10 AEW Dark Matches You Must See

4. Penelope Ford & Kip Sabian Vs. Kenny Omega & Riho (February 4th 2020)

Kenny Omega Joey Janela
AEW

A glorious inter-gender match on a glorious occasion, AEW's only experimentation with the form worked wonderfully in spite of itself.

The contest was filmed on Chris Jericho's cruise without any of the production quality saved for the stunning Dynamite matches that also took place on the boat, yet shone in the darkness thanks to the enthusiasm of the performers and an invested audience that constantly feel on top of the viewer.

As usual, Riho was incredible on the sympathetic sell, particularly with a pr*ck like Kip Sabian unloading with some of the offence. He earned the pummelling he took from Omega at various points in a delightful contemporary take on the traditional tag formula.

It might not be something they go back to too often, but it speaks to the expressiveness of the organisation at large that the wrestlers were given the opportunity to show it off in the first place. And even if the battle doesn't totally work for you, Omega and Riho's matching gear will reduce you to rubble before the opening bell.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett