AEW Austin gets Dark!
The shining gold casts strong shadows in Austin, and AEW Dark brings us amazing action from both the Women’s and Tag Team Divisions!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Diamante VS Kris Statlander; Statlander wins.
- Best Friends VS The Hybrid2; Best Friends win.
- Big Swole VS Christi Jaynes; Swole wins.
- The Young Bucks VS QT Marshall & Peter Avalon w/ Leva Bates; win.
PLAY BY PLAY
Tony Schiavone welcomes us back to AEW Dark!
Tony’s backstage at the H-E-B Center and promises four great matches from Austin! Some great first-ever match-ups, such as our first match!
Diamante VS Kris Statlander!
The Diamond of the 305 and the Galaxy’s Greatest Alien look to move up the rankings in the background of Riho VS Nyla Rose. Who gains ground in this ever-shifting AEW Women’s Division landscape?
Before the match, Kris gives the ref her the alien nose boop! The bell rings and Kris circles with Diamante. Diamante sees Kris wanting to boop, and tells her not to. Kris gets very, very close to the nose, but Diamante slaps the hand away! Then SLAPS Kris! Kris scowls before she DECKS Diamante! Diamante gets to a corner but Kris slithers up to her. The ref backs Kris off but Kris CHOPS and clubs Diamante! Kris whips and discus clotheslines Diamante down! Kris drags Diamante around, and wets Diamante’s fingers, for DOUBLE WET WILLIES! Diamente kicks Kris away and throws big forearms! Diamante runs, but into Kris’s tilt-o-whirl backbreaker and stretch!
Kris drags Diamante up but Diamante throws elbows. Kris clubs Diamante’s back then kicks and uppercuts and PELES! Fans fire up with Kris as she runs corner to corner for a big uppercut! Kris goes side to side to KNEE Diamante right out of the ring! The ref keeps Kris back, but Kris goes out the side. Kris builds up speed around the way, but has to duck Diamante’s clothesline first. Kris military presses and SLAMS Diamante on the apron! Fans fire up as Kris shoves Diamante into the ring. Kris summons her powers and dead lifts Diamante! Diamante fights out, SUNSET BOMB! Cover, TWO! Diamante is frustrated but fans rally up.
Diamante runs and wheelbarrows, but Kris blocks! Kris uses her alien strength to WHEELBARROW GERMAN! Diamante flounders up into a BUZZSAW! Kris drags Diamante up, tucks her in, BIG BANG THEORY! Cover, Kris wins!
Winner: Kris Statlander, by pinfall
The Galaxy’s Greatest just got a great victory! We know in the present that the Native Beast took the title off the Wrestling Idol, but will Nyla Rose soon have an experience that is out of this world?
Best Friends VS The Hybrid2!
When AEW Dynamite hits Atlanta, these two teams will be part of the battle royal that determines the next challengers for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at AEW Revolution! Will Chuck Taylor & Trent Baretta or Angelico & Jack Evans gain major momentum towards that last team standing scenario?
The teams sort out and Evans starts with Trent. They circle as fans cheer for “Freshly Squeezed!” Trent waistlocks and slams Evans to then get a facelock, but Evans slips out to hammerlock. Trent slips around to headlock takeover. Evans headscissors back but Trent moves around. Trent pops out and has the legs, but Evans kicks at him. Trent ducks it and Evans handsprings free. Evans praises himself and fans do cheer. Evans talks trash on the Best Friends being awful wrestlers, and fans now boo him. Trent and Evans tie up again and Trent wrenches to a wristlock.
Evans handsprings and wrenches back to reel Trent in for a facelock. Trent back drops out but Evans lands on his feet. Evans laughs but turns around into Trent’s CHOP! Trent whips Evans but Evans handsprings and dodges to then boot Trent. Evans goes to the apron, clips a cameraman, shoulders into Trent and shouts, “Screw the cameraman!” Evans slingshots, into Trent’s Northern Lights suplex! Bridging cover, TWO! Trent keeps his cool and tags Chuckie T. The Best Friends double whip, double elbow, shake hands and drop elbows! Evans flounders to a tag and Angelico goes after Chuckie.
Chuckie kicks, headlocks but Angelico powers out. Chuckie shoulders Angelico down, double guns then speeds up. Angelico hurdles but Chuckie arm-drags Angelico out. Fans rally for Best Friends as Trent tags in. Orange Cassidy stands in Angelico’s way, so Angelico DECKS him! Trent and Chuckie go right after Angelico for that one! Best Friends ram Angelico into the apron but Evans triangle LEAPS onto them! And then stomps Cassidy for good measure! Fans boo TH2 as Angelico puts both Best Friends in the ring. Angelico clubs Trent and Chuckie on the way to his corner and tags in Evans. Evans springboard corkscrew kicks Chuckie down!
Angelico drags Trent up, Gory Especial, and Evans adds a dropsault, landing on Chuckie! Angelico keeps Trent up, for a Gory Bomb that slams Trent down ON Chuckie! Evans stands on both Best Friends before hitting a standing moonsault! Austin does have to admit, that was a good sequence. TH2 drags Trent up and Angelico throws jab after jab. Angelico brings Trent up to whip into the TH2 corner. Trent goes up, tumbles back, and Evans tags in. Evans climbs up as Angelico lifts Trent, double stomp sidewalk slam! Cover, TWO! Evans argues the count but he keeps on Trent.
Tag to Angelico and Angelico taunts Chuckie. The ref keeps Chuckie back, and misses the combination Chancery Penalty Kick! Cover, TWO! Angelico keeps close to Trent and drags him up. Evans tries to get fans chanting for TH2 but fans boo isntead. Angeilco lifts Trent, Trent slips out, TORNADO DDT! Fans fire up as both men stir on the mat. Trent gets up, and hot tags Chuckie T! Evans tags in but runs into the Kentucky Gentleman’s rally and BOOT! Angelico kicks back and whips, but Chuckie goes up and over to bait Angelico into a flapjack! Evans runs in, Chuckie pop-up bombs Evans ONTO Angelico! Chuckie brings Evans back up, SPINNING LIGER BOMB! Cover, TWO!!
Chuckie tags Trent in and Best Friends drag Evans up. Chuckie lifts Evans, LONG DART CUTTER! Cover but Angelico breaks it in time! ANgelico throws Chuckie out but Trent goes after him. No tornado DDT this time, KNEE TRIGGER! ANgelico helps Evans with the standing 450! Cover but now CHuckie breaks it! Angelico throws Chuckie back out and Evans drags Trent to a drop zone. Chuckie drags Angelico out to throw forearms, and Cassidy distracts Evans. The Sloth “shoves” and “trips” and “clubs” Evans. Cassidy winds up, but Angelico runs over! Cassidy dodges, Angelico gets hung up on the rope, and in turn trips Evans up! Thumbs up from Freshly Squeezed! Cassidy hops down as TH2 flop down. Chuckie is in, and Best Friends hug!! Trent drags Evans up, Alabama position, Chuckie leaps in, STRONG ZERO!
Winners: Best Friends, by pinfall
Trent and Chuckie T go .500 in their tag team record, but this upswing is right in time! Will they be riding even higher in the tag team battle royal?
Tony Schiavone reminds us where AEW is headed next!
- 2/19/2020: The State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia!
- 2/26/2020: The Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Kansas City, Missouri!
- AEW Revolution 2/29/2020: The Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois!
- 3/4/2020: The 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado!
- 3/11/2020: The Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah!
- 3/18/2020: The Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York!
- 3/25/2020: The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey!
- 4/1/2020: The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Panther Arena in where else? Milwaukee Wisconsin!
- 4/8/2020: The Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri!
- 4/15/2020: The Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts!
- 4/22/2020: The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!
- AEW Double or Nothing 2 – 5/23/2020: The MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada!
- NEW – 5/27/2020: AEW Dynamite is also in the MGM Grand Arean for DoN2 fallout!
Big Swole VS Christi Jaynes!
Aerial Monroe welcomes the Brazilian luchadora to the AEW Women’s Division! But will “CJ Vavoom” welcome herself to a big win in Austin?
The bell rings and CJ doesn’t really take Swole serious. Swole doesn’t seem impressed by CJ either as the two circle. The two tie up, and Swole puts CJ in a corner, but CJ powers right out. They go to the other corner but Swole keeps control. CJ powers up but Swole pushes her away. Fans cheer the showdown of strength and the two go again. Swole waistlocks, CJ blocks and pries free to a wrench. CJ has the wristlock but Swole slips thruogh to hammerlock. Swole headlocks and grinds CJ to hit a headlock takeover! CJ rolls Swole, ONE, and the two stand up. Swole grinds more but CJ brings her to a knee. CJ pops out to get her own headlock.
Swole throws forearms and body shots to get free. The two collide but neither woman falls. They go again and Swole runs CJ over! Things speed up, Swole blocks a hip toss to give a hip toss! Fans fire up with Swole as she watches CJ get to a corner. Swole dares CJ to try a test of strength. CJ agrees to it and they go shoulder to shoulder. Swole bends CJ back and shows off by flexing. CJ gets up but Swole whips her to a corner. CJ bounces off buckles and Swole LARIATS! Swole aims at CJ in the corner, runs corner to corner, but CJ evades. CJ returns but gets an elbow. Swole hops up but CJ is right up to enziguri! Fans cheer as Swole tumbles out.
CJ goes to the apron, drags Swole up and into the ropes to choke her! The ref counts but CJ lets up at 4. CJ drags Swole in, snapmares her and KICKS! Swole grits her teeth but CJ pushes her around. CJ brings Swole up, uses hair to snapmare, and then kicks again! The ref reprimands but CJ “apologizes.” Swole gets to a corner, CJ is on her, but Swole pushes her away! Swole runs but into a low knee. She throws body shots in return and ROCKS CJ with an uppercut! CJ runs into a HEADBUTT!
Swole runs in but CJ puts her on the apron. Swole counter roundhouses, then steps in for a CUTTER! Fans fire up with Swole as she drags CJ up in a waistlock. CJ fights Swole off but gets a BOOT! Wristlock ripcord, DIRTY DANCING FOREARM! Cover, Swole wins!
Winner: Big Swole, by pinfall
CJ may not have had the time of her life, but Swole is whipping her hair back ‘n’ forth after this big victory! With a new AEW Women’s World Champion on the scene, will Big Swole be one of the new challengers to come on the way to AEW Revolution?
The Young Bucks VS QT Marshall & Peter Avalon w/ Leva Bates!
Matt & Nick Jackson will also be in Dynamite’s Tag Team Battle Royal for a chance at the tag titles at AEW Revolution! But will The Librarian look to silence the Superkick Party?
Speaking of the Librarian, Peter again has a mic and attempts to hush the crowd. “Pardon me, I said SHH.” Leva again tries to keep Peter civil as they walk to the ring. Peter addresses Austin, Texas, but then QT takes the mic. QT says we’ve seen this gag before. If we don’t let Peter speak his piece, the match will never happen, so QT politely asks Austin to just let Peter talk. Fans boo but Peter is given his time. Except the Young Bucks cut it short!
The teams sort out and we begin with QT starts against Nick. QT and Nick circle as fans cheer for “Young Bucks! Woop woop!” Nick and QT tie up, Nick wrenches but QT rolls and handsprings to wrench back. QT has the wristlock but Nick uses the ropes to flip through. Nick headlocks, QT powers out, QT hurdles but so does Nick. QT leaps over and side steps but Nick uses ropes to flip and redirect himself, but then QT uses the ropes to go up and arm-drag! Things keep moving, QT handsprings and superhero lands?! Even QT shocks himself! But then Avalon hisses and boos, “That’s not wrestling! It’s just flippy dippy!” Why does this sound familiar?
Avalon tags in and tells QT to get out. Avalon promises to show the wrestling teacher what real wrestling looks like, but he turns around into a drop toehold and a slingshot leg drop! Matt takes Avalon’s mic to ask Nick, “How about we do a badass tag team move?” Fans like the sound of that! Nick tags in and asks fans if they want to see a double hip toss. Fans do! The Bucks double whip Avalon to hit the double hip toss, then the handspring dropkicks! Matt gets fans chanting again and then he handspring headscissors QT for Nick to dropkick him down! Fans cheer “That was Awesome!”
Matt bumps Avalon off buckles, Nick runs in and he blocks the boots. Tag to Matt and Nick hits a draping neckbreaker! Matt slingshot sentons onto Avalon then hits QT down. Matt keeps moving to wreck QT with a dropkick! Nick scoops Avalon while Matt skins the cat, gutbuster to neckbreaker backbreaker! Fans love the tag team class the Bucks are teaching! Matt gets fans ready for the “SUPERKICK PARTY!” Avalon scrambles to tag QT! Matt and QT circle, but then Avalon sucker punches Matt! Nick is upset but even QT has to question that. Avalon tags in to triangle dropkick Nick! Avalon is after Matt with a rain of angry rights and even lefts. Fans say, “That’s Not Wrestling!”
Avalon whips Matt and hits a leg lariat! Cover, TWO! Avalon drags Matt up to choke on the ropes but the ref counts. Avalon lets up at 4 and Leva hops up to show Matt her book. Matt swats the paperback copy of The Wrestlers away so Leva gets in her cheap shots! Avalon drags Matt up to tag in QT and Avalon elbows Matt down. QT drags Matt up but Matt throws haymakers! QT kicks low then scoops for a backbreaker! Cover, TWO! QT grows frustrated and he drags Matt over to the corner. Matt fights back as fans rally! Matt boots QT then hops up for a missile dropkick!
Both men are down but Avalon tags in. Avalon knocks Nick down and Nick hits steel steps on the way! Matt back drops Avalon! But there’s no one to tag! Avalon hits a forearm smash, whips corner to corner and hits another forearm! Matt reverses and Northern Lights! And then again! The Polar Express begins! QT gets in after the fourth, and Matt hits a fifth. A sixth! A seventh!? QT joins in for the EIGHTH!! Austin is fired up eight fold from that one! Matt hot tags Nick! Nick rallies, hitting QT, ducking and weaving with Avalon to fire off a strike fest! Nick runs corner to corner, shining wizard, roundhouse, forearm! QT runs in but the splash is sent into Avalon!
Now it’s two-for-one with the shining wizard, roundhouse, forearm, and DOUBLE BULLDOGS! Austin is thunderous as Nick heads to the apron. Nick watches Avalon get up and shoulders in to slingshot facebuster! Moonsault onto QT! Nick aims at Avalon again for a slingshot sunset flip, into the SHARPSHOOTER! Avalon endures as fans chant “TAP! TAP!” Avalon drags himself to the ropebreak! Nick lets go and Leva checks on Avalon. Matt tags in but Avalon reverses Nick’s whip. Nick baits Avalon in for Matt’s SPEAR! Matt drags Avalon into position, the Bucks combine for the springboard splash and standing moonsault! QT runs in but the Bucks get clear, QT’s elbow drops on Avalon! Leva is upset with QT but the Bucks double dropkick him out.
Nick goes to the apron, PENALTY KICK! Matt drags Avalon up, gut wrenches, but Avalon slips out to shove Matt into Nick! Avalon rolls Matt and has tights, TWO!! ENZIGURI! Avalon borrows a book from Leva but QT disrupts that. QT doesn’t want to cheat, so Avalon DECKS QT! Fans boo as Avalon confiscates QT’s apple, and “wants to be cool.” But he turns around into DOUBLE SUPERKICKS! The Bucks fire up and Austin is right with them! Matt drags Avalon up, gut wrenches, and Nick springboards for the MELTZER DRIVER! Cover, The Young Bucks win!
Winners: The Young Bucks, by pinfall
The Elite stays elite on the way to Atlanta! But will the Bucks overcome all the other teams in the locker room? And with the tag titles on the line in the same night, will it be Hangman & Omega or the Lucha Brothers that meet them at Revolution?
My Thoughts:
A really good episode of AEW Dark this week! It makes a lot of sense to give Austin two more great Women’s Division and Tag Team Division matches to match the two titles featured that night. Statlander VS Diamante was pretty fun, and Statlander looks incredibly dominant in the win. Swole VS Jaynes was incredibly competitive, so it makes for a great debut for Jaynes and an even greater win for Swole. Swole and Statlander are definitely up there with Hikaru Shida as front-runner Faces to face Nyla Rose. There are just 10 days before AEW Revolution, so a big women’s match on the go-home could at the very least do great for ratings.
Best Friends VS TH2 was a real fun match, too, and Orange Cassidy continues to shine. Best Friends seem to ride the line, neither winning a lot or losing a lot. I don’t know if AEW is really keeping that “sports feel” when they’re 50-50 booking such a great team. Though at the same time, real sports have great teams that still end up with .500 records. QT is really impressing everyone, including myself, and I love that his sequence with Nick was used to poke fun at critics of Ricochet VS Ospreay. I’m assuming Hangman & Omega retain the AEW World Tag titles to then defend at Revolution, and it should be against The Bucks. There is plenty of story there so they only need the go-home to dot the I’s and cross the T’s on the build, and we know immediately Revolution will have a tag team instant classic.
My Score: 8.5/10
