AEW Dark Review - September 22, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Dark Order (Stu Grayson and Evil Uno) def. Fuego del Sol and Rembrandt Lewis

Grayson and Uno are easily the best tag team/combo in Dark Order. Say what you will about the gimmick (though it's grown on me personally), but there's no denying that they can bring it in the ring. This was a straightforward squash win for them and I was glad that it didn't last longer than it needed to. We need more of this Dark Order on Dynamite.

Ricky Starks def. Christopher Daniels

I was surprised this match went on so early in the show given that they're both contracted talent and that this was competitive, but it made sense once Starks joined Taz on commentary for the remainder of the show (which was an absolute treat). The matchup itself was entertaining and it's cool that Daniels is all about elevating talent at this stage of his career while also having strong showings himself. This was a fun outing as Starks continues to impress.

The Butcher and The Blade def. PUF and Calvin Stewart

Butcher and Blade are a lot like Grayson and Uno in that they're skilled wrestlers and have intensity but not everyone cares about them as characters. I would say Dark Order has more of a defined gimmick than Butcher and Blade, though. Honestly, PUF stood out to me more here than either Butcher or Blade did. I've never seen or heard of him before, but he left an impression even in defeat.

Will Hobbs def. Serpentico

Hobbs is now a part of AEW's roster as of last week. Although I wasn't fond of the company giving him the jobber treatment before signing him, he's a guy I think can go far in due time with enough seasoning and the right booking. He'll either sink or swim right away upon being thrusted into the big six-man tag team main event on Dynamite this Wednesday, but I predict he'll do just fine. This was a dominant victory for him before that bout.

The Lucha Brothers def. Dontae Smiley and Maxx Stardom

I will never get tired of watching The Lucha Brothers in action. I just wish they were on Dynamite more often in a prominent role because they're too talented to be relegated to Dark duty for long. You could have shaved a minute or two off this thing and it wouldn't have mattered, but it was enjoyable while it lasted. There's a ton left on the table with The Lucha Brothers as a tag team, so here's hoping the plan isn't to break them up any time soon despite what was teased recently.

The Dark Order (Alan "5" Angels and Preston "10" Vance) def. RYZIN and Xander Gold

As I mentioned earlier, I prefer Grayson and Uno over Angels and Vance, simply because the latter duo hasn't been properly introduced yet. They were just randomly recruited into Dark Order and that was it. At any rate, this was solid. I'm a fan of RYZIN and I thought he and Gold sold the heels' offense well. If you're not fond of Dark Order, you won't like that they were on this show twice, and while I didn't mind it, I think that's exactly why this show should be shorter most weeks because this did not need to happen.

Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss def. Kevin Blackwood and Daniel Garcia

Another episode of Dark, another win for Janela and Kiss. They're stacking up victories and the matches have been well-wrestled. I don't care for them personally, but to their credit, they put in the effort here and had a nice match. Even Blackwood and Garcia held their own. There were so many damn tag team matches on this show that this one wasn't remotely special, but it wasn't awful and that's all I can ask for.

The Gunn Club def. M'Badu and Cruz

I continue to wonder why Billy Gunn is featured on almost every episode of Dark, aside from attempting to get his son(s) over. AEW's tag team division is bloated enough as it is that it doesn't need a 56-year-old Billy Gunn in the mix, even though Austin has potential. This was a perfectly fine showcase for them that thankfully didn't overstay its welcome, but I can't bring myself to care about the duo.

Serena Deeb def. KiLynn King

It was officially announced on Monday that AEW signed Deeb and that's excellent news. She was a valuable asset to WWE as a coach at the Performance Center and I was bummed when she was let go earlier this year. However, WWE's loss is AEW's gain. Between her debut against Thunder Rosa a few weeks ago and this match, she clearly hasn't lost a step, either. She looked damn good here and I'm looking forward to her hopefully helping out AEW's women's division.

Ben Carter def. Lee Johnson

Man, I was not expecting this to be as much of a blast as it was. I've seen both guys deliver on Dark before, but I didn't think they'd go all out and produce such an exciting affair. Johnson has been a hell of a hand for AEW in the enhancement role all year and Carter has been a standout the few times I've seen him in action. This was an awesome outing for Carter ahead of his match with Scorpio Sky on the special Tuesday night Dynamite later on.

Eddie Kingston def. Brian Pillman Jr.

What a weird match to position as the main event of the show. Kingston is a tremendous talker and I'm always happy to see Pillman Jr. on AEW TV, but I'd rather see Kingston cut a promo than wrestle. I have no issue with him continuing to compete, but I don't think this should have gone on last. That isn't to say it was but, but rather uneventful for the main event slot, especially coming off that barn burner between Carter and Johnson. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Pillman Jr. is obviously AEW bound once he's free and clear of his MLW contract.

Overall Show

Any episode of Dark where the number of matches is in the double digits automatically drops an entire letter grade for me (even though I don't grade these shows). An hour and half of mostly squashes is asinine to me. On the bright side, many up-and-coming stars get the chance to improve on certain stuff and we're also being exposed to some fresh faces. The highlights of this show for me were Starks on commentary and that crazy Carter vs. Johnson match. That was one of my favorite things on Dark in a long time, if not ever.