AEW Dark Episode 66 12/15/2020

 AEW Dark Episode 66 12/15/2020

Sotheara Chhun vs. ‘Absolute’ Ricky Starks

Chhun has a really odd name that is not going to fly. He hits a bunch of shots on Starks and gets thrown hard into the middle turnbuckle where he whiplashes. Starks is having a blast mocking him. Hobbs takes a free shot on the outside. Back in and Starks slaps Chhun upside the head. Starks does the Sting yell and goes for a Stinger splash, but Chhun turns it into a springboard cutter. Starks hits a big spear and wins it. Starks looked pretty good and showed character.

‘The Empbruh’ Baron Black vs. Brandon Cutler

What a stupid nickname for Black. These two have gear that matches and looks like they could be partners. Cutler does a shoulder block off the ropes and springboards into an atomic drop. He doesn't sell it for very long though and drops Black. One of the announcers said "he turned into a Ken doll". Black hits the Gory Special but Cutler gets right out of it unphased and does a double spin kick. Black did an overhead suplex, not quite an exploder and missed a spinning lariat. Cutler did a face kick over the top rope and then did a lifting reverse ddt. He then did a springboard elbow for the win. Nobody sold nothin' here.

Hikaru Shida vs. ‘The King’ KiLynn King

This is another stupid name right here and the freaking nickname is bad too. Your last name is King...why would you nickname your self "The King"? Not even counting that it would be "The Queen", not "The King", since she is a girl.

Shida wins a test of strength. King does an armdrag into a pin attempt and a la magistral for 2. Shida slams her and backbreakers her. Shida has her hanging off the apron and does a running knee. King does some really weird gyrations and pounds on Shida for 2. Shida gets her straightjacket suplex blocked and gets an enzugiri. King ducks the knee, but Shida just hits it again and falcon arrows her for the win.

The Waiting Room with Britt Baker

Baker mocked Page for his drinking issues and Baker said she likes Hardy's new attitude. Britt mocked Cody's tattoo and pimped The Acclaimed getting on Dynamite. Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears came out. Britt wanted to know why Spears didn't win the battle royale, then Marko Stunted Growth knocked on the door. Tully was not happy, and neither would I be. Spears opened the door when there was more sound coming from there and Scorpio Sky came through hitting him with it. Spears got thrown THROUGH the set wall as Britt and her friend screamed. Why would they waste that bump on Dark?

Shawn Dean and Fuego del Sol vs Jurassic Express

Jungle and Fuego both try to dropkick each other but neither hits. Dean gets kicked by Luchasaurus. JB gets back in and Dean dives on him then moonsaults him with the assist from the ringpost. Sol does a hiptoss into a handspring and a very delayed standing SSP. They are back up though in seconds and Jung hits a backdrop on Sol. Lucha gets in and beats up both opponents. If lucha could work, had better offense and had a better name, he could do something. Lucha clears out both men and gorilla presses Fuego into a slam. Lucha gets double dropkicked and Jung makes a comeback. Sol grabs Jung and Jung ducks leading to a Lucha kick. Then Lucha backdrops Fuergo into a Jungle powerbomb for the win. That's an ugly bump but a cool move. Marko Stunted Growth then comes in and celebrates. Jungle Boy looks like a giant compared to him.

Skyler Moore vs. Leva Bates

Bates kips up and gets out of an armlock then armdrags her. Bates then armdrags her and they do a handshake thing. Bates does the Cima style roll into the crossface. Moore gutwrenches Bates and has a hard time getting her up. Bates does two bad high kicks and Moore sells the 2nd even though it missed, then backstabber's her for 2.  Bates hits a northern lights for 2 amd gets caught into a slam on a crossbody. She stands over Bates and Bates rolls her up for the win. Not good.

‘The Machine’ Brian Cage vs. VSK

VSK goes for a hurricanrana but Cage catches him. He hits a knee, a dropkick and some corner moves. Cage grabs him though and does a swinging backdrop. VSK tries to comeback but takes a big lariat then a big overhead suplex. CSK tries for a diving in DDT but gets caught into a double underhook into a neckbreaker. Tazz said Cage is not sticking to the gameplan and is doing things they didn't discuss. VSK does a weak dive on him and hits a second. VSK goes for la silla and gets thrown into the post. Cage hits an outside to in suplex from the 2nd rope and wins it with the drillclaw. This didn't do much for Cage and commentary buried him.

The Acclaimed vs. Louie Valle & Mike Magnum

Caster rapped calling SCU the past and said they are fighting a manlet and a guy addicted to pornhub. Well, I agree with the former. Where the heck does AEW find all these midgets?

Caster kind of double stomps Magnum and kicks him and tags in Bowens. Valle goes up top and gets flipped over. Bowens does a bunch of chops and Bowens said that's for SCU tommorow night. Bowens does a nice elbow to Valle's body and take some more nice elbows. Valle finally gets something in with an enzugiri but is denied the hot tag. Caster hits a high backdrop on Valle. Caster runs up to the top with Valle there. Valle knocks him down and hits a dropkick where he landed hard. Both men tag in with Magnum clearing house. Magnum takes a double team sequence and the Acclaimed do a rack/dropkick combo. Magnum gets suplex and then elbowed from the top for the win. Then the Acclaimed do something with Magnum's hand, as if they didn't suffer enough.  I thought the Acclaimed looked good here.

Anna ’99’ Jay vs. ‘The Real Mean Girl’ Dani Jordyn

Dani has a book that she has put Jay in. All of the Dork Order came out but went back in. Dani hits a low kick to the shin then a superkick to the face. Dani grabs the book and in a lame spot, Jay spinkicks her in the face with the book in her face. Jay is a very good looking woman.

Dani picks up Jay, spins her and drops her on her chest. Jay does a Haku side kick that looked pretty good and wins it with a grounded sleeper quick in a squash that didn't really help either girl.

Stu Grayson & Evil Uno vs. Bear Country

The finish

These two are wearing bear fur and are heavy dudes. Pizza Uno would fit in well with them. The bears are showing off way too much leg for me. Bear Boulder's actually a pretty big dude. Boulder gorilla presses Stu and drops him. Boulder hits an avalanche on Stu and Bronson lariats him. Pizza opens up the middle rope and Bronson falls out when pushed into the ropes. Bronson's laying on the apron and Stu flips over the top and either swanton's him or just drops the shoulders on him. We have tons of discussion on bears here. Pizza picks up Bronson for a backbreaker and Stu drops the elbow on him. Bronson does a nice little comeback but gets cut off. He double backdrops his opponents and makes the hot tag.

Boulder carries Uno on his shoulders, then Stu dives on him and he fallaway slams both. Stu does a double backflip kick. Stu does something and gets powerbombed into Uno. Boulder then grabs Bronson and they double cannonball the Dork Order. Taz says "that's a lot of ass in a person's face". That wasn't the finish though, because we don't do simple things here.

The bears do an electric chair and Stu moves, so Bronson lands on nobody. Stu torture racks Uno, which should never happen since it makes the big man look bad and backbreakers him. The Dork Order hits fatality for the win in a match they definitely should have lost. The Bears put on a pretty good showing and should get signed.

We are not now or ever reviewing a Sonny Kiss match.

Tay Conti vs. Freya States

Freya's a big girl, easily bigger than most of the AEW male roster. Tay tries a flying armbar but can't take down Freya. Tay gets a few shots in on Freya and does a judo throw and kicks her in the back of the head. Tay hits a nice punch. Freya hits a legdrop then misses the second and takes some bad knees from Tay. Tay does a big high kick and flurries her with forearms. Tay armbars her over the ropes but Freya just lifts her. Tay wins with a leg over the one arm and a choke. Tay was in a tough spot here as Freya's bigger than what she can handle. If Freya starts hammering on people more and doing more stuff with her weight, I think she is going places and Tay just has a lot of attitude in her moves.

Danny Limelight vs Matt Sydal

They do your usual reversals to start. Danny runs up the ropes and arm drags Sydal on the landing. Sydal does a flip on him and does a running knee. Sydal does a hurricanrana but Danny doesn't sell it and lariats him. Sydal sunset flips Danny and hits a head and arms submission, but both get back up soon. Sydal does a spinwheel kick and brainbusters him for the 2. Sydal walks the 2nd rope and jumps up to the third rope for a clothesline. Sydal does a russian leglock into a choke and leg capture, but Danny gets out of it and puts him in a choke. Sydal wins with the lightning spiral. Eh, Sydal is pretty much your typical indy guy anymore and doesn't do a lot for me. Not much selling here.

Kaci Lennox vs. Ivelisse

Lennox needs to drop some weight or get new gear. Ive flurries her. Kaci comes back with a legdrop that looked like it hurt but was low. Diamante and Kaci argue, and Ive takes back over. The announcers seemed lost over this. Ivelisse hits a ddt from off the ropes and does a headscissors with an armbar. Kaci hits a snapmare driver, which of course is only good for 2 and Ive is back up in control seconds later. They blow a reverse ddt for 2. Ivelisse gets picked up and does a standing abdominal stretch for the win in an ugly match.

Chaos Project vs. Best Friends

Luther and Serpentico gets some flashing lights and silly string. Serpentico and Chuck do some rolls and thankfully Chuck is wearing a shirt here. Trent gets in and catches Luther with a double knee then flip dives both. Yet again, Serpentico is really small and I have to ask where they find these people. Trent tries to spear Luther but Luther moves and he spears the railing. Luther then throws Chuck over the railing. Luther puts Serpentico in a reverse DDT and flips him on Trent. Chuck fires up and Luther tosses him out. Luther then grabs Serpentico and throws him into Chuck. Luther belly to belly's Trent for 2. Trent backrops Luther. Luther picks up Serp and throws him onto Trent. For the finish, Serp gets on top and is thrown onto a camerman and then Trent gets an inside cradle on Luther for the win. The Best Friends then beat up Luther after and Miro comes out to argue with them.

Overall thoughts: It's a squash match show and there's only so much you can do with that. I thought Bear Country looked pretty good but that's the only prospects I was impressed here by. Starks and The Acclaimed were fine too.