AEW Dark Episode #78 3/6/2021

AEW Dark Episode #78 3/6/2021

AEW Dark Episode #77 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/aew-dark-322021.html

This is a special edition of Dark before the PPV, which is tomorrow (3/7).

Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi vs Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall

Cezar pulls out Peter on a heart shaped cart. The Natural Nightmares stable gets more random by the week. Cezar takes a QT elbow then is powerslammed by Dustin. QT does a bad handspring into the ropes and comes back with an elbow. Then he tags out to Dustin who beats up on Peter.

Dustin 1v2's his opponents then bulldogs Avalon for the win in a squash.

Chuck Taylor with Orange Cassidy vs JD Drake

JD takes a big armdrag early. JD gets knocked outside and throws Chuck into the bottom rope before lariating him. JD atomic drops him then boots him in the face for 2. They trade chops, then Chuck hits a soul foot. Chuck hits a standing rock bottom but JD moves on his moonsault. JD goes up top and takes a botched awful waffle for the Chuck Taylor win. JD's offense didn't look very good here but they let him get a lot in.

Penelope Ford distracts Orange Cassidy on the the ramp, then Kip Sabian dropkicks him. Miro then puts Chuck in something like a cobra clutch and throws him. Miro then spills water on him. He says Chuck is wasting his time then Miro pump kicks OC in the head.

Penta El Zero Miedo vs Azriel

They trade armdrags early and Az does a spinning headscissors on Penta. Az back rolls but gets kicked down by Penta. Az gets a few moves then gets superkicked. Az comes back though and flip dives him onto the floor.

Az comes off the top and takes another superkick on his way down. Az hits a cobra clutch backbreaker for 2. He hits a frogplash but Penta gets his knees up and hits a last falconry for 2. Penta then springboards into a canadian destroyer and snaps his arm back to win. Az probably got more in here then Penta did and atleast they didn't have Az kick out of the canadian destroyer.

Big Swole comes out to talk. She said she isn't under-utilized but under-valued. She said whoever ends up the AEW women's champion owes her a title shot.

John Skyler vs Lance Archer with Jake Roberts

John gets beaten up early and John escapes a chokeslam by pulling on Lance's hair. John runs into a boot in the corner and gets pounced. Lance hits a full nelson slam on him but John gets out at 2. Lance hits a cracker jack then hits a blackout for the win in a total squash.

Jake does a promo. He said it doesn't matter who Lance is in the ring with tomorrow but Jake says he wants to take out Cody. Lance takes the mic and says he wants Cody's TNT title. He said nothing is stopping him from getting the win and getting the TNT title off of Darby. He then closed it by saying everybody dies.

Ricky Starks and Brian Cage with Hook vs Angel Fashion and Fuego del Sol

Starks hits a high backdrop on Sol early then he puts Sol in a vertical suplex position and gives him to Cage to finish it. Cage fallaway slams Sol and Angel tries a spin kick but is powerbombed down. Starks hit a big spear that Sol took a great bump for then Cage hit the drill claw for the win in a nice little squash.

Jack Evans vs Jake St. Patrick

Jake is wearing some very red gear and hits a jumping footstomp on Jack early. Jake cartwheels and backflips out of an irish whip then comes back with a spin kick. Jack hits a gamengiri then twisting moonsaults him. Jack does a back roll into a handstand kick.

Jack does a slingshot flip into a backslide but misses it a little then Jake does a gorilla press into a kick. Jake comes back with a falcon arrow and Jack spider german suplexes him off the top. Jack then hits a 630 and wins it. This was a good little match for St. Patrick as Jack worked well with him and made him look good.

The Acclaimed did a rap for a ladder match. They ripped on some of the people in the match.

The Gunn Club vs D3 and M'Badu

D3 has "Roma" shaved into the back of his head. Austin almost runs in the ref as she was in the wrong place. Badu catches Austin with a spinning slam then does a nice corner splash on him. Colten hits a jumping neckbreaker on Badu then corner splashes him. The Gunns then do a back body drop into a neckbreaker on D3 to win it. Badu had another decent showing here and they pushed his size a little here.

Tesha Price vs Thunder Rosa

Tesha does a double springboard into an armdrag on Rosa and Rosa rolls her up for 2. Rosa hits a nice dropkick on her into the ropes. Tesha tries another springboard but takes an electric chair drop. Rosa then does a bow and arrow with the leg wrapped around the head.

Tesha does a cartwheel into a high kick then takes a hard release german. Rosa dropkicks her against the bottom rope for 2. Tesha hits a nice punch right in the face then soon after takes a hard driver and gets pinned. This wasn't too bad at all for the women.

Cameron Stewart and Ryzin vs Bear Country

Stewart has his glasses on in the ring. Bronson hits multiple clubs to Ryzin's back then spinebusters him. Bronson hits a nice elbow drop then Boulder hits a big back body drop on Stewart.

Bronson runs through a double forearm then Boulder runs them over. Boulder picks up both guys at the same time for a body slam in a cool spot. Bronson gets on Boulder's shoulders and drops down to splash both for the win.

The Bunny then came out and Butcher and Blade jumped them while they were distracted. B&B hit them with chairs and Bunny slapped Boulder.

Vary Morales and Labron Kozone vs Alan "5" Angels and 10 with Negative One

Kozone goes for a pounce but 10 doesn't move. 10 then hits a pump kick. Morales and 5 trade hurricanrana's then both try for dropkicks at the same time. 5 hits a nice dropkick. Vary is then dropkicked into a fallaway slam by 10.

Labron does a nice sell for an enzugiri then 5 topes Vary on the outside. 10 hits a nice spinebuster on Vary then 10 hits a reverse rainmaker with the clothesline to the back of the head for the win. -1 was seen doing a kip up on the ramp.

Tay Conti with -1 vs Leila Grey

Tay did a nice takeover on her and and did some shoulder throws. Tay hit a couple of strikes and won with a hammerlock ddt in a not very good squash. -1 took away from a lot of this doing all kinds of bumps and goofing around on the ramp.

Chaos Project vs Matt and Mike Sydal

 

The Sydal's are at 0-3 here. Will they finally get a win? The Sydal's do a double limbo out of a forearm then they trip Serpentico into a dropkick. The Sydal's bridged Serp on the ropes then double stomped him from the top. Mike did a standing moonsault for 2.

Mike got thrown into the rails outside by Luther. Later on, Luther splashed both Mike and Serp into the buckles. Luther bulldogged Serpentico onto Mike. Luther pump kicked Mike then lariated Serp into a ddt on Mike. Luther tried to slam Serp on Mike but Mike got his knees up.

Mike tagged out and Matt hit some kicks. Matt hit a reverse STO/slice combo on his opponents and a twisting moonsault on Serp for 2. Mike did a superkick into a split then the Sydal's hit a double lightning spiral for the win to get their first win. Most Chaos Project matches are the same and this wasn't much different. The Sydal's got very little in until the end.

Overall thoughts: As always, Dark is almost all squash matches and rarely ever must see. This was no exception here.