Preston Vance’s departure from the Dark Order remains one of the more emotionally charged character turns of his AEW tenure, and he has now clarified the origin of its most controversial visual.
On a November 2022 episode of AEW Rampage, Vance walked away from the Dark Order and aligned himself with La Facción Ingobernable. The turn was designed to establish a harder edge for the wrestler long associated with the group as “10,” but it also carried extra weight because of the connection between the Dark Order and the late Brodie Lee.
As Vance headed up the entrance ramp following the turn, he encountered Brodie Lee Jr. He removed his familiar “10” mask and threw it at Brodie Jr.’s feet before continuing backstage. The moment immediately generated a strong reaction, with many viewers treating it as a particularly harsh rejection of Vance’s history with the Dark Order.
Speaking on The Certified Mark Show, Vance said the spot was not intended as a slight toward Brodie Lee Jr. In fact, he explained that Brodie Jr. wanted to be part of the segment and personally proposed the idea of tossing the mask down in front of him.
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“What’s the best way to do this? You have to involve Little Brodie and he wanted to be involved, and the whole thing of me taking the mask and throwing it at his feet was his idea,” Vance said. “Little Brodie’s idea, and I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah,’ and I’m like, ‘Alright.’”
The clarification adds important context to a scene that was always intended to make Vance look ruthless within the story. His move to La Facción Ingobernable required a clear separation from the Dark Order, and leaving behind the mask was the most direct visual representation of that break. Bringing Brodie Jr. into the moment raised the emotional stakes, but Vance stressed that the involvement was collaborative rather than something forced upon him.
A Defining Step in Vance’s Singles Presentation
For Vance, the turn represented more than a standard faction change. He described it as a significant milestone in his development as a wrestler and performer. While he had become recognizable through the Dark Order, the La Facción Ingobernable association gave him an opportunity to present himself differently and move away from the masked identity that had defined much of his AEW run.
“It was kind of like a coming out moment for me in wrestling,” Vance said. “It felt like a big deal, and then Twitter really blew up on it.”
That response was not difficult to understand. The Dark Order’s relationship with Brodie Lee remains one of the most meaningful connections between a wrestling group and its audience in recent memory. After Lee’s death in December 2020, Brodie Lee Jr. continued to be embraced by members of the AEW roster and by fans. Any story beat placing him alongside the Dark Order was likely to invite a heightened response.
Vance’s mask had also become a central symbol of his identity. The number 10, the black-and-purple presentation, and the group’s friendships were all closely tied together. Removing the mask in that setting made the turn feel final, even before the next chapter of Vance’s career had fully taken shape.
The online reaction, however, also meant that some fans viewed the mask toss through a personal lens rather than simply as an angle. Vance acknowledged that he still receives questions from people who cannot believe he would have done it. His answer has remained consistent: the key element of the moment came directly from Brodie Lee Jr.
“The whole throwing the mask at the feet was Little Brodie’s idea so I always think — because I get asked that all the time. ‘I can’t believe you would do that,’ and I’m like, ‘No, it was literally his idea.’”
Why the Moment Worked as Wrestling Storytelling
Professional wrestling often relies on familiar objects to communicate major changes in character. A mask, championship, shirt, entrance theme, or gesture can carry years of history in a matter of seconds. In Vance’s case, the “10” mask told the audience exactly what he was abandoning. There was no need for a lengthy explanation at that instant: the visual did the work.
The involvement of Brodie Lee Jr. made the visual even more potent because it connected Vance’s individual shift to the larger legacy of the Dark Order. That is why the scene drew such an intense reaction. It was not merely one wrestler leaving one group. It appeared to be a deliberate rejection of something fans deeply associated with loyalty, friendship, and remembrance.
Vance’s comments underline another side of wrestling storytelling that viewers do not always see. A segment can be dramatic, uncomfortable, or even upsetting by design while still being discussed with the people involved beforehand. Brodie Jr.’s willingness to participate and his contribution to the idea gave the scene a different meaning than the initial reaction may have suggested.
It also speaks to Vance’s awareness of the responsibility attached to such an angle. His recollection that he asked, “Are you sure?” before moving forward indicates that he understood the potential sensitivity of the spot. Once Brodie Jr. affirmed that he wanted to do it, the segment could serve its intended purpose: putting emotional heat on Vance’s heel turn.
Vance’s Dark Order Story Has Come Full Circle in ROH
Years after that Rampage moment, Vance is again tied to the Dark Order in Ring of Honor storylines. His current direction involves an attempt to work his way back into the faction he left behind. The path is not straightforward, as John Silver has not approved Vance’s return.
That resistance gives the story a natural foundation. Vance did not simply drift away from the group; he made a memorable and very public break from it. A possible reconciliation therefore carries built-in questions about trust, accountability, and whether the past can truly be set aside.
Silver’s refusal also ensures that Vance’s interest in rejoining cannot be treated as automatic. The Dark Order’s history is rooted in the relationships among its members, and Vance’s earlier exit gave the group a reason to doubt him. Whether he can earn his way back remains unresolved, but the current ROH angle has already brought renewed relevance to his 2022 decision.
In that context, Vance’s explanation about the mask toss becomes especially timely. The segment has become part of the wider history that any Dark Order reunion must confront. Fans who remember the turn now have a fuller understanding of how Brodie Lee Jr. participated in shaping the moment, even as the storyline consequences of Vance’s departure continue to follow him.
Vance’s account does not change the purpose of the original scene. It was supposed to present him as someone willing to discard a defining part of his past. But it does clarify the real-life process behind one of the turn’s most talked-about details. What looked like an especially cold act on television was, Vance says, the idea of the person standing at the center of the emotional reaction.
As the ROH story develops, Vance’s history with the Dark Order will remain impossible to ignore. His exit was dramatic, the image of the discarded mask endured, and John Silver’s opposition makes clear that restoring old bonds will take more than simply asking for another chance.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.