Ahead of Halloween, AEW scheduled a tag team math that placed The Elite and The Dark Order in an eight-man tag team match that had an ending that was all too sweet.
Known for their elaborate attire, The Elite were expected to whip out exciting costumes to honor the Halloween season. On last week's AEW show, members of The Dark Order were warned to do the same by Hangman Adam Page, and their costumes did not disappoint.
The Dark Order approached the ring first, each dressed in a different costume. The faction's four competitors differed from one another entirely, as Stu Grayson dressed as Kratos from God of War, John Silver as Bambi, Colt Cabana as The Elite's Brandon Cutler, and Evil Uno as a cowboy. The remaining Dark Order members showcased their own cowboy and horse costumes before returning backstage. The Elite (composed of Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, and The Young Bucks) chose to have a unifying costume and arrived dressed as the Ghostbusters. They were flanked by Michael Nakazawa, who was dressed as a baby (a take on Cole's infamous "Bay Bay" catchphrase), and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, who was assumed to be Brandon Cutler.
Momentum shifted between The Elite and The Dark Order throughout the match, as each faction used their costumes to their advantage. The use of Proton Packs and cold spray influenced the direction of each team but after Matt Jackson's superkick accidentally connected with referee Rick Knox, things took a turn. The horse previously seen from The Dark Order's entrance reappeared and after low-blowing him, The Elite unmasked him as their own Cutler with his mouth duct-taped. Before Matt could realize what that meant, Adam Page unmasked himself as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from behind. With his help, The Dark Order defeated The SuperElite.
Given the treatment of both Cutler and Nakazawa, The Elite's failure to notice the switch is especially on brand. During in-ring attacks, Cutler is often left to fend for himself. Last week, Cutler had a short match with Jungle Boy (who is involved in a feud with Cole), that left him begging for help from The Elite. Cutler is also a notable presence on The Elite's YouTube channel "Being The Elite." One of the channel's current storylines includes The Dark Order's Alex Reynolds and Silver attempting to recruit Cole, giving the outcome of the match even more weight.
Page has a long history with The Elite, especially with Omega. In 2020, the pair held the AEW World Tag Team Championship for 228 days. They are now scheduled to face one another at Full Gear for Omega's AEW World Championship. With Full Gear still a little over two weeks away, it's likely the mind games will continue between these long-term friends turned rivals. With The Elite's history of getting even, they will surely have a vicious response to The Dark Order in the weeks to come.
Full Gear will be live from Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 13, 2021.
Source: The Young Bucks