Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 48) Review 1.31.22

Hey there people, time for another Elevation episode. This week sees action featuring Lance Archer, Jay Lethal, Brandi Rhodes, and a main event of Penta el Zero Miedo taking on Serpentico. Tony Schiavone, Mark Henry, and Paul Wight provide commentary.

Match #1: Lance Archer w/ Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Chase Oliver

Per usual Archer abuses his opponent on the way to the ring. Oliver avoids a corner attack but then gets booted down. Archer lays in a few chops, then drives Oliver down with a chokeslam. The Black Out follows and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Lance Archer won in 1:12

Rating: Big Moon. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash. Post match Archer gets a mic, and tells the crowd to shut up. He didn’t come here for the people, they’re just sheep. He came back for everything in AEW, tries to trash talk “Hangman” Adam Page. Page is on his list, and everybody on his list dies. Not a great promo, he clearly lost his spot a few times.

Match #2: Kilynn King vs. Brandi Rhodes w/ Arn Anderson

They tie up, King grabs a side headlock then they run the ropes with Brandi avoiding an O’Connor Roll before King tries an Oklahoma Roll for a near fall. Arm drags from King follow then Brandi heads out of the ring to chew out Arn for not helping her. That allows King to hit a baseball slide. Back in the ring Brandi intercepts King with a knee to the head and takes over with strikes. Brandi hits a seated super kick for a near fall. King comes back with kicks, but Brandi retaliates with her own sequence of kicks that puts King down for a 2 count. King catches a jumping Brandi but can’t follow up, Brandi slips off the shoulders but King avoids a pump kick and hits Brandi with a Worlds Strongest Slam for a near fall. They trade strikes then Brandi hits a pump kick then a weak pop up punch. Brandi locks in that modified STF, apparently she calls it the Stretch Marks (OK, that’s kind of hilariously awesome) and King taps out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Brandi Rhodes won in 4:00

Rating: 2 stars

A few rougher spots aside, this was a perfectly acceptable match. Brandi is getting back into the swing of things, and King was a very capable dance partner here.

Match #3: Jay Lethal vs. Casey Carrington

Lethal grabs a side headlock right away then shoulder blocks Casey down. They run the ropes before Lethal hip tosses Casey over the top rope and out of the ring then follows up with a suicide dive and the Flair strut. Back in the ring Lethal gets a 1 count on a cover. Casey avoids a suplex and hits an enziguri. Lethal follows up with his cartwheel into a drop kick, then Casey counters a back suplex. Lethal grabs a Torture Rack, transitions to an inverted Finlay Roll then climbs the ropes to hit the Macho Elbow. The Lethal Injection follows and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jay Lethal won in 3:10

Rating: Blue Banana. . . SQUASH

Lethal’s definitely a bit more giving in these spots as he allowed Casey a bit of shine, but ultimately this still warrants a squash rating.

Match #4: Anna Jay vs. Nikki Victory

Jay quickly starts a hammerlock sequence, moves to a drop toe hold and then they stare off. Nikki with a cheap shot and lays in kicks then hits a snapmare and basement drop kick for a 1 count. Jay avoids a corner rush and lays in strikes then hits a running wheel kick. More kicks form Jay, then the Queen Slayer is locked in forcing Nikki to tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Anna Jay won in 1:20

Rating: Buttercup. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash.

Match #5 – Trios Match: The Factory (QT Marshall, Aaron Solo, and Nick Comoroto) w/ Anthony Ogogo vs. Dante Martin, Lee Moriarty, and Matt Sydal

The Factory jump the faces at the bell and isolate Lee. Solo and Lee square off, they hit the ropes with the usual spots then Lee goes for a backslide then hits a drop kick. Sydal tags in, hits a standing moonsault then Solo tags in Nick. Sydal bounces off of Nick, he calls in the troops and they try to triple drop kick Nick but they bounce off and he rebounds from the ropes with clotheslines for Lee and Martin. Nick grabs Lee for a suplex, then one armed presses Martin overhead in an absurd display of strength, only to be kicked in the face by Sydal and finally knocked off of his feet. Nick rolls out of the ring to regroup. The Factory all put their heads together and then decide that Marshall should tag in. Marshall starts laying in strikes to Sydal then Sydal counters into a head scissors and jump kick. Sydal is sent to the apron and lays in strikes but Ogogo botches his interference, despite the botch (or maybe because of it) referee Bryce Remsburg ejects him from ringside. Nick tags back in and lays in strikes to Sydal. Solo tags in, they’re keeping Sydal isolated. Marshall back in, hits a backbreaker then tags Nick. Sydal knees his way out of a few suplex attempts, Marshall tags in and cuts off the hot tag. Sydal flips out of a suplex with a hurricanrana then tags Martin. Solo tags in on the other side but Martin is a house on fire, he runs wild on everyone, climbs to the top rope and hits a ridiculously high cross body to Solo and Marshall breaks up the pin. Things break down and Sydal and Lee try to dive onto Nick and Marshall but they’re cut off and dropped on the outside. Martin up top with Solo, but he runs into a pop up punch from Marshall, a Spear from Nick, then a double stomp from Solo but Martin still kicks out at 2. Solo heads back up top, but Lee cuts off the double team finish and takes out Marshall with a tornado kick. Sydal hits a Meteora from the top to drop Nick. Solo takes a kick from Sydal, then the double springboard moonsault press from Martin connects and ends the match.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sydal, Martin, and Moriarty won in 7:46

Rating: 2.5 stars

This felt a hair too long, like they didn’t quite have the material for the run time, but that’s a relatively minor complaint. Nick Comoroto continues to look like an absolute beast.

Match #6 – Tag Team Match: Thunder Rosa and Ruby Soho vs. Joseline Navarro and Megan Meyers

Rosa and Navarro start, with Rosa out wrestling her then tagging in Soho. They hit a double team STO then Rosa tosses Soho onto Navarro for a near fall. Navarro pie faces Soho, Soho isn’t impressed and hits her but Meyers is able to hit a cheap shot and drop Soho. Meyers tags in and grabs a headlock but Soho escapes and tags Rosa. Rosa runs wild, but misses a right hand to Navarro that Navarro sells anyway. Basement dropkick in the ropes from Rosa gets a 2 count. Meyers avoids a Fire Thunder Driver then Soho tags in. A slightly awkward double team move connects and Navarro has to break up the pin. Rosa takes out Navarro with a Stunner, tags in and hits the Fire Thunder Driver after Soho hit a No Future kick and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Rosa and Soho won in 2:46

Rating: Crown Prince. . . SQUASH

That was a little awkward in a few places, not a terribly compelling outing from Navarro or Meyers. Post match Mercedes Martinez shows up on the entrance ramp to taunt Thunder Rosa and remind us that they’ll have a match on Friday.

Match #7: Penta El Zero Miedo w/ Alex Abrahantes vs. Serpentico

Penta and Serpentico circle a few times before we get the usual Penta shove. Serpentico lands a chop, Penta no sells it and decides it’s time to remove the glove. The glove is off and he tosses it to Abrahantes then lands an overhand chop. They trade some chops, this goes only one way as Penta floors him with another chop. Kick from Penta in the corner then a monkey flip, and another one that sends Serpentico out of the ring. Penta chases him, and drills him with a super kick from the apron, then chops him against the ring post. When he goes for a kick against the ring post Serpentico moves and jumps on him with strikes. They head back into the ring, Serpentico up top but misses the double stomp then runs into an overhead throw into the turnbuckles. Penta avoids some corner offense but gets hit with a kneeling super kick then Serpentico hits a Flatliner for a 2 count. Serpentico back up top, but he runs into the knees of Penta when going for a Swanton bomb. Sling Blade from Penta then they trade strikes. Super kick from Penta, then he runs into one from Serpentico. Penta falls out of the ring, Serpentico tries a suicide dive but Penta catches him in a Military Press, holds him up, then drops him onto the barricade. Back in the ring, the Fear Factor connects and Penta pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Penta El Zero Miedo won in 5:30

Rating: 2.5 stars

Another perfectly acceptable match, there wasn’t much of a story but Serpentico over performing was a nice little surprise and Penta is still pretty awesome.

6.9

The final score: review Average

The 411

Rather standard episode of Elevation, a few slightly sloppier matches hold this back from fully hitting Good but I don't have any major complaints.