wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 72) Review 7.18.22
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Monday brings about another trip to the land of AEW Dark: Elevation. Tonight we’ve got Tony Nese, Dark Order, Bobby Fish, Julia Hart, Ethan Page, the team of Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir, and more.
Our commentary trio is Excalibur, Caprice Coleman, and Mark Henry.
Match #1: Bobby Fish vs. Bobby Fish vs. Blake Li
Fish quickly out wrestles Li and grabs a chin lock. Shoulder block from Fish then they hit the ropes and Fish grabs a rear naked choke then transitions into a striking sequence. Hilo from Fish then more leg kicks and elbows then a scoop slam into the ropes. Li starts fighting back with an uppercut but Fish cuts him off with a body blow then he sweeps out the legs as Li is on the apron. Dragon Screw leg whip from Fish sends Li into the barricade then they head back into the ring. Again Li tries to fight back but Fish catches a kick, drops him and then snaps his leg into the mat before grabbing the Fish Hook and forcing Li to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bobby Fish won in 2:59
Rating: Aurantiaca-Alba. . . SQUASH
Not a bad showing from Li here, and Fish seems dialed in after his absence.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose w/ Vickie Gurerrero vs. Skye Blue and Brittany
Brittany and Rose start us off, Brittany avoids Rose for a bit then Rose offers her back for a free shot before laying her out with a clothesline when Brittany took her up on the offer. Shafir tags in and unloads strikes while going after the arm of Brittany. Brittany tries to strike back, Shafir cuts her off with a body shot (incorrectly called a liver shot, Shafir hit the wrong side of the body) then Rose tags in and hits a low angle cross body. Excalibur, ever the professional, corrects the anatomical call from a moment ago. Shafir avoids Rose and tags in Blue, who super kicks the legs of Rose, cheap shots Shafir, then super kicks Rose again. Blue up top and hits a cross body onto Rose but takes too long on the cover and Rose kicks out at 2. Clothesline from Rose then Shafir tags in. Shafir tosses Blue around but Blue fights back with a kick only to be taken down by Shafir. Ugly German suplex from Shafir and Brittany breaks up the pin. Blue and Shafir trade not good kicks, then both tag out, Rose immediately runs over Brittany. Rose with a scoop slam then a running knee strike. Shafir tags in, Rose then powerbombs Brittany and takes out Blue. Shafir locks up the Greedy and Brittany taps.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir won in 4:30
Rating: 1.5 stars
Shafir still needs a lot of work, she’s got a good general feel in terms of presentation but the execution is still a long ways off as her sequence with Blue indicates. Speaking of, Blue continues to play Tommy Dreamer to Rose’s Raven.
Match #3: Julia Hart vs. Amber Nova
Hart just menaces Nova for a bit, then hits a knee strike and unloads with punches and kicks. Nova lands a boot and some elbows before Hart slams her down by the hair. Cartwheel clothesline from Hart then she locks in her Rings of Saturn variation and gets the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Julia Hart won in 1:33
Rating: Blue Banana. . . SQUASH
Nice to see Amber Nova back, and while Hart has improved a lot there’s still seasoning required. On the plus side the current gimmick helps hide some of her deficiencies and she’s around the right people to grow.
Match #4: Ethan Page w/ Dan Lambert vs. Leon Ruffin
Page is amused by Ruffin, Ruffin grabs a side headlock and Page just lifts him up and tosses him off. Ruffin is able to snap Page for the top rope then he bounces around the ropes to avoid Page before landing a one footed drop kick, only to charge into a serious shoulder block from Page. Page is pissed, he unloads with strikes now then drops Ruffin with a back elbow then poses for the crowd. Ruffin tries to fight back but Page drops him with an elbow then hits a deadlift suplex. Backbreaker from Page, Ruffin tries to fight back again and he lands some running elbows then hits a rebound clothesline and corkscrew Cutter for a 2 count. Ruffin gets cut off on the top rope, then Page tries the Ego’s Edge but Ruffin counters into a roll up for 2. Page with a Military Press into a powerslam for a near fall. Ruffin goads Page on, and Page floors him with a right hand, but Ruffin avoids an Ego’s Edge with a sleeper then he tries the corkscrew Cutter again but Page boots him out of the air. Page then launches Ruffin with the Ego’s Edge and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Ethan Page won in 5:38
Rating: 2.5 stars
Surprisingly competitive, Page gave Ruffin a lot here and Ruffin held up his end of things. These two worked the crowd quite well, and told a solid enough story for a 5 minute match. Kudos to both. And I’m going to reiterate that I hope AEW actually has plans for Page, the man can go in the ring, and has a natural smarminess about him that riles up the crowds.
Match #5 – Tag Team Match: Dark Order (Evil Uno and 10) vs. The Hughes Brothers (Terrence and Terrell)
Uno and Terrell start things off, Terrell grabs a side headlock then shoulder blocks Uno but Uno bounces off the ropes and returns the shoulder block. They hit the ropes, Uno lands a Manhattan drop then tags in 10. 10 with a belly to belly suplex, and Terrence tags in. 10 with a 10 count vertical suplex to Terrence. Uno tags back in, for a 1 count vertical suplex. Chops from Uno, Terrell sneaks in a cheap shot then Uno and Terrence trade waist locks. Back elbow from Uno but Terrell with another cheap shot and Terrence lands mounted punches. Terrell tags in and Uno takes corner offense from both men. Uno fights back with elbows but Terrell slams him down. Terrence tags back in, they call for the 3D but Uno fights back with a neckbreaker then tags in 10. 10 runs wild for a bit including a back suplex for Terrell and a spinebuster for Terrence. Terrell gets sent to the apron where Uno DDT’s him and 10 lays out Terrence with the discus lariat (I’m sorely tempted to start calling it the Brodieline) and picks up the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Dark Order won in 4:40
Rating: 2 stars
This one dragged a little, the Hughes Brothers are D-Von Dudley’s boys if you weren’t aware and they’ve got some physical presence but still need work filling out a match.
Match #6 – Trios Match: Butcher, Blade, and Angelico vs. Jameson Ryan, Brandon Bullock, and Bryce Cannon
Angelico immediately out wrestles Ryan, then Blade tags in and Ryan kicks free then tags out but Blade starts laying out everyone. Butcher tags in and Bullock starts taking offense. Angelico tags in, Butcher and Blade Dredge the Lake on Bullock then take out the other two while Angelico locks Bullock in the Navarro Death Roll to end things.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Butcher, Blade, and Angelico won in 1:44
Rating: Buttercup. . . SQUASH
Nice to see Angelico back in action.
Match #7: Tony Nese w/ Smart Mark Sterling vs. John Walters
Nese stops Walters to flex then they tie up and Nese gets a side head lock then shoulder blocks Walters down. Nese puts Walters in the tree of woe and lands some stomps. Walters fires up with strikes then hits a couple of arm drags and a drop kick. Nese cuts Walters with a throat shot then the Macho Man hot shot across the top rope. Shotgun drop kick from Nese, then the Running KNeese ends things.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Tony Nese won in 2:34
Rating: Atlantic Giant. . . SQUASH
Odd choice for the main event, frankly the Page vs. Ruffin match felt like it had more heat on it.
