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

3. Blunt Meat Cleavers

The Butcher and The Blade
AEW

A rare miss for The Butcher and The Blade here, as they were made to work their way past Mike Verna and Baron Black, only overcoming the enhancement talents when The Bunny hopped onto the apron for a referee distraction.

Finishes like this rarely resonate well, particularly in the clean finish haven that is AEW. This one contrasts with FTR vs. Jurassic Express, which felt more like a couple of *ssholes cheating not because they had to, but because they felt like it. Here, Butcher and Blade looked like they needed the interference to win.

Couple this with an overly competitive match layout that did little to elevate the bruisers, and you're left with one of the tandem's less effective squashes. They should have carved right through these guys in this scenario.

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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.