4 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dark (May 19)

3. Shawn Dean vs. Rey Fenix

In which Shawn Dean moved closer to the Alan Angels tier of AEW enhancement talents by looking good against an established upper-midcarder in ways that did nothing to undermine the opponent.

Rey Fenix is a king of maximising his minutes. He did it with Angels last week and again here, making Dean looking great in his defensive periods and dazzling while in control. One of the most creative wrestlers walking the face of the earth, unless he sh*ts the bed, Fenix is always a joy to watch - and he never seems to sh*t the bed.

An exciting semi-squash that eventually presented Rey as being too much for his opponent to handle, this accomplished everything it set out to.

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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.