While much was made of AEW’s celebration of Dynamite a few weeks ago, the date also marked the one year anniversary of AEW DARK which began in October 2019 as the company’s secondary show. But DARK has become so much more in the ensuing year as what started out as a version of WWE’s Main Event has somewhat fortuitously turned into a platform/opportunity for dozens of indie wrestling stars to have their chance to shine. And tonight, AEW celebrates that evolution as the two-hour, 16-match card features matches that wouldn’t feel out of place on any version of DARK. Let’s take a quick look at the stacked card and some of what to expect from tonight’s show.
All Three Members of SCU in Singles Action
It’s a historic night on AEW DARK as for the first time in AEW, all three members of SCU will be in singles action.
A few weeks ago on Being the Elite, Christopher Daniels cut an impassioned promo noting that while his time in wrestling is winding down, it’s not done yet. Daniels said he still feels he has unfinished business left to accomplish, though didn’t elaborate on what that was. With just a handful of singles matches to his name in AEW, Daniels will face a man who is one of DARK’s biggest winners in Shawn Spears. Spears’ 2020 DARK journey began with him seeking out a tag team partner but to no avail. When he stopped looking for a partner, Spears found a string of victories thanks to Tully Blanchard by his side and the black glove on his hand. Both men are talented performers and this should be a good match, featuring two guys who otherwise wouldn’t get the spotlight on Dynamite.
Frankie Kazarian will take on Jack Evans, just a few weeks removed from facing Angelico. Kazarian has had a handful of singles matches in AEW lately and so has Evans, as both men work to get their teams back into contention for the titles currently held by FTR. Both Kazarian and Evans are strong wrestlers and should put on a solid match that is the kind of thing DARK viewers have become accustomed to.
And then there is Scorpio Sky, the self-proclaimed King of AEW DARK. In many ways, Sky has been the barometer for success on AEW’s Tuesday night program. No one has won more matches on DARK than he has and earier this year, Sky parlayed the winning streak into an opportunity for the TNT Championship. Now, back on the show he helped put on the map, Sky will take on the returning Fuego Del Sol, who has had his fair share of matches on DARK. The formula should hold true here as the king will look to pick up yet another win on DARK, especially riding the feeling of being left out of AEW’s eliminator tournament to crown a new #1 contender.
DARK Debuts for KTB, Adam Priest, Vinny Pacifico and Louie Valle
AEW DARK has received a spotlight this year because of all the indie wrestling names who have had the opportunity to wrestle under a major company’s banner. And to think it largely happened by accident. The COVID pandemic forced AEW to rely on local talent to staff shows and from that, the DARK formula grew and grew to a point where wrestlers on the roster were recommending wrestlers for the program. And AEW delivered. Every week sees a new name debut as well and on this stacked edition of DARK, there are four such wrestlers, headlined by East coast indie star KTB. KTB was recently seen wrestling on the Collective and has had several high profile matches of late. He’ll face Jungle Boy in what could be a sleeper for match of the night. Priest will take on Alan Angels, Pacifico will face Wardlow in his tune-up match prior to the eliminator tourney, and Valle will team with D3 and Baron Black against the Dark Order team of Preston Vance, Alex Reynolds and John Silver.
Popular Makeshift Tag Teams Return for Action
AEW has done a good job of creating tag teams out of thin air. Take Ivelisse and Diamante for example. While both women certainly knew each other from their time on the indies and come from similar backgrounds, the two ladies had never tagged together prior to AEW’s deadly draw women’s tag team tournament. A tournament, which by the way, Las Sicarias won. Then there is the duo of Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison, who have received several nicknames during their several event appearances on DARK and Dynamite. Pillman’s name recognition aside, his team with Garrison has been a regular showing on DARK and has worked well for both men. On Tuesday, Ivelisse and Diamante will put their undefeated team record on the line against Kenzie Paige and Skyler Moore, while Pillman and Garrison will face the Butcher and the Blade.
Lucha Brothers In Singles Action Before Huge Showdown Wednesday
For their entire duration in AEW, Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M aka Fenix and Pentagon, have been seen as a duo. When the Lucha Brothers first arrived on the scene it was to feud with the Young Bucks in what was billed as a showdown between the two best tag teams in wrestling. The matches and the feud delivered as the two teams traded the AAA tag team championships back and forth before going their separate ways. But since then, Lucha Brothers ability to progress through the division has been stunted, due to reasons mostly out of their own control. The two were aligned with PAC but before Death Triangle could take off, PAC was stuck overseas. Then, as the pandemic hit, Pentagon and Fenix missed months as well. Upon returning, they were aligned with Eddie Kingston and Butcher and the Blade but that hasn’t done much other than create some eight man tags on DARK. But now, things are shifting as not only are both Fenix and Pentagon set for the eliminator tournament, but they are set for a first round meeting. It will be the first time since September 2019 that the two are standing on opposite sides of the ring, and the first time since April 2019 that it’s happening in a one-on-one match. Both will get singles tune-ups on Tuesday as Pentagon will take on QT Marshall and Fenix will go head-to-head with Sonny Kiss. Neither of these guys are getting matched up with AEW DARK’s indie talent so the outcome is less than a certainty. Perhaps one will win and one will lose, something that could have a huge impact heading into Dynamite.
The Rest of the Card
Matt Sydal vs Shawn Dean
Brandi Rhodes (with Dustin Rhodes) vs KiLynn King
Colt Cabana vs Bshp King
Ricky Starks vs David Ali
Stay tuned to Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW DARK Tuesday nights at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
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