AEW Dark
Episode 48
#AEWDark
Original Air Date: August 25, 2020
Event Date: August 13, 2020
(uploaded to YouTube)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Veda Scott
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Match 1
Storm Thomas & Demetri Jackson vs Best Friends w/ Orange Cassidy
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Trent pins Demetri Jackson after two piledrivers
Time: 5:55
Match Thoughts
Good match. Best Friends seemed particularly aggressive tonight. They were hitting some very strong and brutal moves against Thomas and Jackson, and they were methodical with their pace. It seems clear they were thinking about Santana and Ortiz while they were destroying Storm and Jackson.
Match 2
Jessy Sorensen vs “The Chairman” Shawn Spears w/ Tully Blanchard
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: Shawn Spears wins via pinfall after a Death Valley Driver
Time: 5:18
Match Thoughts
Good match. Sorensen was aggressive, and that angered Spears. Spears got even more aggressive, and he repeatedly went after Sorensen’s neck which Taz kept reminding us has been broken in the past.
Match 3
Red Velvet vs Mel
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Mel wins via pinfall after a chokeslam
Time: 2:35
Match Thoughts
This was a pretty good squash. Red Velvet tried, but Mel kept shutting her down.
Match 4
D3 vs Lance Archer w/ Jake Roberts
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Lance Archer wins via pinfall with the EBD Claw after Blackout
Time: 2:47
Match Thoughts
Squash. Archer destroyed D3.
Match 5
Luther & Serpentico vs The Initiative w/ Leva Bates
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Luther pins Brandon Cutler after a Meteora Device (Serpentico hitting a meteora on Cutler while Cutler was in the electric chair position on Luther’s shoulders)
Time: 8:49
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon were still looking for their first win, and they looked really good against Luther and Serpentico. Both teams were quick with their tags and their moves, and that gave the match a bit of a frantic feel. I think that was fitting, because Avalon and Cutler felt desperate for a win. Luther and Serpentico felt like they were way more calm and in-control, and their teamwork paid off as the match went on.
Match 6
KiLynn King vs Nyla Rose
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Nyla Rose wins via pinfall after the Beast Bomb
Time: 4:00
Match Thoughts
KiLynn King showed some impressive strength (she lifted Rose into a pretty good Samoan drop) and resilience, but this was Nyla Rose’s match. Rose did get a little help from Vickie late in the match, but that really just showed how Rose was smart to get Guerrero as her manager.
Ring Area
After the match, Vickie Guerrero announces that she and Rose have decided on a name for their tandem. They are the Vicious Vixens.
Match 7
Frank Stone & Baron Black vs Billy & Austin Gunn
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Austin Gunn pins Baron Black after Quick Draw
Time: 6:11
Match Thoughts
Good match. Stone and Black were a good team, and they started to dominate Austin Gunn after a little while. Billy came in to reset the match, and that allowed Austin to hit a few good moves to finish the match.
Match 8
Heather Monroe vs Penelope Ford w/ Kip Sabian
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: Penelope Ford wins via pinfall with a bridging fisherman suplex
Time: 4:39
Match Thoughts
Good match. Monroe brought a surprisingly good fight to Ford. Ford had to work for this one, even though the final result wasn’t too much of a surprise. Ford looked strong tonight, and Monroe proved to be a nice opponent to help Ford look better than she would have if this had just been a squash.
Match 9
Metro Brothers vs Santana & Ortiz
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Ortiz pins JC Metro after a running sit-out powerbomb (Ortiz) and a kick to the face (Santana)
Time: 5:34
Match Thoughts
Good match. Santana and Ortiz destroyed the Metro Brothers, and they took their time doing it. Santana and Ortiz were in total control, and they hit Chris and JC Metro with a whole lot of brutal moves.
Ring Area
After the match, Best Friends run out and attack Santana and Ortiz. The two teams brawl out through the crowd and into the parking lot.
Match 10
“The Captain” Shawn Dean vs “Absolute” Ricky Starks
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Ricky Starks wins via pinfall after Roshambo
Time: 4:07
Match Thoughts
Shawn Dean looked good, but Ricky Starks looked good as well. Starks also looked angry, and it was clear he was thinking about beating up Darby Allin (he even mocked Allin’s Coffin Drop during the match). This was a good build-up match for Starks, and it was a strong performance from Dean.
Match 11
“Mr. Fun Size” Marko Stunt vs Jake Hager
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Jake Hager wins via KO with an arm-triangle choke
Time: 3:32
Match Thoughts
Good match. Hager felt disrespected by even having to fight Stunt, and he offered Stunt the chance to leave. Stunt, of course, didn’t leave, and he had a little fun with Hager by running around the ring and avoiding Hager’s early attacks. That pissed Hager off, and he then proceeded to destroy Stunt.
Ring Area
After the match, Hager begins to attack Stunt who is pretty much unconscious. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus quickly come out to the stage. Hager holds up Stunt and threatens to punch him in the head. After a brief standoff, Hager hits Stunt with a knee and leaves the ring while Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus quickly rush to Stunt’s aid. Hager bows as he leaves through the crowd.
Match 12
“Superbad” Kip Sabian w/ Penelope Ford vs Frankie Kazarian
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Frankie Kazarian wins via pinfall with an inverted DDT
Time: 9:38
Match Thoughts
Good match. Kazarian was all business, but the shenanigans of Sabian and Ford frustrated Kazarian throughout the match. That frustration stifled some of Kazarian’s offense early on, but he started to figure things out more as the match went on. This was a good outing for both guys.
Match 13
The Hybrid2 vs “The Concrete Rose” Sonny Kiss & “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Jack Evans pins Sonny Kiss with a bridging backslide
Time: 8:46
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Sonny and Joey looked great tonight. Their teamwork was strong, and their sequences of tandem moves were fun and impressive. Jack Evans strated to get completely dominated towards the end of the match, but Evans and Angelico were smart and sneaky with their attacks. This was a fun main event.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. I liked that some of the more interesting and competitive matches were scattered throughout the night to keep my interest up.
Match of the Night
Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela vs The Hybrid2
This was just a lot of fun, and I think it might have been the biggest surprise of the night. I also really enjoyed the Kazarian versus Sabian match and the Luther & Serpentico vs The Initiative match.