7 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dark (Jan 26)
-1 hits the commentary booth, Miro mauls, and The Butcher butchers. AEW Dark was fun last night.
AEW Dark is the first wrestling show in history that works as well as a podcast as it does a visual experience.
That isn't to discredit the wrestlers, as checking out newcomers like the touted Davienne and rookie Brook Havoc (competing in her first match ever here) is a big part of the appeal. Rey Fenix, Jurassic Express, Ricky Starks, and others are greatly appreciated for going the extra mile to make their pseudo squashes interesting, too, while Powerhouse Hobbs and Danny Limelight have broken out on Dark. The in-ring isn't all interchangeable five-minuters with no discernible difference in layout.
It's just that the audio component is such a hoot every week that it might be Dark's biggest drawing card.
Taz and Excalibur rule. They cut loose on YouTube, constantly bantering each other off throughout the night while still calling the action, dropping dozens of clips that deserve to go viral every time out. Elsewhere, you might hear the characteristically smooth tones of Ricky Starks, Anthony Ogogo learning his craft, or -1 swinging by to prove, once again, that he is the greatest. Dark's commentary team don't take themselves too seriously, and it's great.
Miro, Britt Baker, SoCal Uncensored, and The Butcher and The Blade were among the wrestlers highlighted this week.
Let's light the fuse...