‘AEW: Dark’ Review (July 5th 2022)
Another episode of AEW: Dark, which this week is once again being taped at AEW Universal. We join Taz and Excalibur, commentators for Dark as usual, for eight matches and what looks, on paper, like a stacked card!
Match #1: Lee Moriarty def. Leon Ruffin
My Thoughts: Got to love a match that features two great wrestlers like Moriarty and Ruffin. This one could’ve done with a more animated and excited audience – or one that was more interested in WRESTLING rather than high-flying or comedy antics. Other than that this was a solid affair with two guys who looked like they were determined to put on a great wrestling match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bear Country def. Adrian Alanis & Liam Gray
My Thoughts: I always love seeing Bear Country in action on AEW programming, it’s just a shame that they don’t seem to be on TV as often as they once were PLUS, when they appear on the main shows they always seem to be jobbed out to a “bigger” team. Which shouldn’t be the case – and that’s evident by what they pull off in this match!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: AQA def. Avery Breaux
My Thoughts: AQA is another wrestler who seemingly arrived in AEW to huge fanfare and has since fizzled. I know there was an injury of some sort but that seems to have really halted any momentum she had; and so she’s relegated to YouTube shows – where she at least puts on great matches.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Josh Woods def. Barrett Brown
My Thoughts: This was a quick squash match for Woods, which was really there to sell a future storyline between Woods, Tony Nese and “Smart” Mark Sterling. I dig Woods but he needs more than these YouTube matches in AEW. Hopefully he becomes a focus in ROH when that relaunches a weekly TV show.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #5: Sonny Kiss def. Lamar Diggs
My Thoughts: Wow Lamar Diggs is a big guy. Even bigger when compared to the slight Sonny Kiss. Diggs got a bit of offence in, making this an AEW quasi-squash match rather than a full-blown squash. I’d be up for seeing more of Diggs in AEW going forward.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Fuego Del Sol def. Aaron Solo
My Thoughts: Always love seeing Fuego Del Sol matches on AEW programming, even more so when he’s facing great opponents like Aaron Solo – opponents who bring their A-game to the match and thus get the A-game out of Fuego. And that’s what we got here!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh def. Darian Bengston & Gus De La Vega
My Thoughts: Let me just copy and paste yesterday’s Elevation comments because they still apply… Eugh… Jay Lethal needs to go back to the drawing board. Poor Satnam Singh is being dragged down by him each and every match. Singh needs someone who’s going to lift him, up not try and steal the spotlight all the time. Even if he TRIES to put Singh over post-match, it feels totally disingenuous.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #8: The Dark Order def. The Wingmen
My Thoughts: When they’re not fighting The Factory, Dark Order face The Wingmen. We’ve been here before, we’ve ridden this rodeo horse before. As I keep saying, we need something new to close both Dark and Elevation. I get it, Dark Order are a crowd pleaser and it’s a great way to send people home satisfied. But it’s getting tired now. Unfortunately. Still, after all that, this was still a great match!
