5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dark (May 12)
Dark trebles its match count thanks to a detour through Squash Match City.
Finally, a new episode of AEW Dark worthy of the Ups and Downs treatment
That isn't a comment on the show's quality, but its brevity. Recent shows have featured only one or two matches. Last week was the exception with three, though Dark has largely been stretched thin by the ongoing global health crisis, forcing AEW to spread their prerecorded content out as much as possible. This has presumably changed with the new taping schedule: last night saw nine separate bouts. Tony Khan has promised a similar number next week.
Built primarily around a Luther vs. Jimmy Havoc No DQ headliner, this edition of Dark was squashy as hell. There were showcases for the likes of Britt Baker, Rey Fenix, Orange Cassidy, and more, as these wrestlers moved up the rankings through one-sided shellackings. They varied in quality, though anyone weary of the abundance of squashes that have featured on AEW television may want to skip this episode - particularly as none were as dominant as Lance Archer and Brodie Lee's recent crimes against goobers.
Regardless, these 73 minutes absolutely flew by, serving as another solid slice of escapism in these sports starved times...