5 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dark (Jun 2)

1. Bully Boy Tactics

Santana and Ortiz were complete schoolyard bullies in their match with EJ Lewis and Big Game Leroy, who, like Jon Cruz and Joe Alonzo earlier in the night, did absolutely nothing against the established tandem.

This was exactly what it needed to be. Proud and Powerful flexed their superiority over their opponents throughout, from Santana kicking a Nintendo Switch out of Leroy's hands to the way they abused their opposite numbers between the ropes. Working the jobbers over individually and as a team, they didn't pass up a single opportunity to talk trash, intimidate, or mock. When Leroy tried to re-enter and break the heat on Lewis, Santana literally walked him down as if he was about to snatch his lunch money. Good stuff.

A dominant victory for a tag team who has struggled to establish themselves in the rankings since arriving in AEW. Wins like this should ideally lead to bigger bouts, so fingers crossed we see Santana and Ortiz in more substantial roles before long.