AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Mark Davis and The National Title, Pac facing Darby for AEW Title, AEW’s Fairway to Hell setting

Welcome everyone!

First, I want to give a shoutout to AEW and the amazing way they paid tribute to the late maverick Ted Turner. The first match I remember might be a WWF match but the “real” wrestling to me, as a kid, started at 6:05 p.m. on TBS. WWF was for kids; that’s why it was on after Saturday morning cartoons. The ’80s NWA was where the “real” wrestling happened.

I may not have grown up seeing the dirty tactics of the Midnight Express, the purest of babyface reactions to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, the lispy charisma of Dusty Rhodes, The Stinger, and of course The Four Horsemen. I am talking about Ric, Arn, Tully, and either Lex Luger or Barry Windham. Thank you Ted.

Now let’s look back at last weeks AEW television and what I thought.

RISING STAR OF THE WEEK

MARK DAVIS

Mark Davis has been a workhorse for AEW this year. A guy who has truly rebuilt himself from the ground up. Davis could have easily become that guy Kyle Fletcher used to tag with. You know the old reference: Davis was obviously the Marty Jannety of the tag team. Then you look at what Davis has done in 2026 and it’s almost like he knew what people would say about his career unless things changed.

Davis joined the Don Callis Family over a year ago, in February of 2025. He was injured not long after his heel turn and was out until October of 2025. Then he didn’t really find his stride until the calendar turned to 2026.

First, it looked like Davis would get over with a new tag partner Jake Doyle. Then Doyle was hurt during their one of their first matches as a team. Davis was not deterred. Since then Davis has a win over Will Ospreay, he was part of a AEW Trios Title win where Davis got the pin, and now he’s won the AEW National Title. Not a bad run.

AEW’s National Title is still a baby title but it’s designed to be a throwback title by design. Davis also feels like a throwback wrestler to a different era so the marriage of him to the National Title works.

Now Davis can take the title all over and defend it since he is a guy who works across AEW, CMLL, ROH, and some Indy dates. Earlier this year he beat former ECW World Champion and Japanese legend Masato Tanaka at an independent show. Like I said before, not a bad little run Mark Davis is on.

RUNNER UP – AEW VENUES

When AEW stopped only going to big arenas, I was one of the people who championed the idea. I loved the idea of them going to small historic venues. Being from the D.C. area, some of my favorite concerts I’ve attended since the ’90s have taken place at the historic 9:30 Club,, a venue that holds fewer than 1,000 people. I got to see so many great bands on their rise like Green Day, Weezer, and Radiohead, not to mention all the smaller bands I got to see. Being so close to the band gives you a feel of being connected to them, much how I think it feels seeing AEW in a small or unique venue.

This takes me back to Saturday night’s Fairway to Hell Collision that took place at the SoFi Center in Florida. It happens to be an indoor golf arena – yes, golf. That was such a unique venue and it really reminded me of WCW Nitro’s and some of their weird episodes. For instance, go find the Spring Break Nitro, where the ring is over a pool, and watch Sting repels from a helicopter.

So on the week of Ted Turner’s death, it was fitting AEW would have a Collision in a setting like they did Saturday. Then add to it Darby Allin was in the main event, against Pac, and you knew there would be some stuff happening all over the building. AEW also added a “no countouts” stipulation and you knew Darby and Pac were brawling all over the building. It was wild, chaotic, and fun.

My hope is that the unique smaller venues continue. I like the look and vibe of the smaller buildings. Ticket-buying fans are also winning here. If you buy the cheapest ticket to a Dynamite or Collision, you are still going to be closer to the AEW stars than ever. Hell, Mox might walk right past your section.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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FADING STAR OF THE WEEK

PAC

Another high-profile match for Pac and another loss. This is a guy who should, at this point, be leading a faction and holding a title. Instead, he’s built up on television just to lose the following week. Not how I thought things were going to go for him when he returned this last time.

Pac getting a title shot was a stretch to begin with. In singles matches in 2026, prior to the lass to Darby, he has 1 win and 2 losses. He lost to Darby in January, Ospreay in April, and his one win was over Lio Rush also in April. So he really just had 1 win, over a guy who loses to most people on AEW television, before getting his AEW World Title shot.

Look, I get it, this is more Darby taking on anyone and Pac did beat Darby at Full Gear last November, but come on. This isn’t how they should be using a guy like Pac. Very few singles matches and most of the time you see him in the ring is in a trios match. Pac should be, at minimum, a multiple time TNT Champion at this point.

One can hope that if this Death Riders breakup ever happens that Pac would then take over. Maybe that’s what they are waiting for to turn “The Bastard” loose on AEW. At this point all anyone can do is hope.