wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dark: Elevation (Ep. 95) Review 12.26.22
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Well everyone, this is it. The last Elevation of 2022 is here. Tonight we’ve got Nyla Rose, Julia Hart, Athena, and a main event of Dralistico taking on Blake Christian but the match between Konosuke Takeshita and Frankie Kazarian is what I’m most excited for because those two could do something rally fun. Paul Wight seems to be flying solo on commentary.
Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir vs. Leva Bates and Karizma
Karizma goes right at Nyla but Nyla just lands some kicks, not great kicks from Nyla. Avalanche from Nyla then she tags in Shafir. Karizma tags in Bates who tries to strike with Shafir, she lands a couple of kicks but Shafir blocks a Northern Lights suplex then hits a uranage. Shafir with some cheap shots to Karizma then a kick to Bates. Nyla tags back in but drops onto the knees of Bates when attempting a splash. Karizma tags in and strikes at Nyla but Nyla shoves her over then hits a chokeslam and Bates has to break up the pin. Shafir tags in and catches Karizma with a modified armbar to get the submission.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir won in 2:54
Rating: Long Island cheese pumpkin. . . squash
This was rough, I don’t know what it was in particular but Nyla seemed off her game, makes me wonder if she didn’t have some kind of injury she was nursing. Shafir didn’t look especially good either, a lot of the fluidity she showed off last time wasn’t quite here this outing and her kicks in particular looked off. A very lackluster outing from both Nyla and Shafir here.
Matt Menard has now joined commentary.
Match #2: Julia Hart w/ Brody King vs. Promise Braxton
Circling to start, then Hart avoids a tie up. Hart lands a slap then avoids a corner charge. Knee from Hart then a slightly off target front flip clothesline, the editing actually helped there to smooth it out, then Hart locks up Heartless to get the submission.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Julia Hart won in 1:12
Rating: Butternut squash
Delicious squash. A solid overall reintroduction for Hart here on Elevation.
In the back Vickie Guerrero talks about Nyla Rose “losing” the TBS title, and claims she should be managing champions. She feels disrespected and says none of this is working anymore. Nyla storms off, and Marina Shafir looks on ever silent. OK then. I get showing the discord here but Vickie isn’t a great promo and while we got a reason for Vickie’s behavior that makes sense, there’s some execution here that needed to be smoothed out.
Match #3: The Bunny w/ Penelope Ford vs. Madison Rayne
Rayne avoids a cheap shot from Bunny and lands strikes then an enziguri. More evasive moves from Rayne before Ford pulls Rayne off the apron while Bunny distracts the ref. Some stomps from Bunny then a running knee lift. Sliding D in the corner from Bunny gets a 2 count. They fight into a corner, Bunny with the reverse triangle choke over the ropes, but Rayne fights back with a ripcord Cutter only for Ford to distract the ref and prevent a count on the cover. Rayne rolls up Bunny for 2 but bunny lands a super kick then tries Down the Rabbit Hole, which connects and gets Bunny the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bunny won in 3:00
Rating: 2 stars
Competent but also featured a fair bit of stalling. That said Bunny was getting pretty solid crowd reactions and she seems to have pretty good chemistry with Ford.
Post match Bunny and Ford stomp on Rayne before Skye Blue shows up to chase them off.
Ethan Page cuts a promo in the back, he’s got an amazing announcement for us, and calls over Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy. Page says his guys, Hardy and Kassidy have the night off tonight to celebrate Boxing Day. Hardy objects to being called away from his family around Christmas time just to be told he’s got a night off for Boxing Day. Page says he’s trying to be nice and bond with them, and since Quen is going to be out for a while it’s time to switch up the dynamic, and just continue to listen to Page. They bring up Page coming in last minute, but Page is higher up in the hierarchy so all wins fall under his umbrella. Page leaves, still very excited about Boxing Day. Hardy says he can’t take this much longer. I still can’t boo Ethan Page, this was such a glorious douchebag move I have to applaud it.
Match #4: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Frankie Kazarian
They tie up, then trade go behinds before Frankie hits a trip and grabs a side headlock then follows up with a shoulder block but Takeshita doesn’t move. Back to the ropes and this time Frankie hits a jumping shoulder block, then they trade headlock takeovers before Frankie finally gets one to stick. Takeshita fights up and hits a back suplex to break the headlock. Elbow from Takeshita then he hits the ropes for a jumping clothesline. Frankie sends Takeshita to the apron then hits a leg drop through the ropes, but Takeshita fights back with a chop then a slingshot DDT for a 1 count. Chop from Frankie, but Takeshita fires back with one. They start trading chops for a bit, then Frankie avoids one of them and follows up with a kick and a clothesline. Running Russian leg sweep from Frankie gets 2. Takeshita lands a kick but runs into a scoop slam, then Takeshita blocks a springboard leg drop and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Frankie with a float over swinging neckbreaker that gets a 2 count. Takeshita avoids a Crossface Chicken Wing, then ducks a blow and connects with a bridging German suplex to get the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Konosuke Takeshita won in 5:02
Rating: 3 stars
Good little match, Frankie trying to play the experience card against the younger and bigger Takeshita led to some fun exchanges. Takeshita remains pretty awesome, and the crowd reactions are getting better and better even on a show like Elevation.
Post match both men shake hands and show mutual respect.
Match #5 – Tag Team Match: Willow Nightingale and Ruby Soho vs. Madi Wrenkowski and Vertvixen
Ruby and Madi get us going, Ruby grabs a side headlock then hits a shoulder block. Modified Mir lock from Ruby and she tags in Willow to hit a corner attack. Shoulder block from Willow, then a backbreaker to Madi. Vertvixen tags in off of that, but Willow lands an enziguri then a scoop slam. Ruby tags back in for an assisted splash which gets a 2 count. Jawbreaker from Vertvixen then Madi lands a cheap shot which sets up a knee to the back from Vertvixen. Madi slams Ruby into the apron then sends her back into the ring. Vertvixen with mounted strikes then a blow in the corner and tags in Madi. Corner work from Madi and Vertvixen. Vertvixen tags in and hits a rolling Flatliner for a 2 count. Ruby comes off the ropes with a roll up for 2, then tags out. Willow gets to run wild for a bit, including a second rope drop kick but only 2. Ruby tabs back in and they take out Madi to set up a double team move Vertvixen, Willow hits a backbreaker then Ruby follows up with Destination Unknown (Sister Abigail if you’ve not seen Ruby use this move) and that’ll get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Willow Nightingale and Ruby Soho won in 4:47
Rating: 2.5 stars
The outcome was never in doubt but the structure here was a nice surprise, Vertvixen and Madi got to show off a fair amount of their stuff and both women are quite capable workers. Willow and Ruby are still getting on the same page chemistry wise, but I think there’s definitely enough there to warrant their teaming up against Tay and Jay.
Match #6 – ROH Women’s Title Match: (c) Athena vs. Kiera Hogan
Hogan lands a drop kick to start, then hits a diving hurricanrana to set up a hip attack. Athena avoids a kick to get out of the ring but Hogan follows her with a baseball slide. Athena slams Hogan into the barricade and follows up but draping her on the barricade and unloading with strikes. She puts the cameraman in a specific position then hits a drop kick to Hogan. Now Athena heads into the ring and just waits on Hogan to get back in. More strikes from Athena then a kick to the back. Senton from Athena gets a 2 count. Athena grabs a neck crank, Hogan then avoids a follow up senton. Around the world, slightly sloppy DDT from Hogan and both women are down. Now Hogan gets to fire up with strikes and a running drop kick in the corner. Head kick from Hogan, then a super kick to follow up but only a 2 count. Hogan heads up top, but Athena catches her there and tosses her down by the hair. Now Athena heads up top, she wants the O-Face but Hogan is up and catches her up there. They fight on the top rope for a bit, Hogan tries a hurricanrana but Athena counters into a second rope powerbomb. Athena follows up with her Argentine backbreaker into a Codebreaker to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Athena retained the title in 6:00
Rating: 2.5 stars
A few sloppy parts, but Athena and Hogan know each other well enough to make it work. Nice powerbomb sequence as well.
Post match Athena lays in an elbow and face plants Hogan onto the belt.
Match #7: Dralistico w/ Jose vs. Blake Christian
They start trading strikes right away, Dralistico is fired up and wants more before wearing down Blake with chops. Jumping knee from Blake, Dralistico follows up with a hurricanrana then a dive to the floor. Blake barely caught him on that one. Dralistico slams Blake into the barricade then sends him back into the ring. Springboard Swanton Bomb from Dralistico gets 2. Blake heads to the apron and lands strike then a modified DDT onto the apron. Blake sets for a dive, hits a ridiculous Fosbury Flop then follows up with a reverse DDT on the floor. Back in the ring Blake heads up top, Jose off balances him but Blake remains on the ropes only for Dralistico to come at him with a second rope hurricanrana for a 2 count. Dralistico slams Blake down, then climbs up top for a moonsault but misses, Blake then hits a running Spanish Fly and follows up with a 450 splash for a near fall. That Spanish Fly wasn’t great, but the distance Blake got on that 450 was impressive. More strikes from Blake, but Jose trips him up to set up a Canadian Destroyer from Dralistico to get the win. Nice to see a Destroyer actually end a match.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Dralistico won in 4:00
Rating: 3 stars
A few sloppy parts, but good grief this was a full blown sprint for the entire 4 minute duration. Both men showed off their stuff and this wound up being a fun action sprint.
Post match Preston Vance and Rush show up to applaud Dralistico and all four men pose.
