This past weekend, AEW ran their latest set of tapings for AEW Dark. Recently, Dark has settled into Universal Studios – using the same space formerly known as ‘The Impact Zone’ within Impact Wrestling (aka TNA Wrestling). This has given Dark a unique identity beyond being used to have teams climb rankings off of TV. It also allows AEW to bring in talent from around the indies for some closer looks, and the latest taping brought names from NJPW, Impact Wrestling, and even WWE NXT.
Leon Ruff, Jake Something, And Many NJPW Names Make AEW Debuts
Over the course of a long night of tapings, many matches went down in Universal Studios ring. This of course meant some big names were brought in. One that wasn’t much of a surprise was Jake Something. Formerly part of the Impact Wrestling roster, Something was pulled from an indy show scheduled for this past weekend – with an AEW Dark appearance all but confirmed. He was defeated by Jay Lethal during the tapings.
Several names from NJPW made their way onto the card, with Young Lion Yuya Uemura facing Angelico in a losing effort. Kevin Knight & The DKC from the LA Dojo made their debut against Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto, and after a loss were offered a chance to train under QT Marshall as well. This led to a brawl, with Karl Fredericks & Clark Connors helping to even the odds.
One major surprise on the show was former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff. Ruff had a great run in NXT throughout 2020 & 2021, which saw him playing the role of an underdog. He would be defeated by Tony Nese during these tapings.
Also Taped Was A Rematch Over The ROH Pure Championship
Perhaps the biggest match taped during AEW Dark was a match held over the ROH Pure Championship. Former champion Josh Woods called for his rematch with Wheeler Yuta, and was granted it during these tapings. This match alone has led some to believe that AEW Dark’s format could be a potential future for Ring of Honor, but with major events like April’s Supercard of Honor also on the menu.
By all accounts, Woods & Yuta had another fantastic wrestling match, but Yuta remains champion at this time. Right now, Wheeler Yuta is set to head to Japan for the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Will you be watching the latest AEW Dark tapings as they air? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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