Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep 39) Review 11.29.21

Alright everyone, time for more AEW Dark: Elevation. Tonight we’ll have matches featuring the recently debuted Jay Lethal, the tag team of Tay Jay, Santana and Ortiz, and a lot of multi man matches. Excalibur has joined commentary along with Paul Wight and Eddie Kingston. That’s as good a time as any to remind AEW to put a title on Eddie Kingston already, you cowards.

Match #1 – 8-Woman Tag Team Match: Julia Hart, Skye Blue, Leyla Hirsch, and Ryo Mizunami vs. The Bunny, Diamante, Nyla Rose w/ Vickie Guerrero and Emi Sakura w/ Mei Suruga

Ryo and Bunny begin things. Bunny skips around for a bit, then tries to trade strikes with Ryo and that goes poorly for Bunny. Ryo shoulder blocks Bunny down then hits a scoop slam but misses a running leg drop. Running knee strike from Bunny then she tags in Rose. Ryo with a double spear to take down Bunny and Rose, then she unloads with strikes in the corner and tags in Leyla. All the faces come in for a series of assisted drop kicks to Rose, then Diamante takes a double back body drop when she gets involved. Rose takes down Leyla with a few slams then pie faces Skye. Emi tags in and cheap shots Skye as well. Emi with the corner cross body, then a double underhook backbreaker and Skye breaks up the pin. Emi ties up both Skye and Leyla, all the heels get submission holds for a second before order is restored. Rose tags back in, Leyla fights back with strikes but gets tossed out of the ring. The heel managers beat up Leyla for a bit then send her back into the ring. Diamante tags in and hits an assisted splash. Leyla starts fighting back, hits a leg trapped back suplex and both women are down. Skye gets the hot tag as Emi tags in, Skye runs wild and hits a super kick to Emi then a running heel kick. Skye heads up top, and tags Hart. Rose tags in and takes some double team moves then Diamante takes out Skye. Hart avoids Rose for a bit, hits a drop kick then a small package for a 2 count. Hart goes up top, but her flying nothing is countered by a chop, then Beast Bomb follows and we’re done as the other heels keep the faces tied up on the outside.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose, Emi Sakura, Diamante, and Bunny won in 6:40

Rating: 2 stars

This many participants in any match can clog things up, especially with shorter time and a rather green participant like Hart. They smartly kept Hart’s involvement to a minimum, though I wonder if Skye wouldn’t have been a better face in peril than Leyla but that’s a minor consideration. Related to Hart, she does seem to be coming along as she’s not nearly as rough as she was in the past.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Tay Jay (Tay Conti and Anna Jay) vs. Alice Crowley and Missa Kate

Jay and Kate start us off, Jay quickly takes over and Conti tags in then starts working on the mat. Some arm throws from Conti then a roundhouse kick to the face. Conti misses a pump kick in the corner and Kate is able to tag out, as does Conti. Jay drills Crowley with a back heel kick then a running heel kick in the corner and another kick to the head in the corner. Kate comes in to break up the pin, and eats a pump kick from Conti while Jay locks in the Queenslayer to get the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Tay Jay won in 1:50

Rating: Trombone. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash. Conti and Jay make a solid team, and with the expanding women’s roster one does wonder if AEW might introduce tag belts for the ladies at some point.

Match #3 – Tag Team Match: Santana and Ortiz vs. Brayden Lee and Isiah Moore

Santana and Lee start us off, and Lee is able to drop him with a shoulder block but Santana gets mad after taking a drop kick and hits a series of strikes to the back of the head. Ortiz tags in and they hit a double team move on Lee culminating with a Santana powerbomb. Lee tags out and Moore starts trading headlocks with Ortiz but Ortiz takes him down with a leg lariat. Pele kick from Moore but Ortiz fights back with a wrist clutch Northern Lights suplex and Lee breaks up the pin. Santana takes out Lee then tags in and Moore eats a series of kicks and a discus clothesline from Santana and that will end things.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Santana and Ortiz won in 2:57

Rating: Turban. . . SQUASH

Slightly more competitive squash, but a squash none the less.

Match #4: Tony Nese vs. Vic Capri

Nese takes over quickly with strikes, then Vic fights back with hard strikes of his own and Nese has to resort to trickery and hits a hotshot then a triangle moonsault for a 2 count. Vic avoids a corner attack and hits a shotgun drop kick for his own 2 count. Nese catches Vic with a pumphandle Fire Thunder Driver to end the match.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Tony Nese won in 2:14

Rating: 1.5 stars

Competitive enough to avoid the full squash I suppose, though the outcome was never in doubt. Vic Capri looked pretty good, he’s got a good physique to go along with a grizzled face and he might be worth giving a few more looks.

Mark Henry has joined commentary in place of Eddie Kingston now.

Match #5 – Trios Match: The Hardy Family Office (Matt Hardy, Isiah Cassidy and The Blade) w/ The Bunny vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, and Alan “5” Angels)

The HFO jump Dark Order just before the bell, then Hardy starts working over Angels. A series of leg drops from Hardy then he tags in Blade. Blade tags in Cassidy and the resume stomping down Angels in the corner. Hardy tags back in and Angels continues to play face in peril, but Cassidy takes too long on a poetry in motion and Angels takes him down, hits an enziguri to Hardy then tosses Blade out of the ring. Cassidy and Blade pull Uno and Grayson away from a tag and Hardy drills Angels with a Side Effect for a near fall as Uno breaks up the pin. Cassidy tags in, climbs to the top rope and calls for the Swanton Bomb but Angels rolls away and Cassidy eats canvas. Grayson tags in and runs wild on Cassidy for a bit before Cassidy tags in Blade. Blade and Grayson trade strikes then Grayson lays him out with a clothesline. Uno tags in and boots Blade to set up a double team move from him and Grayson for a near fall. Blade avoids a German suplex and takes Uno down with a flying elbow and tags Hardy as Uno tags Angels. Hardy wants the Twist of Fate, but Angels counters into one of his own then climbs up top and hits a Frog Splash but Blade and Cassidy break up the pin. Things break down for a bit and Hardy gets Angels on the top rope. Angels fights him off but jumps into a Side Effect that he counters into a victory roll for 2. Cassidy with an enziguri from the apron, that sets up Hardy to hit the Twist of Fate and he pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: The Hardy Family Office won in 6:20

Rating: 2.5 stars

Decent trios match, I’m a touch surprised at just how much of it Angels worked given what Bryan Danielson is likely to do to him when they square up.

Match #6: Jay Lethal vs. Trenton Storm

Storm starts in with strikes right away but Lethal counters with his hip toss into a drop kick then takes over with strikes of his own. Storm goes for the eyes then hits a kneeling super kick for a 1 count. Lethal fights out of a side headlock and lays in strikes then floors Storm with a clothesline. They run the ropes, then Lethal catches Storm with an inside out facebuster. Lethal Injection follows and we’re done here.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jay Lethal won in 2:12

Rating: Valenciano. . . SQUASH

A competitive squash, but a squash. It’s nice to see Lethal on a bigger stage, and he looked smooth here.

The Acclaimed are up next. Caster’s rap on his way to the ring ask if the ring is full losers like the Cubs, says the Dark Order lose more matches than Barry Horowitz (it hurts because it’s true), mocks the Blonds lack of TV time and says they’re like Aaron Rodgers and wont get a shot.

Match #7 – 8-Man Tag Team Match: Alex Reynolds, Jon Silver, and Varsity Blonds (Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr.) w/ Julia Hart vs. The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) and Chaos Project (Luther and Serpentico)

Reynolds and Luther get us going. Luther lands a pump kick off the bat and tags in Serpentico. Reynolds takes out Serpentico with a knee then a couple of kicks to drop Luther and Serpentico then tags in Silver. Silver hits a drop kick with Reynolds, then Pillman winds up tagged in and lays in strikes. Garrison hits a splash then Pillman runs over Serpentico with a shoulder block. Serpentico fights out of a powerbomb with a hurricanrana and Caster cheap shots Pillman to take over. Caster tags in, then tags Bowens and Bowens lays into Pillman with strikes. Luther tags in and starts going after the body of Garrison using Serpentico as a weapon after tagging Serpentico in. Pillman avoids a corner attack, low bridges Luther then tags Garrison. Garrison runs wild on everyone, hits splashes on Bowens and Serpentico. Bowens lays into Garrison with strikes but Garrison comes off the ropes with a roaring elbow then tags in Silver. Silver takes out Luther on the apron, then kicks Serpentico and runs wild on the floor to everyone. Silver up top and hits a cross body for a 2 count. Reynolds dives onto the pile of the heels, Serpentico rolls up Silver but only gets 2. A knee from Silver, then the Spin Doctor connects and he pins Serpentico to get the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Varsity Blonds and Dark Order won in 4:43

Rating: 2.5 stars

Another solid match, Jon Silver is pretty darn over and he’s been getting chances to shine lately. Post match the victors pose to end the show.

6.7

The final score: review Average

The 411

I've said it a lot recently, but Elevation has really found it's groove over the last couple of months. There were no major botches tonight, a few minor timing errors but in all those multi man matches that's kind of par for the course in some respects. Excalibur was a solid lead man for both trios of commentary, both Wight and Henry are a touch dry still and need a bit of spark to play off of and Excalibur was able to provide that.