6 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dark (Sep 8)

AEW's B-show returns to its best form after trimming the fat.

by Andy H Murray
Brian Cage
AEW

All Out 2020 was a messy and unfortunate pay-per-view for All Elite Wrestling, with issues like Matt Hardy's concussion (and how the promotion handled it), Jim Ross' sloppy night on commentary, the Tooth and Nail match's low comedy, and an underdelivering Tag Team Title bout necessitating a rebound week. This applies more to Dynamite than Dark, though the web series experienced a significant upturn in quality.

This was Dark's most satisfying outing in weeks. Stripped away were the usual copy/paste layouts perpetrated by Shawn Spears and co., replaced by tighter, more concise action across a shorter runtime. Seven matches played out in under 50 minutes. The change was welcome after recent YouTube marathons and the strong blend of lopsided poundings, competitive-but-comprehensive pseudo squashes, and more competitive back-and-forth encounters was most welcome.

More of this, please.

Amongst the highlighted stars were Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Sonny Kiss, Anna Jay, and Eddie Kingston. Alas, there was no sign of The Initiative after splitting last week, meaning we'll have to wait for them to face off in the quest to grab their first AEW victory.

Let's light the fuse...

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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.