6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dark (Aug 4)

2. Scorpio Sky vs. Will Hobbs

This was earnestly great - and that's not something one can credibly say about Dark often.

Hobbs, a regular highlight on Tuesdays, trucked Sky before the bell. He flattened him in two separate corners before hossing him all around the ring, almost putting the SoCal Uncensored man away with his big boy power moves. This shock-and-awe approach almost paid off until Sky slipped out of what looked like a corner Powerslam, put the beefcake in the corner, and hit his TKO for the victory, having given Hobbs just enough to look credible without sacrificing his own victory rub. A tremendous layout.

Scorp needed this. He has done well to elevate his overmatched opponents in recent Dark outings, though the format had started to wear thin. Here, he was a lot more assured - and yet Hobbs still came away looking better than when he'd walked in.

Shout-outs to Tony Schiavone for popping Taz's !*$% off during the entrances, too. "Boys and Men," for f*ck's sake. How can you not love the veteran announcer?