Reason Why AEW Dark Made Unexpected Return

AEW Dark made an unexpected return this weekend—but it wasn’t just a nostalgia move. The decision to tape a one-night-only AEW Dark episode in Cardiff, Wales, came directly from Tony Khan—and it was all about giving something special to the UK crowd.

PWInsider revealed that Khan wanted to reward the passionate Cardiff fans with a unique experience, while also using the opportunity to spotlight more of the AEW roster. The result was a full AEW Dark taping, filmed exclusively for YouTube, set to premiere Tuesday at 7 PM Eastern.\ The full match lineup includes:

• The Death Riders vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans & Nathan Cruz
• Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Mascara Dorada vs. Mark Andrews, Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos 2
• Isla Dawn vs. Marina Shafir

AEW Dark originally served as a showcase for AEW’s deep bench of talent before being shelved in 2023. This special revival isn’t expected to continue weekly but proves Khan is willing to bring back legacy content for the right occasion.