AEW DARK Results: Multiple stars debut, Powerhouse Hobbs in action, former WWE Superstar emerges victorious (16 August 2022)
AEW DARK Episode #157 kicked off last night with 13 explosive bouts. Hot on the heels of CM Punk's recent return, how far did the DARK show have to go to make an impression on fans this week?
With a stacked match card and some of the biggest names on the roster, DARK delivered quite a thrilling episode. Continue reading as we break down and grade last night's show in this week's AEW DARK Results.
AEW DARK Opener: Ari Daivari w/The Trustbusters vs. Fuego Del Sol
The two stars kicked off AEW DARK with a slow and methodical back-and-forth lockup. Fuego Del Sol then picked up the upper hand after an impressive display of agility.
Del Sol faced some pushback from Ari Daivari before using his Lucha Libre offense to maintain his momentum.
Daivari then managed to finally turn the tide in his favor, opting for a more aggressive yet technical offense. Parker Boudreaux and SlimJ followed with some interference, wearing down Del Sol while Daivari argued with the referee.
The masked star then pulled himself back into the bout, unleashing an explosive offense on the Trustbusters.
The bout then peaked once both stars were perched atop the turnbuckle. Del Sol nearly captured the win with a Tree of Woe Stomp followed by a Coast-to-Coast.
Unfortunately, Daivari managed to capture the win after a distraction from the Trustbusters, putting Del Sol out with a devastating Frog Splash.
.@FuegoDelSol put up a great fight but TrustFund @AriyaDaivari scores a well-earned win kicking off tonight’s #AEWDark - Tune in NOW: youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/TmoiiF9y58
Winner: Ari Daivari, (Pin).
Grade: B+, an entertaining opener for AEW DARK, showcasing the Trustbusters' oddly good chemistry as a team.
Robyn Renegade w/Charlette Renegade vs. Willow Nightingale
Robyn Renegade kicked off the bout with a cheapshot that nearly gained her the upperhand.
Unfortunately for the star, Willow Nightingale quickly rebounded and began a ruthless assault on her opponent. Renegade then managed to get the upper hand after some timely interference from her sister, Charlette.
Nightingale persisted after the star used her strength to regain the upperhand. The twin sisters then switched out, with Charlette now taking her sister's place.
Despite their efforts, Willow still managed to overcome the sisters, delivering a powerful Spinebuster and Doctor Bomb to gain yet another victory on AEW DARK.
The dangerous-but-fun @willowwrestles overcomes @W18Robin and grabs a W tonight on #AEWDark! Don’t miss another second, tune in NOW: youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/tdgmtZfsNX
Winner: Willow Nightingale, (Pin).
Grade: B, a better utilization of the dated "switch-a-roo," but overall a good match.
Serpentico of Chaos Project vs. Brock Anderson w/Arn Anderson
Brock Anderson began the bout strongly, employing his father Arn Anderson's famed aggressive technical wrestling style. Anderson notably used the entire ring as a weapon, displaying a rarely-seen ring awareness.
Unfortunately for the second-generation star, his temper got the better of him after a ringside altercation between Serpentico and Arn, giving the Luchadore the upper hand.
Serpentico then managed to get a near-fall after a lighting-fast Flatliner. The star then attempted his diving finisher, but unnecessary taunting allowed Anderson to roll out of the way before delivering a Spike DDT.
The star then ended the grueling bout after a Spike Spinebuster.
youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9wA tough win for @BAndersonAEW but a victory all the same here on #AEWDark!
▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/lbZjc5EfPG
Winner: Brock Anderson, (Pin).
Grade: B+, a surprisingly good bout that made Serpentico seem more legitimate while Anderson continues to appear promising.
Abadon vs. Mafiosa
Abadon quickly took the upperhand in the bout, despite Mafiosa's attempts to run away from the gruesome star. The Living Dead Girl continued her assault, employing some new offense that she's not shown before.
Unfortunately for Mafiosa, none of her attempts at turning the tide paid off as the star ran straight into Abadon's finisher, The Black Dhalia, ending the bout indefinitely.
.@abadon_AEW coming alive tonight on #AEWDark & taking the victory!
▶️ Tune in NOW: youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/pHWAhfWUM9
Winner: Abadon, (Pin).
Grade: C, a predictable match that could have included more time to correctly flesh it out.
Baliyan Akki vs. Angélico
Baliyan Akki made his AEW DARK debut against the technical submission specialist, Angélico.
Despite some initial attempts, the South African-born star overwhelmed Akki at first, locking him into some unorthodox holds.
Baliyan then managed to pull himself out of the lock, delivering a devastating Pump Kick. Unfortunately for the star, Angélico quickly put him back into a unique submission, forcing Akki to tap out quickly.
.@AngelicoAAA proving once again to be a danger here at #AEWDark!
▶️ Tune in NOW: youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/NmeIkOy0ZV
Winner: Angélico, (Sub).
Grade: B+, both stars put on an impressive bout that could have lasted longer, especially to see what else Akki has in his arsenal.
Emi Sakura vs. Renee Michelle
Emi Sakura began the AEW DARK bout with unbridled aggression, barely allowing Renee Michelle a moment to breathe. The two stars then traded blows in a display of traditional Japanese Puresso.
Michelle then gained the upperhand, delivering an explosive Missile Drop Kick to the floor Sakura.
Unfortunately for the star, Emi reversed her offense into a DDT and then transitioned into a Running Crossbody, followed by a Double Underhook Backbreaker. The veteran then delivered a Middle-Rope splash, nearly capturing the win.
Despite kicking out, Michelle still could not regain the upperhand, as Sakura then captured the win after an Inside-Out.
.@EmiSakura_gtmv turns @1ReneeMichelle inside out & scores the win!
Tune in to #AEWDark NOW: youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/uBhNXxAsS5
Winner: Emi Sakura, (Pin).
Grade: B+, Sakura managed to put on quite an impressive offense, resulting in an entertaining bout.
Cobra vs. Josh Woods
The two stars began the bout strongly, with neither Josh Woods nor Cobra managing to maintain the upperhand. Both stars seemed evenly matched until a failed fake handshake from Cobra put Woods firmly into the upperhand.
Cobra then regained the upperhand after delivering a dazing knee to Woods' midsection.
The Technical Beast finally regained the upperhand after grabbing Cobra's leg during a failed Leapfrog attempt. Woods then delivered a heavy Judo Hip Toss straight into an Armbar, picking up the victory over the debuting AEW DARK star.
A submission victory showing the technique of the #TechnicalBeast @WoodsIsTheGoods tonight on #AEWDark!
▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/wv87BocVnk
Winner: Josh Woods, (Sub).
Grade: B+, an interesting bout between two stars that briefly seemed evenly matched. Perhaps AEW fans could see more of Cobra in the future?
Rohit Raju vs. Invictus Khash
Both athletes began the bout strongly, with Invictus Khash briefly taking the upperhand over Rohit Raju.
The veteran's experience quickly paid off, as the star not only regained the upperhand but began to dominate Khash. Things shockingly shifted into Invictus' favor after Raju began trading blows with the far larger athlete.
Rohit then briefly attempted to overpower Khash, who reversed the veterans' running offense into a massive mid-air Powerslam.
The veteran persisted, however, delivering a devastating Jumping Knee, ending the bout off with a Diving Double-Footstomp to gain the victory.
With an impressive finish in his #AEWDark bout tonight, #RohitRaju (@HakimZane) is determined to make everyone pay attention to professional wrestling's brightest star! ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/Ma2J7umxnY
Winner: Rohit Raju, (Pin).
Grade: B+, quite an impressive show from Invictus Khash. Raju notably cut a good post-match promo, making his ROH ambitions clear.
Charlette Renegade w/Robyn Renegade vs. Skye Blue
The two stars kicked off the match seemingly evenly before Skye Blue picked up the upperhand. Robyn quickly began interfering in the bout, resulting in Charlette Renegade stealing the upperhand.
Renegade continued her offense, despite Skye continuously fighting back. The star finally hit a Hurricanrana into a powerful Super Kick, scoring a near-fall.
Charlette then regained the upperhand, delivering a powerful offensive move. Despite her momentum, Blue managed to reverse Renegade's offense, delivering a Swinging Neckbreaker.
The twins briefly attempted to perform another switch-a-roo before the referee caught the them, resulting in Blue scoring the win after her finisher.
The #RenegadeTwins' switch tactics did not work in their favor, and @Skyebyee was able to score the victory tonight on #AEWDark! ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/2kxydZHCLh
Winner: Skye Blue, (Pin).
Grade: B, a definite improvement from Skye Blue this week, despite the usual awkwardness of her matches.
AEW DARK Tag Team Action: Bear Country vs. Axel Rico and Victor Iniestra
Alex Rico kicked off the match against Bear Country's Bear Bronson, but quickly tagged Victor Inestra into the match to try and double-team the star.
Unfortunately for the two, Bronson overcame their offense and tagged the even bigger Bear Bounder into the bout.
The two continued to dominate until Rico interfered, allowing the two to employ a double-team offense to wear Bronsen down.
Despite this, the smaller stars still struggled, as both ended up in a joint slam by Bear Boulder. Bear Country then wrecked their opponents after their devastating finisher, capturing a win on AEW DARK.
699lbs of #BearCountry (@bear_boulder & @bearbronsonBC) demolishes their opposition and gets them the victory tonight on #AEWDark! ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/MyoORvEkek
Winners: Bear Country, (Pin).
Grade: B, Bear Country seem to be far more impressive compared to their last appearance on AEW television, hopefully, this pays off at some point.
Kayla Rossi w/Diamond Sheik vs. Avery Breaux
Kayla Rossi, after accompanying the formerly signed star Joey Janela, finally made her AEW DARK debut.
The powerhouse quickly took the upperhand in her bout against Avery Breaux, tossing the star around like a ragdoll. Rossi continued to dominate during the match, even doing bicep curls with her opponent.
Rossi then hit a Standing Moonsault, but puzzlingly opted to purposely interrupt her own pin. The Diamond Sheik then distracted the referee, allowing Kayla Rossi to hit Breaux with a Clothesline and Brainbuster to capture her first AEW DARK victory.
A devastating brainbuster by @KaylaRossi_ scores her the win tonight on #AEWDark! Catch all of tonight's action over on our YouTube channel! ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/iytEXddMeX
Winner: Kayla Rossi, (Pin).
Grade: B, while the bout was a good debut, the interference from Diamond Sheik was puzzling as Rossi could clearly handle herself.
Marcus Kross vs. Cezar Bononi w/The Wingmen
Marcus Kross began the bout by desperately trying to use his speed and agility against Cezar Bononi, who hounded the smaller star. An opportunistic knee strike from Kross nearly got him the upperhand, but Bononi continued to manhandle his opponent.
Kross briefly gained the upperhand with his high-flying offense. Unfortunately, for the star he leaped straight into Cezar's arms. The larger athlete quickly delivered a dominant slam, picking up an AEW DARK victory for The Wingmen.
.@CezarBononi_ drives his opponent right into the mat to score the victory tonight on #AEWDark! Watch tonight's full episode right here ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/sp1xcPDx68
Winner: Cezar Bonini, (Pin).
Grade: B-, a decent bout featuring the only member of The Wingmen who manages to pick up wins.
AEW DARK Main Event: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Blake Christian
Blake Christian began the AEW DARK bout carefully, trying to use his speed and agility to get past Will Hobbs' devastating power and offense.
Unfortunately for the star, Hobbs managed to power through all of his moves, even taking a devastating Missile Drop Kick and still delivering a Clothesline.
Powerhouse continued to dominate Blake, despite the star barely trying to fight back. Hobbs ended up taking the match outside, using the ring post to continue hurting his opponent instead of finishing the match.
Blake briefly regained some momentum, using his knees to daze Hobbs. However, the former Team Taz member finally finished off the match with a gigantic Spinebuster, capturing the win and closing off the episode of AEW DARK, sending a clear message to Ricky Starks.
#PowerhouseHobbs (@truewilliehobbs) with a huge spinebuster to capture the victory in the main event of #AEWDark! If you missed any part of tonight's massive episode, catch up on it all right here! ▶️ youtu.be/Q-eo2pcpQ9w https://t.co/PvMRwNgzfv
Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs, (Pin).
Grade: A, Powerhouse Hobbs looks insanely strong, but this bout should have taken place on Dynamite instead to build the star further.