AEW Dark Review - May 10, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jay Lethal def. Jake Something

IMPACT fans will know Something, who just wrapped up his run there recently. I believe his contract expired and he chose not to renew, which was the right call in my opinion since it was clear they didn't have any plans to push him on his own. That said, he's very talented and I'm glad he had an opportunity against Lethal here, even though this was mostly about Lethal. Hopefully he's brought back soon.

Alex Reynolds def. Jake Manning

Unlike Jake Something, Manning has never been signed to a major promotion, but he has appeared on Dark a time or two before. Not only that, but if I remember correctly, he actually joined AEW's merchandising department not too long ago, so I'm happy for him as someone who has been following his career for last 13 years (he was in action at the very first independent wrestling show I attended in 2009). I can totally understand viewers not digging his Manscout comedy, but I enjoyed this for what it was.

Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn) def. Fly Def

Fly Def were an impressive pair of young guys and they were able to showcase their skills a bit, but they didn't stand a chance against Gunn Club (who had Billy in their corner, of course). This was no different than any Gunn Club match you've ever seen. I don't loathe them as much as I once did since they're better off in the heel role, but I get the feeling they're back to pulling Dark duty for the foreseeable future now that they've had their time on TV and have been positioned as jobbers.

"Captain" Shawn Dean def. Serpentico

I completely forgot that Dean beat MJF by count-out not too long ago as well as Shawn Spears by pinfall around that same time. Has he been featured on Dynamite or Rampage since? If not, that's a shame because he's very skilled and AEW should've capitalized on whatever momentum he had. I'm glad he went over here, but the match didn't need to last as long as it did, especially if Luther was going be relentlessly screaming at ringside. It's unbearable.

Lee Johnson and Brock Anderson def. Brick City Boyz

I'm familiar with Brick City Boyz from some of the matches I've seen them have in Northeast Wrestling over the last year. They also appeared on Dark a few months ago, though they quickly lost to Gunn Club that night. This was more competitive and I thought they looked good in defeat. It's obvious the company still has no idea what to do with what's left of The Nightmare Family now that Cody Rhodes is gone. Johnson and Anderson are right where they belong on Dark, but I can't see them ascending the tag team ranks much further.

Abadon def. Vicky Dreamboat

Another week, another Abadon squash. I'm not too sure what to say about this one other than it was exactly what you'd expect. It's been well documented that I've never been a fan of her character, but a majority of the AEW audience seems to like her, so it is weird that more isn't being done with her on television. As I've asked before, what's the point of keeping her around if all she's going to do is rack up pointless wins on the Darks shows that don't actually amount to anything?

Jora Johl def. Trip Jordy

Johl mentioned in a backstage promo beforehand that Matt Hardy promised to make him a big star only to leave without telling him. Unfortunately for Johl, I don't see his fortunes changing with Andrade El Idolo at the helm of the group. Nonetheless, he felt like the babyface in this match because some of Jordy's mannerisms were so damn annoying. This was a fine credibility-boosting win for Johl.

Kiera Hogan def. Skye Blue

I'm all for Hogan getting more television time and more of a push now that she's officially aligned with Jade Cargill as part of The Baddies. I've probably complained more than anyone about how AEW has way too many factions, but that's one I can get behind because all three of them have terrific chemistry together. Blue is a competent competitor in her own right, so this was a nice little match designed to give Hogan a somewhat notable victory.

The Factory (Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto) def. Kevin Knight and The DKC

Knight and DKC are from New Japan Pro-Wrestling's LA Dojo. As I've said before, it's cool that those newcomers are getting exposure with appearances on Dark. I can't say Knight or DKC did anything that impressed me, but then again, they were in there with a team that's beyond bland in The Factory. Comoroto can be a decent big man, but Solo bores me to tears. This felt like one long heat segment for The Factory. The only interesting thing happened afterward when DKC got put through two tables at ringside.

Rohit Raju def. Adam Priest

I hope Jake Something can reach a point Rohit Raju is currently at where he's used occasionally for the Dark shows and win a match here and there because both former IMPACT wrestlers above your average enhancement talent that isn't under a deal to the company. I've sang Raju's praises before because the guy is great and I love that they're allowing him to shine, albeit in short matches. Better yet, they've given him mic time in pre-taped promos and that's only going to help his case.

The Dark Order (Evil Uno and Preston "10" Vance) def. Tiger Ruas and Cezar Bononi

The more Bononi appears alongside Ruas, the more it makes me think he's done with The Wingmen. I'm in full favor of that move because The Wingmen were always a waste of a group, but I wish these things were actually explained on the shows. Bononi has way more chemistry with Ruas than he did with anyone in The Wingmen, though he's still not very good in the ring. This wasn't a thrilling main event by any means, but Dark Order held it together and it was decent enough. Ruas and Bononi feel like a Dark project, so hopefully they can continue to improve and hone their craft.

Overall Show

Eleven matches over the course of 80 minutes? Why? Dark has been better lately about featuring less matches in under an hour, but this edition went past that mark and it wasn't necessary. There were multiple matches that could have either been shorter or not happened at all. Less is more with the Dark shows and I wish they'd go back to following that formula. On the bright side, I got to see some faces I'm a fan of from outside of AEW and it was cool that they were featured.​

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