By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 55)
Taped March 16, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas at Freeman Coliseum
Streamed March 21, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Nyla Rose’s music played as Excalibur said he was joined by Tony Schiavone on commentary. Ring announcer Justin Roberts started to introduce Nyla Rose, but was interrupted by Vickie Guerrero. She said it disgusted her to see Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in the ring but sweetheart may want to turn around. As Charlotte Renegade turned around Rose flattened her…
1. Nyla Rose (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Robyn Renegade (w/Charlotte Renegade). As the bell rang, Rose hit Charlotte (Excalibur said he thought it was Charlotte) with a back senton. Renegade backed into the corner and Rose hit her with a cannonball splash. Guerrero got on the apron which distracted the referee and the twins switched. (now it was Robyn in the ring). Renegade caught Rose with a quick rollup and then hit Rose with forearms and chops.
Rose quickly recovered and caught Renegade with a Samoan drop. Guerrero broke her Barbie doll and told Rose to break Renegade. Charlotte got on the apron to stop Rose but was met with a thrust kick. Rose then hit the Beast Bomb on Robyn for the pinfall…
Nyla Rose defeated Robyn (or Charlotte) Renegade by pinfall in 1:22.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another showcase for Rose this week. I liked that they switched up the formula a little bit. Apologies for my coverage, as I’m not even sure Excalibur and Schiavone knew which Renegade was in the ring. The match graphic listed Robyn though so that is what I went with. Excalibur did mention that Rose appeared to be back in the title hunt.
2. Julia Hart Vs. Skye Blue. Both wrwrestlers avoided or reversed each other’s moves in the opening sequence. Blue then offered a handshake but Hart pie-faced her. Both women shoved each other then started punching each other. Blue got the better of the exchange and Hart rolled to the floor. Blue tried to follow her out but Hart re-entered the ring. Hart kicked Blue back to the floor as she tried to get back in the ring. Hart followed Blue to the floor and then threw Blue into the ring steps. When Blue got back into the ring Hart continued her attack.
Later, Hart attempted a front handspring elbow to Blue who was in the corner. Blue caught Hart with a thrust kick and got a near fall. A moment later Blue whipped Hart into the corner then charged after her. Hart moved and Blue hit the middle turnbuckle head first. Hart rolled Blue up and put her feet on the ropes for the pinfall.
Julia Hart defeated Skye Blue by pinfall in 4:00.
After the match Blue argued with the referee about being pinned…
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good back and forth match. The rollup at the end looked a little sloppy, but overall good work from both wrestlers. I would not have been surprised to see either of them with their hands raised. I can see a rematch down the road based on the match finish.
3. “Gunn Club” Austin and Colten Gunn (w/Billy Gunn) vs. Masada and Aaron Mercer. Austin and Colten kept Mercer isolated through the bulk of the match. Late in the match, Colten tried to whip Austin into Mercer but Mercer backdropped Austin out of the ring then made the tag to Masada, who threw Colten out of the ring then hit a pair of clotheslines and a kitchen sink knee to Austin. Austin was sent into the ropes but he leapfrogged Masada and Colten made the blind tag. Austin tripped up Masada then Colten hit the Colt .45 for the pinfall.
“Gunn Club” Austin and Colten Gunn defeated Masada and Aaron Mercer by pinfall in 3:40.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another showcase match for the Gunn Club, who are ranked number two in the AEW Tag Team rankings.
4. “Top Flight” Dante and Darius Martin vs “Chaos Project” Luther and Serpentico. Luther and Darius started the match. Luther absorbed the bulk of Darius’s early offense. Luther then sent Darius into the corner. Luther charged but Darius went up and over Luther but not before Serpentico made the blind tag. Darius knocked Luther out of the ring then caught Serpentico with a drop toe hold and tagged in Dante who came off the top rope with a double stomp on Serpentico’ s arm. Top Flight continued to work on Serpentico’ s left arm. Serpentico got thrown out of the ring and Luther gave him a pep talk.
Darius went to get Serpentico but was met with a kick. Serpentico then climbed to the top rope and Luther pushed him off and onto Darius. Chaos Project continued to double team Darius including Luther grabbing both Darius and Serpentico and hitting their heads together with Serpentico landing on Darius for a two count. Darius eventually made the tag to Dante and started to make a comeback.
Serpentico managed to fight out of a double team attempt and climbed the top rope. Serpentico pleaded with Luther not to push him but Luther did and Serpentico landed in a modified atomic drop onto Darius’ s knee. Dante then hit a flipping stunner on Serpentico and Darius rolled him up for the pinfall.
“Top Flight” Dante and Darius Martin defeated “Chaos Project” Luther and Serpentico by pinfall in 5:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: An extended showcase for Top Flight, though they did the majority of the selling in this match. Its good to see Top Flight back though and I expect to see them in a lot more of these matches on Elevation as they work their way up the tag team rankings
5. Emi Sakura and The Bunny vs. Ruby Soho and Anna Jay. Early in the match, Soho and Jay caught Sakura with a double Flatliner. Jay went for the cover but only got a two count. Sakura immediately tagged in The Bunny. The Bunny got into Jay’s face then pushed her. Jay went on the offensive and hit The Bunny with her spinning kick in the corner.
The Bunny quickly tagged back out to Sakura. Jay got Sakura up for a suplex but as Sakura got up, she raked Jay in the eyes. Sakura then lifted up Jay with a double underhook and held her straight up before dropping Jay into a backbreaker. The Bunny and Sakura continued to work over Jay until Sakura went for a Vader splash and missed. Jay hurried over and tagged in Soho while Sakura tagged in the Bunny.
A short while later, all four women were in the ring. Sakura clotheslined Jay then hit Soho with a back elbow into the Bunny who set up for Down the Rabbit Hole. Sakura set Jay up for the same. Soho and Jay, both reversed it with Soho hitting the No Future kick on the Bunny for the pinfall while Jay had the Queenslayer on Sakura.
Ruby Soho and Anna Jay defeated Emi Sakura and The Bunny by pinfall in 4:20.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good back and forth match that could have just as easily aired on Rampage given who was involved. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a showcase match for Jay and Soho unless the plan is to team them together more moving forward.
Lance Archer walked to the ring and had a microphone. Archer said finally he was back in his home state of Texas. The one thing he is most proud of is never living in the cesspool called San Antonio. He said it was the fans’ fault everything changed. He said he almost paralyzed himself because of the fans but no more and never again. The simple savagery he is about to unleash on AEW is something of Greek mythology.
Archer called out AEW management and said you can’t hide him in the dark forever and once he is in the light, they will regret everything these people made him do. When he said everybody, he did not stutter because everybody dies. As Archer left the ring, he saw a “fan” with a “Lance Archer Sucks” sign and punched the “fan”. Archer threw the “fan” inside the ring and splashed him in the corner before lifting him for the Blackout.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Good segment, though nothing new came out of it. It has been a while since we have had an in-ring promo like that on Elevation. Excalibur said even the security guys didn’t want anything to do with Archer, which is why no one tried to stop him from attacking a “fan”. I appreciate that the attempt was made to explain that part of it.
6. Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, and John Silver vs. Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto, and QT Marshall. Solo and Uno started the match as Excalibur spoke about how Uno and Grayson have given the tag team spotlight to Silver and Reynolds and that is why Uno and Grayson haven’t been in as many regular tag matches together lately. Uno got the better of Solo so Solo tagged out to Comoroto. Uno backed off but Silver said he wanted to be tagged in. Comoroto patted Silver on the head.
Silver pushed Comoroto then dropkicked him low to drop Comoroto to the mat. Silver patted Comoroto on the head. Silver knocked Comoroto down with a dropkick from the top rope then tagged in Grayson. Grayson and Silver attempted a double team but Comoroto ran through then hit both Silver and Grayson with a double clothesline. The Factory members worked over Grayson. Marshall punched Uno off the apron while he was in the ring with Grayson. Grayson caught Marshall with an enzuigiri and tried to make the tag but Solo pulled Silver off the apron and threw Silver into the ringside barrier.
Grayson finally made the hot tag Uno and cleared the ring before hitting Something Evil on Solo for a two count. Uno and Grayson went for the Fatality but Marshall broke it up. After a senton/450 combo from Uno and Grayson to Marshall and Solo, Grayson went for the cover on Solo. Comoroto broke it up. Uno tried to throw Comoroto out of the ring but Comoroto didn’t budge. Comoroto threw Uno out and threw Grayson into the corner and charged. Grayson went up and over Comoroto and Comoroto hit the ring post.
Grayson got Comoroto up in a torture rack but got hit with a thrust kick from Solo and into a Cutter from Marshall and then a spear from Comoroto. Solo went for the cover but Silver barely broke it up. Match broke down again until Silver and Solo were left. Silver leveled Solo with a clothesline then picked up Solo and hit the Spin Doctor for the pinfall victory.
Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, and John Silver defeated Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto, and QT Marshall by pinfall in 8:20.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A solid back and forth match and I could not rule out the possibility of The Factory winning. The near fall after the Cutter/Spear combo was really good. It was a crowd pleasing win to end Elevation and to hype the crowd for the Dynamite episode that followed. Also, a bit of a momentum win for Silver going into his match teaming with Reynolds against Chris Jericho and Daniel Garcia this Wednesday on Dynamite.
This episode was pretty good. Even though Chaos Project or The Factory lose the majority of the time, they at least lose enjoyably most of the time. That being said, my matches of the night go to Dark Order vs. The Factory and Top Flight vs. Chaos Project. The women’s tag match was also very good. I could potentially move Skye Blue vs. Julia Hart a little higher if it is just the beginning to a longer program between them. Episode 55 went a quick 42 minutes and 22 seconds.
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