AEW Dark results: Best Friends vs. Chaos Project, Shida vs. King

The Big Takeaways:

Scorpio Sky attacked Shawn Spears, Miro confronted Best Friends, and there were a couple fresh faces on commentary for this week’s edition of Dark.

Show Report —

As in recent weeks, Anthony Ogogo joined the regular commentary team of Excalibur and Taz early on with Thunder Rosa and Peter Avalon making their Dark commentary appearances later on.

Ricky Starks (w/ Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Sotheara Chhun

Chhun laid in right hands right away, but was driven into the turnbuckle. Hobbs attacked while Starks distracted the referee. Chhun came off the ropes with a stunner for two. Starks used an assist from Hobbs to break out of a hold and immediately landed a spear for the quick win.

Brandon Cutler defeated Baron Black

They chain wrestled until Cutler hit a shoulder tackle. He came off the top rope with a springboard, but Black caught it into an atomic drop. They had another back-and-forth before Cutler hit a kick. Black hit a corner lariat and an exploder suplex for two.

Cutler hit a reverse DDT and a springboard elbow drop for the victory, his seventh straight, ahead of his involvement in the 14-man tag match on this week’s Dynamite.

AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida defeated KiLynn King in a non-title match

King wanted a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, which Shida won. They exchanged cradles and arm drags. Shida hit a bodyslam and a running knee followed by a backbreaker. She hit another running knee from the floor with King draped over the apron, but King took control on the floor.

Back in the ring, King laid in ground and pound for a two count followed by a sunset flip and a neckbreaker for more near falls. Shida fought out with an enziguri but missed the Tamashii. She then hit a Falcon Arrow for the win.

As Shida celebrated, Abadon arrived and pulled her off the ropes before hitting her Gory Special neckbreaker and posing over Shida with the championship.

The Waiting Room with Dr. Britt Baker

After an introduction from Rebel, Baker previewed this week’s Dynamite, insulting the babyfaces involved. She then brought out Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard.

Baker asked how Spears let Scorpio Sky eliminate him in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal. Tully pointed out that Spears has a 17-2 record before someone interrupted by knocking on the door. It was Marko Stunt, so Spears shut the door in his face. Someone knocked again, but this time it was Sky, who attacked Spears and threw him through the back of the set in a really cool visual.

Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (w/ Marko Stunt) defeated Fuego Del Sol & Shawn Dean

This was a fun little tag match. They noted that this is Jungle Boy’s 51st AEW match which is the most out of anyone in AEW history. Luchasaurus leveled Dean with a big boot after they both tagged into the match. Jungle Boy landed an assisted senton for two. Dean sent Jungle Boy to the floor with a forearm and followed it up with a plancha. He tried for a walk-up moonsault but mostly missed.

Del Sol tagged in and Jungle Boy turned a tijeras into a backbreaker. Dean quickly tagged back in to prevent Jungle Boy from reaching Luchasaurus. Jungle Boy escaped a suplex and reached Luchasaurus for the hot tag. Luchasaurus ran wild on both opponents before sending Del Sol flying with a biel and flattening both guys with a double clothesline. He then powered out of Del Sol’s tornado DDT and hit a reverse Death Valley Driver.

Jungle Boy tagged in and hit his rebound lariat on Dean, Luchasaurus hit the Tail Whip on Del Sol, and Jurassic Express hit their assisted powerbomb for the win.

Leva Bates defeated Skyler Moore

Thunder Rosa joined in on commentary. She and the announcers discussed her ongoing rivalry with Baker.

Moore fought out of some chain wrestling with a hip toss, but Bates turned it into a crossface. Moore powered out and hit a gutwrench suplex. Bates made a comeback with kicks, one of which completely missed, but concluded the run with a backstabber for two. She then hit a Northern Lights suplex for another two. Moore hit a bodyslam, but Bates cradled Moore for the pinfall.

Brian Cage defeated VSK

This was another solid sprint. Justin Roberts didn’t mention that Cage was the FTW Champion, so Cage made him do his introduction again. VSK fired out of the gate with kicks and knee strikes, but Cage caught a boot and turned it into a back suplex. VSK fought out of the Drill Claw and kicked out Cage’s legs, but Cage flattened him with a lariat.

Cage followed it up with an overhead throw suplex. VSK went for a DDT, but Cage caught it into a double underhook neckbreaker for two. 

VSK avoided a pumphandle slam and landed a sequence of big moves. He then hit two tope suicidas on Cage before Cage caught a diving hurricanrana and sent VSK into the ring post. Cage then brought VSK back into the ring with an apron suplex and followed it up with the Drill Claw for the win.

The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) defeated Louie Valle & Mike Magnum

The Acclaimed will make their Dynamite debuts against SCU this week which was the subject of Caster’s pre-match rap. Valle’s name was still spelled wrong on the videoboard. Caster and Magnum started off before Bowens and Valle tagged in. Caster sent Valle down from the top rope while Bowens distracted the official, and The Acclaimed beat him down for a long time.

Valle finally was able to tag in Magnum after a missile dropkick, but Magnum was immediately cut off with a series of running strikes. After dispatching Valle, they hit Acclaim To Fame for the win.

Anna Jay defeated Dani Jordyn

Jordyn tried to show the camera her writings about Jay in her “burn book,” so Jay shoved her down. Jordyn kicked out Jay’s leg and landed a thrust kick. She tried to taunt, but Jay sent her to the outside with a heel kick. Jay then whipped Jordyn into the barricade. Back in the ring, Jordyn hit a facebuster, but Jay applied the Queenslayer sleeper for the referee stoppage.

Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) defeated Bear Country (Bear Bronson & Bear Boulder)

Avalon joined commentary and said that he was scouting talent for his Pretty Peter’s Pageant Provocation.

This was Bear Country’s AEW debut. They’re a well-traveled American tag team who have made appearances in promotions like Beyond, CZW, and AAW. They looked great here as the Dark Order gave them a lot of offense. The pairings early on were Bronson/Uno and Boulder/Grayson. Boulder pressed Grayson over his head and then downed him with a lariat. Uno got a blind tag and attacked Bronson on the floor.

After a beatdown, Bronson landed a double back suplex, allowing him to finally tag in Boulder, who ran wild with slams. There was a great spot where Boulder had Uno on his shoulders and was still able to catch a Grayson crossbody before hitting a fallaway slam. Grayson fought out of a suplex and hit a backflip kick on both opponents.

Both teams made blind tags and Bear Country hit a nice combination cannonball with Bronson on Boulder’s back. Grayson avoided an assisted splash and hit the Nightfall backbreaker on Boulder before Dark Order hit the Fatality on Bronson to win.

Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss defeated Sean Maluta & RYZIN

Janela faces AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a no disqualification non-title match on this week’s Dynamite. Kiss controlled the early goings until RYZIN pushed him off the top rope. RYZIN and Janela brawled while Maluta beat Kiss down on the floor. Back in the ring, RYZIN continued the beatdown until missing a running crossbody, allowing Janela to tag in.

Janela absolutely crushed Maluta with a German suplex into the turnbuckle before continuing to run wild. He hit a brainbuster and tagged in Kiss, who landed the split-leg drop for three.

Tay Conti defeated Freya States

Conti took control early on with throws and kicks. States fired back with a corner attack, but Conti landed a gamenguiri. Conti went for a springboard, but States caught her before Conti turned it into a bodyscissors guillotine.

Conti hit knees, a spinning back fist, and a high kick. She went for a flying armbar, but States powered out. Conti transitioned into a unique submission, almost an S-grip facelock using her leg for leverage, forcing States to tap.

Matt Sydal defeated Danny Limelight

They performed technical wrestling at the bell. Sydal hit a standing leg drop and a corkscrew moonsault followed by a running knee strike in the corner for two. He hit a snap hurricanrana, but Limelight immediately fired back with a clothesline. Limelight continued the beatdown, but Sydal fought back with a sunset flip.

Sydal hit a series of kicks and a Northern Lights bomb for two. Limelight countered a corner attack and rope-walked into a diving clothesline. Sydal hit a Russian leg sweep and went for the cobra clutch, but Limelight fought out and applied a sleeper. Sydal fought out of it and planted Limelight with his new sidewalk slam driver for the win.

Ivelisse (w/ Diamanté) defeated Kaci Lennox

Lennox made her debut here. Ivelisse immediately laid in strikes, but Lennox surprised her with an arm drag and a dropkick. Ivelisse avoided a baseball slide and Diamanté distracted Lennox, allowing Ivelisse to take advantage.

Ivelisse hit a tornado DDT upon re-entry to the ring. Lennox came back with a neckbreaker and clotheslines followed by a snapmare driver. Ivelisse hit a reverse DDT for two. Lennox picked up Ivelisse, but Ivelisse transitioned into an octopus hold, forcing Lennox to tap.

Best Friends (Trent? & Chuck Taylor) (w/ Orange Cassidy) defeated Chaos Project (Luther & Serpentico)

This was strange as Best Friends got almost no offense in on Chaos Project, winning with a cradle after no comeback sequence.

Taylor and Serpentico had a rehearsed sequence before Trent and Luther tagged in. Luther sent Taylor off the apron, but was downed by double knees from Trent. Trent dove onto both Chaos Project members with a tope con hilo. Luther sent Taylor into the ringpost as Trent tossed Serpentico into the guardrail. Trent missed a spear and dove headfirst into the guardrail, allowing Chaos Project to take advantage.

Back in the ring, Chaos Project beat down Trent with their signature offense which involves Luther using Serpentico as a weapon. Trent used a Saito suplex on Luther and sent Serpentico out of the ring, but Serpentico pulled Taylor off the apron, preventing the tag.

Chaos Project set up for Creeping Death, but Taylor pushed Serpentico off the apron and Trent turned it into a cradle on Luther for the win.

Luther attacked the Best Friends after the match, but they sent him packing. Miro then came out, but the officials wouldn’t let them fight and the show ended.

​​​​​​Final Thoughts:

This may have been the least newsworthy AEW Dark in history. As usual, nothing was overtly bad, but zero full promo segments (Tully and Spears didn’t even really get a chance to speak on the Waiting Room) or Dynamite-worthy matches meant there was nothing must see on this week’s show.