1 Up & 5 Downs From AEW Dark (Jan 28)

1. Slipping Standards

Shanna AEW
AEW

Nobody should expect regular ****+ matches from Dark despite clashes the calibre of Kenny Omega and Joey Janela occasionally going down, but in-ring standards were worryingly low last night, with multiple botches and miscommunications crammed into a neat runtime.

What's going on here? One might look at the wrestlers involved and say "well, these guys just aren't as good as Cody, Omega, and co." A fair point, but Evil Uno and Grayson are tremendous wrestlers, despite their act. Sonny Kiss is crammed with athletic potential. Shanna is an underrated hand, Nyla Rose has looked tremendous in previous clashes, and Kip Sabian is very polished. These people can work.

This is another symptom of Dark's slide. It seems that the promotion has abandoned it as an effective showcase for those wrestlers not fortunate enough to make it onto Dynamite. That's disappointing. While the show was never going to be must-see, appointment viewing, the concept had potential. Now, it's the most skippable weekly on the chaotic modern wrestling schedule.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.