wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 52) Review
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hey there people, time for another episode of AEW Dark Elevation. A shorter episode tonight, and one that seems to have a bit more competitive matches. Since last week was disproportionately squash matches as well as a ton of multi-man matches it makes sense this one would swing back the other way. Tonight we’ve got Jay Lethal, several Dark Order members in action, Leyla Hirsch, Lance Archer, and Chaos Project. So let’s get to the action.
Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, and Mark Henry are on commentary.
Match #1: Jora Johl w/ Matt Hardy and Jose vs. Jay Lethal
They tie up and Johl grabs a side headlock then they run the ropes and trade shoulder blocks with Lethal coming out on top. Arm drag from Lethal then Johl avoids an arm drag. Johl gets sent out of the ring then Lethal hits a lovely looking suicide dive before doing the Flair strut. Back in the ring Johl crotches Lethal on the top rope then super kicks him out of the ring. Johl lays in strikes in the ringside area then they head back into the ring. Lethal starts laying in chops but runs into a snap powerslam for a 2 count. Lethal fights back with strikes then goes to various pinning combinations but he can’t find the 3 count. Pump kick from Lethal then an enziguri, but Johl avoids a Lethal Injection and hits a sit out Death Valley Driver. Lethal avoids a pump kick but turns the kick out into the Lethal Injection and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jay Lethal won in 3:28
Rating: 2 stars
Decent little match, Lethal is a very giving worker and it’s nice to see Johl continue to grow as a performer. Post match Hardy gets a mic and an iPad and heads into the ring. Hardy dresses down Johl for disappointing him just like Private Party has done lately. Unless Johl can impress Hardy soon he’ll delete Johl’s spot in the AHFO.
Match #2: Red Velvet vs. Skye Blue
They tie up then Velvet hits a throw. Another tie up, this time Blue hits the same throw and they shake hands after. Velvet grabs a side headlock then shoulder blocks Blue down. Both women try hip tosses, eventually Velvet hits one then Blue hits an arm drag, they do stereo drop kicks then stand off again. Another hand shake follows. Blue with an ankle pick and hits a spinning kick. Leyla Hirsch heads to the entrance ramp, back in the ring Velvet hits a throw then a standing moonsault. Blue with a roll up then a super kick but only a 2 count. Velvet lays in a kick then hits the Final Slice to pin and win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Red Velvet won in 2:23
Rating: 1.5 stars
Notch another win for Red in the eternal conflict between Red and Blue. Jokes aside this was a bit too short to really be anything, Velvet has cleaned up a lot of her work but there were still a few odd spots in this one.
Match #3: Alan “5” Angels vs. Frankie Kazarian
They tie up then trade arm wringers and escapes before Frankie hits a shoulder block then grabs a side headlock. Frankie keeps a hold of the headlock before Angels escapes, they trade head scissor escapes, then roll ups before we get a stand off. They trade roll ups again then Frankie lands a chop. Running Russian leg sweep from Frankie connects then he goes back to chops. Angels catches Frankie with a one legged kick then hits an arm drag. Angels moves into a top wrist lock, Frankie uses the ropes to spin out of it and hits an arm drag. Frankie then catches a running Angels with a solid clothesline to take over. Gutwrench suplex from Frankie gets a 2 count. Angels slips to the apron and lands a kick to the head then a drop kick through the ropes. Strikes from Angels but Frankie returns the favor before Angels hits a cross body then a hurricanrana. Frankie heads out of the ring, then hits a jumping Angels with a forearm shot. Back in the ring Angels blocks a springboard leg drop and locks up the Trailer Hitch but Frankie kicks him in the face to break the hold. Frankie locks up a straight jacket neck crank, Angels then kicks Frankie in the face until he lets go. Small package from Angels, Frankie goes to a backslide but neither man gets a pin. Angels tries the O’Connor roll, but Frankie turns it into a Crossface Chicken Wing and Angels has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Frankie Kazarian won in 6:05
Rating: 2.5 stars
Solid work from those two, they both played the counter game and ultimately it was Angels trying a bit too hard to exist in Frankie Kazarian’s world that cost him.
Match #4 – Trios Match: Diamante, Emi Sakura, and Nyla Rose w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. LMK, Kayla Sparks, and Paris Van Dale
The heels jump the others as the bell rings. Eventually Nyla double clotheslines Paris and Sparks. Emi tags in and lays in chops the hits the corner cross body to Van Dale. Van Dale tags in Sparks who lays in some strikes before missing a corner splash and Nyla tags back in. Sparks avoids a chokeslam and tags Van Dale. Nyla tags in Diamante who lays into Van Dale for a bit before Van Dale tags out. LMK is in, and takes a back suplex but as Van Dale breaks up the pin everything breaks down. LMK is left alone in the ring, she takes a flapjack from Nyla, a senton from Emi, then Diamante locks up a cutthroat neck crank that gets the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose, Diamante, and Emi Sakura won in 2:25
Rating: Yellow Hubbard. . . SQUASH
Delicious squash.
Match #5: Lance Archer vs. Fuego Del Sol
Fuego tries a suicide dive as Archer is coming to the ring, Archer catches him and looks for a chokeslam but Fuego flips out of it. They get into the ring and Fuego avoids Archer with his speed but he’s caught going for a satellite DDT and Archer tries the Black Out but again Fuego flips onto his feet. Kick from Fuego, then another one and he heads up top but flies into a right hand that floors him. Archer is pissed, he tosses Fuego out of the ring then fakes a dive and just climbs out of the ring to kick Fuego in the face. Some chops from Archer then he tosses Fuego back into the ring. Fuego drop kicks Archer, but to no effect. Archer catches a jumping Fuego with both hands, sets him on the top rope for the Black Out but Fuego fights free with strikes and a bite. Fuego tries the Tornado DDT but Archer catches him and hits a suplex. Archer’s left boot has fallen apart, but he grabs Fuego and hits a high angle chokeslam. The Black Out from Archer again, this time it hits and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lance Archer won in 3:10
Rating: Butternut. . . SQUASH
They gave Fuego some hope spots early, but ultimately this is still a squash.
Match #6: Leyla Hirsch vs. Willow Nightingale
Hirsch avoids Willow early, annoying Willow who grabs a side headlock then shoulder blocks Hirsch down. Knee from Hirsch then she drop kicks Willow as Willow was doing a cartwheel. Hirsch ties up Willow in the ropes and lays in clotheslines. Shoulder thrusts from Hirsch in the corner then a running elbow and she misses a knee in the corner. Willow lands a clothesline then hits a Pounce. Cannonball senton from Willow in the corner then she heads up top but Hirsch avoids a moonsault then kills her with a running knee to the face. Hirsch could pin, but instead locks in the armbar to make Willow tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Leyla Hirsch won in 2:16
Rating: 1.5 stars
You could argue this was a squash and I wouldn’t disagree, but I think they gave Willow enough to warrant more of a rating. Hirsch as the heel remains a bit interesting if still a work in progress overall.
Match #7: Dark Order (Evil Uno and Stu Grayson) vs. Chaos Project (Serpentico and Luther)
Grayson and Serpentico start us off, Serpentico tries to pose off with Grayson. Serpentico tries a scoop slam but he can’t lift Grayson and instead lays in a chop that amuses Grayson. Grayson lands a chop and Serpentico drops flat. Military Press from Grayson then he tags in Uno. Uno hits a backbreaker then Grayson tags back in and hits a hilo from the ring to the apron but he runs into a clothesline from Luther. Luther tosses Grayson into the barricade then back into the ring. Serpentico tags Luther in and then cheap shots Uno. Grayson is able to boot Luther but he gets caught in a flying Flatliner from Serpentico. Luther starts arguing with the ref about the count on a pin attempt. Serpentico tags back in, he tries to provide a platform for Luther to jump off of, that goes badly. Grayson then hits a double Pele kick and tags out. Uno runs wild on Luther and Serpentico, then heads up top and hits a Swanton bomb onto Serpentico for a 2 count. Grayson tags back in, he and Uno hit a tossing powerbomb on Serpentico but Luther breaks up the pin. Luther with an enziguri to Uno then a flapjack to Grayson and he tosses Serpentico so he Spears Grayson and the double stack pin gets 2. Grayson low bridges Luther then tags out and dives onto Luther. Uno takes a super kick from Serpentico but he catches Serpentico and hoists him up so they can hit The Fatality and then he pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Dark Order won in 4:54
Rating: 2 stars
Decent main event, I’m not too amused by the antics of Chaos Project but your mileage will vary on that.
