Contrary to popular belief, AEW Dark added a lot of value to Tony Khan’s product. The YouTube show maintained storyline consistency across AEW’s other programming. Moreover, it afforded much-needed exposure to a lot of independent wrestlers and homegrown stars – especially during the pandemic.
When it came to match quality, AEW Dark delivered several top-notch matches involving rising stars and established veterans. The year 2021 saw a couple of stars gain recognition for the bangers they delivered on the internet show. Let’s take a look at some of the best matches of Dark from two years ago.
Joey Janela vs. Lee Moriarty (September 7, 2021)
Joey Janela had a pretty eventful 2021 on AEW Dark. The Bad Boy found himself in a surprising alliance with Sonny Kiss. He also had a couple of great matches, including this one with Lee Moriarty on the YouTube show.
Moriarty had known Janela prior to working against him in AEW and had a good showing against the current GCW star. He’d go on to sign with AEW following this match.
Darius Lockhart vs. Ricky Starks (September 28, 2021)
Darius Lockhart showed up and showed out during his match against Ricky Starks on AEW Dark. The pair were given almost ten minutes and made the most of it. Starks was in his usual element as the cocky yet reliable worker.
Darius would wrestle on Dark a few more times before eventually signing with NWA, where he’d cut an incredible debut promo in the lead-up to the four-way Junior Heavyweight Championship match at the 2022 Crockett Cup.
The latest word on Darius Lockhart is that he’s out of action with a shoulder injury.
Emi Sakura vs. Ryo Mizunami (AEW Dark #120)
This match came at a point in Emi Sakura’s career when she was still figuring out her heel character on U.S. soil. Nonetheless, the veteran went out there and put on a hard-hitting contest against a fellow veteran in Ryo Mizunami.
The match would’ve been more violent if it wasn’t for time constraints. Plus, Taz referring to Mei Suruga as a potential Team Taz member popped a lot fans.
PAC vs. Tiger Ruas (November 2, 2021)
Tiger Ruas used to compete as Arturo Ruas during the Triple H era of NXT. He was mostly used as an enhancement talent. His last match on the former black and gold brand came against Kushida on November 18, 2020.
Ruas had a couple of matches on AEW Dark and its spinoff, Elevation, in 2021. His best match on the show came against PAC. This was an excellent outing from both men.
Ruas’ MMA-based offense meshed incredibly well with Pac’s aerial style to pull off one of the best matches on the show.
Dante Martin vs. Matt Sydal (AEW Dark #92)
A featured match on AEW Dark, the bout saw established veteran Sydal take on the rising sensation, Dante Martin. Unlike the rest of the matches on the card, Martin versus Sydal lasted well over 12 minutes.
The pair took full advantage of the time and delivered some quality action. The young Martin showcased his incredible high-flying offense against the severely underrated Sydal. The pair would run it back a couple of more times.
On a side note, Martin is recovering ahead of schedule from his terrible injury at ROH Supercard of Honor. So that’s good news.
Also read: Best AEW Dark Matches Of 2022
