Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 90) Review 11.21.22

Hello everyone and welcome back to AEW Dark: Elevation. We’re up to 90 episodes tonight, that’s a pretty good run. Tonight we’ve got Matt Hardy, Rush, Merceds Martinez, and a main event trios match between The Factory and Best Friends. Ian Riccaboni, Paul Wight, and Matt Menard are on commentary.

Match #1 – Trios Match: The Butcher, The Blade and Rush w/ Jose vs. Doug Love, Channing thomas, and Brett Gosselin

Thomas and Blade get us going, Blade gets an early advantage and starts laying in strikes. Thomas runs away and tags in Gosselin, and Butcher wants in so Blade obliges him. Butcher runs wild with strikes then tags in Rush. Love tags in as well and Rush clobbers him with an elbow strike. Corner offense from Rush, then he fakes out the Bulls Horns and poses. Rush with an overhand throw to Love into the corner, then the Bulls Horns connects and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Butcher, Blade, and Rush won in 2:20

Rating: Calabaza

Delicious squash, Rush has done a decent job of slotting into the spot they clearly wanted Andrade el Idolo in.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Leva Bates and Emi Sakura vs. Willow Nightingale and Hikaru Shida

Emi jumps Willow and Shida at the bell, Bates comes over to help but Willow clotheslines them both down. Shida with a 10 punch to Bates while Willow does the same to Emi. Emi with a cheap shot to Shida then Bates lands a kick. That leads to an Emi tag and she lays in chops then boxes the ears of Shida before tying her up and posing on her back. Emi with chops in the corner then the corner cross body but she takes too long on the cross body and runs into a hurricanrana. Elbow from Shida then she tags in Willow. Willow with a hip attack in the corner then a big boot. Spinebuster from Willow leads to a 2 count. Shida tags back in and Emi botches taking a tilt a whirl backbreaker, then Emi hits her own tilt a whirl backbreaker. Emi gets up on the shoulders of Shida and rakes the eyes then hits a book shot for a 2 count. Bates tags in, Emi hits the corner cross body and Bates follows up with a double knee strike. Willow comes in to break up a double team move, she hits Emi with a Death Valley Driver as Shida hits a backbreaker to Bates. Cannonball in the corner from Willow then she tosses Bates into a Katana from Shida and that’ll do it.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Willow Nightingale and Hikaru Shida won in 4:28

Rating: 2 stars

A couple of slightly rough spots but it’s nice enough to see Bates back in action, and Willow and Shida have developed some pretty good chemistry.

Match #3: Brian Cage w/ Prince Nana vs. Brandon Cutler

Cutler tries to pose off with Cage, this goes poorly and he runs into a shoulder block from Cage. Cage calls Cutler on, Cutler winds up and hits a chop which does nothing but get Cage to flex his pectoral. Cage then chops Cutler to the mat. Corner clothesline from Cage, but Cutler avoids a follow up and lands a kick. Cage hits a swinging full nelson slam, Nana wants to use the cold spray on Cutler, but Cutler ducks and Nana sprays Cage. Cutler then douses Nana with the cold spray before rolling up Cage with a school boy for a 2 count. Cage has had enough of this, he lands a discus lariat then a powerbomb followed by an F5 to pick up the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Brian Cage won in 2:30

Rating: Stampmielies

Decently entertaining squash, Cutler is getting more over with his antics so I imagine the countdown is on to the Elite giving him the boot.

Match #4 – Trios Match: The Jericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker) w/ Jake Hager vs. Leon Ruffin, Tracy Williams and Tony Deppen

Williams starts off with Parker, he no sells a chop and then chops the heck out of Parker a few times. Parker with some kicks to avoid strikes but he eats a clothesline at the end of it. Menard with a blind tag but Williams grabs a side headlock then Deppen with a blind tag and he unloads with strikes to Menard. Cheap shot from Parker then Menard follows up with a clothesline. Parker tags back in and Deppen takes some double team moves. Deppen avoids an attack and tags in Ruffin. Ruffin runs wild before Garcia tags in. Evasive moves from Ruffin as he avoids everyone while Garcia chases him, eventually he’s caught in a double DDT from Parker and Menard then Garcia follows up with a Dragon Sleeper to get the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jericho Appreciation Society won in 2:46

Rating: Kungull

Decent squash, but Menard is actually pretty over which somewhat surprised me.

Match #5: Mercedes Martinez vs. JC

They tie up, Martinez out wrestles JC early. JC with a kick in the corner then a slap, which annoys Martinez. Martinez lands a clothesline, then a delayed vertical suplex for a pretty long hold. Strikes from Martinez, then JC fights back with a jawbreaker and some leg kicks then a chop but she runs into a spinebuster from Martinez. The Brass City Sleeper follows and JC has to give it up.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mercedes Martinez won in 2:28

Rating: Balqabaq

Decent squash, JC showed some fire which was a nice change of pace from her other AEW appearances.

Match #6: Wheeler Yuta vs. Zack Clayton

Clayton with a cheap shot early then strikes in the corner. Yuta grabs the ears of Clayton and lays in strikes but he runs into a clothesline. Clayton then poses in the corner before Yuta hits an Manhattan Drop and an enziguri then a running elbow in the corner. Yuta up top and hits a flying punch off the top rope. Yuta counters a strike with an Alpamare Waterslide, then the hammer and anvil elbows and the Seatbelt hold to get the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Wheeler Yuta won in 1:55

Rating: Ecraser

Good little squash, Clayton is a decent enough hand and I’m glad AEW lets him work on his craft in spots like this.

Match #7 – Trios Match: Matt Hardy and Private Party (Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy) vs. Trustbusters (Ari Davari, Sonny Kiss, and Encore)

Kassidy and Encore start us off, Davari distracts Kassidy and Encore lands a cheap shot then tags in Sonny. Sonny bounces on Kassidy then hits a suplex and a split leg drop for a 2 count. Davari tags back in and lands body shots then a knee to the back. Encore tags back in but Kassidy avoids them and tags in Quen. Quen with a high amplitude cross body then he drop kicks Sonny and dives onto Encore on the outside. Back in the ring Quen hits a Shooting Star Press but Sonny breaks up the pin. Kick from Sonny to Quen then a military press drop and standing moonsault. Quen avoids a double back suplex and tags in Matt. Matt runs wild and hits a Side Effect to Davari. Kassidy tags back in, Encore winds up on the shoulders of Matt and Quen hits a drop kick Doomsday device. Kassidy follows up with a Swanton Bomb to get the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Matt Hardy and Private Party won in 3:15

Rating: 1.5 stars

Can’t quite call it a squash. Davari is about as bland and uninteresting in the ring as anyone, Sonny Kiss got to show off a bit though.

Post match Matt drops Davari with a Twist of Fate and steals the wad of cash from Davari. Because the Twist of Fate was used outside of the match apparently this doesn’t breach his contract which says he can’t use the Twist of Fate.

Kip Sabian attacks Reynolds before the match starts.

Match #8: Alex Reynolds vs. Kip Sabian w/ Penelope Ford

Sabian lands a cross body. Some corner offense from Sabian then he looks for a top rope move but Reynolds bites him then lands a boot. Running elbows from Reynolds then a big boot in the corner. Sabian avoids another boot and lands an enziguri. Running senton in the corner then Sabian hits the Anarchist Suplex but doesn’t go for the cover, instead Sabian heads up top then lands a double stomp for a 2 count and Reynolds rolls him into a crucifix pin that gets the 3 count.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Alex Reynolds won in 1:56

Rating: 2 stars

About as good as a 2 minute match was going to be, these two have decent chemistry overall and this should set up a rubber match in the near future.

Post match Sabian loses his mind and stomps on Reynolds a bit before he heads out.

In the back Ethan Page gets an interview, he wants to talk about the big win The Firm had but Lexi wants to get his reaction to Matt Hardy landing the Twist of Fate after the match. Matt Hardy walks up and hands the 50k he stole from Davari to Page, and he says it was worth every penny to hit that move. Kassidy says it was orgasmic. Page is duly annoyed by having “orgasmic” whispered into his ear with a mic right next to it.

The Factory jump Best Friends during their entrance.

Match #9 – Trios Match: The Factory (Aaron Solo, Cole Karter, and Lee Johnson) w/ Nick Comoroto and QT Marshall vs. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta)

Eventually Trent and Johnson get us started in the ring. Some stomps from Johnson then a few strikes. Trent tries to fight back but Johnson tags out and Solo winds up in as Trent takes a few double team moves then a tornado kick from Solo. Taylor takes some abuse now then the Factory with a group hug. Trent and Taylor start their comeback, Solo eats a Sole Food into a half nelson suplex then Comoroto comes in behind the refs back and runs over both Trent and Taylor. Cassidy has come up on the apron and wants the tag, which Trent gives. Cassidy with a cross body to Solo then a dive onto Comoroto. Johnson eats an around the world DDT from Cassidy, then a Orange Punch for Karter and Johnson. Solo tries to cut off Cassidy but Cassidy clocks him with an Orange Punch. Triple set of moves as Cassidy kills Solo with a Beach Break while Karter and Johnson each get a piledriver, then Cassidy gets the pin on Solo.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Best Friends won in 3:38

Rating: 2.5 stars

Decent if abbreviated main event.

Post match Best Friends hit the group hug.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Squash heavy episode this week, but there were still a couple of decent outings. Shida and Willow made for a pretty good team, we had a perfectly fine main event, and a few entertaining squashes along the way.