It's Tuesday, you know what that means! It's time for the final episode of AEW Dark for 2021, and boy are they ending the year with a big one. We have a perfectly sized 10 match card including a main event with a no rules stipulation between Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss. So, with the best commentary team in pro wrestling, Excalibur & Taz, ready from AEW Universal, let's get straight to the wrestling!
Reka Tehaka makes her return to AEW Dark to start us off and she has Anna Jay in trouble early on but Anna's educated feet gives her an equaliser and the advantage comes when she locks in the Queenslayer.
Relentless @annajay___! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/zkEf14Jr3N
Tony Schiavone asks Wardlow a question and Shawn Spears doesn't give him a chance to speak and answers for him and then asks him a question from MJF about the excessive powerbombs and Wardlow retorts about Spears' chair shots and it ends with Spears saying he'll stay in the back tonight and when he leaves, he promises multiple powerbombs.
Appreciate the feedback, @RealWardlow, love hearing it... but @ShawnSpears is the chairman. Chair... man. The chair... I mean, it works on so many levels. #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/jtXfNlYkh9
Next up in the ring is The Blade who faces off with the impressive looking Toa Liona. AEW should really consider giving him a contract. Blade sees the same thing I do so jumps the big man before the bell but Liona isn't staying down as he explodes out of the corner with a huge flying elbow. Bunny gets involved and that keeps Liona distracted and the referee too which allows Blade to use the brass knuckles to get the win.
Everything goes according to plan for @AllieWrestling and @BladeofBuffalo! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/mMXBXtbTQ6
Wardlow delivers exactly what he promised and we get multiple powerbombs. Three to be exact and despite Casanova trying to get a quick start, he soon realises he's in Wardlow's world and that is not a good thing for him.
Let's count along with @RealWardlow! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/AwaY5ht4O2
Greene has got Tony Nese later and Schiavone interviews him and Greene says that he's already proven himself on Dark against FTR & Adam Cole but tonight it's Tony Nese's turn and he wants to prove the Premier Ass Wipe (TM) wrong.
Match four of the night features Diamante who we haven't seen an awful lot of before this week but we have now seen her two nights in a row. She has a much better evening on Dark as she picks up the win over Shawna Reed to rebound from the tag team loss to Tay Jay last night. Reed puts up a good fight but Diamante finishes her with the Running Dropkick.
And that's why you don't mess with @DiamanteLAX! 💎 #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/ahgN60Cyxr
This time last year, this would have been an NXT match but instead, both men are plying their trade in AEW and they face off here on AEW Dark. Both men are even early on but Tony Nese uses some morally questionable tactics to gain the advantage. Greene gets one more comeback but Nese cuts him off and puts Greene away with the running knee in the corner. Tony Nese's tiny knees are deadly.
.@TonyNese doing @TonyNese things! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/5sQ2f6F73n
KiLynn King makes her return to AEW Dark but she has a tough match up with the Bunny to welcome her back. Bunny starts off on top but KiLynn does manage to get back into the match, just in time for Bunny to cut her off and take her Down the Rabbit Hole.
Diabolical bunny! @AllieWrestling #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/XAKfqu8dKQ
An interesting tag team match up next as both of these teams could really use a victory. Bear Country get off to a hot start and they attack both Bowens and Caster when the match gets underway The Acclaimed get beaten down outside the ring, all over AEW Universal. The Acclaimed use the ring steps to make their comeback and then they take the match back inside the ring and dominate Bronson but he manages to tag out to Boulder to flip the momentum and he nearly gets the win when he hits a double flatliner on both opponents. Bear Country try to finish with the Bear Bomb but Caster breaks it up. In the end, The Acclaimed attack the knee of Boulder and Bowens pins him with the high stack to get the win.
.@bear_boulder flattens the Acclaimed! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/nY1ik80x0s
Skye Blue is the signed talent here but she comes into this one with considerably less matches in AEW than her AEW Dark veteran opponent Ashley D'Amboise but that doesn't matter as Skye finishes this one quickly with a Flatliner.
A dominant showing for @Skyebyee! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/iZcYYGU7Fz
The Wingmen jump Cassidy and Yuta as soon as the bell rings and then they leave Cassidy laying outside the ring and beat down Wheeler Yuta inside but he soon manages to get the tag to Cassidy who takes out Avalon and fights of Bononi but then we get a little misdirection before Orange & Wheeler take out Bononi with the double Tope Suicida and then Cassidy spikes Avalon with a Tilt A Whirl DDT for two. Avalon comes back and battles with Cassidy on the top rope but then everything breaks down as Yuta and Bononi both get involved. When the match goes back to normal, Avalon accidentally takes out Bononi and Cassidy nearly pins him with a Michinoku driver. If everything wasn't all over the place enough, Ryan Nemeth runs out to jump on the apron and then Chuck Taylor comes out to remove him and finally, Cassidy gets the win with the Orange Punch on Avalon.
.@CezarBononi_ just launches Yuta! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/a2Zw4Pi8pK
This is what Dark has been building to for a long time and we finally get the blow off here. Sonny levels the playing field immediately as Sonny takes out Kayla Rossi with a trash can to the face but that allows Janela to take control of the match. The anything goes nature of this match is sure to favour Janela as he beats Sonny down but Kiss explodes with a Clothesline and the a Hurricanrana on the outside to get back into it. Sonny continues the attack outside the ring and has Janela in real trouble until Sonny misses a Moonsault and Joey calls for Kayla's help. She comes over and helps Joey hit a Powerbomb on the ring steps and now it's Joey's turn to use the environment to cause punishment. Joey creates a pile of chairs in the ring and lifts Sonny to the top rope but Sonny pushes him off into the pile and then follows up with a Swinging DDT onto the chairs too.
Spectacular @SonnyKissXO! #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/lxzefXOHPh
Both athletes are showing the damage from this one as Janela is busted open and Sonny hits the Split leg TKO and Janela rolls outside. Sonny hits a Tope/ Crossbody onto Joey but then Joey gets his second wind and hits Sonny with a Brainbuster and then sends Kayla to get a ladder. She brings it out and sets it up in the ring alongside a table as Sonny struggles to get up. Joey promises to elbow Sonny to hell but Sonny fights back and takes out Joey and Kayla before laying Joey on the table and Kayla on top of him and climbs the ladder. Sonny gets to the top and then hits the flying splash that sends them through the table but Janela still kicks out! Sonny tries to set up another table but Joey recovers. Sonny fights back and goes for a Powerbomb through the table but Joey fights out and then he ends up putting Sonny through the table with a Piledriver off the stage. Joey rolls Sonny back to the ring and gets the pin. What a way to end the year! That was a war!
PILEDRIVER!! @JANELABABY #AEWDark
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) December 29, 2021
➡️ https://t.co/PLYZvtrIYc pic.twitter.com/EYXCVytotL
Well, that was entertaining as hell and the perfect amount of time as an hour of wrestling is more than enough for all AEW shows outside of Dynamite and PPV! Another year of AEW Dark in the book and I think they may have finally perfected that format! I'll be back for the final AEW Dynamite on TNT tomorrow but until then, give me a follow on twitter @0r4n93_C4551dy and have a great evening. Adios.
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