Top 3 Takeaways from Dark 10th Jan 2023

This week’s review & takeaways for AEW Dark on YouTube, for January 10, 2023

This week’s Dark came to you from Portland Oregon, with 7 matches, featuring The Firm, Ruby Soho, Willow Nightingale and more... Here are your Highlights

#1 This Week’s 2nd Title Defence

And it’s another ROH title, this time it’s the Women’s Champion Athena defending. The ROH championship being defended on YouTube is not an uncommon thing, Athena has now defended it multiple times, with former champ Mercedes Martinez doing the same.

However this time it was no local talent. Athena successfully defended against Marina Shafir this time. And for the first time there was actually a build up for this defence. I say build up; Marina came out and stared down the Fallen Goddess only last night on Elevation, but hey, some build up is better than none!?

#2 A Rowdy Return

This week we saw the return of Teal Piper! Daughter of the Hall of Famer, Roddy Piper. Teal had only ever been seen in an AEW ring once, and that was way back at All Out 2019. Which was actually before the first ever Dynamite!

However it was in a losing fashion for Piper and her partner Kel. Who lost to JAS member Tay Melo & Anna Jay, in their warm up for this week’s Street Fight against Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale. It was a very short showing for Teal, who only tagged in once during the match, for less than a minute it seemed. After delivering her father’s patented Eye Poke, she tagged out and their team lost shortly after.

#3 A Milestone Statistics

This week’s opening match was AEW’s 4,000th match! A statistic courtesy of @AEWMetrics’s, Brian – a great follow if you’re a fan of facts and figures. This match was won by Juice Robinson, making his 2023 debut, in winning fashion, over a local talent.

Juice would later be approached by Dark Order’s John Silver, Alex Reynolds & Evil Uno, who seem to be back on the recruitment drive, due to their dwindling numbers. Juice ultimately rejected their offer in rude fashion, claiming he is ‘Bullet Club for Life’.

Another Bonus WTF moment this week

Jake Hager’s hat gets its own mention in the bottom third?! He really does like that hat...