By Briar Starr, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@briarstarrtv)
AEW Dark (Episode 153)
Taped in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios
Streamed July 19, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Excalibur and Taz were on commentary.
1. Luke Sampson vs. Jora Johl. Johl began the match with right hands to the chest of Sampson. Sampson planted Johl on the turnbuckle. Johl fought back with a power slam. Sampson used forearms to Johl for a comeback, but Johl caught him with a throwaway slam. Sampson and Johl fought back and forth with their strikes until Sampson planted Johl with a back breaker. Johl though quickly landed a punt kick to end Sampson’s night.
Jora Johl defeated Luke Sampson via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Nice solid match between Sampson and Johl here. Both men went back and forth and each had a quality outing.
2. Ren Jones vs. Lee Moriarty. Moriarty used multiple arm drags on Jones to gain control of the match early. Jones threw Moriarty into the turnbuckle and followed up with a diving crossbody. Jones attempted a pump-handle move on Moriarty, who countered with an overhook. Moriarty hit an elbow strike and struck with an underhook suplex. Moriarty locked in a stretch submission to win the match.
Lee Moriarty defeated Ren Jones via submission.
Briar’s Take: A showcase victory for Moriarty, who had some nice moves.
Lexy Nair interviewed Fuego Del Sol about his upcoming match with Q.T. Marshall.
3. Viva Van vs. Serena Deeb. Deeb hit a double underhook arm drag and targeted the left wrist of Van. Deeb continued with a torture submission. Van came in with the lariat and got a one count. Shortly thereafter, Deeb planted Van for the victory.
Serena Deeb defeated Viva Van via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: I always enjoy Deeb’s matches as they are always a treat. I’m sure Mercedes Martine and Deeb will be a treat on Saturday night for the ROH Women’s title. Deeb has improved a lot over the past several years.
4. Amber Nova vs. Marina Shafir. Nova struck with kicks to the midsection of Shafir after the bell rang, but Shafir countered back with a hip throw. Shafir locked in an ankle lock, but Nova stuck with elbows to get out of the hold. Shafir locked in a leg submission hold for the quick victory.
Marina Shafir defeated Amber Nova via submission.
5. Anthony Henry vs. Konosuke Takeshita. Henry used his quick feet on Takeshita to gain the early advantage and slow the match down. Henry continued with kicks to the midsection of Takeshita before Takeshita hit the flying forearm. Takeshita then took the match to the outside with a jumping sucida. Takeshita suplexed Henry off the ropes. Takeshita hit a blue thunder bomb on Henry. Shortly thereafter, Henry locked in an armbar submission but Takeshita powerbombed him again. Takeshita threw a jumping knee strike and got the pin.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Anthony Henry via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Another Takeshita classic.
6. ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Jordan Oasis. Gresham threw a dropkick at Oasis to start the match. Oasis hit a senton to the back of Gresham. However, Gresham turned the favors by targeting the left knee of Oasis, who ended up tapping out to a submission hold.
Johnathan Gresham defeated Jordan Oasis via submission.
Briar’s Take: Quick work here from Gresham, who should have a stellar match on Saturday night with Claudio Castagnoli.
7. ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. Bryce Donovan. Yuta used his quickness with a scoop slam and running senton on Donovan for the early cover. Shortly thereafter, Donovan used a fallaway slam on Yuta. Donovan dropped a quick elbow and got a two count. Yuta powered through with a Manhattan Drop and an enzuigiri to regain control. Yuta then dropped a reverse German suplex for the win.
Wheeler Yuta defeated Bryce Donovan via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Awesome stuff from Yuta here, who continues to be over with the crowd.
8. Jake Something vs. Danhausen. Something struck the lariat multiple times to Danhausen. Danhausen then hit the German suplex on Something. Something countered with the powerbomb on Danhausen and almost got the victory. However, Danhausen hooked the inside cradle and got the victory on Something.
Danhausen defeated Jake Something via pinfall
Briar’s Take: Despite this being Danhausen’s Dark debut, there was a lot of comedy here that was probably to be expected.
9. Avery Beaux and Valentina Rossi vs. Charlette Renegade and Robyn Renegade. Both of the Renegades made cohesive tags to stay on top of Beaux early on. Rossi came in with a leg drop on Charlette. The Renegades used tag team offense to get advantage on Rossi. The Renegades did their typical switcharoo and both landed an assisted neckbreaker to win the match.
Charlette and Robyn Renegade defeated Avery Beaux and Valentina Rossi via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: This was what you would expect from a Renegade match with the expected outcome.
9. ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez vs. J-Rod. Martinez hit a running knee strike to J-Rod. However, J-Rod nearly got an upset with the running bulldog. J-Rod threw Martinez in the corner and landed the standing corkscrew on Martinez. Martinez then hit a suplex multiple times to J-Rod. Shortly thereafter, Martinez locked in a sleeper to win the match.
Mercedes Martinez defeated J-Rod via pinfall.
Afterward, Deeb came out to stare down Martinez.
Briar’s Take: J-Rod made her AEW debut. Martinez made quick work of her, even though she had some flashes. Martinez will defend her title against Deeb on Saturday’s ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view.
10. Terrence Hughes and Terrell Hughes vs. “The Varsity Blonds” Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison. Garrison and Terrence started the match respectively. Pillman tagged in and landed a standing leg drop on Terrence. Garrison followed through with a standing dropkick. The Hughes brothers had some brief offense on Garrison, but their night was ended by a rolling elbow strike from Garrison.
The Varsity Blonds defeated Terrence and Terrell Hughes via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: Just a showcase match for the Blonds ahead of their match Wednesday night against Christian Cage and Luchasaurus.
11. Fuego Del Sol vs. Q.T. Marshall. Del Sol hit a running huracanrana on Marshall, who fought back with a back elbow. Marshall hit a standing vertical suplex on Del Sol to continue his momentum. Marshall took to the air with a big back elbow from the ropes. Del Sol fought back with the springboard moonsault to Marshall. He continued with a running shooting star press on Marshall. Marshall looked for a Diamond Cutter, but Del Sol countered by sending Marshall to the outside.
Del Sol struck with a double stomp and almost got the pin. With the ref distracted from outside interference, Marshall hit a low blow on Del Sol and followed up with a piledriver. Eventually, Del Sol missed a shooting star press. Marshall struck with the Diamond Cutter twice for the win.
Q.T. Marshall defeated Fuego Del Sol via pinfall.
Briar’s Take: A nice, long drawn out match that told a great story. It felt like this match could have gone either way and I actually expected Del Sol to gain the win. However, Marshall went over and they wrote another chapter in the Del Sol and Marshall rivalry.
12. Logan Cruz vs. Jay Lethal. Lethal threw a thrust kick at Cruz and then swept the leg using a dragon screw leg whip on the outside. Lethal face planted Cruz in the ring and followed up with the figure four leg lock for the victory.
Jay Lethal defeated Logan Cruz via submission.
Briar’s Take: More nice storytelling with Cruz being one of Lethal’s students. There was no doubt Lethal would take home the victory here ahead of his match with Samoa Joe for the ROH TV Title on Saturday night.
13. Alan Angels vs. Daniel Garcia in a Pure Rules match. Angels was forced to use one of his three rope breaks early. Angels threw a kick to the midsection and a back elbow to Garcia, who then slowed the match down by throwing Angels into the corner and rolling him into a Boston crab. Angels eventually used his second rope break. Angels threw a dropkick off the bottom rope and a then hit a leg lariat to the outside. Garcia fought back with a running boot and a northern lights bomb and went for the cover, but Angles kicked out at two.
Angels dropped Garcia with a piledriver and received a two count. Angels went for a frog splash, but Garcia countered by putting his knees up. As Garcia locked in another submission, Angels used his third his rope break. Garcia made Angels tap to a sleeper hold for the victory.
Daniel Garcia defeated Alan Angels via submission.
Briar’s Take: Another quality. Garcia and Angels had a great showing and it’s worth going out of your way to see this match. Overall, this was one of the best episodes of Dark in recent memory despite the show being back in the studio. AEW did great work by showcasing some of the wrestlers who will work Saturday’s Death Before Dishonor. The match of the night goes to the main event of Angels vs. Garcia with Marshall vs. Del Sol being a close second. Episode 153 clocked in at 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 31 seconds. Final Score: 8.0 out of 10.
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