By Briar Starr, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@briarstarrtv)
AEW Dark (Episode 125)
Taped January 8, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina at Bojangles Arena
Streamed January 11, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
1. Liam Cross vs. Shawn Dean. Dean planted Cross with a side headlock takedown. Cross fired back with a springboard moonsault from the top. Dean returned fire with a spike DDT and then flew from the top rope with a diving splash to get the win.
Shawn Dean defeated Liam Cross via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Dean extended his winning streak to 2-0 over Cross.
2. Baron Black vs. Anthony Ogogo. Ogogo got the early advantage with a scoop slam. Ogogo charged in with an uppercut and a clothesline to Black. Ogogo attempted a fireman’s curry, but Black countered the move with the arm block and an atomic drop before performing a backstabber. Ogogo rallied and lifted Black up on his shoulders before planting him down on the mat. Eventually, Ogogo won with the Tower of London.
Anthony Ogogo defeated Baron Black via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: It seems as though Ogogo is fighting his way back to the top with wins and experience on Elevation and Dark.
Alex Marvez interviewed Matt Hardy about his chances against Adam Page and Dark Order. Hardy said Marq Quen had travel problems and his replacement would be Serpentinco.
3. Shalonce Royal vs. Red Velvet. Before the bell rang, Royal attacked Velvet and continued her momentum after the bell rang with a snap suplex. Velvet hit the double knees to Royal on the ropes. Shortly thereafter, Velvet performed the Final Slice and scored the pin.
Red Velvet defeated Shalonce Royal via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A quick and painless match for Velvet, who gained her first win of 2022.
4. Marcus Kross, T.IM. and Patrick Scott vs. “Gunn Club” Billy, Colten, and Austin Gunn. At the start of the match, Colten and Austin told the crowd ‘if you’re going to chant “ass boys” we’re going to leave.” The crowd started to chant “ass boys” and then Colten and Austin left the ring, leaving their father to work the match on his own. Billy hit the Fameasser on Scott and picked up the quick victory.
Gunn Club defeated Marcus Kross, T.I.M., and Patrick Scott via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: While the match didn’t mean much at all, that was great heel work from Colten and Austin prior to the match.
Marvez interviewed Daniel Garcia about his chance with Fuego Del Sol and said he was going to make him tap out like he will to Sammy Guevara on Wednesday.
5. Charlette and Robyn Renegade vs. Tay Conti and Anna Jay. The Renegades were on top of Conti, but Conti rolled up the leg capture on Robyn. Jay charged in with a kick in the corner to Robyn and a flipping neckbreaker. Charlette tagged in and both Renegade double suplexed Jay. Conti planted Charlette with a TKO and a running PK in the corner. Jay and Conti threw double thrust kicks to Charlette and made both of the Renegades tap out to the Queen Slayer.
Tay Conti and Anna Jay defeated Charlette and Robyn Renegade via submission.
Briar’s Take: Conti and Jay carry momentum into 2022 with a win over the Renegades.
6. JD Drake vs. Orange Cassidy. Drake and Cassidy began with a lock up before the ref broke the hold as the two got to the turnbuckle. Drake attempted multiple clotheslines, but missed in doing so which allowed Cassidy to throw a dropkick. Drake went for a sit-out senton but missed in the process. Cassidy tried the jumping sucidia. Drake countered the move by throwing Cassidy into the apron. After fighting briefly on the outside, the two returned to the ring and Drake scoop slammed Cassidy.
Drake continued to dominate Cassidy inside the ring until Cassidy turned the tide with a diving crossbody block. Cassidy came through with a spike DDT. Drake hit a cannonball in the corner and went for the cover, but only received a two count. Drake missed a move from the top rope, which allowed Cassidy to hit a scoop slam and then finished off Drake with the Orange Punch.
Orange Cassidy defeated JD Drake via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A good competitive match that went a bit long and started to drag a little bit.
7. Aaron Solo vs. Dante Martin. Solo hit an enzuigiri and a corkscrew to Martin and nearly got the victory. Martin quickly finished off Solo with a double jump moonsault to get the win.
Dante Martin defeated Aaron Solo via pinfall.
Marvez then interviewed “Smart” Mark Sterling about Jade’s match with Skye Blue. Sterling said that if Blue wins the match she can be the first to challenge Cargill for the TBS Title. If not, then Blue can never challenge for the title again.
8. Joey Janela (w/Kayla Rossi) vs. Eddie Kingston. Janela was taken down with a chop from Kingston and hit the double overhook with the throw. Kingston continued to strike Janela with chops before the two fought on the outside. Janela lost his balance from the top rope, allowing Rossi to take advantage of Kingston at ringside. Janela put pressure on Kingston’s left knee with stomps. Kingston came through with a jumping sucidia.
Back in the ring, Kingston performed a German suplex on Janela. Shortly thereafter, Janela powerbombed Kingston. However, Kingston struck back with the avalanche exploder. Kingston planted Janela with the northern lights bomb to get the win.
Eddie Kingston defeated Joey Janela via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A fierce back and forth match between Janela and Kingston, who had strangely never met in a singles match until now.
10. Kasey Fox vs. Thunder Rosa. Rosa executed a drop toe hold on Fox and followed up with a dropkick between the shoulder blades. Rosa hit a Death Valley Driver and made Fox tap out to the Peruvian Necktie.
Thunder Rosa defeated Kasey Fox via submission.
11. Alexander Moss vs. Powerhouse Hobbs. Hobbs quickly made Moss tap out to the Torture Rack for the win.
Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Alexander Moss via submission.
12. Fuego Del Sol vs. Daniel Garcia. Garcia quickly hit Del Sol with multiple stomps in the corner and followed a double underhook suplex. Del So also performed a hanging neckbreaker. Del Sol charged in with a spear and an uppercut. Del Sol continued with the low enzuigiri. Garcia came back with a shotgun dropkick and made Del Sol tap out to the Sharpshooter.
Daniel Garcia vs. Fuego Del Sol vía submission.
After the match, Garcia tried continuing his attack on Del Sol, but Sammy Guevara came to the rescue.
Briar’s Take: Garcia vs. Sammy Guevara should be a barn burner on Wednesday night for the TNT championship.
12. AEW Women’s Champion Jade Cargill (w/Mark Sterling) vs. Skye Blue in a Championship Eliminator Match. Cargill hit Blue with a PK and a fallaway slam after Blue missed a cross body block. Shortly thereafter, Cargill hit Jaded to win the match.
AEW Women’s Jade Cargill defeated Skye Blue via pinfall in a Championship Eliminator match.
Briar’s Take: Cargill continues to run through the women’s roster.
13. AEW Tag Team Champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus vs. QT Marshall and Nick Comoroto in a Championship Eliminator match. Jungle Boy came off the ropes with an arm drag and a dropkick to Marshall, who fired back with a shot to the back of the head. Comoroto planted himself with a standing elbow drop on Jungle Boy. Marshall wrestled for a brief while, then tagged out. Comoroto planted Jungle Boy with a backbreaker.
Later, Luchasaurus doubled up on Comoroto and Marshall with multiple diving back elbows in the corner. Luchasaurus then tail whipped Comoroto, but Marshall hit the step up enzuigiri. Marshall popped up Jungle Boy with an elbow strike and then Comoroto followed up with a spear. Comoroto hoisted up Luchasaurus, but Luchasaurus fired back. Jungle Boy landed the Destroyer on Marshall and got the win for his team.
Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus defeated QT Marshall and Nick Comoroto via submission in a Championship Eliminator match.
Briar’s Take: Good match for what it was. It’ll be interesting to see who’ll be next up to challenge the AEW tag team champions.
14. Matt Hardy, Isaiah Kassidy, Serpentinco vs. AEW Champion “Hangman” Adam Adam Page, Alan “5” Angels, and Preston “10” Vance. Late in the match, Vance planted Kassidy with a spinebuster and locked in a Full Nelson until Hardy made the save with a neckbreaker. Vance tagged in Page, who dropped Serpentinco in the ring with a Death Valley Driver. Page went for the cover, but Hardy broke it up. Hardy planted Angels with splash mountain and went for the pin, but Vance broke it up. Page popped up Serpentinco with a powerbomb and followed up with the Buckshot Lariat for the win.
“Hangman” Adam Page, Alan “5” Angels, and Preston “10” Vance defeated “HFO” Matt Hardy, Isaiah Kassidy, and Serpentinco via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A busy match with a lot happening. In the end, Hardy was denied his shot at the AEW Title following a losing effort to Page and the Dark Order duo. It was a competitive and hot match to close the show.
Overall, this episode of Dark had a lot happening with everything from Championship Eliminator matches to your typical enhancement matches that we normally see on Dark. The Championship Eliminator matches would probably peak interest to those who don’t normally watch Dark. The best of those two matches the tag team match with Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus vs. QT Marshall and Nick Comoroto. The overall match of the night goes to Joey Janela vs. Eddie Kingston for their had hard hitting match. Episode 125 clocked in at 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. Final Score: 8.0 out of 10.
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