wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 105) Review 3.06.23
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hello there people, it’s time to head back to the land of Elevation. Tonight we’ve got Nyla Rose, Juice Robinson, Christopher Daniels, Athena, Lance Archer, and a main event of Evil Uno taking on Lee Johnson. Should be a decent episode, so let’s get into it. Paul Wight and Matt Menard welcome us to the show.
Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir vs. Sandra Moone and J-Rod
Shafir and Moone start things off, Shafir picks a leg then hits an inside trip. Moone kicks Shafir off and tags out. J-Rod wants Nyla, Nyla obliges and tags in then they trade pie faces. They trade shoulder blocks but neither goes down then Nyla is able to hit the ropes and land a body block to drop J-Rod. Stomps from Nyla, then tries a chokeslam but J-Rod fights free and lands some strikes, Shafir with a blind tag and J-Rod is able to lift Nyla on her shoulders but Shafir boots J-Rod down. Mounted work from Shafir, then she goes to an armbar but J-Rod rolls through into a pin for 2. Shafir with some kicks then goes for the arm of J-Rod, only for J-Rod to hit a scoop slam though Shafir rolls through and keeps after the arm. J-Rod shoves Shafir off and tags out, Moone lands some elbows then a drop kick to the body, Small Package from Moone gets 1 then Shafir head kicks her down. Nyla tags in, they hit the Snapshot and that’ll do it.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir won in 4:21
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Pleasantly surprised by the layout here, J-Rod got to show off her abilities and didn’t look too out of place. Moone didn’t get as much shine but what we did see was solid. Shafir showed some more fluidity on offense than usual, and her kicks have finally started finding the sweet spot of looking devastating while not being dangerous.
Match #2: Brian Cage w/ Prince Nana vs. Rob McKnight
Cage with some knees right away then a scoop slam. Rob tries some chops, Cage no sells him and flexes his pecs at him. Corner clotheslines from Cage then a Saito suplex. Cage with bicep curls into the fall away slam then he poses. Rob starts landing some jabs then a running elbow. Running boot from Rob, then he runs into a super kick. Cage is pissed and kills him with a powerbomb then transitions into the King Kong Clutch to get the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Brian Cage won in 2:14
Rating: Calabaza squash
Thoughts: Delicious squash, Cage adding a less complicated finish like the King Kong Clutch makes sense too.
Match #3: Juice Robinson vs. Titus Alexander
Robinson with some kicks to the body then a Snake Eyes and running shoulder block. Jumping splash from Robinson gets 1, as do several other covers. Robinson objects to the count but the ref isn’t phased. Alexander lands a few chops but misses a drop kick. Senton from Robinson, this time we get to 2 on the count. Robinson lands some chops, but then runs into a dropkick from Alexander. Alexander got some serious elevation on that jump. Mule kick from Alexander then a flying forearm in the corner and a Blue Thunder backbreaker. Chaos Theory from Alexander but only a 2 count. Robinson rakes the eyes then posts Alexander before drilling him with a German suplex. Cannonball senton from Robinson, that earns him a “CJ Parker” chant before he kills Alexander with The Juice is Loose for the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Juice Robinson won in 4:15
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Robinson is pretty darn giving, he let Alexander have a fair amount of shine even though the outcome was obvious. I’m still not fully sold on Robinson but I know I’m in the minority on that one.
Match #4: Skye Blue vs. Leila Grey
Grey with a quick go behind and leg trip then she poses. Blue responds with some arm drags then a shotgun dropkick into the corner. Grey winds up slamming Blue down then starts laying into her with some corner work. More posturing from Grey then she hits a running knee strike then a bulldog out of the corner for a 2 count. Blue looks to fire up with strikes then hits a facebuster and a knee of her own to set up a single leg dropkick for a 2 count. Grey fights off Skyfall and hits a Side Effect for a 2 count. Blue fights back with a super kick, then Skyfall to get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Skye Blue won in 2:52
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Given how short it was I can’t quite get to 2.5 but other than the time this wasn’t bad, only a couple of issues of spacing or timing but for the most part it was well worked.
Match #5: Cole Karter vs. Christopher Daniels
Pretty loud “Fallen Angel” chants for Daniels. Karter grabs a side headlock then they hit the ropes with Daniels lands an arm drag. Some corner work from Karter now including a running splash then a clothesline as Daniels staggers out of the corner. Dropkick from Karter gets 2, then he poses in the corner. Daniels holds the ropes to let Karter eat the mat on a dropkick, then Daniels with some roll ups for 2 but Karter floors him with a right hand. Karter grabs a face lock now to slow things down, Daniels fights free with some strikes then counters a suplex into a Small Package for 2, then Daniels lands a German suplex and both men are down. Clotheslines from Daniels as he looks to fire up. STO from Daniels gets a 2 count, then he wants the Angel’s Wings but Karter trips him up and avoids it. Michinoku Driver from Karter only gets a near fall. Now Karter wants to end things with a 450 splash, but Daniels avoids him then side steps a corner splash and lands a uranage. Daniels wants the BME and hits it to get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Christopher Daniels won in 5:10
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Christopher Daniels still being as smooth as he is at his age is genuinely remarkable, that Best Moonsault Ever still looks exceptional. Karter has a good look, and good athleticism, but his control segments need work. Still, working with someone like Daniels can only be beneficial to him.
Match #6: Athena vs. Brooke Havok
Athena tosses Havok around but Havok avoids a shot and hits a neckbreaker then a shotgun dropkick. Havok hits the ropes but Athena cuts her off with a chokeslam that earns a 2 count. Athena with a series of powerbombs now then locks in the Crippler Crossface to get the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Athena won in 1:48
Rating: Mantelsackkürbis squash
Thoughts: Effective enough squash, but I’m still just a little bored with Athena’s schtick at this point.
Post match Athena goes to face plant Havok on the title but Willow Nightingale runs in just a little too slowly to save Havok. I assume this is to set up the match between Willow and Athena that took place at the ROH TV tapings a couple of weeks back. Pity about Willow losing almost all of the momentum she had a couple of months ago, she was on a decent roll but it just kind of evaporated as they’re still waiting on Kris Statlander before Jade will do anything interesting.
Match #7: Lance Archer vs. Jack Banning
Archer tossed some random poor guy down the ramp, but not his opponent. Immediate avalanche from Archer to Banning then he poses in the corner. Banning laughs at Archer, but Archer floors him with a flying elbow. Some corner offense from Archer but Banning avoids one charge only to get misdirected into the corner again by Archer. Archer yells at Banning, wanting to know why he’s here at all. I mean, I assume money but that’s just my guess. More corner strikes from Archer, then he warns Banning to never come back to AEW. Blackout attempt but Banning slips free and lands a few kicks, this just annoys Archer but Banning slaps him to further piss off Archer. Archer catches a jumping Banning with a powerbomb, then a lariat to end things.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lance Archer won in 3:25
Rating: Napolitaner Kürbis squash
Thoughts: This one was a bit too slow paced for what it was, could have shaved some time off of it but it was still an effective overall squash.
Match #8: Lee Johnson w/ Cole Karter vs. Evil Uno
Karter distracts Uno at the bell allowing Johnson to land strikes. Uno fires back up with strikes, he just pounds Johnson into the mat then starts laying in chops. Johnson tries to powder but Uno follows him the runs him over with a shoulder block. Stiff elbow to Karter, just because. Back in the ring they hit the ropes and Johnson lands a dropkick. Johnson lands a chop, but that just seems to fire up Uno who calls for more, then chops the heck out of Johnson. Eye rake from Johnson the he distracts the ref so Karter can land a cheap shot. Some trash talk from Johnson but Uno fires up with strikes only to eat a super kick but he recovers enough to land a clothesline to floor Johnson. Johnson lands a boot but Uno cuts him off with an eye poke and a right hand. More clotheslines from Uno then he heads up top and hits a Swanton Bomb for a 2 count. Johnson lands a super kick then a Death Valley Driver followed by a kick and a standing moonsault for 2. Another super kick from Johnson then he heads up top but misses a flying nothing then Uno hits a boot. Piledriver from Uno and that’ll get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Evil Uno won in 4:33
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Nice to see Uno showing some character wrinkles after the beating Moxley gave him, he and the entire Dark Order were in pretty dire need of some kind of refresh for their characters. Johnson still struggles to maintain selling and psychology throughout a match, which is one of those things he really should have ironed out by now.
