5 Ups & 8 Downs From AEW Dark (Aug 25)

by Andy H Murray

1. Lance Archer vs. D3

Lance Archer jobber
AEW

Lance Archer is the Dark benchmark.

He's the guy everyone else who wrestles on this show every week should be looking to as an example. Like them, he essentially works the same style of match each time out, beating jobbers with very little resistance. What separates 'The Murderhawk Monster' from Shawn Spears and The Initiative, however, is his ability to switch things up, tweaking his layout just enough to maintain effectiveness and prevent extreme repetition from kicking in, as he did against D3.

This one saw Lance get fired up after screaming at D3 to hit him, pull out of a pinfall after a Chokeslam at two, gouge the eyes, and thwart a doomed comeback to win via Blackout and EBD Claw. Good stuff.

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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.