AEW Dark Episode #81 3/23/2021

AEW Dark Episode #81 3/23/2021

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/aew-dark-episode-80-3162021.html

Chaos Project vs John Silver and Alex Reynolds with -1

Silver flips Serp high on a back body drop. Serp goes for an up and over and takes a euro uppercut to the body. The D-O trips Serp then double dropkicks him. Serp tries a double axe handle off the top but gets hit in the gut and flipped. Serp gets picked up by Luther and rammed into Reynolds. Reynolds then takes a Luther short arm clothesline.

Luther bulldogs Serp onto Reynolds. Reynolds gets put up top and moonsaults onto Luther. Silver gets in and throws Serp around and throws him into Luther. Reynolds dives onto Luther on the outside. Serp and Silver go at it and Silver release german suplexes him. The D-O hit their double team flipping DDT and win it. The Chaos Project got too much in here when this should have been an easy squash.

SCU gets interviewed. Daniels says wins and losses only matter here and rankings matter. He said they have been winning matches while the focus is on Pac and Rey Fenix. He said they will keep winning until they get a tag title shot. Kaz said he's willing to sacrifice a lot for their team and they will become AEW champs. I just want to know why the battle royale loss didn't count towards this angle and why that was never explained.

Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs vs SCU

This is Jorel and Royce's 3rd or 4th time together in AEW. Kaz armdrags Royce to start and flips out of his wristlock. SCU hits a double team strike combo. Daniels hits an exploder on Nelson then Daniels gut shots Isaacs so Kaz can flipping neckbreaker him. Daniels hits a low enzugiri on Royce for 2.

Daniels takes a stun gun then a head kick and Isaacs deadlift fisherman suplexes Daniels. Nelson holds Daniels in a side slam and Royce leg drops him from the 2nd rope. Daniels comes back and later hits an sto and gives Kaz the hot tag. Kaz John Woo dropkicks Royce and leg drops Nelson who is hanging over the middle rope. Kaz then hits a springboard legdrop from the 2nd rope.

Nelson accidentally lariats his own partner and Nelson gets flipped on a lariat. Royce lariats Kaz back then gets hit with the double jump moonsault from Daniels for the SCU win. This went a little long as well especially since we knew there was no chance in SCU losing here. I'm still not exactly sure as to what AEW is seeing in Nelson and Isaacs as a team.

Miranda Alize vs Penelope Ford with Kip Sabian

Alize hits a springboard armdrag then a hurricanrana to start. Alize lays on the apron on her back and Ford springboards inside to out with a double knee on her, landing on her face. Alize hangs on the top rope and Ford running face kicks he, then kisses Kip while she chokes Alize with her leg. Alize fights back with some forearms and runs into a spin kick. Ford handsprings and gets caught with a ripcord knee for 2. Ford then hits a gorilla press into a double knee gutbuster and hits a perfect plex for the win. It went about the right length but I didn't have too many thoughts on it. Alize has a decent look but would probably look better in more traditional attire.

The Gunn Club vs Baron Black, Jake St. Patrick and Adam Priest

They said Black's team is making their trios debut underneath their nameplate. I mean I don't doubt it, but does that mean they will be teaming together now? Priest wrestles down Austin early. Black hits some chops on Billy and takes a hip toss. The Gunns do their slam dunk taunt into a corner lariat then Colten struts into a neckbreaker. The Gunns then hit their back body drop into a neckbreaker for the win in a quick squash.

Jack Evans vs Dante Martin

Jack takes some armdrags early. Dante tries to armdrag Jack fro mthe 2nd rope but Jack cartwheels out of it. Dante goes for a 450 and Jack moves but gets a foot in his back then Jack spin kicks Dante. Jack does a handspring back elbow into Dante in the corner then hits a springboard ryder kick for 2.

Jack goes for another handspring elbow but gets caught and thrown back first onto the ramp. Dante makes Jack flip on a hard lariat and jumping hurricanrana's him. Dante then hits a double jump springboard moonsault. Jack slingshots into a hurricanrana, sending Dante out. Jack throws Dante into the rails and he forward flips and lands on his feet over them in a cool spot. Dante then jumps over the rails and hits a canadian destroyer onto the floor on Evans. Dante then 450's Jack for the win in an upset. Angelico attacks Dante from behind but Darius comes to his aide.

Dante looked good here hitting all of his spots, but a canadian destroyer on the floor on this show is going way too far. Darius better watch out though as if Dante gets somewhere he may be left out.

FTW Championship - Brian Cage with Hook vs Brandon Cutler

Hey, Cage still has the FTW title. He hasn't defended it since October 7th, 2020. Cutler's last singles win was on February 4th, 2021 against Misterioso and it is unclear how he earned this shot. Taz said he has been red hot though.

Cutler takes a hard euro uppercut early and an over the top rope enzugiri. He springboards and gets caught into a death valley driver or brainbuster. Cutler tope's Cage on the outside then springboard crossbodies him for 2. Cage pumphandle flips Cutler for 2. Taz says Cutler will not be a Team Taz member if he wins this, but he will accept him as he champ.

Cutler does a slingshot sunset bomb then hits two more springboard moves. Cutler dives on Cage but gets caught with the drill claw and loses. Cutler got too much offense in here and Cage didn't do a lot of his usual moves here.

Ashley Vox vs Alex Gracia

Gracia was on NWA Power this week, actually 2 hours before this aired. She lost by the way.  She is wearing I think a new all pink outfit here and has her own music. She may win this.

Gracia hits some armdrags to start and slides under her for a pin attempt. She then springboard crossbodies her. They trade forearms and trade pin attempts. Vox sits on her back and hooks her arm and fish hooks her face for the win in what I think was an upset. Even though this was short, the second half of this stunk.

I will not be reviewing the Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela match nor will I ever.

Fuego del Sol vs JD Drake with Ryan Nemeth

Nemeth and Drake go together like oil and water. What a bizarre pairing, but at least they acknowledge it is an "unlikely alliance". Excalibur says "I'm not sure what these two have in common".

Feugo goes for a headscissors but gets caught then takes a weird hip toss type of throw. Sol hits the headscissors the second time, sending JD out. He tries to dive on him, but gets caught and bouned off the bottom rope for a lariat. JD hits a nice dropping headbutt. Sol gets slammed into the buckles then JD does a nice quick splash on him.

Sol gets a little offense in with a superkick to the face. He then takes JD's flying boot and JD wins it. JD's an odd dude. He has an awful look and has really weird offense and these two didn't work so well together.

Shawn Dean vs QT Marshall

QT shoulders him down hard early and Dean comes back with a back elbow. Dean lariats QT over the top but QT moves on his plancha then clotheslines him on the floor. QT does Dean's pose as he comes off the 2nd rope and gets caught with a dropkick. They trade some nice punches and Dean hits a high flip dive on him.

They trade dropkicks and Dean springboards only to get hit with a cutter for the QT win. This wasn't very good.

Jazmine Allure vs The Bunny with The Butcher and The Blade

I'm not sure if I've ever seen Bunny in singles action in AEW. Allure gets attacked to start. She then gets her neck draped over the 2nd rope and clotheslined. Bunny hits a bad sliding elbow in the corner. Bunny hits a nice superkick and wins with an elbow slice. This wasn't good.

The Dark Order (Colt Cabana, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson) with -1 vs Carlie Bravo, Brick Aldridge and Dean Alexander

Bravo goofs around with Colt and gets dropped then takes a nice punch. Uno hits a russian legsweep and Stu running knees him. Stu misses a corner spear and takes a 3v1 in the corner. Stu hits a nice belly to belly then Brick hits some hard forearms. Stu bounces Brick's head of the mat with a uranage.

Uno cleans house on his opponents and dropkicks Bravo. He then hits him with with a nekcbreaker over the knee and Colt hits some elbows. Stu and Uno then win it with the fatality in a squash. Brick hit a few nice forearms at least.

Angel Gashion and D3 vs Nick Comoroto and Aaron Solow

Solow takes a sunset flip but rolls through it with a double stomp. Solow gets his crossbody caught by Nick then gets slammed. Solow drops D3 with a forearm then hits an odd reverse straight jacket pedigree for the win on Angel. This was too short to even be worth airing.

Cezar Bononi with Peter Avalon vs John Skyler

We have about 3 and half minutes for this. CB pushes him off early. Skyler hits a jumping knee. Bononi has new black and red tights here which look better than the usual gear. Bononi hits a lariat to the back of Skyler's head and Avalon punches Skyler. Bononi's tights say "NEGO" on them and he backdrops Skyler onto the apron from the floor. Bononi puts him in a sleeper and spins him around then hits an olympic slam for the win in a squash.

Overall thoughts: As usual, this isn't worth watching and wasn't anything too interesting.