4 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dark (July 7)

4. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luther

'The Original Death Dealer' Dr. 'Japanese Deathmatch Legend' Luther is very slow and very old, plodding his way through singles matches like he's working in molasses, suggesting the veteran should probably be restricted to multi-person bouts and plunder brawls going forward. Franke Kazarian worked hard with him and there'll always be a solidity to the SCU man's matches, but this one didn't hit.

Luther is now doing this thing where he shrieks loudly in an irritating, high-pitched voice at the referee and his opponent. He's crazy, you see. A little bit off the wall. It's supposed to intimidate and unsettle but it comes off dumb and hokey like much of the rest of his gimmick, meaning he looks more like a jester than a deathmatch horror. It is tough to watch.

Giving Luther so much made Kazarian look silly throughout, though at least the result was right. Kaz won with a top-rope victory roll.