AEW Dark Review - October 26, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Bobby Fish def. Invictus Kash

Fish has only been in AEW for a few weeks and he's already off to a strong start with some of the matches he's had. Plus, I'll never get tired of hearing that "Dance Away" entrance music. Tomorrow is his birthday and he'll be wrestling CM Punk on Dynamite, so that's a hell of a gift. This was a short and sweet showcase for Fish ahead of that. I liked that he got some mic time afterward to address Punk.

Riho def. Xtina Kay

Kay just teamed with Diamante in a losing effort against Leyla Hirsch and Ryo Mizunami and looked credible in defeat. This was another chance for her to impress and I'd say she did just that. She definitely benefited from the match going a little longer than most enhancement matches. Riho seems to be slowly getting back into the swing of things in AEW, so maybe we'll see her back in a regular role on Dynamite before long.

Santana and Ortiz Saved AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara From Men of the Year

It's rare we get angle advancement on the Dark shows in the form of a talking segment, so this was well done. Guevara hyped up his upcoming defense of the AEW TNT Championship against Ethan Page on Dynamite and after the heels attempted to lay him out, Santana and Ortiz made the save. It was solid and simple, even though I can't say I'm invested in this ongoing Inner Circle vs. American Top Team feud.

Eddie Kingston def. Jack Evans

As I expected, Evans doesn't look half bad bald (or with a shaved head, to be more specific). I realize the outcome was never in doubt, but I wouldn't have minded this going a little longer because they work well together and embody that independent wrestling style. Then again, considering Kingston is headed to the semifinals of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament against Bryan Danielson on Friday's Rampage, I understand wanting to give him more of an edge and not give up much offense. What we got in the time given was good, though.

Dante Martin def. JDX

JDX has impressed me in the few times I've seen him on the Dark shows so far, and putting him in there with a shining star such as Dante was a smart call. Dante is all over AEW programming lately (as he should be) as part of his storyline with Lio Rush and this was a nice way to keep his momentum moving. This was a thrilling high-flying affair and they certainly maximized their minutes. Rush hyped up Dante in a post-match promo as well.

Adam Cole Addressed Christian Cage and Jurassic Express

Much like Danielson in the main event, I would've never guessed that Cole would be making an appearance on Dark so soon, but it's not a bad thing whatsoever. He's clearly being pushed on television, so this was just a bonus. He didn't speak for more than a minute or two, but he basically put Christian and Jurassic Express on notice. Will Cole face Christian at Full Gear as has been rumored or will Jungle Boy be his opponent?

Tiger Ruas def. DJ Brown

Tiger Ruas previously went as Arturo Ruas in WWE and in other matches he's had on AEW programming recently. I don't believe he's signed yet, but the fact he won here is an encouraging sign for his future. My guess is that AEW is high enough on him that they'll continue to utilize him for the Dark tapings in Orlando. We also got to hear from him briefly afterward where he demanded more competition.

Diamante def. Skyler Moore

Diamante's intensity is always appreciated. I'm still stunned we barely see her on Dynamite. I'm disappointed she won't be involved in the tournament to crown the inaugural AEW TBS Champion, but at least she continues to do her thing on Dark and Elevation and win with relative ease. We've seen plenty of Moore in the past, but this was largely about Diamante and giving her a win to rebound from the loss on Monday.

Preston "10" Vance def. Shayne Stetson

Vance is a fresh off a big win (big for him, I guess) over QT Marshall on Monday's Elevation. Marshall's eye got swollen very quickly and although this taped days later, it still didn't look too great when he appeared later on. Vance is set to compete in the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament on Wednesday's Dynamite against Jon Moxley, and although there's no way he's winning, at least he was dominant here.

Too Fast, Too Fuego def. Kidd Bandit and Dean Alexander

As if wasn't already obvious enough, Fuego Dos was Cody Rhodes in a luchador mask. Maybe this was a recurring joke on Sammy Guevara's vlog that I'm not aware of, but regardless, it was fun seeing him work a totally different match than we're used to seeing from him: comedy: He and Fuego Del Sol had nice chemistry as partners and the crowd ate it up. This may be the only time we ever see them team up, but if so, I enjoyed it.

Bryan Danielson def. Aaron Solo

I can't say I was expecting Danielson to ever compete on Dark, but here we are. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either, because it's not like they don't have major plans for him. Rather, this was an added bonus on top of everything he's doing on Dynamite and Rampage right now. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this was his idea. Solo is a competent performer, but Bryan brought the best out of him and they had the best Aaron Solo match I can remember. This was a treat for a Dark main event.

Overall Show

This edition of Dark ran a little longer than some of the more recent ones, clocking in at just over an hour. I wasn't enamored with the length, but considering Danielson, Cole and Cody (albeit under a mask) made appearances, I can't complain. They were back at Universal Studios this week and the crowd made for a fine atmosphere per usual. There were more matches than there needed to be, but all of them were what they needed to be and there were a few fun ones sprinkled in. The star power makes this a better edition of Dark than usual.

SEE MORE: Dark Reviews