AEW Dark ended its run in 2023, but at least one current AEW star is open to seeing it return.
Dark was a YouTube-exclusive series that began in 2019. The show featured stories and talent that weren’t featured on Dynamite (and later Rampage), giving performers like Marina Shafir, now a staple on Dynamite, a platform to grow.
Gates of Agony’s Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona are two of the names who broke out on Dark. The pair recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about how appearing on Dark boosted their profile and put them in the position they are now.
“I touched on it a little bit earlier. But I don’t think people appreciate—we are literally prototypes of what an AEW Superstar should be. We look like stars, we work like stars. Again, we came off Dark, where everybody was getting opportunities and trying to make a name. And then we both got individually signed off that.”
Kaun said they took the same mindset to working up through Ring of Honor, noting that fans just discovering them on Dynamite should know they’ve always been this good. Liona said fans have only seen small glimpses of what they can do to this point.
“We are getting opportunities now. And not to say like, we’re upset that we didn’t get the opportunities prior,” Liona said. “But when other people got more opportunities, we worked harder. Were we upset? Yeah. But we worked harder.”
One thing he hoped fans took away from their journey is that working hard will eventually result in earning opportunities. He said they don’t want handouts, but they are humble and hungry.
Bishop Kaun on AEW Dark returning
AEW Dark ended due to the company’s new broadcasting deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, which put more focus on Dynamite and Collision. Despite the challenges of getting Dark back in the current landscape, Kaun says it’s something he’d love to see, pointing out the great opportunities the show afforded talent.
“Yeah. It would literally be something that I would want to tune into every week, just to see what other indie stars are going to be on there. Then someone would just pull it out and have a banger 10-minute match with like, Jay Lethal. And just like, ‘Who is this person? I never heard of them before.’ You got such a big showcase, and it was on YouTube, where millions of people could view that. You could watch it at any time. I feel like that just allowed so many people to just build their brand, get their names off of there and again, like us, that got us signed,” Kaun said.
During a recent interview with Wrestfriends’ Iridian Fierro, Tony Khan shared his interest in reviving AEW Dark. Khan said he would “love to do that,” but it would also have to make sense when it comes to the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.
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