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

2. Lucha Brothers vs. Dontae Smiley and Maxx Stardom

Eddie Kingston Lucha Brothers
AEW

Though largely fit for purpose, this was entirely too long for what it needed to be.

Maxx Stardom surprising Rey Fenix with a Gedo Clutch should have been the end of him and Dontae Smiley. Instead, they were controlled for a long, uninteresting period early on, with the Lucha Brothers utilising a variation on the worst move in professional wrestling, the Paradise Lock, to stifle Maxx. Time passed at a glacial pace before Smiley tagged in, ran through a few spots, then got out of there, leaving Stardom to take the fall via a double-team Package Piledriver.

The Lucha Brothers are perfectly capable of being nasty, over-the-top pricks in situations like this. Here, it felt like they didn't want to break a sweat.

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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.