AEW Dark
Episode 53
#AEWDark
Original Air Date: September 22, 2020
Event Date: September 10, 2020
(uploaded to YouTube)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz, Veda Scott, Ricky Starks (3 – 11)
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Match 1
Fuego Del Sol & Rembrandt Lewis vs Stu Grayson & Evil Uno w/ Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Alan Angels, Preston Vance, Anna Jay
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Evil Uno pins Fuego Del Sol after an inside-out flatliner
Time: 4:13
Match Thoughts
Fuego and Lewis started with a lot of energy, but they seemed to be maybe a little too excited and didn’t quite hit everything they tried super well. Then Dark Order took over and pretty much had their way with Fuego and Lewis. This was a nice squash.
Match 2
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs “Absolute” Ricky Starks
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Ricky Starks wins via pinfall after a spear
Time: 6:44
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was a pretty evenly fought match, though Daniels might have had a slight edge on offense. I particularly enjoyed the brief sequence that led directly into the finish. It was a nice counter and misdirection that led to a finish with a move that I’m not always a fan of as a finisher. The finish did feel sudden, but it was executed well.
Ring Area
After the match, Ricky Starks heads directly over to the commentary table to join the commentary team.
Match 3
Puf & Calvin Stewart vs The Butcher & The Blade w/ Eddie Kingston
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: The Butcher pins Calvin Stewart after Full Death
Time: 4:21
Match Thoughts
Calvin Stewart got destroyed in this match. Puf got tagged in partway through, and The Butcher and The Blade weren’t quite sure how to attack him at first, but Puf had to tag out once The Butcher figured him out. The Stewart got destroyed again.
Match 4
Serpentico w/ Luther vs Will Hobbs
(referee: Rick knox)
Result: Will Hobbs wins via pinfall after a spinebuster
Time: 4:40
Match Thoughts
Good match. Serpentico did well enough by avoiding Hobbs and having Luther act as a distraction. But once Hobbs got a hold of Serpentico, it was all over.
Match 5
Dontae Smiley & Maxx Stardom vs Lucha Bros.
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Penta El Zero M pins Maxx Stardom after an assisted Tiger Driver ’98
Time: 5:17
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Maxx Stardom took an entertaining beating from the Lucha Bros. for a while, then Smiley tagged in and began to turn the momentum over to his team’s favor. Smiley made a poor decision to tag Stardom back in quickly though, and Stardom got crushed.
Match 6
Ryzin & Xander Gold vs Dark Order’s 5 & 10 w/ Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Anna Jay
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: 10 pins Xander Gold after a diving stomp (5) into a powerslam (10)
Time: 5:53
Match Thoughts
Good match. Xander Gold had some impressive agility throughout the match, but Dark Order’s teamwork was even more impressive.
Match 7
Kevin Blackwood & Daniel Garcia vs “The Concrete Rose” Sonny Kiss & “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Sonny Kiss pins Daniel Garcia after a diving splits leg drop
Time: 7:18
Match Thoughts
Good match. Garcia and Blackwood gave Kiss and Janela a good fight. Garcia looked especially aggressive for his team, and he led the charge to isolate Sonny Kiss for a good portion of the match. Janela came in and turned the match back in his team’s favor, and that led to a pretty good finish.
Match 8
M’Badu & Cruz vs Billy & Austin Gunn w/ Colten
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Billy pins Cruz after the Famouser
Time: 4:09
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. M’Badu looked good and helped get Austin Gunn into some trouble, but Billy was there to save the match.
Match 9
KiLynn King vs Serena Deeb
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Serena Deeb wins via submission with the Serenity Lock
Time: 4:42
Match Thoughts
Good match. KiLynn King’s aggression helped make this a slightly competitive exhibition for Serena Deeb.
Match 10
Ben Carter vs Lee Johnson
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Ben Carter wins via pinfall after a frog splash
Time: 9:46
Match Thoughts
Great match. Ben Carter and Lee Johnson both just made a bid to be featured on Dynamite. This was a very competitive match with both guys putting together some highly energetic sequences leading up to an exciting finish. High-flying moves, hard kicks, great counters, and a whole lot of heart.
Match 11
Brian Pillman Jr. vs Eddie Kingston
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Eddie Kingston wins via pinfall after a spinning back fist
Time: 9:04
Match Thoughts
Very good match. It took Pillman a little while to warm up, but once he did, Kingston and Pillman really slugged it out. Pillman in particular took quite a beating, but he was hitting Kingston with some heavy chops and hard slams as well. This was a fight more than a match, and I really enjoyed it.
Show Impressions
This was a pretty good episode with a few matches that were definitely worth watching (especially the last two). The matches seemed more competitive overall, and that’s a good thing in my opinion.
Match of the Night
Ben Carter vs Lee Johnson
We need to see more of these guys (and not always in losing efforts).