AEW: Five Talents That Have Benefited the Most From AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation

5. Griff Garrison

Griff Garrison’s AEW run started very modestly.

Garrison came in as a singles competitor and was racking up losses on AEW Dark at a frequent pace to the likes of Jimmy Havoc, Lance Archer, and Ricky Starks.

But he performed well enough in those matches to earn a spot on Dynamite, albeit in a squash match against MJF.

From there Garrison would be paired with fellow up and comer, Bryan Pillman, Jr. and they would form the tag team known as the Varsity Blonds.

Together, the young team would accumulate their fair share of losses, but two months later they would earn their first win as a team when they defeated Cesar Bononi and David Ali.

From there the charismatic duo would add a cheerleader to their team in the form of Julia Hart. and they would start to pile up wins on a regular basis on AEW Dark.

So much so that the Varsity Blonds would crack the top 5 rankings and earn their first AEW Tag Team Title shot against the Young Bucks in May of 2021, just eleven short months after Garrison debuted.

Garrison has come a long way over the course of a year and a half.  And it will be exciting to see what the future holds for him in AEW.

4. Powerhouse Hobbs

Much like Griff Garrison, the man known as Will “Powerhouse” Hobbs began his career with a litany of losses to a number of established singles stars in AEW.  Hobbs would come out on the losing end of matches with Orange Cassidy, Ricky Starks, Scorpio Sky, Shawn Spears, and Darby Allin.

But it was clear Hobbs had the ability to be much more than enhancement talent.  He boasted strength that could match anyone on the roster and moved around the ring with the agility that shouldn’t be possible for someone his size.

Hobbs had his breakthrough at the 2020 edition of the All Out pay-per-view when he competed in the Casino Battle Royale.

And though he didn’t win it, he was mighty impressive as he racked up a number of eliminations in the match.  From that point on the push was in motion for Powerhouse Hobbs.

Hobbs would end up aligning himself with Darby Allin and Jon Moxley in their battle with Team Tazz, and eventually, Hobbs would join the heel faction.

Since joining Team Tazz, Hobbs’ star has continued to rise as he has been trusted in high-profile singles matches versus Brian Cage, Adam Page, and most recently CM Punk.

Powerhouse Hobbs has certainly made the most of his opportunities in AEW.  And with a brilliant mentor like Tazz by his side, there is no telling how high the big man will climb.

3. Fuego Del Sol

Mobile, Alabama’s favorite luchador comes in at number three.

Fuego does not win many matches, in fact, he is a mere 3-46 in his AEW career.  Which makes what he has been able to do all the more impressive.

It was just one month ago that we were watching Fuego Del Sol headline AEW Rampage in a TNT Title match against Miro.

How does a performer with that sort of record work his way into a TNT title match?

First, Fuego does a great job playing to the crowds.  Everything he does in and outside of the ring is done with the fans in mind and they have responded in kind, giving Fuego pops that are rarely heard by enhancement talent.

Secondly, he befriended Sammy Guevara and then let his personality shine through on Sammy’s Vlog.  It can be argued that Fuego Del Sol has gained more fans from his work on Guevara’s Vlog than he has in anything related to AEW.

Not much has changed for Fuego in the win-loss column.  He can still be found on AEW Dark and Dark: Elevation taking losses on a regular basis.

But the man took his relationship with the crowd that was garnered on AEW’s YouTube shows and enhanced it on social media and turned that into an AEW contract.

Even if Fuego Del Sol is never victorious in another AEW match, he has already won.