By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 60)
Taped April 20, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Petersen Events Center
Streamed April 25, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Elevation this week began with Luther’s music playing as Excalibur said on commentary this was a massive edition of Elevation. Excalibur was joined by Paul Wight and Mark Henry. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
1. Luther, Bulk Nasty, RC Dupree, Jake Omen and Tito Oric vs. Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, Alan “5” Angels and 10 (w/ -1). Luther had a Serpentico mask that he put on Dupree. Grayson immediately dropped Dupree with an elbow. When Grayson went to lift Dupree, the mask came off and Luther screamed “that’s not Serpentico.” Dupree tagged in Oric who didn’t fare much better before he made the tag to Luther. Luther caught Reynolds, who had been tagged in, with a leg lariat and a suplex.
Luther then tagged in Omen and went to slam Omen on Reynolds but Reynolds moved and tagged in 10. Luther then sent Omen into 10 and 10 didn’t budge, Luther then sent Dupree and Oric and 10 dropped them as well. Luther finally sent Bulk Nasty into 10 and 10 picked up Nasty and just dropped him. Luther just walked out of the ring. Angels entered and 10 assisted Angels with a tope suicida onto Luther. 10 then lifted and assisted Reynolds with a moonsault out of the ring onto Nasty and Oric. 10 then hit a spinebuster on Omen and tagged in Uno. Uno and Grayson hit Fatality on Omen for the pinfall while 10 had a Full Nelson locked in on Dupree.
Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, Alan “5” Angels and 10 defeated Luther, Bulk Nasty, RC Dupree, Jake Omen and Tito Oric by pinfall in 3:10.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Luther made this slightly more entertaining than it would have been had he not been in this match. Another dominant outing for the Dark Order.
An ad for this week’s Dynamite aired.
2. Julia Hart vs Kris Statlander. Hart’s eye appeared to be getting worse underneath the eyepatch. Statlander locked in a Greco Roman knuckle lock that Hart fought out off. While still locked together Hart tripped Statlander then tried to hold Statlander down. Statlander powered out then caught Hart with a belly-to-back suplex. Statlander then put Hart onto her shoulders and attempted an elevator drop. Hart tried to escape but Statlander held on with a waist lock. Hart then caught Statlander with a bulldog.
Statlander fought back and went for a clothesline but Hart held on and dropped Statlander with a back heel trip. Hart followed up with a moonsault and instead of going for the cover drove Statlander’s head into the middle turnbuckle. Hart continued her attack until Statlander was able to lift Hart with both hands around her neck and throw Hart into the turnbuckle. Statlander then hit the reverse suplex into the delayed vertical suplex. Statlander kipped up and waited for Hart to get up. Statlander went for a thrust kick but Hart ducked and connected with one of her own which sent Statlander to the corner.
Hart did her cartwheel into an elbow then ran into Statlander with another elbow and climbed the top rope. Hart came off the top rope with a body press and locked a body press for a near fall and then locked in a head scissors. Statlander powered out again and hit Hart with a deadlift German suplex and followed up with a roundhouse kick. Statlander then hit Hart with Night Fever (Big Bang Theory) for the pinfall.
Kris Statlander defeated Julia Hart by pinfall in 6:25.
Bailin’s Breakdown: So Statlander did have her finisher’s name changed. This was a good back and forth match and one of Hart’s best showings.
An ad for Rampage aired…
3. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brandon Cutler. Takeshita had the early advantage until sending Cutler into the turnbuckle. Takeshita ran towards Cutler but Cutler moved out of the ring. Cutler came back into the ring with a jumping kick. Cutler danced then dropped a couple of elbows but missed a third because he danced too much. Takeshita leveled Cutler with a shoulder tackle then followed up with a DDT. Cutler avoided a Blue Thunder Bomb by holding on to the ref but then ran into one. Cutler came back with an open hand slap to Takeshita’s chest. Takeshita responded with an elbow shot that dropped Cutler.
Takeshita continued to hit Cutler with elbows in the corner until the referee had to pull him back. With the referee’s back turned, Cutler used the cold spray in Takeshita’s eyes. Cutler tried to quickly roll up Takeshita but Takeshita kicked out. Cutler then attempted an inside cradle but Takeshita was able to hold on and suplex Cutler for a near fall. Takeshita then waited for Cutler to get up and hit him with a running high knee to the face for the pinfall.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Brandon Cutler by pinfall in 4:50.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good match to reintroduce the audience to Takeshita, who hasn’t been on Elevation since Episode 6. I still consider Takeshita vs Danny Limelight from episode 5 as one of if not the best match to happen on Elevation so I for one am happy to see Takeshita back.
An ad for Double or Nothing aired…
Tony Nese made his entrance with “Smart” Mark Sterling who has a mic. He wanted to introduce everyone to the biggest free agent signing in AEW and since he is 2-0 since they have been aligned so when they got to Pittsburgh, they asked for the best Pittsburgh had to offer, and they got the Steel City Brawler. Sterling then said that’s the problem. Too many jokes are getting opportunities over Tony Nese. The fans want to chant for Nese not Brawler.
4. Steel City Brawler vs. Tony Nese (w/Mark Sterling). Nese had control until later in the match when Brawler tried to fight back. Nese came off the rope but was hit by a headbutt from Brawler. Brawler followed up with a pair of clotheslines then a splash in the corner. Brawler motioned that he was going for a cannonball but took too long and was hit with a shotgun dropkick from Nese. Nese then hit Brawler with the double knees for the pinfall.
Tony Nese defeated Steel City Brawler by pinfall in 2:50.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A solid showcase for Nese.
5. Minoru Suzuki vs QT Marshall (w/Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto). When Marshall went to lock up, he kicked Suzuki in the midsection. Marshall came off the ropes for a clothesline but Suzuki kicked Marshall’s arm. Suzuki draped Marshall’s arm over the top rope and locked in a cross-arm breaker and Marshall started to tap out. Since he was in the ropes the match continued and Marshall and Suzuki went outside the ring. Suzuki continued to punch and kick Marshall outside the ring.
When Suzuki put Marshall back in the ring Comoroto got on the apron to distract the referee allowing Solo to grab Suzuki by the ankles. The referee turned around to see it and sent Marshall and Comoroto to the back. Marshall continued to strike Suzuki as Suzuki stared at Marshall and slowly got up. Marshall told Suzuki to hit him with his best shot and Suzuki leveled Marshall with an elbow. A few moments later Suzuki locked in a sleeper hold on Marshall then released it to hit Marshall with another elbow. Before Marshall could fall to the mat Suzuki lifted him for the Gotch style piledriver and the victory.
Minoru Suzuki defeated QT Marshall by pinfall in 4:10.
Bailin’s Breakdown: An ok match, but still a fun appearance by Suzuki on Elevation.
6. Vince Valor vs. John Silver (w/ -1). After ducking a clothesline attempt from Valor, Silver dominated the match, ending it quickly with the Spin Doctor.
John Silver defeated Vince Valor by pinfall in 1:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A dominant showcase for Silver.
An ad aired for Double or Nothing…
7. Ruby Soho, Anna Jay, and Skye Blue (w/ -1) vs. Nyla Rose, Emi Sakura and The Bunny (w/ Vickie Guerrero).Blue and Sakura started the match but Sakura quickly tagged in Rose after getting kicked by Blue. Rose came in and dropped Blue with a clothesline and tagged in Jay. Rose caught Jay with a side slam and Jay tagged in Soho. Soho and Rose went back and forth until Soho tried a flying head scissors on Rose. Rose caught her and flung her into the bottom turnbuckle and went for the cover. Soho kicked out at two.
Rose went for a suplex but Soho slipped out and tagged Blue. Blue got Rose down to one knee with a couple of kicks then went to the top rope. The Bunny distracted Blue, who kicked her away. Blue then came off the top rope but was caught by Rose and slammed to the mat. The Bunny was then tagged in for the first time and started to kick and punch Blue. The Bunny knocked Jay off the apron but was caught with a roll up from Blue. Bunny kicked out and tagged in Sakura and they double teamed Blue. Sakura then did her Rock You splash in the corner and then her and The Bunny tagged in and out isolating Blue in their corner. The Bunny was pulling back on Blue’s arms and Blue managed to armdrag Bunny out of it.
Bunny went to knock Jay off the apron again and missed. Blue then went under Bunny’s legs and tagged in Jay. Jay ran in and knocked Sakura off the apron then caught Bunny with a Flatliner and a series of kicks before locking in the Queen Slayer. Rose came in and broke it up. Soho then came in and hit Rose with the No Future kick and Rose rolled outside the ring. Soho went to follow her but Sakura came running from the other side of the ring.
Soho moved and Sakura also wound up outside the ring. Blue climbed the top rope and dove onto Sakura and Rose. In the ring Bunny went for a roll up of Jay holding the tights. Jay kicked out at two. Bunny kicked Jay in the midsection and went for a running knee. Jay avoided the knee strike and locked in the Queen Slayer for the submission victory.
Ruby Soho, Anna Jay, and Skye Blue defeated Nyla Rose, Emi Sakura and The Bunny by submission in 6:35.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good back and forth match but nothing we haven’t seen from multiple variations of these teams in the past. With Nyla Rose in there though this week the match could have gone either way.
8. Max Caster (w/Anthony Bowens) vs. Penta Oscuro (w/Alex Abrahantes). Penta did his Cero Miedo pie face to Caster and Caster responded with a boot to the midsection and yelled “Everyone Loves the Acclaimed”. Caster sent Penta into the ropes but Penta came off with flying head-scissors and Caster rolled to the floor. Penta went to dive through the ropes but was tripped up by Bowens. Caster then worked over Penta in the corner. Caster then sent Penta to the opposite corner but was met with a thrust kick. Penta started to regain the momentum with a cazadora into a splash from the middle turnbuckle. Penta followed up with a pair of slingblades for a near fall.
Penta went for the Fear Factor but Caster fought his way out with elbows then dropped Penta’s back onto his knee. Caster put Penta on the top rope signaling he was going for a huracanrana but Penta slipped out and kicked Caster’s legs out. Penta then came off the ropes with a double stomp and went for the pin. Caster kicked out at two and Penta went for the arm snap. Bowens got on the apron to distract Penta and Caster suplexed Penta. Bowens then got on the apron again and started to choke Penta. Caster charged and almost ran into Bowens when Penta moved away. Penta kicked Bowens, then hit Caster with an enzuigiri. Penta grabbed Casters arm and snapped it back before pinning him.
Penta Oscuro defeated Max Caster by pinfall in 4:40.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good back and forth match while it lasted but it was really too short to take it up to very good or great.
Another stronger than normal show on paper this week, though I would probably rank last week’s episode slightly higher than this week. My match of the night goes to Hart vs. Statlander with the six-woman tag a close second. With Takeshita back for a while and Suzuki appearing, this was another slightly noteworthy episode. Episode 60 clocked in at 58 minutes and 11 seconds which is the longest episode of Elevation in a while.
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