AEW Dark
Episode 51
#AEWDark
Original Air Date: September 8, 2020
Event Date: September 5, 2020
(uploaded to YouTube)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Match 1
Sean Legacy vs Will Hobbs
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: Will Hobbs wins via pinfall after a modified Oklahoma Stampede
Time: 3:01
Match Thoughts
Pretty god match. Even in such a short match, Hobs was methodical with his squashing of Sean Legacy. This was essentially a series of powerful slams from Hobbs.
Match 2
Tony Donati vs “The Machine” Brian Cage (FTW Champ)
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Brian Cage wins via pinfall after a Gory Special into a flatliner
Time: 1:52
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Just like Hobbs versus Legacy, this was a one-sided affair with a bunch of slams from a big guy. Cage was a lot more aggressive than Hobbs though, and the FTW champ destroyed Donati very quickly and very resoundingly.
Match 3
Griff Garrison vs Angelico
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Angelico wins via submission with a combination knee bar and ankle lock
Time: 5:49
Match Thoughts
Good match. Angelico is super fun to watch. He toyed with Garrison throughout the match with a series of different holds, but he let Garrison hang around to long at times. Garrison got in some strong offense in small bursts, but Angelico was always quick to go back on the offensive. I love the submissions that Angelico has, and I hope we get to see more and more on Dark and Dynamite.
Match 4
Skyler Moore vs Anna Jay w/ Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Alan Angels, Preston Vance
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: Anna Jay wins via submission with a rear naked choke
Time: 3:26
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Skyler Moore had most of the offense in this match, but Anna Jay seems to only really need the rear naked choke to turn a match completely around. This was a nice performance from Jay, though I might like to see her not struggle so much to get any sort of substantial offense throughout more of the match.
Match 5
Lee Johnson vs Eddie Kingston
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Eddie Kingston wins via pinfall with a spinning backfist
Time: 3:18
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Kingston had Johnson reeling from a series of hard strikes and slams, and he took his time doing it. Johnson built up to a short comeback, but Kingston was quick to shut Johnson down. This was a fairly easy night for Kingston.
Match 6
Serpentico vs “The Concrete Rose” Sonny Kiss
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Sonny Kiss wins via pinfall with a Molly Go Round
Time: 4:43
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was fairly competitive, though every time Serpentico got some offense, Kiss would come back with some strong kicks or diving moves. This was a nice performance from Sonny Kiss.
Match 7
Ben Carter vs “Absolute” Ricky Starks
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Ricky Starks wins via pinfall after the Roshambo
Time: 7:23
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Ben Carter is fast and agile, and he gave Ricky Starks a decent fight. Starks seemed maybe a bit too confident, and that allowed Carter to get in some good offense throughout the match. That offense from Carter allowed Starks to mount a quick comeback of his own though, and Starks looked great as he hastened his way to a fun finish.
Show Impressions
This was a pretty good show. As usual, there were no big surprises, but the matches were fun enough. Plus, the show ran for just under 50 minutes. I think that’s a good length for Dark.
Match of the Night
Ben Carter vs Ricky Starks
This was the most competitive match of the night, and it had the best pacing and buildup.