Episode 22 of AEW Dark from Kansas City, MO was released early prior to the Revolution PPV. It featured the debut of Luther, Britt Baker being a mean girl, and Shawn Spears dumping a partner once again.
Here’s the lineup with ratings (watch, solid, okay, pass) on which matches are worth your time:
- Luther vs Sonny Kiss (solid)
- Dark Order vs Peter Avalon & Michael Nakazawa (pass)
- Miranda Alize vs Britt Baker (pass)
- Brandon Cutler & Shawn Spears vs Private Party (okay)
This episode had its enjoyable moments but nothing worth rushing to squeeze in prior to Revolution tonight. I upped the rating for the first bout, because it was an in-ring debut for Luther and I’m a fan of Sonny Kiss’ unique offensive arsenal. The Dark Order match was pretty much a squash with comedic moments from the librarian. Britt Baker had a showcase bout for her heel persona. The main event had drama in Shawn Spears’ quest to find a suitable tag partner.
Watch the show here.
Excalibur and Taz welcomed us to the show from their commentary position. Tony Schiavone and Dasha Gonzalez would chime in later from the control center.
Luther vs Sonny Kiss
Luther bullrushed Sonny Kiss to start. Kiss rebounded to hit his flashy signature moves. Kiss went high risk with a flying hurricanrana, but Luther caught him for a powerbomb. Luther sealed the win with a Camel Clutch submission. The cue ball dug his fingers into Kiss’ face and bit his forehead to secure the tap.
Afterward, Jimmy Havoc ran down to chase Luther off. This was more about wanting to get hands on Luther than saving Kiss.
Dark Order vs Peter Avalon & Michael Nakazawa
The Dark Order was flanked by Alex Reynolds and John Silver. Leva Bates accompanied Peter Avalon. Avalon ripped the Kansas City crowd with insults about their BBQ. As the city of fountains, he made a wish to never come back. Bates told him to stop insulting every city they visit. She handed him a book titled, “Don’t be a Dick.”
Michael Nakazawa broke out the Turkish baby oil immediately. Avalon didn’t want any part of this comedy hardy, har, har crap. He tagged in to demonstrate traditional wrestling then promptly slipped on a puddle of baby oil. Nakazawa took a beating in the match. He reached out to tag his partner, but Avalon dipped out to abandon Nak. That led to a backbreaker by Stu Grayson and a teamwork Fatality finisher as Evil Uno pinned Nakazawa.
Miranda Alize vs Britt Baker
Britt Baker took it full steam ahead to Miranda Alize. She broke Alize down with a corkscrew fisherman neckbreaker and a head stomp into the middle rope. Baker won after a facebuster and Lockjaw submission.
Brandon Cutler & Shawn Spears vs Private Party
Tully Blanchard was ringside with Shawn Spears. The search to find Spears a tag partner continued. Brandon Cutler was the experiment this week. Fast forward to the finish, Spears ditched his partner after Marq Quen crushed Cutler on the floor with a flip over the ropes. Cutler actually turned the ride against Private Party by himself. That caught the attention of Spears and Blanchard on the entrance ramp. However, Cutler’s downfall would be focusing on enticing Spears to return rather than keeping eyes on Private Party. They struck with the Gin and Juice to win.
Luther was impressive in his debut. He displayed the appropriate tendencies of death dealer by clawing Sonny Kiss’ face. I’m not expecting Luther to put on five-star matches, but he should be able to entertain in his particular brand of savagery. The appearance of Jimmy Havoc was a good touch to slowly build their feud.
Britt Baker’s in-ring style is evolving nicely as a bad girl. She continually bent the rules in her favor against Miranda Alize. As a fan, I was disappointed that Alize didn’t get much offense. I saw her wrestler earlier this week with Impact and was impressed. I had been hoping to see more. Oh, well. I’ll blame that on Baker’s dominance and add fuel to that heel fire.
The Shawn Spears’ story of finding a tag partner needs to start picking up. He’s been teaming with the jabrones of AEW so often that he himself has become a jabroni. The tag division will be open for business after Revolution. It is time for Spears to make a choice and climb those rankings.
Who stood out most for episode 22 of AEW Dark? Which match was your favorite?