SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW DARK TV REPORT
MAY 5, 2020
AIRED LIVE ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY ZACH GRAHAM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Cody
Ring Announcer: Dasha Gonzalez
– Tony Schiavone welcomed viewers to the show as the AEW Dark graphic showed. He introduced Cody and said there are three big matches this week including Ryan Pyles vs 10 from Dark Order (Preston Vance) with Brodie Lee in his corner. Cody cut in and said that, sadly, it’s he and Schiavone’s final AEW Dark together on commentary. Schiavone then said the other matches for the night are Shawn Dean vs. Sammy Guevara and Kip Sabian vs. Colt Cabana in the main event.
(1) RYAN PYLES VS. 10 (w/Brodie Lee)
As the bell rang, Pyles charged at 10, but was taken down quickly with a clothesline. Cody noted that 10 was wearing a knee brace and questioned painting such an obvious target on himself for his opponent. Schiavone talked about the pressure the Dark Order wrestlers must feel with Brodie Lee watching the matches from ringside and Cody said that 10 needs to just focus on the match and not worry about Lee. 10 backed Pyles into the corner and hit him with a chop then suplexed him out of the corner. 10 looked to Brodie Lee for approval after the suplex and Lee stood ringside and smiled wide.
10 chopped Pyles again then threw him into the opposite corner and hit him with a running elbow. 10 then threw Pyles out of the ring at the feet of Lee, who was holding a steel chair. Lee looked on, but didn’t move an inch. 10 exited the ring and chopped Pyles again before throwing him back into the ring. Pyles hit 10 with an elbow to the face, 10 looked back at Brodie Lee almost confused by it. Lee looked unhappy, but 10 turned back around and took Pyles down with a stiff right hand to the jaw. Schiavone and Cody reacted in amazement to the fact that Lee was upset that 10 took a single punch in the match. 10 threw Pyles into the ropes and bent over to catch him, but Pyles stopped and kicked 10 in the chest. Brodie Lee took the chair in his hand and smacked it on the ring post in anger with 10’s performance and slammed it down. 10 hit Pyles with a high knee to the jaw, then hit a spine buster. After hitting the move he turned to Lee for instruction, Lee pointed to Pyles so 10 covered him and scored the victory.
WINNER: 10 in 2:00.
After the match, Lee entered the ring and posed with 10. Lee seemed pleased with his performance and the two exited the ring as Cody and Schiavone recapped highlights from the quick match.
– A commercial for AEW Double or Nothing aired.
– As Sammy Guevara made his entrance. Cody noted that he received an award from YouTube for his vlog he posts weekly. Cody noted he wasn’t sure what the subscriber count was that he hit, but wanted to point that little fact out. Schiavone talked about how Guevara has been wrestling for nine years already, even though he’s so young he’s very experienced. Cody agreed and talked about how much he can and has learned from Chris Jericho too.
(2) SHAWN DEAN vs. SAMMY GUEVARA
As the bell rang, Guevara was still recording on his phone and wearing his hat. The official tried to get him to put it down before ringing the bell, but Guevara seemed to give consent to go ahead and ring it. Guevara turned his back to Dean and leaned on the ropes talking into his phone. Dean waited for a second as Schiavone told him to just kick Guevara since the match was started. Dean did walk over and rolled up Guevara for a quick two count. Dean hit Guevara with a drop kick then an arm drag. Dean threw Guevara into the ropes and attempted another drop kick, but Guevara held on to the ropes as Dean crashed to the mat. Guevara then ran and kicked Dean across the chest, then took a moment to celebrate his performance by picking up his phone and recording himself again. Guevara then hit Dean with three big knees to the stomach and picked up Dean and did a couple squats with Dean on his shoulders before hitting a Samoan Drop. Guevara then covered Dean for a two count.
Guevara went for a suplex, but Dean picked Guevara up instead and held him in the air upside down momentarily before finally dropping him on his back. Dean then cartwheeled into a knee that he dropped on the chest of Guevara, but Guevara kicked out at one. Cody then talked about the momentum of body weight when going for a pin, he noted that’s what happened between him and Darby Allin saying that you have to be careful about your body weight and the momentum you have when performing moves. Schiavone congratulated him for making it to the finals and Cody said it is an absolute honor and he has nothing but respect for Archer, but he was anticipating a rematch with Dustin.
Guevara had Dean’s neck across the middle rope and stood on Dean’s shoulders and used the top rope to choke Dean until the referee reached a count of four. Guevara went for a cover, but Dean kicked out at one. Guevara stomped Dean a couple of times and attempted another cover. Guevara stood up, unfazed by the kick outs, and put his knee in the spine of Dean and wrapped his hands around his chin for leverage. Dean rolled over to release the pressure on his back, but Guevara kept the hand lock and bridged to keep the pressure on. Dean squirmed until Guevara let go, but he quickly applied a rear chin lock. Dean finally managed to get to his feet and fight Guevara off. Dean hit Guevara with an elbow, but Guevara hit him with a kick to the stomach and a chop to the chest to cut off the comeback attempt. Guevara threw Dean into the ropes, but Dean took him down with a clothesline and a DDT. Dean then got up for another move as Cody and Schiavone both implored him to just go for the cover. Dean then ran at Guevara in the opposite corner, but Guevara moved and hit him with a running knee strike before mocking his salute. Guevara picked Dean up on his shoulders and hit a Burning GTS Knee for the win.
WINNERS: Sammy Guevara in 7:00
– Another commercial for AEW Double or Nothing aired.
– As Kip Sabian entered, the video of Colt Cabana and Kip Sabian arguing during an interview segment on Dynamite from a couple of weeks ago aired including Cabana slapping Sabian.
(3) COLT CABANA vs. KIP SABIAN (w/Penelope Ford)
The bell rang and Cabana and Sabian were talking in the middle of the ring until Sabian started shoving Cabana. Cabana playfully shoved him back and Sabian just slapped Cabana across the face. Cabana went for an elbow, but Sabian locked on a side headlock. Cabana ran the ropes and shoved Sabian off and took him down with a shoulder tackle. Cody and Schiavone talked about Cabana’s college football background noting he has a serious power advantage against the smaller Sabian. Sabian ran the ropes and avoided a couple of clothesline attempts by Cabana, Cabana then ran the ropes and avoided a couple of Sabian moves as he came off the ropes. Cabana stopped his momentum off the ropes as Sabian bent down to back body drop him and slowly lifted Sabian’s head back up so he was standing upright then slapped him across the face.
Sabian rolled out of the ring to regroup with Ford as Cabana laughed in the ring. Cabana then exited the opposite side of the ring as Ford and Sabian talked. Cabana snuck up behind Ford and tapped her on the waste to startle her. Sabian went to clothesline Cabana, but he ducked out of the way and hit him with a chop to the chest and threw him back in the ring. Sabian tried to hit a springboard kick on Cabana as he reentered the ring, but he just casually backed up a few steps on the apron and Sabian missed wildly. Sabian went for a pump kick, but Cabana grabbed the leg then attempted to see how high he could get Sabian’s leg in the air until he fell on his back. Cabana then locked on a submission hold and bent his fingers back so he couldn’t grab the ropes. Cabana lifted Sabian up off the mat, keeping hold of his hands and they walked around the ring as Sabian attempted to touch the bottom rope with his foot to break the hold. Cody and Schiavone talked about Cabana’s original comments that sparked this little rivalry where Cabana said that Ford is such a good competitor on her own, she doesn’t need Sabian. They said that Colt probably should’ve stayed out of someone else’s relationship, but most wrestlers don’t. Cody then said that, if any other wrestlers are in a relationship, they need to fill out the relationship disclosure forms immediately.
Cabana shoulder tackled Sabian back to the mat. Sabian got up and pressed Cabana over the top rope onto the apron. Cabana hit Sabian with a couple of elbows while standing on the apron. Sabian fell to the mat after Cabana hit his head off the top turnbuckle. Cabana then got distracted by Ford talking to him on the floor, which allowed Sabian the opening to hit him with a springboard kick to the head which dropped Cabana to the floor. Sabian exited the ring, slammed Cabana off the mat, then went to kiss Ford, but she didn’t kiss him. Cody was surprised, Sabian was even more surprised. Sabian got mad as Cody and Schiavone reacted to this new development with excited confusion.
Sabian entered the ring and stomped away at Cabana with a new level of anger. Sabian walked back over to Ford and talked to her for a second to make sure they were still on the same page and she seemed to be on the same page as him. Sabian turned his attention back to Cabana and hit him with a pair of elbows in the corner followed by a kick across the chest into a two count. Schiavone plugged that Matt Hardy will be live in a match on Dynamite for the first time ever as Cabana and Sabian exchanged punches mid-ring. Sabian managed to hit Cabana with a step up enzeguri followed by a drop kick, but again Cabana kicked out at two. Cabana reversed the leverage for a two count of his own on Sabian. Cody then talked about having a match with Joey Janela on Dynamite tomorrow as well. Schiavone seemed confused and concerned that Cody would have a match with Joey Janela ahead of the TNT Championship finals and Cody said that they’re a wrestling company and guys need to wrestle.
Sabian kept the pressure on Cabana and used the referees five count to his advantage when using the ropes for leverage. Cabana eventually just kicked Sabian away trying to get some space to breath and Sabian went through the ropes onto the apron. Sabian tried to springboard off the apron, but Cabana got both boots up and connected with Sabian’s face. Cabana then hit a double chop, then an elbow to the face before rolling up Sabian for another two count. Sabian exited the ring, then tried to jump onto Cabana, who casually walked out of the way again. Colt went to the middle rope to jump onto Sabian, but Ford entered the ring to stop Cabana. Cabana got down and talked to Ford, who asked the official to remove Ford. Ford slowly left the ring as Sabian snuck up behind Cabana and hit him with a low blow. Sabian then rolled up Cabana for the three count pin fall.
WINNER: Kip Sabian in 10:00
Sabian and Ford then took a moment to make out mid-ring as Cody called for the return of the shark cage to stop Penelope Ford from interfering on Sabian’s behalf in every match.
– Schiavone then previewed the matches for AEW Dynamite tomorrow including Cody vs. Joey Janela, and, in the main event, Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy vs. Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara). Schiavone then thanked the fans for watching and signed off.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a decent episode of Dark this week and a little longer than the episodes of recent weeks. I have a feeling this may have been two episodes of Dark combined into one if they weren’t going live for Dynamite tomorrow with the ability to tape more content for AEW Dark. The only reason I think that is the length and the fact we had three matches instead of the one or two we’ve had for the past month.
The matches were fine, but I’m growing tired of the Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford interference bit. It’s obvious it’s coming, yet every wrestler they go against gets caught by it. I think the wrestlers and officials look dumb because it happens every single match in similar ways. It’s hard to vary up the distraction interference, so maybe don’t do it every time they wrestle? I get the purpose of having them cheat to win, but it’s stale when they do it in the same fashion week after week.
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