Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 62) Review 5.09.22

Hey there people, time for the latest installment of AEW Dark: Elevation. We’ve got a short episode this week, just 5 matches, so let’s not waste too much time on preamble.

Our commentary team is Paul Wight and Mark Henry.

Match #1 – 8-Man Tag Team Match: Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, Alan “5” Angels, and 10) w/ Anna Jay vs. Ryan Mooney, Diego, Jose Fuller, and Brandon Scott

Angels and Fuller start us off, and Angels chops him a few times then we get a 5 punch in the corner. They hit the ropes and Angels lands a kick then tags in Uno. Fuller takes a double shoulder block and Uno starts laying in more chops. Reynolds tags in and lays in corner offense then a drop kick. Reynolds gets an elbow pad from someone in the crowd, it had been his and it flew off when he landed a chop, but the distraction allows for a cheap shot and Scott then tags in. Scott takes a cravate neckbreaker and here comes Mooney but Reynolds tags in Uno. Uno runs wild on everyone including some double offense and he tags in 10. 10 abuses all of his opponents and drops Diego with a delayed vertical suplex. Mooney runs into a spinebuster, Angels dives onto all of the other guys as Uno tags in. Uno and 10 hit a full nelson assisted powerbomb, not very smooth yet, and Uno pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Dark Order won in 4:27

Rating: Green Hubbard. . . SQUASH

This felt a bit slow, and that finish from 10 and Uno needs a bit of work but when done properly will be impressive.

Match #2: Emi Sakura vs. Abadon

Abadon bites Emi on the arm to start things off, then lays in strikes. Emi fights back with chops then tosses Abadon around by the hair. Chops and the corner cross body from Emi. Emi wants the double underhook backbreaker but Abadon powers out with a back body drop. They head out of the ring and Abadon hits a cannonball senton from the apron. Abadon lands knees to the body then they head back into the ring. Emi rakes the eyes and lays in stomps to set up the double underhook backbreaker for a 2 count. Emi tries it again, but Abadon floats over and bites Emi in the neck. Elbows from Abadon then a running Cutter and a senton. Abadon lays in mounted punches, then Emi fights back with chops but Abadon is even more in zombie mode and hits her with a clothesline. The Black Dahlia follows and Abadon pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Abadon won in 4:29

Rating: 2.5 stars

Solid little match, they played off of each other well and the action was well executed.

Match #3: Peter Avalon w/ Ryan Nemeth vs. Sonny Kiss

They trade headlock takeovers and head scissors counters then hit the ropes and Avalon lands a shoulder block. More rope running and Kiss hits a hip toss then a hurricanrana. Kiss goes for a neckbreaker but Avalon counters and goes for the arm. Avalon heads up top but Kiss cuts him off with strikes then grabs a Military Press and hits a moonsault double knee strike for a 2 count. Nemeth trips up Kiss, that allows Avalon to attack Kiss from behind. Avalon lays in chops then they head back into the ring. Kiss fires up with strikes, but Avalon cuts that off with a kick to the back of the head and he gets a 2 count on a cover. Scoop slam from Avalon, then he heads up top for a moonsault but eats canvas as he lands. Dropsault from Kiss then a back elbow. Kiss lands a head kick then a springboard cross body for a 2 count. More kicks from Kiss then a split legged leg drop but Nemeth interrupts things. Kiss baits Avalon into attack Nemeth a few times then rolls up Avalon to get the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sonny Kiss won in 4:12

Rating: 2 stars

That existed. Not much chemistry between these two to be found here, and they worked a very sedate pace. That aside, no major botches at least.

Match #4: John Silver vs. Tony Deppen

They tie up and Silver grabs a side headlock then shoulder blocks Deppen down. Silver hits the ropes and takes Deppen down with a running uppercut. Deppen trips up Silver and hits a knee drop for a 1 count. Chop from Deppen but Silver lands a better one. They start trading strikes but Silver gets the better of this before running into a high knee but he decapitates Deppen with a clothesline. Slightly missed lawn dart from Silver, running knee then a Spin Doctor and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: John Silver won in 2:34

Rating: Kiszombori. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash, with only the messed up lawn dart at the end casting a bit of a pall on the match.

Match #5 – Tag Team Match: The Factory (QT Marshall and Nick Comoroto) w/ Aaron Solo vs. Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland

Strickland and Marshall get things going, the crowd plays with Strickland for a bit but Marshall just kicks him in the gut. Strickland lays in strikes then tags in Lee. Lee lays in strikes then goes for the arm of Marshall. Marshall hits a chop, this annoys Lee who no sells a second and third chops, then double chops Marshall down to the mat with one blow. Comoroto tags in and takes a double chop but Lee runs into a double flapjack from Comoroto and Marshall. Solo gets a cheap shot in. Some less than impressive shoulder thrusts from Comoroto then Marshall tags in. Marshall with some strikes and Comoroto tags back in. Lee hoists Comoroto up and moves towards his corner before hitting a belly to belly suplex. Comoroto tags out and Marshall cheap shots Strickland to prevent the hot tag. Marshall wants to suplex Lee, that goes poorly and Lee suplexes him in return. Both men tag out and Strickland gets to run wild for a bit. Strickland hits a combination on Marshall then a rolling Flatliner to Comoroto gets a 2 count. Lee tags back in, Solo ties up Strickland and that complicates things before Comoroto gets Lee up but Lee slides off his shoulders. Marshall hits a super kick to Lee then Comoroto Spears Lee for a 2 count. Strickland flies in off the top rope and stomps Marshall down then he punches Solo and hits a German suplex to Comoroto. Lee then takes out Comoroto with the Big Bang Catastrophe and pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland won in 6:46

Rating: 2.5 stars

A slight botch from Comoroto early, but Strickland recovered well enough and what he did towards the end flipping out of the ring to deck Solo then sliding back in to German Comoroto was ridiculously smooth. Comoroto is still very green and it shows, but he is improving and that’s a big part of why Elevation exists. Pretty solid main event.

6.4

The final score: review Average

The 411

This episode had more commercials than usual and that hurt the overall flow, but for a mere 40 minute investment we got a couple of good matches and a few predictable squashes. Wight and Henry still kind of need a guiding voice, but I don't hate that they're given the chance to see how they perform as a duo on commentary.