On this week’s episode of AEW Dark, we saw Shawn Spears return to try and gain a clean win over Max Caster. The Young Bucks turned up to try and show Avalon and Cutler how to be a successful tag team. We also saw The Nightmare Sisters return to try and get over their anger problems with one another.

Max Caster Vs Shawn Spears (w/ Tully Blanchard)

Caster returned to Dark after being apart of the losing 6-man tag team last week. Spears returned after cheating his way to a win against Pineapple Pete. Spears started the match up as he tried to take down Caster, but all attempts were futile as Caster successfully dropped Spears. This changed the mindset of the Chairman as he started to roughen up Caster, he slammed the heel of his boot into his opponent. Spears hit Caster with a spinebuster and then hit a C4, pinned, three-count and won the match. Spears then ran back to the ring with the piece of metal in his glove, knocking out Caster.

Spears versus Caster was much better than Spears’s match on Dark last week. Spears was actually able to win against an unsigned indie talent by wrestling and not just using Tully’s help to cheat. This was a much better ending as Spears should be able to beat easy opponents. When he faces off against someone like Jungle Boy, then you get him to cheat but against someone who is unsigned on Dark, it’s much better to let him have a dominated win.

Winner: Shawn Spears

Lance Archer (w/ Jake Roberts) Vs Pineapple Pete

I expected this match to go all of 30 seconds as it did with Chris Jericho. Well, the bell hadn’t even rung before Pineapple Pete was being taken out by Archer. Once the bell finally rang, Pineapple Pete got a little bit of offence in, knocking Archer into Jake Roberts. Pineapple Pete then spent the first minute or so of the match taking control, Pineapple Pete tried to fly into Archer but was caught and thrown into the hard side of the ring. Archer then threw Pete back into the ring and started to get to work, turning Pete into Pineapple Juice. After enticing Joey Janela into a back and forth at ringside Archer returned to launch off the top rope into Pineapple Juice, who kicked out. Pete then escaped the blackout and started to get more offence in. Archer finally hit Pete with the blackout and won the match.

I don’t understand AEW’s latest obsession with Pineapple Juice. We all remember him being knocked in 30 seconds by Chris Jericho, so why doesn’t AEW? Last week, Spears had to cheat to win his match against Pineapple Juice and now the Murder Hawk took close to six minutes. I really don’t understand why Archer had to take so long and why Pineapple Juice got so much offence in, he should have been knocked straight down and beaten. I can’t say any more than it was a terrible creative decision.

Winner: Lance Archer

Griff Garrison Vs Ricky Starks

Starks focused on showing off in the first few moments of this match. Every time Garrison tried to get close, his showboating continued. Seemed like a rather even match to start off with until Starks hit Garrison with a huge dropkick into the corner. Starks then continued his focus on knocking Garrison down a peg, though Garrison did get some minor defensive manoeuvres. After a chop battle between the two opponents, Starks hit a flying spear into Garrison and won the match. Good little match. Was competitive which is perfect for two opponents like this, they both put their shift in, and it paid off.

Winner: Ricky Starks

Scorpio Sky Vs Brady Pierce

Scorpio Sky continued running down the rabbit hole of singles competition this week on AEW Dark. He faced off against Brady Pierce, someone we have seen quite a bit of since travel restrictions came into place. AEW is clearly serious about Sky’s singles career as he has gained his own entrance music, while I liked it I do miss screaming SCU at the TV. Pierce being the taller competitor showed off his strength in the first moments as he shoved Sky backwards and worked hard to get out of Sky’s submission moves. One slap to the face was all it took to truly make Sky angry as he trapped him in the ropes and kept punching.

Sky rolled his opponent into an armbar, then a roll-up two-count. After failing to lift Pierce up, it was Pierce’s time to start fighting back. This didn’t last too long as Pierce’s bleeding mouth clearly agitated him. The action had a brief moment outside the ring before Sky flew into Pierce and won the match. Another good little competitive match. This match wasn’t overkilled as it didn’t last too long. Both competitors had their moment once again, but Sky was the more impressive of the two, exactly how it should have been.

Winner: Scorpio Sky

KiLynn King & Skyler Moore Vs The Nightmare Sisters (w/ Dustin Rhodes)

Brandi and Allie returned for the second week to cause comedy and havoc to the AEW Dark ring, this time under the new name The Nightmare Sisters. Both wearing matching gear was another great touch for this match up. Though Brandi refused to be known as sisters with Allie. The bell hadn’t even rung before Brandi and Allie started to argue with one another. Brandi and King started the match with a back and forth. Allie quickly tagged in once Brandi gain some momentum which of course angered Brandi even more. After another blind tag, this time for Brandi to get back into the ring, both King and Moore seemed to control their opponent. Allie’s lack of care for Brandi was clear as she refused to help break up multiple pins and just kept screaming from ringside.

Allie tagged in and focused on turning the tides on Moore before mocking Dustin at ringside. Allie took down both opponents before allowing Brandi to return to the ring and pin Moore, winning the match for The Nightmare Sisters. When Brandi and Allie are in the ring together the quality of wrestling doesn’t matter, you just want to see the comedy gold of these two screaming and arguing with one another. We definitely saw arguing during this match-up and it really was hilarious.

Winner: The Nightmare Sisters

Low Rida & Fuego Del Sol Vs The Butcher & The Blade

Without their Bunny, because QT Marshall seems to have stolen her, Butcher and Blade wanted to secure another win before they face The Young Bucks and FTR at Fyter Fest. Blade and Fuego Del Sol started the match, Blade made quick work of knocking Fuego down, even complaining how easy this matchup would be. Butcher then tagged in to have his shot at Fuego. Butcher and Blade worked together throwing Fuego across the ring into his tag partner. Rida tried so hard to get some kind of move against Butcher in but was quickly destroyed. Butcher and Blade narrowed in their focus on keeping Low Rida close to their corner. He was able to escape and tag Fuego in but that didn’t exactly go well. Butcher locked Fuego into a clove leaf submission, powerbombed him and then locked in a Boston crab to win the match.

Butcher and Blade looked immense in this matchup. They seemed truly focused on their 8-man tag team match coming up on Fyter Fest and showing how dominant they can be. Butcher is a true powerhouse, in all meanings of the word. Though Blade also showed he can be extremely powerful after destroying Fuego in a matter of moments.

Winner: The Butcher & The Blade

Young Bucks Vs Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon (w/ Leva Bates)

If you are a regular viewer of Being The Elite, you would have seen the announcement that Avalon and Cutler were being forced together again, to face off against the Young Bucks. Matt started the match against one of his best friends Brandon Cutler, they had a few switches though Matt easily showed why he is the better competitor. Nick tagged in and Cutler truly tried to show he worth in the ring, it’s just a very hard thing to do when you’re going against someone like the Bucks of Youth. Cutler tried to tag out but Avalon was having none of it, moving away from their corner. Nick flew out of the ring into Avalon, tagged Matt back in and they hit Cutler with an assisted cutter. Avalon finally joined the match, but the Bucks worked together to destroy their opponent. Cutler quickly tagged back in though that didn’t go much better.

Avalon and Cutler continued to disagree with each other during this match and the Bucks used this to their advantage. After the Bucks had their fun teaming up against Avalon, Cutler returned to the ring to get some offence. Cutler flew out of the ring into both of the Bucks of Youth. Everyone returned to the ring, Cutler attempted to pin Matt, but this was to no success. Avalon and Cutler seemed to start to work well together towards the end of the match, being remarkably close to a win. Bucks teamed together to hit Avalon with a Superkick party and then a BTE V-trigger to win the match.

It was a good match actually. Always great to see the Bucks showing how impressive they are within the ring. However, especially at the beginning of the match, it seemed the Bucks of Youth were forced to go two beats slower than normal for Avalon and Cutler to keep up. This did change halfway through the match though as their timing seemed to improve by ten folds. By the end, I was fully immersed in this competition and any earlier problems were quickly forgotten.

Winner: Young Bucks

This week, AEW put a great episode of Dark. There were some fantastic elements of storytelling. Especially The Nightmare Sisters, as even with QT Marshall not being able to attend tapings they have not dropped the storyline. I hope we see Allie and Brandi teaming up again next week as it definitely brings some comedy relief to a rather full-on current format of Dark. Another great storyline we are seeing each week on Dark is Avalon and Cutler who seem to have finally sorted out their tag team problems.

All pictures and videos courtesy of All Elite Wrestling and TDE Wrestling 

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