wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 23) Review 8.16.21
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...It’s Monday, which means it time for more Elevation. . . Dark: Elevation brought to you by the folks over at AEW. Tonight our main event features the Lucha Bros taking on The Hybrid 2 in what could be a pretty good tag team match. Also the debut of Kiera Hogan when she battles Hikaru Shida, Lance Archer and Brian Cage are both going to commit murder, and plenty more. Well let’s get into it.
Commentary is back to Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight, with Eddie Kingston joining them later in the evening.
Match #1 – Tag Team Match: 2.0 (Matt Lee and Jeff Parker) vs. Duke Davis and Ganon Jones
Davis and Jones are large men. Parker tries to jump Davis but that goes poorly. Lee tags in and we get some double teams to Davis to take control. 2.0 stays in control for a bit working the leg of Davis, but Davis eventually fights back by over powering Parker and tagging out. Jones runs wild for a bit but gets caught in a drop toe hold and elbow drop to put 2.0 back in charge. A double team stun gun (2 For the Show) connects and they win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: 2.0 won in 2:32
Rating: 1.5 stars
The physiques and presence of Davis and Jones is impressive, they’re still a touch green but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them stick around AEW for a while.
Match #2: Diamante vs. Julia Hart w/ Varsity Blonds (Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr.)
Diamante and Hart trade arm throws, the Hart gets a side headlock then hits a shoulder block. Hip toss from Hart, then a less than stellar drop kick. Diamante takes over with a head scissors into a Russian leg sweep. Strikes from Diamante, she maintains control and lands kicks after a snapmare. Hart fights back and fires up with clotheslines, then a hand spring clothesline in the corner and a bulldog into the splits. Standing moonsault from Hart only gets 2 on the cover. Hart tries the bulldog again but Diamante shoves her off and slams her down by the hair. Diamante exposes a turnbuckle, then gets a chain while the ref deals with that, she clocks Hart with it and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Diamante won 5:18
Rating: 1.5 stars
Hart is still really green, but to her credit she’s improved pretty much each time she’s wrestled. Diamante isn’t exactly a ring general and this wound up being a bit disjointed with some spots that just didn’t look good. Post match Diamante keeps beating down Hart until Big Swole makes the save.
We get a brief recap of Joey Janela turning on Sonny Kiss last week.
Match #3: Joey Janela vs. Alan “5” Angels
Janela lands a super kick then tosses Angels out of the ring. Angels back in the ring, Janela sends him out again but Angels back in and hits a drop kick then a suicide dive as Janela moved out of the ring. Double springboard moonsault to the outside from Angels connects. Janela is able to send Angels into the ring post to take over. Back in the ring Janela retains control but Angels fights back and strikes before running into a back elbow. Angels battles back with a top rope cross body then he starts running the ropes to hit his offense which culminates in his low angle cross body and a standing Shiranui for a near fall. Angels heads up top, but Janela avoids his flying attack and they trade some blows then Janela hits an ugly brainbuster. Janela wants a Death Valley Driver but winds up running into a standing C4. Angels tries the Wing Snapper but Janela counters and they trade some roll ups before eventually Janela gets one with the tights for leverage and wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Joey Janela won in 5:50
Rating: 1 star
I am not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of Janela’s work and this was pretty standard stuff from him.
Match #4: Hikaru Shida vs. Kiera Hogan
Shida out wrestles Hogan early, but Hogan starts cheating to take over though she can’t knock Shida over with a shoulder block. They take turns slamming each other into the corner before Hogan gets the best of things and lays in stomps. Running kick to the seated Shida gets a 2 count. Shida heads out of the ring, then intercepts a dive attempt with an enziguri. The usual corner offense from Shida then a missile drop kick for a 2 count. Hogan fights back with a forearm and the two of them start trading strikes with Shida getting the better of things before Hogan lands a roundhouse kick. Shida blocks a Fisherman’s neckbreaker, and gets a spinning DDT. Another forearm from Shida, then her version of the Falcon Arrow connects and she wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Hikaru Shida won in 4:25
Rating: 2 stars
Perfectly acceptable match, and a decent debut for Hogan who got to show what she’s capable of.
Per usual Lance Archer is abusing his opponent on the way to the ring. Archer powerbombs Collins onto the apron before the match even starts.
Match #5: Lance Archer w/ Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Reggie Collins
Collins tries to land strikes, Archer just gets annoyed and wallops him with a clothesline. The Hell-o-coaster follows, then some chops and a Black Out and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lance Archer won in 1:30
Rating: Blue banana. . . SQUASH
A moment of silence for Reggie Collins if you please.
Match #6: Thunder Rosa vs. Ray Lyn
The crowd is very pro Rosa. Rosa out wrestles Lyn early, but Lyn is able to keep up then slams Rosa by the hair. That leads to Rosa laying in chops then she drapes Lyn over the top ropes and lays in kicks then a drop kick. Rosa is going after the neck and upper back, she gets a rear naked choke but Lyn fights free and hits a snapmare then kicks to the chest. Lyn wants a Trailer Hitch, Rosa counters into an Achilles lock but Lyn kicks free. Rosa gets her usual corner offensive flurry, then a butterfly suplex for a near fall. Fire Thunder Driver follows and Rosa wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Thunder Rosa won in 4:21
Rating: 2 stars
This was basically the same math Thunder Rosa always has on Elevation, which is not to say bad just very repetitive when you’ve seen it a few times. Lyn held her own out there, though Rosa is great about working with her partner in spots like this.
Match #7: Anthony Bowens vs. Pac
Bowens is out without Max Caster and with a completely different bit of entrance music. They trade strikes right away, the crowd is solidly with Pac. Pac gets the better of the striking, they run the ropes and Bowens hits a super kick. Angle Slam from Bowens gets a 2 count, then he lays in chops. More strikes from Bowens as he keeps control, but eventually Pac gets annoyed by that and lays in a bunch of his own kicks to send Bowens out of the ring. Pac with a dive onto Bowens, then he tosses Bowens into the barricade. Back in the ring Pac heads up top and hits a drop kick. Bowens rakes the eyes to get back into this then hits a suplex for a near fall. Pac fights off the shoulders of Bowens and gets a slingshot German suplex then sets for the Black Arrow, but mocks the fans for wanting to see it and just hops down to lock in the Brutalizer and get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Pac won in 6:20
Rating: 2.5 stars
Solid match, Pac still being a jerk despite being the good guy was a nice touch. Bowens held up his end of the match, and I’m a little curious what else he can do as a solo act.
Match #8: Brian Cage vs. Joey Keys
Eddie Kingston has joined commentary (put a title on Eddie Kingston you cowards), and apparently Paul Wight has ribbed him by removing his chair. Cage lays out Keys early with clotheslines and a bicep curl into a fall away slam. Keys hits a perpendicular Back Stabber and some strikes but runs into a kick. Cage with a German suplex, a Death Valley Driver, then a second rope superplex. Discus lariat from Cage, then the Drill Claw and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Brian Cage won in 1:58
Rating: Buttercup. . . SQUASH
Brian Cage is still pretty darn awesome.
Match #9: Sammy Guevara vs. Serpentico w/ Luther
Guevara lays in some chops early. Serpentico heads out of the ring, Guevara follows and tricks Serpentico into charging into Luther. Back into the ring Serpentico with some kicks to take over then sends Guevara out of the ring. Some cheap shots from Luther but Geuvara sends him into the barricade. Geuvara back into the ring, they run the ropes then Guevara lands a drop kick. Serpentico fights back, and hits a back suplex for a 1 count. Guevara sent out of the ring again, and again we get some cheap shots from Luther. Serpentico chops the ring post after Guevara moved, then a running knee from Guevara. Back into the ring, Serpentico gets a jumping reverse STO for a 2 count. Serpentico sends Guevara out of the ring, and dives but he lands on Luther then Guevara with a twisting dive onto both Serpentico and Luther. Into the ring and Guevara runs into a super kick, then hits a running knee and hits the GTH to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Sammy Guevara won in 5:26
Rating: 2.5 stars
Serpentico keeps working surprisingly well in this role. Post match Shawn Spears ambushes Guevara. Tully Blanchard hands Spears a chair, Spears hits the C4 onto it then mocks the fallen Guevara.
Match #10: Jade Cargill w/ Smart Mark Sterling vs. Katie Arquette
Jade no sells a clothesline, hits a very awkward Catatonic into a Flatliner. Arquette with some strikes in the corner but eats a pump kick. Jade with a catapult into the corner, and an ugly forearm strike. A pumphandle face buster from Jade, then the Jaded and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jade won in 1:35
Rating: Galeux d’Eysines. . . SQUASH
Jade trying out different things is nice, but she’s still a bit stiff/green when it comes to the actual wrestling.
Match #11 – Tag Team Match: TH2 (Jack Evans and Angelico) vs. Lucha Bros. (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) w/ Pac and Alex Abrahantes
Fenix and Angelico start us off. Some mat wrestling early results in a stand off. Fenix is able to trip Angelico down and gets a slightly modified Texas Cloverleaf but Evans comes in with a kick to the head. Angelico gets a full nelson, then they trade arm wringers and escapes then some trips and covers before another stand off. Fenix offers a handshake, Angelico declines and both men tag out. Penta plays with the crowd for a bit, the man is quite over as he takes off a glove. Evans misses a tornado kick, Penta lands a basement drop kick but Evans is able to avoid a corner rush and hits the tornado kick. Penta avoids a baseball slide then kicks Evans in the head. Back into the ring and Fenix tags in for a series of kicks then a really nice assisted splash. Fenix with a chop, but Angelico is able to sweep his legs out on the apron and put Evans in charge. Evans lays in kicks then tags in Angelico. A double team Gory Special connects then an assisted kick to the face but that only gets 2. Angelico with a Delfin Clutch, boy that’s a throwback, and Penta comes in to kick him in the head and break it up. Evans tags back in, we get a double stomp assisted back suplex then a standing corkscrew moonsault for a near fall. Angelico back in, but this time Fenix is able to fight them off with strikes and the rolling cutter though the ropes to Angelico to put both men down. Penta tags in and hits Sling Blades onto both opponents, then kicks for both men and he DDTs Evans. A super kick to Angelico, then Fenix tags in and runs the middle rope then hits a drop kick to Angelico but Evans breaks up the pin. Running kick from Evans to drop Fenix then Angelico is able to tag out. Evans with a flying nothing into a Fenix super kick. Penta tags in, the double stomp assisted Fear Factor, then Fenix dives onto Angelico as Penta pins Evans.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lucha Bros won in 9:31
Rating: 3 stars
The Lucha Bros. continue to roll, while TH2 hung with them. Given those four guys and their talent something as easily watchable as this was inevitable.
