Tony Khan has tipped Darius Martin for big things in 2022 as he edges ever closer to an in-ring return.
One of AEW’s break-out stars over the last 12 months has undoubtedly been the high-flying Dante Martin. In recent months the 20-year-old has emerged as one of the fastest rising stars in the company, wowing fans all the way to a recent main event slot on Dynamite.
However, had Dante’s brother Darius, not sustained a serious knee injury early in the year, his solo run up the card may never have happened.
The pair signed with AEW in November 2020, before putting in a number of eye-catching displays under the name Top Flight. The team’s momentum was brought to a shuddering halt in March when Darius injured his ACL, and later underwent surgery.
Despite this, AEW President Tony Khan is tipping Darius Martin for big things in 2022 as he moves closer to an in-ring return. Speaking in a new interview with CBS Sports, Khan described the star as a “tremendous” performer.
“I think for a variety of reasons, there’s a number of people I’m excited to feature in the coming year,” Khan said. “For example, it was completely out of everyone’s control, but Darius Martin has been out injured and I think he’s tremendous. I would love to get him back soon and teaming with his brother, Dante. Dante has become a big star and I think they were tremendous as a tag team.
“When the injury happened, Darius was 21 and Dante was 19. Now Dante is 20 and has been featured so much on Dynamite and Rampage and has now been a main eventer on Dynamite. When Darius comes back, I think he’s somebody that could come in and be great for us. So I’m really excited about him in particular. That’s an important name to keep an eye on.”
Dante Martin’s most recent appearance on AEW television came on the December 15th episode of Dynamite where he was defeated by MJF in the battle of the Dynamite Diamond Ring.