Well, folks, if you blinked, you might’ve missed it—but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen! The August 21, 2024, episode of “AEW Dynamite” in Cardiff, Wales, was historic for many reasons, but the cherry on top had to be the untelevised dark match that gave English wrestling sensation Michael Oku his AEW debut. And what a debut it was!
Before the cameras started rolling and the TBS crew went live, the lucky fans in Cardiff were treated to a special appetizer: Michael Oku, the reigning RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, stepped into an AEW ring for the first time. Accompanied by Amira, who has been strongly hinted at as Oku’s potential full-time manager in AEW, Oku took on the slippery Serpentico. The masked man tried to pull off his usual tricks, but one missed diving foot stomp later, and Oku had him locked in a single-leg Boston Crab so tight that Serpentico had no choice but to tap out. The Welsh crowd went bananas, as they say!
Despite his impressive debut, Oku isn’t officially booked for the rest of AEW’s festivities this week, including “AEW Collision” on August 24 and the much-anticipated All In pay-per-view at Wembley Stadium on August 25. But don’t you worry, this guy isn’t exactly sitting around knitting sweaters. Oku’s got a packed weekend ahead, starting with a Riot Cabaret Championship defense against Mark Andrews and Nico Angelo on August 23 at the All Singing, All Dancing event. Then, it’s off to RevPro’s 12th Anniversary Show on August 24, where he’ll defend his British Heavyweight Championship against PROGRESS World Champion Luke Jacobs.
With a debut like this and a schedule that busy, it’s no wonder there are whispers of Oku making AEW his permanent playground. Will this international star make the jump full-time? Only time—and perhaps a few more wins—will tell!