Hook and Rob Van Dam are an utterly superb unit, bridging the gap between the former's past and present via a wrestling company that still means much to the residents of Philadelphia and those with any deep affection for the original alternative.
The Dark Order were just warm bodies in a match that was purposefully lightweight - Hook and RVD aren't rampaging towards Tag Team title glory, but it's nice to see an intergenerational bond form between the two for whenever they're both in town. Both contributed equally in that respect, both hot tags registered, and both looked happy to be in each other's company by the end. For Hook in particular to flash a smile was a genuinely sweet character development for the 'cold hearted handsome devil'.
At its very best, AEW still booked matches that were as much to run fixtures and keep up the pretence of the sporting framework. There's still no better way to conduct undercard business, even when other aspects of the product aren't quite as hot.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
