5 Ups & 6 Downs From AEW Dark (Sep 22)

by Andy H Murray

1. Ben Carter vs. Lee Johnson

Another Ben Carter match, another banger.

Late Night Dynamite saw the up-and-comer work an awesome bout with Scorpio Sky. It was all about establishing the hyper-athletic Carter as someone who could hang with a veteran opponent, as he foiled Sky with a surprising level of fight time and time again, before the experience gap came into play and Scorp took the victory. Here, he faced a wrestler far closer to him on the hierarchy in Lee Johnson.

This was nuts. Carter and Johnson worked at a level far beyond the usual Dark offering, yielding one of the finest matches in the YouTube series' history as a result. That's a low bar, admittedly, but they fought out of their skins, and while Carter will understandably get the headlines, it was great to see Lee being given the opportunity to show what he can do as well.

A match that built towards a thrilling series of nearfalls finished with Carter's Frog Splash. Running through the bout's better moments would spoil the fun of watching it, so just check it out. A must-see for anyone who likes their wrestling fast, fluid, and energetic.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.