Wrestling what is a dark match

As interesting as it would be if a match were truly fought in the dark with glow sticks or night-vision goggles, that is not what a dark match refers to in professional wrestling. A dark match refers to an event that is non-televised, assuming that the rest of the show is televised i. The dark match can be held before or after the main show. If its held before, it is typically used to warm the crowd up and possibly showcase new talent.

If it is held after, it features main event talent to send the crowd home happy. And, though not common, titles have changed hands at non-televised events. Since dark matches are typically done in a non-televised fashion when the rest of the event is televised, how can local companies hold a dark match if none of it is televised? Another example would be a masked competitor with an ending reveal. We'll be focusing on the latter for this article. Dark matches aren't worth watching for the wrestling content itself, they usually consist of minutes with mostly basic wrestling moves and are typically quite bland.

However, they provide an intriguing view into the world of wrestling development and creative. They let you see established talent before they ever received their main roster debuts, while also giving an insight into who management were considering for a contract or trying to hire but ultimately didn't, for one reason or another.

In exploration in this curious world of secret wrestling, we've dug into the archive for any dark matches that could entertain, appeal or inform.