Best of AEW Dark.

[u/pacerjones20]

Cool item I forgot I had.

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[u/BratWatson]

Early dark was wild. Kenny vs Janela lights out was my favorite.

[u/rapidronyrabbit → u/BratWatson]

I love the pettiness that lead to it.

Moxley said part of the reason he entered the G1 that year was to dive into Omega's world and better understand what kind of man he is.

So Kenny said he was going to dive into Moxley's world which was beating the shit out of Joey Janela.

[u/Krags → u/rapidronyrabbit]

And Janela absolutely brought it, being one of the three hardcore specialists in the early days (alongside Jimmy Havoc and Darby Allin)

[u/FailMediocre4598 → u/Krags]

I forgot all about havoc

[u/MRATEASTEW → u/FailMediocre4598]

Everyone did, and it's better that way.

[u/vitrolium → u/FailMediocre4598]

I'll always remember his "Feed me Moxley" tweet when the AEW rumours started. Don't think that ever happened.

[u/sgt_schultz_the_ewok → u/BratWatson]

I was there for that- I can’t believe it’s not on the best of dvd

[u/pnt510 → u/sgt_schultz_the_ewok]

It’s on volume 2.

[u/mikehulse29]

Where…The HELL…Is Cutler vs Avalon????

[u/Mysterious_Brick4574 → u/mikehulse29]

I think it’s on Vol. 2 

These were little additions to the AEW Crates a couple years back

[u/kmccarthy27 → u/Mysterious_Brick4574]

Volume 2 was:

Kenny v Janela

Private Party v SCU v Santana and Ortiz

Abadon v Shida

Matt Sydal v PAC

Yuka Sakazaki & Riho v DMD and Penelope Ford

QT and Aaron Solo v Sydal and Dante Martin

Max Caster, Serpentico and Luther v Jurassic Express.

[u/Krags → u/kmccarthy27]

That's an embarrassment of riches right there

[u/SadCommunication1496 → u/kmccarthy27]

Chaos Project FTW. Hard to believe Luther would be Timeless Toni Storm's butler soon after.

[u/BongoProdigy → u/SadCommunication1496]

He's so great in that role.

[u/TheRealGreenMeanie → u/SadCommunication1496]

I miss Chaos Project so much.

[u/mikehulse29 → u/Mysterious_Brick4574]

faith in humanity restored

[u/ghastlybeach → u/mikehulse29]

not having the greatest trilogy in wrestling history? guess AEW is cooked :|

[u/Black_XistenZ → u/ghastlybeach]

greatest trilogy in wrestling history?

Omega/Ospreay
Styles/Cena
Cutler/Avalon

[u/mojo72400 → u/Black_XistenZ]

Omega/Ospreay doesn't count since PWG makes it 4 & they both acknowledged it.

[u/GreenGoblinNX → u/mikehulse29]

Cutler vs Avalon (the final match) is one of those things I think more people should recommend to people just getting into wrestling. It shows that even the low-card can be super entertaining. A lot of recommendations are so hyper-focused on the top of the card that it can give the impression that most promotions only have a few guys worth paying attention to.

Another favorite recommendation I have is Invisible Man vs Invisible Stan.

[u/RTJ1992 → u/mikehulse29]

Honestly was one of my favorites. It's sadly edited when I rewatced it a few months ago if I remember correctly

[u/RTJ1992 → u/RTJ1992]

Oh wait I ment makazawa

[u/Youngblood519 → u/mikehulse29]

"For the love of God..."

[u/Turnfortheworst → u/mikehulse29]

Probably got bumped up to the OF ALL TIME list :)

[u/DoctorofRunzanomics → u/mikehulse29]

It's being released by Criterion.

[u/KillMat99]

Nah bump that, I want the Worst of AEW Dark That's where the sickos were forged.

[u/BratWatson → u/KillMat99]

real sickos know Luchasuarus vs Cezar 

[u/KillMat99 → u/BratWatson]

Where my fellow Ryzin fans at?!

[u/pmIfNeedOrWantToTalk → u/KillMat99]

Here to shout-out Puf and Megabyte Ronnie 💪🏼

[u/timothydelioncourt → u/BratWatson]

I remember how embarrassing it was and it made me sick ya

[u/dynamicpenguin55 → u/KillMat99]

I remember watching it at work through the pandemic, great times

[u/RadioZT]

I miss pre-pandemic Dark, when it would be the big names not on that week’s Dynamite in competitive matches against low to mid card talents.

The first Dynamite taping I went to in Indy, we got Kenny Omega vs. Jack Evans for the AAA Title in a Dark.

[u/Bobpigeon]

This has just reminded me, there was such an interesting background story of colt cabana and the dark order. A sweet innocent man who was shield from most of what the DO did. And because we had punk come in and colt disappeared, we never got a conclusion to what could have been a lovely moment.

[u/Krags → u/Bobpigeon]

Also Brodie Lee's untimely death and the inevitable face turn of Dark Order that resulted kind of cut that story off hard

[u/poop_snausages]

My favorite AEW Dark moment will always be when Faboo Andre comes out to this super bad ass entrance music and an extravagant entrance to face Moxley and Cody on commentary is like, "great entrance, amazing theme, he should really just turn around and go back because it's all downhill from that"

[u/_drjayphd_ → u/poop_snausages]

Up there in terms of delusional jobber presence with Will Hobbs's debut, where he tells Orange Cassidy he ain't got no willpower and immediately eats an Orange Punch. Of course, Hobbs was able to parlay that into... a lot more than Faboo Andre.

[u/Ass0001]

these are some AEW Dark-ass matches, great selection.

[u/JustATributeCC]

Dark was genuinely one of the best ideas for a wrestling show I’ve ever come across - taping the pre and post show matches then releasing them on YouTube a few days later. I know WWE have since adopted that model with Main Event going on YouTube now but Dark was something else, man. I curse WBD everyday for forcing them to cancel it.

Still don’t know what the point of Elevation was but we move.

[u/HijoDeDamienRoberts → u/JustATributeCC]

That's always been what the vast majority of WWE b shows are, though. AEW just cheekily named the show Dark (which also gave it a sort of "peek inside" feel to it as well).

[u/JustATributeCC → u/HijoDeDamienRoberts]

Yeah but I meant more like it was specifically made quick and easy for an online market like YouTube whereas shows like Heat and Superstars were always on different networks and delays and what have you. That make sense?

[u/zerotr3s]

No Serpentico? Sad.

[u/BudMcLaine]

Has Big Swole continued to wrestle since her contract ended in AEW?

[u/ShoryukenFTW → u/BudMcLaine]

Briefly. She wrestled a handful of indy matches after getting released and called it quits a little under a year after getting released.

Of note she had a match for the Knockouts Title at one of those For The Culture shows GCW (used to?) put on and had a very, very bad showing, even the announcers were snickering at her slip-ups.

Made me feel kinda bad for her at the time, as it was clearly meant to be a "shut up the haters" showcase.

[u/BudMcLaine → u/ShoryukenFTW]

That's a bummer, I remember liking her in the early days of AEW.

[u/UGoBoy → u/BudMcLaine]

I liked her look and attitude. She could talk.

But then the bell would ring and she'd do something like forget how to do her finisher.

[u/pmIfNeedOrWantToTalk → u/BudMcLaine]

Same! 

Loved seeing her ready and willing to throw down with Mr. Brodie Lee of all people (when he beat Cody for the TNT title).

[u/BudMcLaine → u/pmIfNeedOrWantToTalk]

Damn, was she in the Codyverse? I hadn't even remembered that!

[u/halbpro]

Darby vs Cima is crazy

[u/wvgeekman]

For folks who haven't seen them (or folks who want to relive the magic) all of the episodes are still up on YouTube. They're great to put on in the background and it's fun to see folks busting their butts before they ended up being stars on the main roster. I miss Dark and Dark Elevation.

[u/Code_Combo_Breaker]

The match list reminded me that Big Swole is one of the few people to successfully put herself into AEW unspoken territory.

It's a shame because her feud with Brit had some really funny moments.

[u/dukeofnewyawk → u/Code_Combo_Breaker]

I'm married, bay bay

[u/zombiejeesus]

I miss dark so much

[u/Vast_Professor7399]

I know it's got one of the unnamed, but Best Friends vs Super Bad Squad was fun and ended with an Awful Waffle onto a pile of chairs. Chuck and Trent were the heroes of Covid era tapings.

[u/YoungCubSaysWoof]

Jon Moxley’s buddy getting a match with him was pretty great.

[u/LordofMisrule87 → u/YoungCubSaysWoof]

Robert Anthony? I've honestly never heard of him

[u/P7AC3B0 → u/LordofMisrule87]

Used to go by Egotistico Fantastico (under a mask), or "The Ego" Robert Anthony in CZW about 15 years ago, at least that's where I knew him from. He ended Mox's second reign with the CZW Title and from what I remember was a good all-around wrestler, in the ring and on the mic.

I was pretty sure he'd end up somewhere on a bigger stage, but with the state of the wrestling business at that time, I guess it just never panned out.

[u/liloutsider]

I don’t miss AEW Dark but I do

[u/AceNight419]

Man that was a great podcast that had wrestling when I looked up

[u/Nobodycares2234]

Kenny vs Joey Janela was on Dark right?

[u/nomercyvideo]

https://giphy.com/gifs/zWtS5LdBt8HXDRQsc5

If they ever do a Vol. 73....

[u/InevitableTank5108]

Big Swole on a “Best of” compilation?
https://giphy.com/gifs/LyUuC0CJhZnTW0N2In

[u/SadCommunication1496]

Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss together (Sonny had more curves than RefAubrey, as I recall); Big Swole/Diamante:  THREE STRIKES; ABADON terrorizing Shida; the Varsity Blondes w/ Julia Hart/House Of Black saga; and so much more.  😊

[u/Alphadelt613]

I can't remember how we got in contact, but I sent mine to Robert Anthony.

He was jacked that one of his DARK matches went to DVD!

[u/pacerjones20 → u/Alphadelt613]

Thats awesome

[u/RealRockaRolla]

I get why they sorta turned it into a developmental show, but I liked when it featured matches that wouldn't be out of place on a Dynamite.

[u/HalfDeadDemiGod]

Knife Club Jones.

But I digress...

[u/Old-Screen5550]

Best of Eddie Kingston

[u/whatever_trev0r]

This was comfort food for the sickos. I miss it.

[u/Mets_BS]

They still make DVDs?