5 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dark (Jun 9)
Jon Moxley drops by to lift Dark up as Squash Match Theatre returns.
This week's AEW Dark was back to the show's new norm, as the previous event's 45-minute runtime was doubled back up with eight similarly-structured matches, leading for a more sluggish viewing experience at various points throughout.
That being said, the increased effort AEW is putting into their web series is appreciated. Much of the show remains Squash Match Theatre. This is true, but there are storylines up and down the card as well, with the Allie/Natural Nightmares saga playing out exclusively on Dark, Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler pushing forward as a tag team after temporarily accepting their lot as failed singles wrestlers, and World Champion Jon Moxley meeting an old indie foe in Robert Anthony.
It feels like the promotion is trying to level Dark up before switching it to TNT later this year. An essential move, if this is to be their second show on cable, though there's still much work to be done. It's hard to imagine too many people tuning in or sticking around for some of these overly-competitive pseudo squashes.
Proud and Powerful, SoCal Uncensored, Jurassic Express, The Butcher and the Blade, and more all joined the party this week.
Let's light the fuse...