10 Times AEW Turned Trash Into Treasure
2. The Dark Order
Supernatural wrestling wasn't always so horrendous - Kevin Sullivan had some presence, and it helped rather a lot that he was a quality brawler - and if AEW was to offer a "buffet" to fans bored by WWE's one-dimensional approach, you can see why a spot of spooky b*llocks was pitched in the experimental phase of the promotion.
Not the best idea to base one of the biggest storylines in the promotion around it, mind, Jesus Christ.
The Dark Order act was unfathomably awful in 2019. The "creepers" were the least intimidating act in major league wrestling history, and while the idea was to convey that they only had "strength in numbers," it wouldn't have mattered if there were 5,000 of them. They looked like trash.
The idea (as reported by Dave Meltzer but denied by Matt Jackson) was for a debuting Marty Scurll to have been revealed to have formed the Dark Order, in the shadows, as he waited to avenge being left behind by the Elite. They dodged a bullet with an idea that wasn't half-bad in 2019, but even then, the presentation of the act was pathetic. As small-time as it gets.
It was all saved by a much better and less problematic 'Exalted One': Mr. Brodie Lee, who, after an inspired red herring-strewn marketing campaign and less inspired Mr. McMahon impression, devised a genius bit.
His conniption fits at his moronic underlings were priceless. He struck a tremendous balance between being terrifying and entertaining and, in a less cruel world, built an unreal match with John Silver in particular. That David Vs. Goliath attraction remains pro wrestling's elusive masterpiece of a dream match.
Rest in peace.