This was a really fun match on a really fun episode of AEW Dark. Check out this match and then keep watching for a bunch more of fun matches using the link below BUT make sure you come back here for my review of this match (and others).😅
Watch this match on YouTube
Ashley D’Amboise, a prospect I’m very high on, gets the “…and already in the ring” entrance but that’s okay as this isn’t the time you want D’Amboise to feel “featured” in any way. Who did feel featured, however, was Kayla Rossi! Who comes out to a pretty bad ass walkout theme along with the Diamond Sheik wearing, what I imagine, is a shoot super expensive necklace. If it is, hey Sheik, why not Tweet both a screenshot of what Kayla wore to the ring and then a product shot and let people know the deets? People love gawking at luxury jewelry and it’d elevate Kayla as a persona that can afford to wear something more expensive than my car.
To the match!
We’ve seen Ashley slide in and out of playing babyface and heel on Dark. She opens the match by offering to shake Kayla’s hand but she’s turned away. They lock up but Rossi’s strength advantage is immediately put over as she tosses D’Amboise across the ring. D’Amboise hits a smooth dropkick and even the rollout she does to get up is fluid. This is getting exceedingly pedantic but there’s a slight hesitation on the clothesline spot from Rossi and while it does expose her inexperience, it kind of encapsulates both women’s strengths: D’Amboise took a second longer getting up off the mat as she was still selling the effectiveness of Rossi’s toss while Kayla is so damn athletic that waiting in the corner to burst out with that clothesline probably felt like an eternity. Like I said, exceedingly pedantic, only nerds like me would analyze a one second spot like this so in-depth.
Kayla’s power advantage continues to be put over as D’Amboise fights back with body shots but she collapses with a single clubbing blow to the back which, again, she sells as pure agony with her facial expressions. Another underrated spot that can be as attributed to D’Amboise as much as her opponent is Kayla picking her up in a seated position by the hair and up into a Fireman’s carry. D’Amboise struggles to escape but rather than hooking her arm around the back of Ashley’s neck, Kayla maintains a grip on her hair. Nice detail there.
Rossi hits a big samoan drop followed by an effortless kip up. With D’Amboise writhing in pain, Kayla Rossi does a full on Straddle Jump with a 360 turn into a splash. Not from the top rope, from a standing position. What in the fuck! This girl’s a freak.
Rossi could’ve won her but picks D’Amboise’s shoulders off the mat at 2.9. She picks her up and then hits a great looking Jackhammer that I think will only get better looking with time for the win.
I always wanna temper people’s enthusiasm in matches like this. It’s a lot easier to look great when you’re booked to go out there and no-sell someone else’s offence while getting all your shit in (and it helps having someone as smooth and polished as Ashley D’Amboise out there with you) but Kayla Rossi just does some seriously impressive shit athletically in the ring that you can’t help but get excited for her progression. I wanna see both these women with the #AllElite graphic at some point.
Note: Just because I give a match a low rating doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it for what it was nor is it necessarily a commentary on the competitors. Not all matches are meant to be 3-to-5 star matches.
By the way [Cheap Plug Alert!] wanna know about 4 other women I hope to see get the #AllElite graphic at some point? Have a look at this article below!😅
Kayla Rossi wins via pinfall
Kayla Rossi wins via pinfallElite
- Kayla Rossi's athleticism
- Ashley D'Amboise's selling
Mid
- Short squash on Dark
