7 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dark (Jul 28)
2. Santana & Ortiz vs. SoCal Uncensored vs. Private Party
A proper main event with three well-known tag teams? That doesn't sound very Dark, but it's what we got last night - and it was good. Hooray!
This was a sound way to build momentum for one of three teams looking to climb the ladder in the title picture. AEW went with Santana and Ortiz, which was the right choice. These guys are genuinely one of the best duos on the planet yet they've barely come close to sniffing the gold, so hopefully their victory earmarks the beginning of a longer, more sustained push, moving the duo away from goofy comedy.
Big Money Matt Hardy was at ringside, fanning himself with stacks of cash while his boys, Private Party, worked their usual flashy style, even pulling off a Hardy Boyz-style leg drop/splash combo. Marq Quen ended up taking the fall, though. Santana and Ortiz stole it when Santana distracted the referee, Oritz threw the Madball at Quen, and the official confiscated it. The distraction allowed a nutshot and the cradle.