AEW: Who could have a career-defining performance at All Out?
The Dark Order
Whether you like them or not, The Dark Order is set to be a staple of the AEW tag team division. While their most notable moment came through their sudden attack on Best Friends at Double or Nothing, it was their performance at Fight for the Fallen that really showed us what they’re capable of.
In a three-way tag team contest against Angelico and Jack Evans and A Boy and His Dinosaur (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus), it was The Dark Order that delivered some truly devastating offense to pick up the victory. With their win, they advance to face Best Friends tomorrow at All Out.
In keeping with AEW’s goals to make wins and losses more meaningful and to keep a spotlight on tag team wrestling, tomorrow’s match is to earn a first-round bye in the tournament to crown the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Champions.
While this incarnation of these two is new, they’re certainly not rookies. Formerly known as Super Smash Brothers, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson bring 13 years of experience and a reign as PWG Tag Team Champions to the table, and a dark reign could begin tomorrow with a tone-setting win over Best Friends.
Riho
While most of the women’s division will be a part of the Casino Battle Royale during The Buy In, we do have one other women’s match that has the chance to steal the show right out from under the rest of the card. Riho, the 22-year-old veteran that debuted all the way back in 2006, will go up against Hikaru Shida, who is nine years older but has only been competing since 2008.
Shida made her name primarily in Japan’s Ice Ribbon promotion but has also competed in various independent promotions including the American women’s promotion Shimmer. Shida will carry the power advantage over Riho, but I fully expect the youngster to make her mark here.
After pinning Nyla Rose at Fyter Fest, Riho needs another big win to put herself in line for a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship. If she can follow that win over Rose with a win over Hikaru Shida, on top of the fact that she’s the reigning Stardom High Speed Champion, this could be a moment that really sets Riho up as a foundational part of AEW’s women’s division moving forward.