Dalton Castle picked up new fans at AEW Battle of the Belts

AEW Battle of the Belts 2 gave many wrestling fans their first exposure to both Jonathan Gresham and Dalton Castle. Both individuals came out looking stronger at the end of what was a solid match for the Ring of Honor World Championship. There was a lot of praise for them both, but Castle seems to have piqued the interest of many who saw their act for the first time, creating new fans along the way.

Castle and Gresham stood center stage for almost ten minutes with ROH’s highest prize at stake. But from the minute their pre-taped promos for the match started, Castle gave off that “stop and watch” appeal that is important in professional wrestling. Everything about their presentation, from the music to the camera angles, and being accompanied by “The Boys,” it all gave off the presentation of a star. Which is exactly the perception they’ve earned.

Castle is a multiple-time champion, earning titles while a member of the Ring of Honor roster, holding the world championship for nearly two hundred days. Their run also included a brief stint with the television championship and the six-man titles with The Boys. Unfortunately, a string of injuries kept Castle from reaching all the career-highs many expected. Castle was reaching what would be a career-defining run, even being ranked number 15 in the PWI 500 in 2018.

While Castle hasn’t been officially announced as a part of the AEW roster, Saturday’s contest made it look like they fit right in with the group. In many ways, Castle stands out in a much-needed fashion from the rest of the competitors in the promotion. AEW is full of wrestlers that can get the crowd to their feet from bell to bell, but few who jump off the page to get people to pay attention to everything they do and speak. Castle fits into that latter portion, but do not think for a second that their in-ring skills are lacking.

Castle was a Greco-Roman wrestler that was able to make it onto Team USA before the sports entertainment career became the focus. The level of technical prowess it takes to reach that level, especially in the Greco-Roman style is exceptional. Those abilities come across well in their in-ring style and help add to the believability as a competitor.

There are mixed feelings about the two AEW Battle of the Belts specials to date. However, looking back at the second edition of the showcase, Dalton Castle picked up some new fans who will hopefully follow the rest of their work along the way.