Dark Match 2025

Set in the late 1980s, the film dives into SAW, a scrappy independent wrestling promotion operating outside the mainstream. The spotlight centers on Nicky, Ayisha Issa a high-profile wrestler who performs as Miss Behave, a main-event talent locked in a bitter feud with Kate the Great, Sara Canning the fan favorite who draws the crowd with every appearance.

During a local show, Miss Behave blindsides Kate by slapping and punching her, leaving a broken nose and earning Miss Behave a hefty fine. Kate puts on a gracious public face, but privately she nurses a grudge and waits for the right moment to settle the score.

Behind the scenes, Joe Lean, Steven Ogg is an aging wrestler and manager whose lingering feelings for Miss Behave pull him deeper into the promotion’s perilous games. SAW’s promoter Rusty, Jonathan Cherry, arranges a high-profile one-night spectacle in a remote village, where the local population is deep-rooted in a fervent cult. The group is led by The Prophet, portrayed by Chris Jericho, a former wrestler who once wore a religious gimmick and is now revered by his followers as “The Leader.” In promos that echo late-1990s wrestling rhetoric, The Prophet hints at a troubled past and a deep resentment toward the wrestling establishment. Joe remembers that The Prophet’s matches grew increasingly violent, culminating in a championship showdown that left him forced to subdue the rebel.

As SAW arrives, the line between faces and heels is sharply drawn. The heels are welcomed into a party buoyed by a mysterious green drink, and the host offers a blessing, Lupracalia, before the mood deteriorates as cult members brandish firearms and several wrestlers admit to being drugged. Amid the chaos, Kate the Great appears to take a surprising interest in the unfolding events. The event’s matches are organized around elemental themes—Wind, Water, Earth, and Inferno—and both Nicky and Joe are initially lured by the promoter’s promise of a significant payday. But it becomes clear that a darker plan is at work.

In the opening Wind Match, a giant fan spins in the ring as Thick n Thin faces the Beast Brothers. What starts as a routine tag bout quickly turns tragic when Thick is fatally injured, a catastrophe that introduces a demonic presence tied to the night’s unsettling energy.

The Women’s Water Match features Kate the Great and Miss Behave in a violent rematch. Old grievances flare as weapons enter the ring; Kate wields a mace while Miss Behave uses her signature chain. The bout escalates until Miss Behave lands a fatal blow that ends Kate’s life. It’s revealed that Kate was The Prophet’s daughter, a revelation that personalizes the Prophet’s brutality. The Prophet then moves to confront Miss Behave with a firearm, only to be restrained by the head of security, Mr. Ritual.

Parallel to these events, Joe and Enigma Jones, a masked luchador, struggle to break free from a locked dressing room. Rusty’s guilt mounts as betrayals surface, and the group’s fragile alliances begin to fracture under pressure. During the Earth Match, Enigma is set to fight Kid Humble while the others contend with armed security in a chaotic confrontation, ultimately allowing Joe, Nicky, and Rusty to overpower their captors. Rusty confesses that he was misled, and the trio—despite past grievances—agrees to cooperate.

The Inferno Match pushes the evening toward a fever pitch, with Lazarus Smashley, portrayed by Leo Fafard, forced to fight under a brutal gimmick. His habit of using hairspray before bouts contributes to a swift, dramatic defeat, and the arena erupts into a full-blown brawl. In the climactic Spirit Match, The Prophet squares off against Joe, and Miss Behave steps in to deliver a decisive strike that drives a stake through The Prophet’s chest, effectively ending his threat. As the survivors attempt to depart, a cult member completes the ritual, summoning a large white demon that blocks their path. Undeterred, Nicky Readies herself for a direct confrontation with this supernatural force that now paves their way forward.