wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 92) Review 12.05.22
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hey there people, time for the latest and hopefully greatest episode of Elevation. Tonight we’ve got Top Flight, The Embassy, Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir, Emi Sakura, and a main event of Konosuke Takeshita vs. Aaron Solo. Takeshita is still pretty awesome so that one might be fun. Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, and Matt Menard are on commentary.
Match #1: Nick Comoroto w/ Aaron Solo vs. Hagane Shinno
Comoroto is much bigger than Shinno, and he flicks his lollipop into Shinno’s face. Shinno picks it up and flicks it back. Side headlock from Shinno, Comoroto just stands up out of it then lands a shoulder block. Some corner work from Comoroto then they hit the ropes and Shinno fires up with some strikes but he can’t get Comoroto down. Comoroto catches a jumping Shinno and hits a powerslam. Shinno fights back with some kicks then a drop kick in the corner but he runs into a clothesline. Comoroto has had enough of this, he hits some backbreakers but Shinno counters one into a crucifix and gets the surprise 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Hagane Shinno won in 3:15
Rating: 1.5 stars
A few timing issues, and Comoroto spent a long time just messing with the crowd to mixed results. The powerslam from Comoroto was nice, and Shinno looks to have pretty darn good body control in general.
Post match Comoroto and Solo attack Shinno and Solo lays him out with a tornado kick.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. Kitty LaFleur and Alice Crowley
Kitty and Shafir start us off, they tie up and Shafir hits an inside trip then start laying in strikes in the corner. Chop from Shafir then a foot sweep and she ties up Kitty in a cutthroat bow and arrow variation then transitions to an armbar attack but just drags Kitty over so she can tag in Nyla. Scoop slam and a leg drop from Nyla. Nyla takes issue with Vickie Guerrero not paying attention to the match and flirting with some poor soul in the crowd. That distraction allows Kitty to tag in Crowley who immediately gets crushed with a clothesline. Shafir tags back in and drops Crowley with a kick and Nyla follows up with a splash. Shafir tries to tie up Crowley, but Kitty comes in only to get tossed out. Their 3D variation with a DDT at the end, maybe more reminiscent of MNM’s old Snapshot more than the 3D, connects and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir won in 3:07
Rating: Buttercup squash
Shafir looked a little more fluid here but there’s still a lot of work to be done with her. The seeds are being sown for Nyla and Vickie to break up, and frankly that’s overdue at this point.
Match #3: Kiera Hogan vs. Nikki Victory
Victory lands strikes but misses a corner attack and Hogan lands a slap then a drop toe hold to set up a hip attack. Super kick from Hogan gets a 2 count. Victory starts firing up with strikes in the corner then she shoves Hogan a few times. Hogan fires up with strikes then some corner offense and a hip attack followed but a running kick. Buzzsaw kick from Hogan but only a 2 count. Victory lands a kick then a Stunner but that’s only a 2 count as well. Jawbreaker from Hogan, then a cradle back suplex into something approximating a bridge to get the three.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Kiera Hogan won in 2:28
Rating: 2 stars
The crowd was pretty dead for this, and I’ve never really seen what others see in Kiera Hogan’s work. She seems pretty cold as a babyface at the moment.
Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) vs. Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd
Darius and Magnum get us going, they trade side headlocks then hit the ropes and Darius hits an arm drag. Dante tags back in and attacks the arm of Magnum then they hit the ropes again and Dante lands an arm drag. Magnum fights free and tags in Turbo but he gets arm dragged right away. Darius tags in and hits a suplex with an assist from Dante, then Dante hits a hilo and we get some double team action from the Martin brothers. Turbo drops Darius onto the corner and tags in Magnum. Some attacks in the corner from Magnum, then Turbo tags in and misses an elbow drop. Dante tags the hot tag and runs wild as Magnum tags in. The usual corner offense from Dante then a high cross body for a 2 count. Darius tags in and kicks Magnum the hits a slingshot Flatliner but Turbo breaks up the pin. Dante ejects Turbo and tags in then hits the Nose Dive to get the win
OFFICIAL RESULT: Top Flight won in 4:03
Rating: Big Moon squash
Darius seems to be knocking off the ring rust more and more as he finds himself after the injury that kept him on the shelf for so long. Dante is still Dante and does all kinds of cool stuff.
In the back Ethan Page is being interviewed next to Matt Hardy and Private Party, Page is canceling their match because of the injury to Marq Quen. Hardy claims the Hardy Party is ready, but Page isn’t going to send an injured wrestler out there. Isiah Kassidy tries to make a masturbation joke, which falls flat. Page says if that injury wasn’t enough reason to cancel their match then Kassidy’s sense of humor would be. He brings up that Private Party has been dropping the ball lately. Page reminds them that at this point Private Party will be paying the fines that Matt Hardy incurs. Hardy asks to just pay his fine and move on, but Page is just taking it out of their paychecks. Page tells Hardy to keep attacking him and being a pain because Private Party will keep paying. Hardy yells in comical fashion, then apologizes for attacking Ethan Page and this Wednesday he says he’ll have Page’s back, but again implores Page to leave Private Party out of this. Page doesn’t need Hardy to have his back, he needs him to follow orders, then Page walks off. Hardy apologizes to Private Party and says they’ll get through this. Ethan Page messing with Matt Hardy is kind of amusing, and I’m still really hoping Page can spin this angle into something bigger.
Match #5: Madison Rayne vs. Emi Sakura
Emi jumps Rayne before the bell and starts laying into her as the ref starts the match. Butterfly suplex from Emi then she lays in a chop. Rayne tries to strike with Emi, that goes poorly as Emi lands a chop into a clothesline then ties up Rayne and spanks her before posing for tea. Corner chops from Emi but Rayne lands a boot to avoid a corner cross body. Strikes form Rayne then a sliding clothesline and a Northern Lights suplex for a 2 count. Emi avoids a suplex and hits a Whirling Dervish then the corner cross body. Rayne fights off a Queen’s Gambit and hits a Cutter for a 2 count. Rayne sets for Cross Rayne but Emi counters into Magistral Cradle to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Emi Sakura won in 2:41
Rating: 2.5 stars
Fun little encounter, I wouldn’t hate a rematch that gets another couple of minutes of run time.
Match #6: Lee Moriarty w/ W. Morrissey vs. Serpentico w/ Luther
They tie up and Lee immediately out wrestles Serpentico and makes Serpentico get to the ropes to break things up. Serpentico fights back and hits a hurricanrana. Lee hits a Flatliner into the corner to take over and he starts laying in stomps. They trade some strikes but Lee is out gunning Serpentico at every turn. Paul Wight with our random Luther fact of the evening, Luther’s screech is used by marine biologists to communicate with whales. Lee wants to trade strikes with Serpentico, and he avoids his strikes then lands an enziguri. Serpentico lands a super kick then a gamengiri but he misses a flying nothing then follows up with his own Flatliner for a 2 count. Lee avoids a corner attack and lands a kick then a back suplex into a face buster, follows with the Border City Stretch and Serpentico has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Lee Moriarty won in 3:23
Rating: 2.5 stars
Decent little match, Lee continues to find himself as a heel. This also marks loss number 100 for Serpentico, a first in AEW history apparently.
Match #7 – Trios Match: Brian Cage and Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) w/ Prince Nana vs. Dan Adams, Star Rider, and Facade
Kaun and Facade start us off, Kaun misses some offense and eats a kick. Chop from Kaun then an Alabama Slam as the crowd wants Dan. Toa tags in he and Kaun squash Facade in the corner a few times then Toa launches him into his corner. Dan tags in and tosses his hat away. DDT from Dan but Toa no sells it, then Dan with a misdirection nose flick and Toa then wipes him out with a cross body. Toa stuffs Dan’s hat into his mouth and stomps on him. Dan tries body shots, that doesn’t work but he’s able to slip free and tag in Rider. Rider with some drop kicks but he eats a belly to belly suplex. Toa cheap shots Dan but Facade snaps him over the top rope and hits a drop kick, but now Toa tags in Cage. Facade jumps at Cage, but Cage catches him in suplex position then kills him with a Drill Claw. Dan tries to get involved but Toa Pounces him into a corner. Kaun hits Rider with a knee strike, then we get a tossing sit out Shield Bomb to end things.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Brian Cage and Gates of Agony won in 3:43
Rating: Golias squash
Dan “the Dad” Adams was probably the most over guy in this match. Gates of Agony are still not that great, they look good but their work is pretty lack luster. Cage seems to have, unfortunately, hit his ceiling in AEW as well.
Post match Dalton Castle and The Boys show up to pose with their titles on the entrance stage while Cage, Toa, and Kaun stare them down.
Match #8: Alex Reynolds vs. Kip Sabian w/ Penelope Ford
Reynolds attacks at the bell and starts laying into Sabian. Big boot from Reynolds then he clotheslines Sabian out of the ring. Reynolds bounces Sabian off the ring apron but Ford distracts Reynolds and Sabian hits a kick then a springboard moonsault to the outside. Back in the ring Sabian with a springboard drop kick. Sabian lands some stomps then corner strikes. Reynolds starts firing up with strikes but eats a satellite DDT then Sabian mocks the thumbs up from Orange Cassidy. Sabian up top but misses the double stomp. Reynolds with some clotheslines in the corner then a Yakuza kick in the corner. Reynolds puts Sabian on the top rope and follows him up, but Sabian avoids a second rope Stunner then lands an enziguri to set up a Stun Gun. Sabian up top again, hits a double stomp to the back but only gets a near fall. Cannonball senton in the corner from Sabian gets another 2 count, then he tries the Anarchist suplex but Reynolds counters into a Small Package for a 2 count. Knee strike from Sabia, but Reynolds fires back with a clothesline then a Tiger Driver and a piledriver but all that only gets a near fall. Ford distracts Reynolds with a 10 taunt that messes with Reynolds and allows Sabian to avoids a rolling elbow then hit a kick to the back of the head. Sabian hits Bianca Belair’s Kiss of Death (no idea what he might call it) and that gets the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Kip Sabian won in 6:25
Rating: 3 stars
This one sneaks into 3 star range being enough better than average to justify it. Reynolds and Sabian had a pretty good little trilogy for Elevation, and it looks like Sabian is setting his sights on Orange Cassidy going forward.
Match #9: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Aaron Solo w/ Nick Comoroto
They circle then tie up and Takeshita grabs a side headlock then hits a shoulder block. More rope running then Takeshita hits a hurricanrana and sends Solo out of the ring. Comoroto blocks a dive from Takeshita and Solo jumps him from behind. Corner offense from Solo, and here comes Don Callis to make everything worse. Takeshita catches a kick and misses a clothesline but hits the ropes to land a diving clothesline. Solo rolls out of the ring, and Takeshita hits a dive onto Solo and Comoroto. Back in the ring Takeshita hits a clothesline for a 2 count. Solo flips out of a back suplex and lands a double stomp. Suplex from Solo then he heads up top only to miss a flying nothing and eat a Blue Thunder Bomb from Takeshita for a 2 count. Solo avoids a Zahi and lands a knee but misses a tornado kick then Takeshita clocks him with an elbow. They trade roll ups and Takeshita hits a wheelbarrow suplex with a bridge to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Konosuke Takeshita won in 3:15
Rating: 2.5 stars
Solo is a decent hand and Takeshita continues to be pretty awesome.
Takeshita stares down at Callis, who seems impressed, as the show ends.
