7 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dark (Sep 15)

6. Best Friends vs. Maxx Stardom & Dontae Smiley

Best Friends
AEW

Best Friends have a habit of sticking to a Dark formula that gives their opponents a little too much when competing on Tuesday nights. This fortunately wasn't the case here, with Trent and Chuck Taylor running through the debuting Maxx Stardom and Dontae Smiley quickly and effectively.

Taylor and Trent worked with increased aggression ahead of their parking lot brawl with Santana and Ortiz, bringing that feud's heat into the bout with Stardom and Smiley. They hit a little harder than usual, showed increased urgency, and got the job done with minimal fuss, planting Smiley with consecutive piledrivers for the W.

Worked with a tone entirely appropriate for Best Friends' current state of mind, this hit the mark.

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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.