10 Ups & 7 Downs For AEW In 2020 (So Far)

2. The Dark Order's Stench

Brodie Lee's situation is unfortunate. Double Or Nothing's bout was a ghoulish violence-fest that revealed him an outstanding brawler and still one of the best big men in the sport, going down as his greatest singles match perhaps since leaving the independents to sign for WWE in 2012. His promo delivery is strong, he puts care into his act, and he is almost certainly more fulfilled here than he was at his last place of work, given his increased television time.

But The Dark Order's act still isn't working. Much of this is down to the gimmick's failure prior to his arrival, of course, though things like the old Vince McMahon jabs didn't help either. For the most part, the masked group isn't sufficiently removed from its horrible early days to be taken as a serious concern, even when Lee was tangling with Moxley, and there's a strong chance it'll never be truly salvageable.

The current Colt Cabana storyline conjures conflicting emotions: it's a believable, well-told story of Lee and the Order targeting another downtrodden roster member, but it isn't taking because of the damage done before. This must be addressed before the year ends.