Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 69) Review 6.27.22

Well everyone, on the heels of the at least partially successful Forbidden Door PPV AEW is back for Elevation. This stuff was taped a week or so ago so keep that in mind. Tonight we’ve got Swerve in our Glory, Ruby Soho, Hose of Black, and a main event when Gunn Club teams with Max Caster to battle Dark Order.

Excalibur, Mark Henry, and Anthony Ogogo are on commentary.

Match #1: Anna Jay vs. Heather Reckless

They tie up, Jay goes after the arm right away then avoids a corner rush and clobbers Heather. Flatliner from Jay, Heather fights back with a drop kick and some corner stomps. Uppercut from Heather, but Jay slams her down and hits a back elbow. Flying elbow from Jay, that was a touch awkward. Corner offense from Jay, including a kick to the head. Knees from Jay, then the Queen Slayer and Heather taps.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Anna Jay won in 1:52

Rating: Delicata. . . SQUASH

Nice to see Jay getting the reps in.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks w/ Taz vs. Jordan Kross and Joey Jett

Hobbs and Jett start us off, the crowd seems familiar with Jett. Hobbs shoves Jett into the corner and gives a dismissive clean break. Another tie up, and Hobbs lays in a knee strike but runs into a back elbow then intercepts a charging Jett with a clothesline. Kross tags in, Hobbs sets him on the top rope and lays in blows to the chest. Hobbs drags Kross to the corner and sets him on the rope again to again clobber him. Starks tags in, punches Kross a few times, hits a jawbreaker then a running drop kick. Starks teases allowing Kross to tag out, and instead just drop kicks him again. Cheap shot to Jett, but Kross starts fighting back only to annoy Starks with a chop, so Starks slaps him to the mat. Hobbs wallops Jett so Starks can hit the Roshambo and pick up the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks won in 3:27

Rating: Straightneck. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash.

Match #3: Ruby Soho vs. Missa Kate

They tie up, then Kate lands a chop. Ruby didn’t like that and hits a double leg then lands blows and a kick. Kate sends Ruby face first into the second buckle then lays in stomps. Ruby lays in chops then avoids an avalanche and lays in more strikes. Enziguri from Ruby then an STO. Ruby heads up top, misses the double stomp and runs into a pump kick from Kate that gets a 2 count. Ruby blocks a wheel kick, knees Kate in the face then hits the Destination Unknown and pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ruby Soho won in 2:40

Rating: 2 stars

I think Ruby gave Kate enough to avoid a squash rating. Kate looked pretty solid here, which was true of her other AEW appearances as well.

Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Swerve in our Glory (Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee) vs. Vic Capri and GPA

We’re still showing a bit of tension between Swerve and Lee. Lee and GPA start us off, Lee taking some time to conduct the singing of the crowd before they start. GPA tries to go for the arm of Lee, Lee no sells this and begins overpowering GPA with one hand. Lee just drops GPA but GPA hits a few jawbreakers to get momentum but he runs into a swinging powerslam. Vic tags in and goes after Lee with strikes, but Lee gets angry and no sells a clothesline. Lee palms the head of Vic and hits an STO. Avalanche from Lee then he heaves Vic across the ring. The crowd want another one, Lee obliges them then hits a shoulder block as Swerve makes a blind tag. GPA eats a Spirit Bomb, Swerve is perched on the top rope and hits a drop kick over Lee to hit Vic. Swerve gets in Lee’s face for a moment, then hits the House Call to VIc and pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Swerve in our Glory won in 4:08

Rating: Gem. . . SQUASH

The continued tension between Lee and Strickland is somewhat interesting, I’m curious to see how they’ll resolve it.

Post match Butcher and Blade come out to stare down Lee and Swerve from the entrance stage.

Match #5: Serpentico vs. Ethan Page w/ Dan Lambert

They square up and Serpentico wants a pose off, Page just kicks him and goes for Ego’s Edge but Serpentico escapes. Lambert threatens to call Border Patrol, on a US citizen. OK then. Page hauls Serpentico into the ring and runs him over with a shoulder block. Mounted punches from Page, he then kills Serpentico with the Ego’s Edge and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ethan Page won in 1:37

Rating: Gemini F1. . . SQUASH

Delicious Squash.

Match #6: John Silver vs. KM

KM is a large man, Silver goes chest to belly with him and KM mocks his height. Silver grabs a side headlock but can’t knock KM over. Some posing from KM, then Silver drop kicks his legs and hits a low drop kick. Second rope shoulder block from Silver does knock KM to the mat. KM lands a back elbow then a big boot to floor Silver. Scoop slam from KM then a slingshot cross body for a 2 count. Silver lands a kick out of the corner then lays in strikes and trips up KM into the ropes and hits a running boot. German suplex from Silver, he’s feeling it and hits the Spin Doctor to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: John Silver won in 2:28

Rating: Giromontina. . . SQUASH

If you didn’t want to call this a squash I wouldn’t argue the point, KM looked solid though.

Match #7 – Tag Team Match: House of Black (Brody King and Buddy Matthews) w/ Julia Hart vs. CJ Esparza and Brubaker

Buddy and CJ get us going, Buddy easily out wrestles CJ and goes after the arm. CJ keeps trying to escape but Buddy is at least one step ahead of him. Elbow from CJ, Buddy shoves him into the corner and boots him in the face. Brubaker tries to help, Buddy suplexes him into CJ. King tags in, and hits a cannonball senton to CJ. Hard chop from King then he tags Buddy back in. Assisted backbreaker connects then Buddy shoves him over to Brubaker. Brubaker tags in and Buddy then throws him into CJ in the corner. That looked gnarly. King back in, knee from Buddy and he tosses Brubaker onto King’s shoulder for the Fire Thunder Driver and King pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: House of Black won in 2:35

Rating: Jack be Little. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash.

Max Caster is in the next match, so I shall endeavor to relay his lyrical stylings. He claims they don’t commit voter fraud and wants to leave Dark Order looking like Joe Biden on a bike. Not his strongest effort. Neither Austin nor Colten are sure of which city they’re in so Bowens still gets to do his thing. Cheap shot attempt from the heels but Dark Order is ready and abuse Caster for a bit before the match starts. 10 sends Austin and Colten out of the ring with clotheslines, and Billy shoves his kids to motivate them.

Match #8 – Trios Match: Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn) and Max Caster w/ Billy Gunn and Anthony Bowens vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and 10)

Eventually Austin and Uno start things off. Colten with a cheap shot to Uno and they look to isolate him. Colten tags in and lays in body blows to Uno. Suplex from Colten. Caster tags in and lays in strikes to Uno. Uno fights out of the enemy corner, and hits a neckbreaker to Caster. Austin tags in, he can’t stop Uno from tagging out though and 10 starts running wild on Austin and Colten. Caster takes a Blue Thunder Bomb, spinebuster to Colten, then a 10 count delated vertical suplex for Austin. Reynolds tags in and dives onto both Austin and Colten with an assist from 10. Austin is back in the ring, 10 hits him with a clothesline then Reynolds hits a modified Codebreaker and Caster has to break up the pin. Billy attacks 10, Austin rolls up Reynolds for a 2 count. Reynolds boots Austin, Billy gets on the apron and Reynolds knocks him down allowing Austin to roll up Reynolds again and this time use the ropes for leverage to get the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Gunn Club and Max Caster won in 4:09

Rating: 2 stars

That had almost nothing going for it, I appreciate 10’s improvements but this was a fairly anemic main event.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This one squeaks into Average, there was a touch too much squash in the rotation this time and the main event was a let down even by Elevation standards. House of Black had fun killing guys, Swerve and Lee continue their little dance, and Missa Kate as well as KM stood out in a good way.