wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 94) Review 12.19.22
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hey there people, welcome back to the land of Elevation. Tonight we’ve got Athena, Eddie Kingston and Ortiz, Emi Sakura, and a main event of Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli taking on the Workhorsemen of JD Drake and Anthony Henry. It looks to be a little squash heavy just on paper, but we’ll see how it plays out. Paul Wight and Matt Menard are on commentary.
Match #1: Marina Shafir vs. Jazmin Allure
Shafir and Allure tie up, then Shafir hits a foot sweep. Judo hip toss from Shafir, then she starts attacking the arm of Allure. Allure tries some strikes, Shafir is mostly annoyed but that and catches Allure with a stiff head kick. The timing was definitely off on that one but Allure seems OK. Some more arm work from Shafir, then a variation of the Fujiwara armbar gets the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Marina Shafir won in 1:37
Rating: Trombone SQUASH
Delicious squash. There’s still some timing issues with Shafir as that head kick could have gone much much worse than it did. But her work seemed more focused here, which is a plus. Also credit to Allure for her end of things, she did her job quite well. Though the ref missed the tap for a few seconds, bit of an odd miss there by the official.
In the back our interviewer has Matt Hardy and a perpetually horny, apparently, Isiah Kassidy. Hardy wants to know why they’re doing the interview, she wants an update on Quen and Hardy says they’ll know more later. Stokely Hathaway walks in to put everyone in their place, and says Ethan Page will be taking Quen’s place in their match tonight. Page reminds Matt Hardy is here to wrestle, and Page says he’s letting Hathaway be the boss tonight and Page can just be their partner. Page reminds us of his history in the tag team division around the world, and says they’re going to be winners tonight, and tells Kassidy to grow up.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Emi Sakura and The Bunny w/ Penelope Ford vs. Lady Bird Monroe and Gigi Rey
Emi and Monroe get us going, Emi avoids her then Monroe jumps on Emi for attacks. That annoys Emi, who stuns her with a chop then tags out. Double team moves to Rey. Bunny eats a punch and then Monroe tags in Rey. Some corner offense to Bunny, then Bunny counters with a kick and grabs the hanging reverse triangle choke over the ropes. Emi tags back in and lays in chops in the corner then the corner cross body connects. Rey avoids a double underhook suplex and lands an enziguri then both women tag out. Bunny lands a super kick, Down the Rabbit Hole from Bunny as Emi hits a Whirling Dervish on Rey and that’ll do it.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Emi Sakura and The Bunny won in 2:46
Rating: Turban Squash
Decent little squash, Emi and Bunny make an OK team. Monroe and Rey did pretty good work in their roles here too.
Ethan Page has a mic on his way to the ring. He doesn’t want cheering for Matt Hardy, only cheers for himself. Page is such a natural heel.
Match #3 – 12 Man Tag Team Match: Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin), Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, and Konosuke Takeshita vs. The Trustbusters (Sonny Kiss, Slim J, and Jeeves Kay) and The Wingmen (Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, and Ryan Nemeth)
Boy they’ve stuffed the ring on this one haven’t they? Nemeth and Avalon jump Dante and Darius at the bell, then Dante and Darius fight back and hit some corner moves and hitting stereo drop kicks. Avalon and Darius finally settle things, but Slim and Takeshita tag in. Jeeves and Slim try to double team Takeshita, that goes badly as Jeeves takes a Blue Thunder Bomb. Kassidy tags in, as does Sonny. Some evasive moves from Kassidy then he avoids a hand spring back elbow and hits a diving tornado DDT. Page still has the mic, he doesn’t want to tag in and Sonny slams Kassidy down then tags in Slim. The heels work to isolate Kassidy, Jeeves lays in some strikes and tags in Avalon. Kassidy flips out of a back suplex and tags in Matt. Matt runs wild on Avalon for a bit then slams around Nemeth when Nemeth tries to get involved. Avalon is able to fight back though and Matt tries the Twist of Fate but Page distracts him by warning him not to and Nemeth cheap shots Matt. Matt is isolated now and takes an assisted Shiranui from Slim and Kassidy has to break up the pin. Slim mocks Matt but runs into a back elbow then a modified neckbreaker and both men are down. Dante and Avalon tag in and Dante runs wild for a while, including a beautiful standing moonsault. Darius tags in and kicks Avalon and hits a diving Flatliner. Takeshita tags in, then Darius and Dante hit some dives, followed by Takeshita hitting one onto the pile of humanity. Back in the ring Bononi saves Avalon but eats a flying clothesline from Takeshita. Takeshita with a brainbuster to Bononi and he tags in Matt. Matt and Kassidy with some double team moves, and Page wants the tag after Kassidy hits a Swanton Bomb. Page does get the tag, hits the Twist of Fate and gets the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Top Flight, Konosuke Takeshita, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, and Ethan Page won in 7:46
Rating: 2.5 stars
OK, that was a ton of fun. Takeshita continues to be awesome, and Ethan Page is so easy to hate it’s almost a shame to boo him. Page’s timing with his mic work was on point. Kudos to everyone, that match was a lot more than it looked like it would be on paper.
Post match Page says you can delete his losing streak, and says he can do the same thing to Matt and Kassidy’s paychecks if they don’t like it.
Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Eddie Kingston and Ortiz vs. Hagane Shinno and Steven Andrews
Ortiz and Andrews start the match, Ortiz lands a quick back elbow and poses. A back rake from Ortiz, then Andrews fights back with an arm drag and we get a stand off. Eddie and Shinno tag in. Shinno and Eddie agree to trade strikes, Eddie goes for chops while Shinno fires kicks. Eddie gets the better of things but Shinno catches him with a hurricanrana and a drop kick. Knee strike from Eddie then a suplex and he tags in Ortiz. Ortiz with a Fisherman’s suplex then tags in Eddie and they hit a double suplex but Shinno kicks out at 1. That leads to a trade of slaps from Eddie and Shinno, Eddie gets the better of that but Shinno is showing spirit. Shinno avoids a Back Drop Driver and lands an enziguri then tags out but Andrews runs into a chop. Double STO to Andrews but Shinno breaks up the pin and then attacks Eddie on the floor. Andrews with some kicks to Ortiz, Eddie disposes of Shinno on the floor as Ortiz hits a back breaker. Eddie slides into hit a DDT on Andrews, then Ortiz follows with the Alligator Clutch to get the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Eddie Kingston and Ortiz won in 3:49
Rating: 2.5 stars
While the outcome wasn’t ever in doubt this also wasn’t quite a squash. Hagane Shinno continues to impress with his ability, going blow for blow with Eddie Kingston is nothing to sneeze at. Also, my usual reminder to AEW to put some gold on Eddie Kingston already. . . you cowards.
Match #5 – ROH Women’s Title Match: (c) Athena vs. Vertvixen
The Code of Honor is followed, then Athena blasts Vertvixen with a blow at the bell. Outside the ring now Athena tosses Vertvixen around in the barricade a few times then they head back into the ring. More control from Athena, then Vertvixen fires back with a clothesline. Sweep from Vertvixen then a kneeling Flatliner but she misses a Shining Wizard and Athena wallops her with a Sliding D. More punches from Athena then stomps in the corner and a knee strike. German suplex from Athena, then a pop up powerbomb and seated super kick. Nice flurry from Athena. Athena with the Crippler Crossface and that’ll get the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Athena retained the title in 2:33
Rating: Veltruska Squash
Decent little squash, Athena continues to kill jobbers and look pretty good doing it.
Post match Athena smashes Vertvixen’s face into the title belt. The crowd want another one, Athena obliges them with a DDT onto the belt.
Match #6 – Tag Team Match: Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli vs. The Workhorsemen (JD Drake and Anthony Henry)
Wheeler and Henry start us off. Henry grabs an arm wringer, Wheeler counters into one of his own. More arm wringers and escapes, some nice counter work from Wheeler to maintain control, he’s countering every headlock attempt from Henry. They back into the corner and Henry lands a kick then an uppercut. Wheeler fights back with a scoop slam and a senton then tags in Claudio. Henry moves out and tags in Drake. Claudio and Drake square up, Drake with a chop, Claudio pretty much no sells it and lands an uppercut. They trade those strikes again and Claudio gets the better of things then tags in Wheeler after hitting a boot then we get an assisted tornado DDT onto Drake. Wheeler gets sent to the apron and Drake rakes the eyes to set up an STO on the apron from Henry. Drake lays in a chop in the corner, Wheeler with a few chops of his own but Drake hits a scoop slam then a falling headbutt and tags in Henry. Henry with a kick to the back then a jackknife pin for a 2 count. Drake tags back in and lays in some strikes in the corner. Henry is back in and they hit the ropes for a combination big boot and Russian leg sweep which gets a 2 count. Wheeler blocks a suplex and hits a scoop slam. Henry blocks a tag, but Wheeler hits a misdirection German suplex and both men are down. Drake tags in and cheap shots Claudio, Henry then hits Wheeler with a sit out reverse exploder suplex to set up a Shining Wizard from Drake but that only gets a near fall. Wheeler avoids a double team move and then tags in Claudio. Hot tag Claudio is still awesome, he runs wild on Drake and starts the uppercut train to absolutely batter Drake then hits a running drop kick for 2. Now Claudio calls for the Giant Swing, but Drake kicks him off only to be caught with a scoop slam. Henry saves Drake from a Neutralizer and eats a Swiss Death for his efforts. Wheeler then dives onto Henry. Drake with a school boy for 2, but Claudio then gets him in the Giant Swing and Drake taps out to the Swing.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli won in 7:56
Rating: 3 stars
Again, the outcome was never in doubt but they did a good job of treating Drake and Henry as a legitimate team who put up a solid fight against Claudio and Wheeler. Solid main event here to cap off a pretty darn good overall episode.
