‘AEW: Dark’ Review (Feb 1st 2022)
It’s Wednesday morning so you know what that means… It’s time for our review of this weeks AEW: Dark, which this week comes from AEW Universal. Let’s get right to it!
Match #1: Anthony Ogogo def. Marcus Kross
My Thoughts: You know what? I kind of liked Ogogo in AEW back before he left to have surgery over here in the UK. Now? Not so much. Now everything feels forced, everything feels like it’s scripted, like it’s a desperate attempt to get him back over with AEW fans – only as some sort of major heel. It’s not working. So much so that I was urging on Mr Dragonball himself, Marcus Kross, to kick Ogogo’s arse! He didn’t instead he got squashed and knocked out…
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #2: Penelope Ford def. Angelica Risk
My Thoughts: This was better than I expected if I’m honest. Risk was a credible opponent for Ford, managing to get in some great offence on her opponent. So much so that at one point it looked like Ford was in trouble. However it turned out this was a typical women’s quasi-squash match, with Ford giving Risk just enough space to show her skills before picking up the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: QT Marshall def. Toa Liona
My Thoughts: I’ve been impressed by Toa Liona since the first day he appeared on AEW programming and this match shows that my enjoyment of his work is not unfounded. He looked super-strong against OT in this match, using his size and strength to great effect. He didn’t;’t get the win in the end but didn’t look weak in defeat either.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: 2point0 def. Ish & Kidd Bandit
My Thoughts: This was short and not-so-sweet. 2point0 demolished their opponents here, with Kidd Bandit suffering the most punishment at the hands of the wiseguys 2point0. Apparently, Bandit has shown promise on the indies but here he was used as a punching bag by 2point0!
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #5: Lance Archer def. Jordan Costa
My Thoughts: This was another typical Archer match. He dragged his opponent out from the back, threw him in and around the ring and that was it. All over for Costa.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #6: Marina Shafir def. Reka Tehaka
My Thoughts: I really liked how this match started, with both women feeling each other out and looking very well matched while doing so. This was easily Reka Tehaka’s best outing in AEW and she looked like she’d upped her game for this match – and she should given that Shafir is a former MMA fighter! In the end though Shafir’s MMA experience took hold as she put Tehaka in a number of submission holds to score the win. If both these women can improve as much as Red Velvet has since her debut they’ll both be formidable additions to the women’s main event scene!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #7: Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto def. Dante Casanova & Cameron Stewart
My Thoughts: This match felt very much like it followed the WWE formula for jobber matches. Neither of the enhancement talents put in anything remarkable, with Solo and Comoroto seemingly using them as opportunities to test out new moves – case in point that two-man manoeuvre Comoroto took ages setting up towards the end of this squash match.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #8: Tony Nese def. Zack Clayton
My Thoughts: This one was surprisingly good. Especially if, like me, you were expecting yet another squash match. Clayton’s size and strength worked in his favour (his size and shape reminded me of Sid Justice, if Justice could actually wrestle) but Nese’s skill was the deciding factor in this one in the end.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #9: Kiera Hogan def. Mazzerati
My Thoughts: I’ll be honest, since moving over to AEW Kiera Hogan seems to have suffered. In Impact she seemed to be on top of the mountain, especially when part of a tag team, but here it looks – to me – like her skillset isn’t quite up to the standard of some of the other women in AEW. And when she faces green opponents that really shows. Like in this match. There was more trash-talking in this match than clean moves.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #10: Dark Order’s 10 & Alan “5” Angels def. Ariya Daivari & Invictus Khash
My Thoughts: This was a solid, well-matched tag team match. Daivari and Khash actually make for a great team and I think they’d be a great permanent addition to the tag roster in AEW. After the match QT Marshall and the Factory came out to attack 10 and 5, setting up a feud between both factions, which is something I can get behind.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #11: Dante Martin & Matt Sydal def. Bear Country
My Thoughts: This was a fantastic match, the second of three great matches to end this episode of Dark. Which is a shame, these last three matches should have been split on the card to keep folks interested. Though I do like the idea of banger after banger after banger – though that should apply to the ENTIRE episode really! I love Bear Country, I love Dante Martin and Matt Sydal and so I loved this match. It’s that simple. These are four guys that know how to put on a great show and that’s exactly what they delivered.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #12: Lee Moriarty def. Joey Janela
My Thoughts: This was another evenly-matched, well-balanced, match – between two guys we know can deliver. They delivered here, with some hard-hitting stuff that Excalibur and Taz sold REALLY well, making the moves feel even more powerful than they were in reality. Both men took and gave each other plenty of punishment, which meant this match had a big fight feel. Not quite as exciting as the tag match before it but still a great main event.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2/5
This episode of AEW: Dark had a huge problem. The last three matches were all consistently great but by the time the audience gets to them what I like to call “squash match malaise” has set in. You’re accustomed to feeling nothing about the matches and so having three great ones at the end of the show is wasted – fatigue has set in, boredom maybe. Ultimately detracting from the action. A real shame.
