By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 57)
Taped March 30, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena
Streamed April 4, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Tony Schiavone was back on commentary this week and was joined by Mark Henry and Columbia, South Carolina’s own Paul Wight. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
1. Ella Envy vs. Leyla Hirsch. Envy caught Hirsch with a couple of armdrags early. Hirsch backed up into the corner and Envy charged. Hirsch moved. Hirsch then dropped Envy with a German suplex and then hit Envy with a running knee to the face and pinned her.
Leyla Hirsch defeated Ella Envy by pinfall in 1:35.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A quick showcase win for Leyla Hirsch.
2. Lee Johnson and Brock Anderson (w/Arn Anderson) vs. QT Marshall and Aaron Solo (w/Nick Comoroto). Johnson and Marshall started the match, but Marshall tagged in Solo before locking up. Solo and Marshall continued tagging in and out while the crowd yelled at them. Finally, Solo and Johnson locked up. Johnson and Anderson had the advantage on Solo until Solo was able to throw Johnson out of the ring. Johnson grabbed Solo by the ankle to trip him but Comoroto hit Johnson with a running clothesline.
Arn Anderson picked up a chair and Comoroto backed off. Brock Anderson sent Johnson back into the ring but Marshall threw Johnson back out. Marshall distracted the referee and Comoroto ran towards Johnson again. Arn Anderson pulled Johnson out of the way and Comoroto hit the ring post. Marshall then came out of the ring to yell at Arn.
Johnson used the opportunity to get back into the ring. Marshall tried to stop Johnson but Johnson connected with a neckbreaker and tagged in Brock. Marshall also made the tag. Brock began clearing the ring of Marshall and focused on Solo, hitting him with a gut-wrench powerbomb and a DDT. A short while later Marshall hit Brock from outside the ring and then came back in the ring for a double team. Johnson re-entered and hit Marshall with a kick and then kicked Solo into a spinebuster from Brock for the pinfall.
Lee Johnson and Brock Anderson defeated QT Marshall and Aaron Solo by pinfall in 7:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good back and forth match. While this match felt like it could have gone either way, it is starting to get hard to pick The Factory to win anything.
3. Dani Mo vs. Serena Deeb. Deeb dominated the match focusing on Mo’s leg and ending it with the Serenity Lock for the submission victory.
Serena Deeb defeated Dani Mo by submission in 2:15.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Dominant showcase for Deeb, no different than the five-minute challenges she had been having. This match could have easily been treated the same.
4. Frankie Kazarian vs. Lucky Ali. Kazarian had control early. Ali tried to regroup and asked for a timeout and a hand shake. Kazarian refused and Ali went to kick Kazarian. Kazarian grabbed Ali’s leg and spun Ali around, but Ali got behind Kazarian and dropped him neck first on Ali’s shoulder. Ali then kicked Kazarian into the ropes and clotheslined him. Ali danced outside the ring and realized he forgot to try to pin Kazarian. Ali only got a 1 count. Kazarian started to fight back with chops but Ali caught him with a belly to back suplex and a senton splash.
Later, Kazarian attempted to lock Ali in the chicken wing but Ali threw him off. Kazarian sent Ali over the top rope and onto the apron and then used the ropes to get Ali back into the ring with a cutter. Kazarian then locked in the crossface chicken wing for the submission victory.
Frankie Kazarian defeated Lucky Ali by submission in 3:45.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another showcase victory for Kazarian who keeps racking up wins. I’m assuming they will lead to some kind of featured match when AEW goes to California.
5. Red Velvet vs. Brittany Jade. Velvet had control early. Velvet kicked Jade as Jade was on the mat. Velvet then lifted Jade but Jade pushed her away. Jade then tried for a backslide but instead caught Jade with a spinning neckbreaker. Jade followed up with forearms and tried to send Velvet into the ropes. Velvet reversed and caught Jade with a pair of clotheslines. Velvet then sent Jade into the ropes and hit her with double knees and then followed up with the Final Slice for the pinfall victory.
Red Velvet defeated Brittany Jade by pinfall in 2:20.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A solid showcase for Red Velvet this week.
6. “Best Friends” Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor (w/Orange Cassidy) vs. “The WorkHorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake. Beretta’s Mom Sue was sitting in the front row with a birthday sign for her son. Taylor and Henry started the match. Beretta and Taylor had the early advantage until they tried to hug each other. Drake and Henry attacked and the fight spilled outside the ring. Henry and Drake isolated Taylor. After Drake body slammed then headbutted Taylor, Taylor rolled to the floor. Henry tried to attack Taylor but Taylor sent Drake into the ringside barrier.
Drake came over to get Taylor, but Orange Cassidy walked around and put his good hand into his pocket which distracted Drake long enough for Taylor to catch Drake with a back elbow and a Flatliner and then tagged out. Beretta had Drake isolated but went to run the ropes. Drake rolled to the floor and Beretta dove over the top rope and missed him. Drake popped up Beretta into the ropes and hit him with a punch to the face before throwing him back into the ring where Henry hit a spinning stunner. Drake followed up with a running knee for a near fall that Taylor had to break up. Henry and Drake sent Taylor out of the ring and then Henry charged towards Beretta who was in the corner. Beretta sent Henry over the top with a back body drop then avoided a splash from Drake.
Beretta then went for a spinning DDT off the ropes on Drake but Henry got the blind tag. Drake caught Beretta legs on the DDT then catapulted him into a kick from Henry. Drake held Beretta over his knees so Henry could come off the top rope with a double stomp. Beretta was able to kick out at two from the pin attempt. Henry then sent Beretta into the rope but Taylor blocked the turnbuckle so Beretta wouldn’t hit it. Beretta then clotheslined Henry then caught Drake into a half and half suplex while Taylor kicked Drake. With Drake and Henry down, Beretta and Taylor hugged mid ring then caught Henry in Storm Zero for the pinfall.
“Best Friends” Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor defeated “The WorkHorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake by pinfall in 8:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A very good back and forth match, though the outcome was never in doubt.
7. Anna Jay and Ruby Soho vs Diamanté and Ashley D’Amboise. Jay and Diamanté started the match. Diamanté took control on Jay early after rolling out of a wrist lock and pulling Jay down by the hair. Diamanté then tripped Jay and then caught Jay with mounted punches. D’Amboise asked to be tagged in so Diamanté did. D’Amboise took Jay to the mat with a headlock takeover which Jay used a head scissors to escape. Jay then took D’Amboise down with a headlock takeover and D’Amboise escaped with a head scissors.
D’Amboise and Jay then shook hands which Diamanté did not like. Jay and D’Amboise wound up in the ropes and Soho made the blind tag, Jay took D’Amboise down with a snap mare and Soho followed up with a knee to D’Amboise face. D’Amboise recovered and caught Jay with a jawbreaker. D’Amboise was able to make the tag to Diamanté as Soho tried to roll up D’Amboise. When D’Amboise made the tag, she held on to Soho’s neck, trapping her which allowed Diamanté to come off the bottom rope with a dropkick to Soho’s back and neck. Diamanté continued to beat on Soho then dropped Soho on the top rope with a Hot Shot. Soho tried to make the tag but Diamanté held on.
Soho came back with a knee to Diamanté and made the tag to Jay. Jay ducked a clothesline from Diamanté then hit Diamanté with a series of forearms. Jay followed up with a kick and a suplex. Jay continued with a few more shots then made the tag to Soho, then kicked Diamanté in the corner. Soho drove Diamanté into the middle turnbuckle. Soho then sent Diamanté back to her and Jay’s corner but Diamanté fought out and caught Soho with a knee to the face. Diamanté then set up Soho for a move but D’Amboise made the blind tag.
Diamanté argued with D’Amboise until Jay came up from behind Diamanté with a forearm to the back of her head that sent Diamanté outside the ring and Jay followed. D’Amboise shouted to Diamanté that she had it and was going to finish it. D’Amboise went to lift Soho but Soho caught her with a back elbow and followed up with Destination Unknown for the victory.
Anna Jay and Ruby Soho defeated Diamanté and Ashley D’Amboise by pinfall in 4:15.
After the match D’Amboise went to apologize to Diamanté, but Diamanté punched D’Amboise then hit her with a Full Nelson Slam.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good match that was better when Diamanté was in the ring. That is not a knock on D’Amboise talent but more so how the match was booked. Were Emi Sakura, Nyla Rose and The Bunny all busy this week and couldn’t team with Diamanté?
8.Paul Wight vs Austin Green. Wight was announced as being 400 lbs. and from Columbia, South Carolina. Wight made his entrance from the commentary desk. Henry estimated that Green was approximately 6’8” and 350 lbs. Neither man could gain an advantage on the initial lock up. On the second lock up Wight powered Green into the corner and went for a chop. Green moved and caught Wight with an uppercut.
After a couple more shots, Green attempted an Irish whip that Wight reversed. Wight dropped Green with a shoulder tackle as he rebounded. Wight then sent Green to the corner and chopped him. Wight did it again then choke slammed Green for the pinfall.
Paul Wight defeated Austin Green by pinfall in 2:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A crowd pleasing showcase for the hometown Wight. Not much else to say about this one. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot to say about this week’s Elevation either. It was just kind of there. Tonight’s episode clocked in at 49 minutes and 43 seconds. The match of the night goes to Best Friends vs. The Workhorsemen. While everyone’s work was good, there is nothing you’d really miss out on if you decided not to catch this episode.
Emi has been in Japan the last couple of weeks for ChocoPro’s 2 year anniversary.