6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dark (Feb 9)

Ups...

6. Students Push Veterans To The Limit

Christopher Daniels mlem
AEW

This was a slight flip on the usual Dark format, which would usually call for Dynamite wrestlers to pick up a win ahead of the Wednesday night flagship. Here, Lee Johnson (alongside Aaron Solow) lost to SoCal Uncensored (though he didn't take the fall). Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels disbandment stipulation means the Nightmare Family crew were never realistically going to win, so AEW compensated for the loss of that rub by giving Johnson and Solow another: an 11-minute runtime.

Good, basic stuff here, with Kaz looking particularly smooth. A traditional layout saw the two teams working chains and jostling for control early on, before SCU enjoyed a more extended period of control over Solow. This led to a sick Johnson hot tag that saw him run wild without pulling out anything too eye-popping.

The younger wrestlers hanging with the veterans was the story here. They did just that, pushing Kaz and Daniels before the 10-minute call before the Best Meltzer Ever ended Solow's night.

Advertisement
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.