6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dark (Jul 14)
In which Brian Cage mauls Brian Pillman Jr. ahead of Fight for the Fallen.
There was technically a championship match on last night's AEW Dark.
It was the FTW Championship, as Brian Cage put Taz's old trinket, passed down to him at Fyter Fest last week, on the line against MLW's Brian Pillman Jr., who joined AEW's web series for the second week running. This is not a strap to be treated on the same level as any other in the promotion. Contendership won't be won through rankings, the Executive Vice Presidents won't forcefully sanction matches, and it won't be booked with prestige in mind. The FTW Title is more an extension of Taz's wrestling ideology than a traditional championship. It's a symbol of the ECW legend's chip-on-the-shoulder, back-against-the-wall, us versus them mentality, hence why Cage "defended" it against a man who couldn't even hope to beat him.
Other highlighted acts included Jurassic Express (who faced the strengthening Peter Avalon/Brandon Cutler), The Nightmare Sisters, Ricky Starks, The Dark Order, and the new Luther/Serpentico tandem. It was the same old story in terms of format, layout, and pacing, though a couple of the night's peaks were far from skippable, despite the troughs.
Let's light the fuse...