wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 46) Review 1.17.22
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Time for more Elevation. Tonight we’ve got a handful of matches featuring Jay Lethal, Tay Conti, Ruby Soho, Gunn Club and more. It’s a slightly shorter than usual episode tonight so let’s get to the action.
Excalibur and Mark Henry provide commentary.
Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarty vs. JR Miller and Marcus Kross
Sydal and Kross get things going. Kross without the hair done up looks weird. Both men trade evasive moves, then kicks with Sydal getting the better of it. Sydal tags Lee who starts going after the arm of Kross. Lee grabs an abdominal stretch but Kross headbutts out of it and tags in Miller. Miller with some corner offense but once they run the ropes Lee gets the better of it and lands a double stomp. Sydal tags in and hits a double stomp of his own. Kross with a cheap shot to the leg of Sydal then Miller tags him in. More kicks from Kross, then he cheap shots Lee, Lee then gets involved and saves Sydal allowing him to take down Kross then hit an enziguri to Miller. Lee tags in, boots Kross then arm drags Miller out of the ring. Pepsi Twist from Lee, then Kross avoids a suplex but is caught in a Border City Stretch while Sydal takes out Miller with a Lightning Spiral and Kross has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarty won in 3:20
Rating: Wendehals. . . SQUASH
A bit stilted at times, and the crowd was pretty dead for this one, but I like the pairing of Sydal and Moriarty.
Match #2: Tay Conti vs. Ameera
They tie up, then break without an advantage for either woman. Another tie up, then Conti starts with the arm throws and lays in a right hand. Ameera lands an elbow and Conti is pissed now. Roll up from Ameera gets a 1 count then lands a head kick. Conti stalls out a Crucifix Driver and hits a spinning slam. Conti with some pump kicks in the corner then hoists Ameera up for the Tay-KO and Conti pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Tay Conti won in 1:57
Rating: Zucchini. . . SQUASH
Ameera didn’t look too bad here, though again parts of the action felt very stop and go, like there was a timing issue.
Excalibur makes me laugh with his intro the next match “Some may call them ‘Ass Boys’ but we are legally obligated to call them ‘Gunn Club’.”
Match #3: Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn) w/ Billy Gunn vs. JB Cole and T.I.M
Austin and TIM start us off, they trade roll ups before TIM hits arm drags. They run the ropes and TIM hits a kick then Cole tags in. Cole goes after the arm of Austin, then Colten makes a blind tag and takes down Cole from behind. Colten stomps down Cole in the corner. Billy argues with the ref for a bit as Colten hits a drop kick, he’s got some hops. Austin back in but Cole hits a jawbreaker then avoids a corner splash and tags out. TIM runs wild for a bit before Colten drops him with a right hand. Chop block from Austin then Colten tags in and hits the Colt .45 to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Gunn Club won in 2:55
Rating: Cushaw. . . SQUASH
TIM looked pretty good here, and I continue to find Austin’s presentation the wrong kind of annoying/boring.
Match #4: Frankie Kazarian vs. Labron Kozone
They tie up and Kazarian starts out wrestling Kozone. Kozone gets an arm wringer, Kazarian escapes with a drop toe hold and grabs a side headlock. Kazarian avoids a back suplex and starts laying in strikes. Kozone starts firing his own strikes then they hit the ropes and Kozone lands a back elbow then a running headbutt. Kazarian starts with the chops but he runs into a uranage for a 1 count. Kozone tries to keep control but they hit the ropes and Kazarian fires up with strikes and a scoop slam. Running knees from Kazarian, then the crossface chicken wing follows and Kozone has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Frankie Kazarian won in 3:15
Rating: 1.5 stars
Kazarian gave Kozone enough offense to warrant a full rating here. I rather liked what I saw out of Kozone.
Match #5: Ruby Soho vs. Kenzie Paige
They tie up, then we get a clean break out of the corner. Soho starts going for the arm of Paige with an overhook and Paige has to use the hair to break it and lands a rolling elbow. Strikes from Paige but Soho fires up with a missed foot stomp but Paige sells it anyway. Paige hits a clothesline then taunts Soho. Soho with a back elbow, drives Paige into the second turnbuckle then lays in more strikes. Rolling elbow from Soho, then a series of strikes but Paige fights back with a super kick but when she tries a full nelson move Soho slips free and hits the No Future kick to pin and win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Ruby Soho won in 3:07
Rating: 1 star
Soho was too giving here, this should have been more of a conventional squash.
Match #6: Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) vs. Chase Emory and Patrick Scott
Kassidy and Scott start things off. They tie up, Kassidy with a go behind then an arm wringer and drop toe hold before he tags in Quen. Emory tags in as they fight over a top wrist lock then Emory and Quen trade arm wringers before Quen hits a clothesline to take over. Scoop slam from Quen, then he tags in Kassidy and they take turns hitting splashes from the apron. Emory tries to fight back but Kassidy drives him into the heel corner and Quen lays in cheap shots. Quen tags inand Emory takes more tandem offense. Jawbreaker from Emory and he’s able to tag out but Scott eats an enziguri. Kassidy tags in, the Jin and Juice follows and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Private Party won in 3:10
Rating: Fig-leaf. . . SQUASH
I’m not exactly high on Private Party, but as far as an outing to help get them back into the groove of things this worked.
Match #7: Jay Lethal vs. Alexander Moss
Moss grabs a side headlock, then they hit the ropes with Lethal doing the hip toss into a cartwheel and drop kick. Lethal tosses Moss out of the ring then they play ring around the rosey getting back in the ring which lets Moss hit a clothesline to take over. Combination of strikes from Moss then he starts working a neck crank. Lethal fights to his feet then strikes out of the hold and lands a chop. Again they move out of the ring and back in but this time Lethal is ready for Moss and drills him with a clothesline then a series of other strikes. The Lethal Combination follows and Lethal climbs to the top rope. The elbow drop connects for Lethal but only a 2 count. Moss fights back with a knee to the body but gets back dropped, though he recovers well enough with a spinning back suplex for a 2 count of his own. Lethal fights off the shoulders of Moss then goes for a series of pinning predicaments but can’t get Moss to stay down. When Moss kicks out of an O’Connor roll Lethal turns that momentum in his favor so he can hit the Lethal Injection then pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jay Lethal won in 4:40
Rating: 2 stars
Jay Lethal is still a pretty good professional wrestler, and Moss didn’t look bad here at all. Solid main event for the show.
