By Briar Starr, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@briarstarrtv)
AEW Dark (Episode 104)
Taped August 20, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois at United Center
Streamed August 24, 2021 on the AEW YouTube Page
A video recap of CM Punk debuting on AEW Rampage was shown to open up the show… The broadcast team of Excalibur and Taz welcomed us to Dark…
1. Heather Reckless vs. Thunder Rosa. Rosa performed a scoop slam on Reckless and followed up with a diving standing senton. Rosa threw a clothesline in the corner and then a knee strike. She later hit a diving dropkick and a double underhook on Reckless. Rosa made Reckless tap out quickly to the Peruvian Death Roll.
Thunder Rosa defeated Heather Reckless via submission.
Briar’s Take: A good showing here from Rosa, who continues to be over with the crowd. Reckless made her debut and had some flashes.
A Casino Battle Royale ad was shown for All Out September 5…
2. Ren Jones and Brayden Lee vs. “Varsity Blonds” Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison (w/Julia Hart). Jones hit a Manhattan Drop on Garrison, who found a breakthrough and tagged out. Pillman hit Lee with a clothesline and was on fire against Jones. Garrison executed a rolling elbow strike on Jones. Pillman performed a flying elbow strike to win the match.
Varsity Blonds defeated Ren Jones and Brayden Lee via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: The match was too brief to amount to much of anything. It was just another notch in the win column for the Varsity Blonds.
3. Capt. Shawn Dean vs. Powerhouse Hobbs. Dean performed a DDT and threw a dropkick right after the bell rang. Hobbs came back quickly with a spinebuster. Hobbs hit Town Business to put Dean away quickly.
Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Capt. Shawn Dean via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Poor Dean. Even with the jump attack and the brief advantage, Hobbs ended his night early.
An AEW General Manager Elite Mobile game ad was shown…
AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker made her entrance. Tony Schiavone hyped Jamie Hayter facing Red Velvet on Wednesday’s Dynamite and wanted to get Baker’s thoughts. Baker said she never considered Velvet anything until Velvet ruined her moment in Pittsburgh and said she had to teach her a lesson. Jamie added that she was going to boot Velvet on Wednesday. Red Velvet’s music played and she came to the ring to attack Hayter. Velvet and Hayter fought briefly until Kris Statlander came to Velvet’s aid.
Briar’s Take: I hate to say it, but the crowd was somewhat dead for this segment and it was just kind of there and didn’t really go anywhere. I guess we’ll see how Velvet and Hayter do on Dynamite.
4. Dante Martin vs. Alan “5” Angels. Martin used multiple arm drags on Angels followed by a standing dropkick. Angels hit a backward moonsault from the top rope to Martin at ringside. Angels spiked Martin with a DDT in the middle of the ring. Martin fired back with front elbows to Angels and charged with a leaping back elbow. Martin leaped off the top rope with an impressive moonsault. Angels recovered with a Flatliner and locked in a clutch submission. Martin came back with a straight jacket Death Valley Driver and picked up the win.
Dante Martin defeated Alan “5” Angels via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A hell of a match. Martin always brings the fires and so does Angels. Great stuff.
5. Nick Comoroto and Aaron Solow vs. Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix. Penta attempted to throw kicks at Comoroto, who was unscathed. Solow tagged in and threw a single leg dropkick to the side of the head of Penta. Fenix threw a baseball slide dropkick at Comoroto, but Solow caught Fenix with a release German suplex. Fenix fought back with kicks to Comoroto and Solow. Penta hit two sling blade clotheslines. In the end, Penta and Fenix planted Solow with a combination move and scored the victory.
Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix defeated Nick Comoroto and Aaron Solow via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A great competitive tag team match. It felt like the match could have gone either way. The Lucha Brothers remain popular with the crowd.
6. Kal Herro and Isiah Moore vs. John Silver and Preston “10” Vance. Silver hit a brainbuster on Herro after the bell rang. Vance tagged in and hit a spinebuster, a punt kick, and a powerbomb on Moore. Silver performed a backbreaker and let Vance cover Moore for the victory.
John Silver and Preston “10” Vance defeated Kal Herro and Isiah Moore via pinfall
Briar’s Take: Man, Herro and Moore just got dominated.
7. Matt Hardy, Angelico, and Jack Evans vs. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Wheeler Yuta. Cassidy executed a step up huracanrana on Angelico before tagging out. Yuta performed a standing dropkick on Evans before tagging out. Taylor hit a jackknife on Evans and missed a follow up moonsault attempt. Later, Hardy hit a Side Effect on Cassidy. Taylor and Yuta hit a double brainbuster on Angelico and evans. Hardy performed the Twist of Fate on Taylor. Cassidy planted Hardy with a DDT. Cassidy sat down with hands in his pocket and picked up a pinfall victory over Angelico.
Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Wheeler Yuta defeated TH2 and Matt Hardy via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Another solid tag team match to close this episode of Dark. Both teams were great here and never had a dull moment. A tremendous outing.
Overall, a solid episode of Dark that lasted under an hour. The first three matches didn’t amount to much as they were brief in nature (especially the Kal Herro and Isiah Moore vs. John Silver and Preston Vance match), but the show really kicked into gear for the back half with intriguing matchups and solid in-ring action. My only gripe with this episode is the Varsity Blonds standing in the crowd and having some beef with the Lucha Brothers. Having wrestlers in the crowds acting as fans before getting involved in the match does nothing for me, as it takes me right out of the moment.
There is something for everyone in this episode. The match of the night goes to Dante Martin vs. Alan Angels. It was to be expected for this episode and I’m embellishing, but if I had a dollar for every time they showed the CM Punk debut, I feel like I would be a millionaire. Episode 104 clocked in at 49 minutes and 36 seconds. Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
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