the Bucks’ pose. Kassidy knocks Nick and Cody off the apron, MJF has to be held back from coming in at ringside. Matt with a running clothesline in the corner to Quen, gets a string of Northern Lights Suplexes on Quen, on the fourth he sends him right down into Kassidy! Taz is jealous! Nick tags in, ducks some shots, forearm back, spin kick. Running WWE Headkick, springboard double foot stomp to the back of Quen, Nick runs the apron and kicks CIMA and Kassidy in the face before hopping off for another double foot stomp to T-Hawk! Nick with a springboard X-Factor to Quen, into an Asai Moonsault off the apron to wipe out the Stronghearts!
Nick up top, Quen stops him with a pele kick! Leaps up for the rana into the Kassidy cutter, Gin and Juice! CIMA comes in to assist with a Meteora! Quen with a Shooting Star Press, Cody has to break up the pin! Tag to T-Hawk, Cima wants a double team with a waist lock, but Nick keeps reversing and T-Hawk keeps hesitating! Inevitably T-Hawk ends up chopping CIMA by mistake, and Nick catches him with a superkick! Tag to Dustin, clotheslines to T-Hawk, shoots him to the ropes, reverses a Back Body Drop attempt with the signature low uppercut! Manhattan Drop, Dustin takes CIMA to the floor. Dustin gets whipped to the corner but just bounces off and catches a running T-Hawk with a Snap Powerslam! Quen and CIMA run in to eat Snap Powerslams as well! Kassidy rushes but Dustin gestures for him to hold off, takes a moment to keel over and catch his breath! Fans pop as Kassidy just waits, looking frustrated. Eventually Kassidy comes in for a clothesline, Dustin ducks and hits the powerslam yet again to a pop!
Dustin up top, twisting crossbody takes out Private Party! Dustin whips Cody to the corner, and he springs off the ropes to wipe out CIMA on the floor! Private Party with stereo topes take out the Brotherhood! Matt gets his baseball slide, Nick with a tornhilo over his brother to take out Private Party! And now Brandi’s up top?! Nope, she’s talked down… only to come running in with a flip senton off the apron to T-Hawk and Quen! MJF in the ring now… slowly stripping off his scarf and jacket. MJF hits the ropes… and hits ’em again and again and then he just makes a nasty gesture to the crowd. CIMA comes in tossing the Bucksbucks at MJF before laying him out with a Backstabber! Cody in, Crossrhodes to CIMA! T-Hawk comes in, pop-up knee to the face! Double Superkick from the Bucks lays out T-Hawk! And now in comes Private Party with a staredown… and the two teams trade punches! Quen with a pele that both Bucks dodge, double superkick takes him out! Kassidy gets a double rana but eats a double superkick anyway! Kassidy sent to the ropes, looks for the bounce off of Quen, but eats a superkick from Nick on the apron, Matt gets a superkick to Kassidy taking him to the floor!
Rhodes brothers in the ring with Stronghearts, they get CIMA and T-Hawk in opposing corners and tease double shattered dreams. Private Party come in to break it up, Jackson/Rhodes with the quadruple superkicks! And now Private Party also being set up in opposite corner! Four-way Shattered Dreams, referred to as Unnatural Picks! Dustin hoists T-Hawk up into the Final Reckoning and that’s that!
Winners: The Young Bucks & The Brotherhood
Super fun stuff. Felt very much like a house show match, in a good way! Lotta inventive, entertaining spots, seemed like everyone involved was enjoying themselves. Real good main event for a show like AEW Dark.