AEW Youtube Nonsense (Dark/Elevation, vlogs, etc.)

[Sammo~!]

 

[DEAN]

Ian Riccobani and DADDY MAGIC!  Zack Clayton and Conan Lycan are both from Albany!  Ian mentions that one of these guys was trained by Seth Rollins!  FORBIDDEN DOOR!  Lycan does a GREAT Psicosis Bump!  Nice Powerslam by Clayton!  I don't really know what was up with Clayton's finisher.  It's Becca!  She is all over the Northeast.  Albany is part of the Northeast.  Daddy Magic is great wondering about Becca's community Service.  Nyla CRUSHES her with a Beast Bomb.  Vickie is on the STICK~!  Marina Shafir is very confusing.  Daddy Magic mentions Prince Iaukea.  MSP have matching shorts!  AGGRO is fun.  TK should sign him.  Fabulous Gin and Juice!  Ian randomly mentions Digital Underground.  Ian and Daddy Magic is beautifully weird.  Skye Blue takes on Chika Carrerras!  I'm not familiar with her. She is mighty spunky!  They have some pretty awkward moments.  Skye needs a better finisher.  Go with the PILEDRIVER.  THE BOYS!  Awesome!  There are many many boys.  Dalton Castle is from Albany. Dalton Castle is AWESOME with the EVEREST Suplex!  Castle goes COMPLETELY Steiner and suplexes everyone!  Then he throws the Boys everywhere!  Castle does the Bang-a-rang but the Boys didn't spin around with him- very disappointing.  Jora Johl shows up on YouTube!  Frankie Kazarian is OVER in Albany.  Frankie has been hanging around in IMPACT! a lot lately.  Nice Michinoku Driver by Johl.  Johl hits a nice Falcon-ish Arrow.  Kazarian is making Johl look like a million bucks.  CHICKEN CROSS WING FACE!  Awesome, it's MASCARA DORADA!  He had the best match on IMPACT! last week against Speedball Mike Bailey.  This should be fun.  El Serpentico gets to show off his lucha CHOPS!  Dorada is embellishing everything to make me love him.  Dorada does a variation on Speedball's Asai Moonsault.  AWESOME!  Dorada walks the ropes and CRUSHES Serp with a Swanton.  Dorada hits a spinning Michinoku Driver for the pin.  That was good.  I await Dorada to show up on NWA Powerrr and MLW this week too.   Liam Davis and Mike Anthony have matching pants!  The Butcher beats the fuck out of folks.  The Blade tells a little story with Mike Anthony.  GREAT Finisher by the Butcher and the Blade.  That was pretty squashy.  I guess the best match was Mascara Dorada versus Serp.  

 

[Matt D]

I have so much 1988 WWF to watch. I had to hotshot this tonight, but here we are.

• Clayton vs Lycan overdelivered. Zack was doing some small things (like grinding the face on the pin) very well. He sold the punch the whole way through too. I saw more from him here than I have in any of his matches so far. You kind of spend Elevation now wondering who's working out with the BCC and who's not and Clayton actually wouldn't surprise me after this one. They didn't replay his finish. Funny, that
• B3CCA got a tiny bit of shine but then got absolutely crushed on the spear. Ian and Menard were a bit rough to start but they would be rather well in sync by the end of the show. The Shafir promo was unfortunate but she has to get experience somehow, right?
• That Private Party vs MSP match was just tons of fun. It had a sort of party feel to it, celebratory almost. I wouldn't want fifteen minutes of it with a commercial break but for a three minute competitive squash, it was a hell of a thing. That's my sweet spot for spotfests I guess.
• I liked all the cartwheel stuff in the Skye vs Chica match but yeah, this is why we have Skye beat Jade NEXT year and not this year, right?
• I badly want to see Dalton Castle/Boys vs Chaos Project. Luther throwing Serpentico as Dalton threw the boys. It's magic waiting to happen. You could have them fight off a hundred ninjas even! Possibilities are endless.
• I hope Jora's working with the BCC. Nice little finishing tease on the chicken wing.
• Mascara Dorada vs Serpentico was a really fun few minutes. The spot where Serpentico went sliding out of the ring and Dorada immediately hit a moonsault to the outside was nuts because Serpentico barely had time to position and plant himself and he still based perfectly for it. That's one of those things that didn't register as a big moment, but when you stop and think about it, the skill and gumption involved is just nuts, right? Can we get Dante vs Dorada now?
• Butcher and Blade are basically the babyface 97 Faces of Fear. It'd be nice if they play them up as faces just a little bit longer. Maybe have them save "new champion" acclaimed from a Gunn Club beat down and immediately turn on them or something.

[The Green Meanie]

I really enjoyed the combonation of Daddy Magic and Ian Riccobani. Never heard of Ian, but he did a pretty good job.
Daddy Magic and I had a moment, as we both went 'What did she do?" when we heard B3cca served community service.
Loved Danger Kid and Aggro!
I've never seen Dalton Castle & The Boys before, but I'm instantly a fan, he's definitely now in my boy stable.

[Matt D]

I forgot to mention that it was pretty odd Mascara Dorada ended up with a weird prog rock theme.

[Greggulator]

This Marina Shafir promo is an all-time great bad promo. I love the heel tone as she discusses her family's immigrant journey. "My parents created the problem!" Then the freak-out as she goes from "you know me" to "you don't know me!" and the catchphrase to end all catchphrases. And that fedora.

I actually feel bad ripping on this. I think Shafir has a lot of potential and has looked good as a second. 

 

 

[The Green Meanie]

1 hour ago, Greggulator said:

This Marina Shafir promo is an all-time great bad promo. I love the heel tone as she discusses her family's immigrant journey. "My parents created the problem!" Then the freak-out as she goes from "you know me" to "you don't know me!" and the catchphrase to end all catchphrases. And that fedora.

I actually feel bad ripping on this. I think Shafir has a lot of potential and has looked good as a second. 

 

 

I totally meant to talk about that promo; was it face or heel? When she said you know me and you caused the problem, was that her instilling local pride? It wasn't entirely clear.

 

Also, SHE'S GOT A NEW HAT
https://content.sportslogos.net/news/2012/11/Screen-shot-2012-11-12-at-19.00.34-.png

[S.K.o.S.]

On first watch I felt like her delivery was good and the material was very bad. But it was pointed out to me that maybe she got some of the lines wrong (particularly that "you know me -> you don't know me" bit).

[JLowe]

That Shafir promo was really Out of the Blue. I'm still not sure if it was Only Just a Dream. Perhaps at one time she was an Electric Youth, but right now she seemed kind of Lost in Your Eyes and mine.

[Matt D]

So tonight's episode of Dark is definitely an episode of Dark. 

• Trustbusters squash (Kross)
• Nese Woods squash (Baliyan Akki)
• Clayton squash (Vary Morales) - Maybe he'll do that finisher again!
• Madison Rayne squash (Viva Van)
• Marina Shafir squash (La Rosa Negra)
• Sonny Kiss heel squash
• Silver/Reynolds squash
• KiLynn King squash
• Emi Sakura squash
• Anthony Ogogo squash

and our one featured match

• JD Drake vs Matt Sydal

Taz is going to be pretty salty by the end of this show. 

[Curt McGirt]

13 hours ago, The Green Meanie said:

Never heard of Ian, but he did a pretty good job.

Riccobani was the last ROH play by play guy with Caprice Coleman on color. The two of them together were probably the best commentating team in ages. 

[Log]

3 hours ago, JLowe said:

That Shafir promo was really Out of the Blue. I'm still not sure if it was Only Just a Dream. Perhaps at one time she was an Electric Youth, but right now she seemed kind of Lost in Your Eyes and mine.

Bravo.

[DEAN]

Oh man,  it's the DARKest DARK!  Let's GEAR UP for SQUASHAMANIA, DADDY!  It's the Dark Order!  It's Zuka and Alexander Moss!  I am unfamiliar with them.  Alex Reynolds give Zuka what for!  John Silver gives him what for!  Moss grabs Silver's foot and allows Zuka and Moss to get some stuff in as Silver becomes our face in peril!  YAY!  COMPETITIVE ENHANCEMENT!  The Factory should develop a stable called Competitive Enhancement.  Dark Order does a nine step finish!  Emi Sakura!  She's in Japan but she is at Universal!  Avery Breaux!  I vaguely remember her from somewhere.  Breaux is wearing purple, a violation of WCW guidelines.  Breaux gets in some stuff!  COMPETITIVE ENHANCEMENT!!  HEY FACTORY!  SIGN HER UP!  She does an INVERTED WRECKED EM!  Emi likes to tell a little story before CRUSHING Breaux! AWESOME Moonsault by Emi for the win!  That was good.  The Trustbusters!  Slim J!  Parker Boudreax!  Many people of French extraction on the episode tonight.  Markus Kross doesn't have very tall hair, so I'm not sure what that means.  I follow Parker Boudreaux on Twitter.  He must be independently wealthy or something.  He is really into jewelry.  Slim J is fucking awesome.  Diavari hits a Love Machine Splash for the win!  That was squashy.  Anthony Ogogo, the KING OF DARK!  Ogogo hits a fucking CRAZY Released German Suplex. That wasn't very long.  He then returns to Throne Of Dark.  Ogogo gets on the STICK~!  He doesn't say BRUV so we are disappointed.  It's Zack Clayton!  I wonder what finisher he will use.  Hopefully it isn't the baffling one he used on ELEVATION.  Oh, maybe it was a Diamond Cutter he was trying on ELEVATION.  Oh AWESOME!  It's La Rosa Negra!  She will lay it in.  Marina Shafir was Ronda Rousey and Shana Baszler's room mate back in the days of MMA.  That was squashtastic.  It's the Coach, Madison Rayne!  Hey!  It's Viva Van!  She is a West Coast gal, unless I'm mistaken.  I know I saw her on CWFH during the pandemic.  Rayne tells a little story.  Van gets in a Tarantula!  Viva Van, either on purpose or on accident, makes Rayne's finish look completely gnarly.  Sahara Seven!  She's from either Norfolk or Richmond.  804!  or 757!  IN THE HOUSE!   It's the KING OF FLORIDA, KILYNN KING!  Seven attacks early,  so I'm guessing Norfolk.  King lays it in!   EXCALIBUSTER!  That was quick.  Baliyan Akki!  I wonder if gets in a Tope Con Hilo.  Tony Nese is good but Josh Woods is gooder.  Akki looks great in this.  This match has a lot of wrestling in it. Woods and Nese with the 3-D!  They go on to wrestle... let me check... WARDLOW AND SAMOA JOE!  Jesus. That will be quick.  It's Sonny Kiss!   Evil Sonny Kiss should lay it in, one would think.  Kiss whips out the Christy Hemme Fire Crotch!  Our main event!  JD Drake and Matt Sydel!  So they do have a Random Match Generating machine backstage.  There is some awkwardness early.  Sydel almost gets Ric Flaired off the top but he turns it into a rana.  I've never seen that before.  Drake hits his Bouncing Off the Ropes Outside To Hit The Guy In The Face, which needs a MOVE NAME so I don't have to write it out.  I will go with BOTROTHTGITF!  This gets a full WCW Wordwide Point.  I would say it akin to Lash LaRue vs Super Calo in its Wordwideness.  Postmatch, the Workhorsemen get their heat back!   Main Event was pretty good.  The Emi match was good.  Everything else- meh.

 

[Matt D]

9 hours ago, Matt D said:

Taz is going to be pretty salty by the end of this show. 

In case you're wondering, they go completely off the rails during the Clayton match and by the Shafir match are talking about Taz's helicopter and yacht again.

[John from Cincinnati]

Taz gets exactly what's appealing about Shafir's theme. Word for word, no notes. 

[Gordi the recovering AEW f]

I work early (for me) on Wednesdays, and I have to catch the train to Kyoto not long after Dark finishes, (and by the time I get home  it's late and I'm shifting into "get geared up for Dynamite" mode) so I don't generally have time to do a write-up for Dark. And I don't have time for a full write-up today. 

But.

I have to say: I was really pleased when Ex came up with "Wardjoe" as the name for the Wardlow & Samoa Joe team-up. As we all know, making portmanteau puns on Wardlow's name is  the highest form of humour and the zenith of wit and good taste.

Also, KiLynn's finisher looked awesome.

But, mainly, we get JD Drake back in trunks and a focus on The Workhorsemen, and my spell check accepts that "Workhorsemen" is a word now, and while My Favourite Pro Wrestler JD Drake is still a JTTS, he is at least now a YouTube Main Event level JTTS who gets his heat back after a loss, and that's not nothing.

Really enjoyable Dark, leading into a week of professional wrestling that just might kill me. Off to get ready for work! See ya later!

EDIT: Sonny Kiss' new ring gear absolutely deserves a mention as well. Yowza!

Edited September 21, 2022 by Gordlow

[John from Cincinnati]

19 minutes ago, Gordlow said:

I have to say: I was really pleased when Ex came up with "Wardjoe" as the name for the Wardlow & Samoa Joe team-up. As we all know, making portmanteau puns on Wardlow's name is  the highest form of humour and the zenith of wit and good taste.

Then has your guy got a tweet for you:

Spoiler

 

 

[Curt McGirt]

HEY SMOLOW! I'M SANDING INTO YOUR ASSES, THOSE FAAAAAT ASSES! 

Dark sounds really appealing this week. Squashes and Taz losing his mind, think I'll have to watch it. 

[JLowe]

Despite the Debbie Gibson look, Shafir’s promo on Monday Dark wasn’t that bad. She’s clearly been working with Vicky as she was copying her cadence at times, and needs to tighten it up a little more, but the tag line at the end was very good.

Skye Blue is someone who could benefit from a regular ROH show, but she’s finally graduated to having a finisher with a name! Next is some promo time, maybe a short in-ring interview with Tony S.

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by JLowe

[DEAN]

EXCALIBUSTER!

 

[Rev Ray]

@DEAN I would argue the factory young boys team should be called the factory outlet.

 

I'll see myself out.

[Matt D]

Some of the squashes in the back half were pretty good. Once they went off the rails on commentary for the Clayton match, they never went back on, and we got Hookson Bronson and Taz' MasterClass.

More importantly, we now know that they tape commentary for this on Sunday morning (Excalibur)/afternoon (Taz).

[DEAN]

I'm here! I'm ready!  I'm SQUEAKY CLEAN!  Daddy Magic!  Scumbag Ian!  Captain Shawn Dean!  Skye Blue!  Kip Sabian!  Penelope Ford!  Sabian is a very charming nerd on Ethan Page's toy hunts.  They refer to Ford by her SHOOT name, Vanessa!  Penelope Ford is awesome being all gymnastic CRUSHING Shawn Dean this she was CHEATING!  Penelope Ford is awesome in this.  Skye Blue is revelling in her contract signingness.  Kip Sabian is weirdly OVER in New York.  I love his finisher.  Penelope Ford should be ROH champion already.  Shawn Dean looked good.  Powerhouse Hobbs was secretly a babyface going back to giving Ethan Page a thing for his cramps a while ago on Page's defunct vlog.  Ortiz!  SERP!  IT'S SERP'S HOUSE!  Serp is a coach now?  That's awesome.  AWESOME!  Luther CHEATS so SERP can get in some offense!  SERP GETS IN A SWANTON!  SERP is beating enough on Ortiz so that the crowd gets behind his STRUGGLE to escape the unlikely attack by SERP!  And then Ortiz wins!  That was a brief episode.

 

[AxB]

They had 4 hours of TV to record, it makes sense to not do an epic pre-show.

Ortiz seemed to hurt himself on the finish, but then he wrestled Alec Price in Worcester Mass the next day and was moving around fine, so it can't have been that bad.

[DEAN]

I am in a church parking lot!  It's Demonic Fuego Del Sol!  Jay Malachi is very thin!  He towers over Fuego!  Malachi is nifty in a indie juniors kind of way.  NICE Northern Lights Suplex by Fuego.  Malachi might pull the upset!  This match keeps going.  I love Fuego's Spinning DDT Into a Dragon Sleeper finisher!  Leila Grey!  Tiera James looks familiar.  This is perfectly fine.  Taz discusses the geography of Queens.  JEEVES KAY!  VSK is a Trustbuster!  Nice dropkick by JEEVES!  JEEVES wiping down the rope after doing the Tully face rake across them is SOLID GOLD!  Postmatch, JEEVES wipes down Ari Diavari because JEEVES KAY is awesome.  Jora Johl is almost as much of a DARK all star as Anthony Agogo.  Blake Li is growing into his chest tattoo.  He is QUALITY Enhancement talent as he makes Johls offense look great.  Anna JAS is wrestling.   Kelly Madan is all striking and shit.  She should be a Baddie Auxiliary member.  Anna should start choking legit fans out.  That would be awesome and would help with KAYFABE!  Ryan Nemeth is here!  He is the lowest rung of Strange Style so he totally rules.  Arjin Singh is fun.  LEON RUFFIN WRESTLES ENHANCEMENT TALENT!  THE DARK PUSH!  Bshp King says FUCK VOWELS!  ( My son just let out of praise band practice so I went home, washed dishes, took a shower and now I am SQUEAKY CLEAN!  And an hour has passed,  It will be while until get around to watching NXT.)  Leon Ruffin is awesome in his nimble weirdness.  Bshp hits a really nice pwrslm!  Ruffin hits a Toprope Cutter Into a Crucifix FOR THE WIN!  Hey!  It's Kaleb Conley!  He is here to enhance Angelico.  Konley used to be on IMPACT! it seems like a lifetime ago.  Nice punch by Konley.  Taz has an odd theory about the male body and testicular distress.  Conley looks fucking great in this.  Angelico hits a SURPRISE Argentinian Backbreaker for the win.  MYLO!  From Norfolk!  Or maybe Richmond!  She is a part of the CWFH Women's Division.  Marina Shafir shows up there every now and then.  She is beaten by the Renegade Twins in a few seconds.  NICKY BOY!  Shaheem Ali I am unfamiliar with.  Ali goes on offense!  KICKY BOY! CRUSHES HIM!  Taz has gone completely off the rails.  He is talking about a rolling beer cooler.  NICKY BOY! wins with  an Alabama Slam!  Anthony Henry!  One half of the Workhorsemen!  Dante Martin!  This is total studio match.  IT IS 1974!  Henry hits a nasty El Hijo Del Santo Neck Stake on the apron!  Henry is so fucking great as he does some tricky joint manipulation!  Henry works the arm and goes totally Minnesota Wrecking Crew with the Suplex with Martin's arn behind his back.  So fucking GREAT.  Henry is fucking great on offense beating on Martin so that the crowd gets behind Martin's STRUGGLE to escape Henry's AWWWESOME beatdown.  NICE Flying Crossbody by Martin. Fun nearfall on an INVERTED Urinagi by Martin.  AWESOME Springboard Corkscrew to the floor by Martin!  Beautiful Brainbuster by Henry!  More joint manipulation while in a variation of a Fujiwara Armbar and Henry is so fucking awesome in this.  SURPRISE Nosedive for the win!  Well THAT was fucking great.  POSTMATCH!  JD DRAKE BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF DANTE MARTIN!   Matt Sydel makes the save.  That will be a good tag match.   Sydel and Martin do not make me forget Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts on the stick!  I await the tag match though.  Excellent!