6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dark (Jan 12)
Dark Order-ly conduct rules on AEW Dark, with Ricky Starks, Flight, and Tay Conti also highlighted.
AEW cut back on this week's episode of Dark, presenting around 92 minutes of action rather than the usual two hours plus. A welcome move, given the show's usual bloat, and the episode benefitted greatly from it.
Only a couple of bouts could reasonably describe as completely skippable. Yes, the show was mostly about warming up for Dynamite and giving the Wednesday competitors predictable wins, but it's unlikely that Dark will ever be more than that. Any variation on the usual layout is welcome.
Amongst the highlighted competitors were Tay Conti and Serena Deeb, who go one-on-one for the NWA Women's Championship on Dynamite and successfully highlighted contrasting styles in their respective bouts. Conti's pal, Anna Jay, was also in action, as were the rest of The Dark Order, sans -1, of course. Brodie Lee. Jr. has presumably retreated to the Order's keep in preparation for his big showdown with Marko Stunt.
Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Red Velvet, and the Varsity Blondes also scored wins. Other notable events saw a beefy tag team pick up their first victory and a fun, competitive main event between Top Flight and Chaos Project.
Let's light the fuse...