For the first time in nearly two years, Ortiz graced an AEW ring, taking on Hook in a losing effort. The 34-year-old has only wrestled twice in AEW since losing a no DQ match to former partner Mike Santana in October 2023 due to injuries and non-use. He has worked different indies around the U.S. and Canada this year.
In another dark match, Billy Gunn‘s estrangement from the reluctant reunited team of Anthony Bowens and Max Caster appears to be permanent as he is supporting a new team of Brady Booker and Elijah Drago who defeated two local wrestlers.
Booker is the former Bodhi Hayward in WWE NXT who was released in late-2022. He wrestled two matches on AEW Dark in early-2023 and then once again in January 2024 in Ring of Honor. He competed in ROH dark matches five times this year under his new name, both teaming with Drago and against him. He and Drago also worked an January 2025 AEW dark match against Dark Order. Drago made his AEW debut in July 2024 in a dark match win over QT Marshall.
Booker and Drago have both worked in the ring with Gunn several times over the last three years on indie shows.
Billy Gunn has new protégés now in Brady Booker and Elijah Drago and they are about to beat some job guys pic.twitter.com/JJF9gkvxtb
AEW has added four matches to Tuesday’s AEW Dark lineup.
Top Flight’s Dante Martin will take on Danny Limelight in singles competition. Dante’s brother Darius is out of action after undergoing ACL surgery, so Martin has been working as a single or in trios matches in his absence.
In a pair of added tag matches, Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela will face Kit Sackett and Justin Law, plus The Acclaimed will take on David Ali and Vary Morales.
In the women’s division, Big Swole will take on Megan Bayne.
AEW Dark airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern time on YouTube.
Here is the announced lineup for this week’s show so far:
Tony Khan has announced twelve matches for next week’s AEW Dark.
A triple threat match will headline as Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian of SCU will face Santana and Ortiz and Private Party.
Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon will continue their quest for their first AEW victory when they face FTR in tag team action.
Other tag action on the show will see Best Friends vs. Alex Reynolds and John Silver of Dark Order, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson of Dark Order against Shawn Dean and Will Hobbs and Michael Nakazawa and Pineapple Pete vs. Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela.
Singles matches on the show will see Sammy Guevara make his in-ring return against Fuego Del Sol. Scorpio Sky, Abadon, Lance Archer, Wardlow and Penelope Ford in action.
Here is the full card:
SCU vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. Private Party
Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon vs. FTR
Best Friends vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs. Shawn Dean & Will Hobbs
Michael Nakazawa & Pineapple Pete vs. Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela
Sammy Guevara vs. Fuego Del Sol
Wardlow vs. Aaron Solow
Penelope Ford vs. Kenzie Paige
Scorpio Sky vs. Corey Hollis
Abadon vs. Skyler Moore
Lance Archer vs. Frankie Thomas
Orange Cassidy vs. Serpentico
AEW Dark premieres Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern time on YouTube.
The Young Bucks vs. Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler was one of seven matches announced today for Tuesday’s AEW Dark.
Avalon and Cutler have been involved in an odd couple storyline on both Dark and the Being The Elite YouTube series. The Young Bucks are involved in a program that will see them team with FTR against The Lucha Bros and The Butcher and The Blade on the second night of Fyter Fest, set to air July 8.
The Bucks will carry a combined 30-18 AEW career record into the contest. Avalon and Cutler are a combined 0-32 in AEW history.
Lance Archer will also be in action on Dark, taking on Pineapple Pete. Archer is scheduled to face Joey Janela at Fyter Fest on July 8.
The full lineup —
The Young Bucks vs. Peter Avalon & Brandon Cutler
Ricky Starks vs. Griff Garrison
Lance Archer vs. Pineapple Pete
Brandi Rhodes & Allie vs. KiLynn King & Skyler Moore
The Butcher & The Blade vs. Low Rida & Fuego del Sol
Scorpio Sky vs. Brady Pierce
Shawn Spears vs. Max Caster
AEW Dark premieres Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern time on YouTube.
As part of the AEW Dynamite premiere, four dark matches took place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C on Wednesday night. One of the matches was before Dynamite, while three were after the show went off the air.
Pre-show dark match —
– Darby Allin defeated CIMA
This was arguably the second best match of the evening. They got in the ring about 15 minutes before the show went live on TV. The crowd was super hot for everything they did.
CIMA got his knees up on a Coffin Drop attempt. Allin hit a Coffin Drop for a near fall, and CIMA hit a falcon arrow for a near fall of his own. Allin made a comeback, then hit another Coffin Drop for the pin.
Post-show dark matches —
After the live show, Justin Roberts announced that there would be three bonus matches. I would estimate that about 90 percent of the crowd stayed for the first post-show match. The building was maybe 50 to 60 percent full by the finish of the last match.
– The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix), Jack Evans & Angelico defeated Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) & Best Friends (Trent Barreta & Chuck Taylor)
These guys were put in a tough spot coming off the heavy angle at the end of the televised portion of the show, but they delivered.
Evans and Angelico looked good, but something about the act just isn’t clicking with the audience. Best Friends and The Lucha Brothers were super over, as was the interfering Orange Cassidy.
The Lucha Brothers won after connecting with their package piledriver/double stomp combination finisher.
– Dr. Britt Baker & Allie defeated Bea Priestley & Penelope Ford
This was the weakest match of the night.
Allie’s work was good. Dr. Britt was hit and miss. She badly botched a pumphandle slam, but also did some intricate combinations at the outset. She was clearly positioned as the star of the match.
Ford is going to be a superstar in this business, but this was not her best night in the ring. She took the loss via submission, but not before hitting some gymnastics-style offense. Priestly wasn’t in much, instead interfering a lot from the apron.
Dr. Britt used a Rings of Saturn/Mandible Claw combination for the win.
– SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) defeated Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt)
This was virtually a carbon copy of their match from All Out. That’s not a knock, as that match is the perfect pay-per-view opener or house show closer.
Rather than winning with the BME, Sky hit a backstabber on Stunt into a kick by Kazarian for the tandem finisher.
The crowd would not stop chanting for Luchasaurus.
The show ended with SCU cutting a promo, followed by all six participants posing together with their arms raised.
