7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dark (Jul 21)

2. Darby Allin vs. Robert Anthony

Scoring Darby Allin's first match in several months was a significant boon to Dark. Darby is always one of AEW's most exciting performers, no matter who he's wrestling, and his presence gave the web series a major hook this week.

Robert Anthony is an interesting line between Allin and new rival Brian Cage. 'The Machine' ran through Anthony on Dark a few weeks ago, crushing him in a matter of seconds. Darby, meanwhile, had significantly more trouble, as he continually took his eye off the ball to stare Taz down across the building, infuriating his foe.

Anthony had to scream in Darby's face and slap his chest to get him to focus, drawing an explosion from Allin, who got distracted again when the fight went outside, allowing 'Ego' to whip him into an exposed beam beneath the ring. Darby later broke control with a couple of armbar attempts before nailing a Coffin Drop to a standing opponent on the outside, then heading back in to finish it up with an over-the-top Stunner and another Coffin.

Great to have Allin back, as he's one of the easiest wrestlers in the company to root for. The Cage rivalry is heating up nicely as well...