Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 87) Review 10.31.22

Well everyone, it’s Halloween and there’s nothing scarier than AEW Dark: Elevation! No, sorry, that’s not true. OK, how about, it’s Halloween so it’s appropriate to see all the squashes tonight? Sure, let’s go with that. Tonight we’ve got Jade Cargill, Best Friends, Eddie Kingston, and a main event where Danhausen will take on QT Marshall. Paul Wight, Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary.

Match #1: Diamante vs. Madison Rayne

Diamante goes right to striking, Rayne strikes with her then lands a shoulder block. More rope running and Rayne lands a kick then trips up Diamante. Diamante heads out of the ring to recover then hits a neckbreaker through the ropes when Rayne comes over to follow up. Rayne gets dropkicked out of the ring. Some brawling around the ringside area then back into the ring and Diamante lands some elbow drops to the lower back. Chin lock from Diamante now but Rayne fights back with an enziguri. Neckbreaker from Rayne gets a 2 count. Diamante hits a standing Shiranui for a near fall. Rayne grabs a backslide and bridges over with it to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Diamante won in 3:14

Rating: 2.5 stars

Decent little match, I’m not sure what exactly we’re doing with Rayne but if she’s just here to be a hand with a lot of TV experience that’s hardly the worst thing.

Match #2: Frankie Kazarian vs. Rhett Titus

I almost don’t recognize Titus without his bow tie. Frankie with a top wrist lock then transitions to a side headlock and lands a shoulder block but Titus doesn’t go down. Flying shoulder block from Frankie drops Titus then a headlock takeover. Frankie lands some chops then a running Russian leg sweep. Titus avoids a neckbreaker and lands a drop kick, nice vertical leap. Belly to belly from Titus gets a 1 count. Some attacks to the lower back from Titus but Frankie clobbers him with an elbow strike. Titus with a tiger style back suplex, nice little move there, for a 2 count. Frankie looks to start his comeback with clotheslines and a flying forearm. Scoop slam then a springboard leg drop from Frankie, Titus rolls to the apron and they trade counters there before Frankie catches him with a leg drop then a slingshot Cutter for the 3.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Frankie Kazarian won in 3:35

Rating: 2.5 stars

Perfectly acceptable match, Titus can go and Frankie Kazarian is rock solid.

In the back QT Marshall is interviewed about his main event and being alone, Marshall makes fun of her for dressing up for Halloween and mocks the holiday for encouraging freaks. Danhausen walks out of a locker to interrupt this. Danhausen brings up eliminating Marshall in a battle royal, Marshall brings up that Adam Page helped him with that so it’s not something to brag about. Well it seems Danhausen is busy and he returns to his locker, as Marshall laments the freak show being run here.

Match #3: Kiera Hogan vs. Skye Blue

There’s an awful lot of blue in the ring. Blue with a quick lateral press then an arm wringer and arm drag. Hogan avoids a corner attack and lands a corner clothesline then running kick to the face. Mounted strikes from Hogan, and Blue fights back with a snapmare then a super kick for a 2 count. Hogan avoids Blue’s finisher with a Victory Roll and they trade roll ups. Hogan avoids a super kick and lands a head kick then a spinning cradle neckbreaker (Face the Music last I checked but she might have renamed it) to get the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Kiera Hogan won in 2:07

Rating: 1.5 stars

I’m not sure I can call this a squash, but if it was meant to be competitive it borders on DUD territory. As it stands this was just kind of heatless, and Hogan’s ring work has never impressed me. Blue continues to be a lovable loser.

Match #4: Brandon Cutler vs. Dante Martin

They tie up, Martin easily out wrestles Cutler then jumps over him and trips him up running the ropes. Drop kick from Martin connects, then he avoids Cutler and lands an enziguri then Cutler accidentally trips him up by leaning on the ropes while Martin was going for a springboard. A little flurry from Cutler including a jumping shoulder block then some dancing elbow drops but Martin avoids the last one. Martin flips over Cutler then hits a springboard dive onto Cutler on the floor. Nose Dive follows and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Dante Martin won in 2:05

Rating: Big Max pumpkin. . . SQUASH

I don’t get the booking here. You’ve got Cutler hot off of the biggest win of his career when he beat Serpentico a couple of weeks back in maybe the best match in Elevation history and this is how you follow up? OK, jokes aside, delicious squash and Cutler has gotten more mileage out of this goofy gimmick than he had any right to so good on him.

Match #5: Athena vs. Janai Kai

They tie up, and Kai with a throw then Athena hits an arm drag but runs into a roundhouse kick. Thrust kick from Kai then a spinning slam for a 1 count. Wight and Menard debate how to pronounce “Muay Thai” after neither of them can pronounce Kai’s name. Athena puts Kai in the tree of woe and lands kicks then flips out of a snapmare and lands a super kick. Mounted strikes from Athena, they’re clearly leaning into what happened when Athena wrestled on Elevation last time. Kai misses a tornado kick but lands a back kick and Athena rolls to the apron. Some clubbing blows from Kai, but Athena shoves her into the ring post then hits a back suplex on the apron. Back in the ring, the O-Face connects for Athena and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Athena won in 2:34

Rating: Casertaosa. . . SQUASH

Giant pile of meh, Kai’s got a decent look but when commentary can’t be bothered to learn how to pronounce your name that says everything about your immediate future. As for Athena, the bloom is well and truly off that particular rose from when she made her debut.

Post match Athena kicks Kai out of the ring, because AEW clearly needs another female heel wrestler right now.

Match #6 – Trios Match: Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta) vs. Anthony Young, Victor Andrews, and Patton

Trent and Patton start us off, Trent out wrestles Patton into the corner then Patton lands a couple of elbows on the break. Some strikes from Trent then they hit the ropes for a bit and Trent lands a back elbow. Patton jumps into a boot from Trent and Andrews tags in. Trent with a chop then he tags in Taylor. Some tandem offense from Taylor and Trent, then Cassidy tags in. Slow motion Hart Attack from Cassidy and Taylor. Cassidy has the hands in the pockets as Young tags in, and the usual spots follow. Things break down with Best Friends coming out on top. Sole Food and back suplex connects but Young and Patton stop the hug. Young calls for backup, everyone gets in and we get a big multi-man suplex but Cassidy refuses to contribute then gets hugged. Assisted powerbomb from Cassidy, more Trent and Taylor tossing poor Young into the air and Cassidy allegedly hits the powerbomb on the way down but it’s enough to get the three.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Best Friends won in 3:32

Rating: Connecticut field pumpkin. . . SQUASH

Well that happened. For some reason the Best Friend antics just didn’t click this time for me.

Match #7 – Tag Team Match: Eddie Kingston and Ortiz vs. Breaux Keller and Myles Hawkins

Kingston jumps the other two at the bell and lays in the Kobashi chops to Keller. Ortiz tags in and lands a calf kick then rakes the back. X-Factor from Keller then he tags in Hawkins. Hawkins hits a drop kick, nice elevation on that. Lariat from Ortiz connects then Kingston tags in. STO and Russian leg sweep combo to Hawkins, then Kingston locks in the Stretch Plum to get the tap as Ortiz takes out Keller on the apron.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Eddie Kingston and Ortiz won in 1:32

Rating: Custard White. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash.

Post match Ortiz has to get Kingston to break the hold. Kingston insists he’s cool, then floors Keller with a lariat. Stomps from Kingston as Ortiz looks on in confusion, then talks Kingston down. Kingston plays to the crowd, who love his violence, Ortiz has had enough and allows Kingston to hit a DDT while Ortiz waits on the ropes. The crowd want another one, so Kingston obliges with a DDT to Keller. Ortiz again tries to talk Kingston down, Kingston obliges this time and leaves with Ortiz while Paul Wight says he loves this from Kingston. Kingston half menaces Menard on commentary as he leaves. Once again, put a title on Eddie Kingston already. . . you cowards.

Match #8: Jade Cargill w/ Leila Grey vs. Trish Adora

They tie up, Jade overpowers Adora then lays into her in the corner. More corner strikes from Jade but Adora starts firing back but runs into a back elbow. Jade gets back to corner strikes then hits an elbow in the corner and a stiff pump kick. Jaded follows and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jade Cargill won in 2:53

Rating: Delicata. . . SQUASH

Adequate squash, though personally I’m just bored by Jade at this point so your mileage will vary. Nice pump kick though.

Match #9: Danhausen vs. QT Marshall

Some circling to start, Danhausen basks in the chants of the crowd. More playing with the crowd, the crowd gives us a “QT sucks” chant. They finally tie up, Marshall with an arm wringer as the crowd chants “Oh, QT you su-uck” to the usual soccer chant tune. Danhausen escapes the arm wringer and gets one of his own. Marshall counters into a hammerlock, Danhausen switches into one of his own. They go back and forth on hammerlocks for a bit then Marshall lands an elbow and hits a headlock takeover. Menard mocks the pace of the match, which pops Wight. Danhausen fights to his feet, then Marshall lands a shoulder block. Back into the ropes and Danhausen goes for the curse but Marshall stops that only to eat a few chops. Marshall runs into another chop then lands some strikes of his own. Danhausen lands a kick then a hurricanrana. Marshall cuts that off with a knee to the body and some clubbing blows. Some corner offense from Danhausen now, he stomps the old mudhole in Marshall then lands chops. Backbreaker from Marshall to take over again. Punches from Marshall then a suplex connects. Some elbow drops from Marshall then he takes the cape of Danhausen and puts it on then walks around. That allowed Danhausen to recover though and he fights back with strikes to Marshall, boxes the ears a few times then hits a Northern Lights suplex. Running uppercut from Danhausen in the corner then a knee to the back of the head, but Marshall avoids a shoulder shot and elbows Danhausen to the floor. Here comes Lee Johnson, will a generic babyface freshly returned from injury do the predictable thing and turn heel? Marshall comes over and argues with Johnson, Danhausen hits the Cutter on the floor and shoves Marshall into the ring. As the ref checks on Marshall Johnson does the predictable thing and shoves Danhausen into the ring post. Johnson tosses Danhausen into the ring, Marshall hits the Diamond Cutter (shoulders back, chest out) and picks up the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: QT Marshall won in 9:02

Rating: 2 stars

This just didn’t click for me, Danhausen is over so the crowd was with it but I just couldn’t get into this match at all. Johnson’s heel turn might lead to something for him, but at this point I’m not sure anyone has actually gotten over based on being around Marshall in any meaningful way.

Post match Johnson and Marshall hug to end the show.

6.9

The final score: review Average

The 411

Pretty standard stuff this week, decent mix of squashes and more competitive bouts but there was a real lack of connection to some of the matches for me which drops it down a hair. Still pretty far from bad for Elevation but there seemed to be a spark lacking, whether that's matchup dependent or length or something else I'm not sure.