By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 61)
Taped April 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Liacouras Center
Streamed May 2, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Julia Hart’s music played as Paul Wight thanked viewers for joining him and co-host Mark Henry for this week’s Elevation. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
1. Julia Hart vs Abby Jane. Instead of locking up Hart, kicked Jane in the midsection and then pulled her down to the mat by her hair. Jane recovered and got behind Hart for a quick roll up but Hart kicked out. Jane telegraphed a discus lariat and Hart avoided then caught Jane with a back heel trip and then followed up with a standing moonsault. Hart continued her assault and a few moments later caught Jane with her split legged bulldog and made the pinfall.
Julia Hart defeated Abby Jane by pinfall in 2:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A solid showcase and a bounce back win for Hart after her loss to Kris Statlander last week on Elevation. Hopefully we will see some story progression from Hart soon as well.
An ad for Double or Nothing aired…
2. Anthony Ogogo vs. Goldy. Ogogo came out alone though he was referenced as being part of the Factory. After locking up Ogogo pushed Goldy to the corner and then pushed him again. Goldy came back with a couple of armdrags but was met with a knee to the midsection. Ogogo started to pick up the pace and hit Goldy with a trio of European uppercuts. Ogogo then took off his wrist tape and then elevated Goldy and knocked him out with a punch. The referee had no choice but to stop the match.
Anthony Ogogo defeated Goldy by ref stoppage in 2:25.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A slightly longer match by Ogogo’ s standards but a solid showcase nonetheless.
An ad for this week’s Dynamite aired.
3. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Rhett Titus. The wrestlers shook hands to start the match. After some initial back and forth, Takeshita got behind Titus but got hit with a back elbow. Titus then came off the ropes but was met by a big boot from Takeshita. Takeshita then came off the ropes with a flying clothesline and followed up with a DDT for a one count. Takeshita attempted his high knee but Titus avoided it and then backdropped Takeshita.
Titus started to work on the back of Takeshita and locked in a submission by trapping Takeshita’s arm while Takeshita’s back was on Titus’s shoulder. Titus lifted Takeshita from that position and dropped him. Titus then went to run the ropes but Takeshita grabbed the back of Titus’s tights and caught him with a Blue Thunder bomb for a two count.
Titus and Takeshita both got up and they started trading forearms. Takeshita rocked Titus with one but Titus came off the ropes and hooked Takeshita in a belly-to-belly suplex. Takeshita ducked a clothesline attempt from Titus and caught him with a German suplex. Takeshita came off the ropes with a clothesline attempt of his own. Titus ducked but as Takeshita came off the opposite rope, he connected with a high knee to Titus for the pinfall victory.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Rhett Titus by pinfall in 4:40.
Titus and Takeshita shook hands after the match…
Bailin’s Breakdown: A very good back and forth match that I would not have minded seeing go a little longer.
4. Tony Nese (w/Mark Sterling) vs. Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger was in the ring and the crowd was chanting his name as Nese made his entrance. Wight and Henry were shocked by the reaction Cheeseburger received and made cheeseburger jokes. Cheeseburger managed to stay away from Nese early until locking in an arm submission while he was on Nese’s back. Nese came back with his Hangman move and then sent Cheeseburger into the corner and charged.
Cheeseburger moved and then climbed to the top rope but Nese came right back with an uppercut that left Cheeseburger laying on the top turnbuckle. Nese saw Cheeseburger’s position and booted him in the midsection before lifting Cheeseburger on his shoulders and hitting a gut buster for a near fall. Nese then locked in a body scissors.
Cheeseburger fought out and started to make a comeback including hitting Nese with the Shotei Palm strike for a near fall. Cheeseburger then went for a sunset flip but Nese rolled out and hit Cheeseburger with a spin kick then left Cheeseburger in the corner. Nese then hit Cheeseburger with the running double knees for the pinfall.
Tony Nese defeated Cheeseburger by pinfall in 4:25.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another good back and forth match. I don’t know whether Henry and Wight were doing a bit at the expense of Cheeseburger or they genuinely did not know who he was. Personally, I didn’t need the cheeseburger jokes the ENTIRE match.
5. Willow Nightingale vs Gia Scott. Gia Scott is the current Maryland Championship Wrestling Women’s Champion. After locking up Nightingale pushed Scott into the corner, and went for the clean break. Scott grabbed Nightingale and hit her with forearms in the corner. Scott then went for an Irish whip but Nightingale did a cartwheel out of it.
Scott charged and Nightingale picked her up and body slammed her and followed up with a rolling senton and a splash. Nightingale then hit a couple of lariats and pushed Scott into the ropes. As Scott came off the ropes Nightingale pounced her. Scott wound up in the corner and Nightingale hit her with a cannonball. Nightingale then finished off Scott with a gut-wrench powerbomb for the pinfall.
Willow Nightingale defeated Gia Scott by pinfall in 1:25.
Bailin’s Breakdown: It was great to see Nightingale get a win and a dominant one at that. This was Nightingale’s first win in AEW or in Tony Khan’s ROH.
6. Max Caster (w/Anthony Bowens) vs. Zack Clayton. Both men received televised entrances. Clayton dropped Caster early with a shoulder tackle but Caster came back with a dropkick. After a little more back and forth, Caster dropped Clayton with a belly to back suplex then climbed the top rope and hit the Mic Check elbow drop for the pinfall.
Max Caster defeated Zack Clayton by pinfall in 1:20.
Bailin’s Breakdown: This match went much quicker than I anticipated. Clayton even received a televised entrance and based on his past appearances I figured company officials saw something in him. This was bowling shoe ugly and it was not Caster’s fault. Part of me wonders if part of this match was cut, though there were no obvious edits. Caster got a dominant bounce back win after his loss to Penta Oscuro last week on Elevation.
7. Anna Jay and Kris Statlander vs. Emi Sakura and Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero). Sakura and Jay started the match. Jay immediately caught Sakura with a headlock takedown and Sakura escaped with a head scissors. Jay fought out and popped Sakura with a forearm before tagging out. Statlander started to work over Sakura and tried to send Sakura off the ropes but Sakura held on. After fighting back Sakura was able to send Statlander throat first into the top rope and into Sakura’s corner so Sakura could tag in Rose.
Rose hit Statlander with a pair of suplexes and went for a clothesline but Statlander ducked and dropkicked Rose. Statlander came off the top rope with a high cross body and then Jay splashed onto Rose but only got a 1 count. Jay went to come off the ropes but Vickie Guerrero grabbed at her ankles. As Jay argued with Guerrero, Sakura kicked Jay in the head and Rose came behind Jay and dropped her. Rose and Sakura continued to work over Jay but when Sakura went for her double underhook backbreaker, Jay reversed out and kicked Sakura and was able to make the tag to Statlander.
Statlander cleared the ring then knocked Rose off the apron with a kick. Statlander then was able to powerbomb Sakura and went for the pinfall but Sakura kicked out at two. Statlander went to tag in Jay but Rose came around and pulled Jay off the apron allowing Sakura to rake Statlander’s back and then connect with a spinning neckbreaker. Rose then climbed the top rope and Sakura pulled Rose down into a moonsault on Statlander.
Sakura went for the cover but Jay broke it up. Jay escaped a chokeslam attempt from Rose and Rose ducked a spin kick from Jay. Sakura and Rose then went for a double suplex but Jay countered and DDT’d them both. Jay then jumped on Rose’s back and locked in the Queenslayer and they rolled outside the ring. Inside the ring Statlander kicked Sakura then lifted her into Night Fever for the victory.
Anna Jay and Kris Statlander defeated Emi Sakura and Nyla Rose by pinfall in 6:10.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A very good back and forth match. This is the fourth week in a row that Jay and Sakura have been on opposite sides of a match.
8. Eli Isom, Bret Waters, Cory Bishop, Mike Law, Anthony Bennett and Jaden Valo vs. “The Dark Order” Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Alan “5” Angels and 10. Grayson and Bennet started the match. Grayson ran over Bennett then lifted him for a press slam. As Grayson had Bennett in the air, Bennett’s team came in to pull him down and the rest of the Dark order entered the ring. The match broke down and each member of the Dark Order body slammed a member of the other team.
In the end, Valo got caught with Silver and Reynolds combo finisher into a spinebuster from 10. Bennett was then brought into the ring and was hit with the Fatality from Uno and Grayson before Angels came off the top rope with a frog splash and git the pinfall.
Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Alan “5” Angels and 10 defeated Eli Isom, Bret Waters, Cory Bishop, Mike Law, Anthony Bennett and Jaden Valo by pinfall in 1:45.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another crowd-pleasing dominant win for the Dark Order. Before Elevation aired, there had been talk of Grayson and AEW not coming to terms on a new contract, and Grayson is no longer listed on the AEW roster page. Hopefully they can figure it out or this could end up being Grayson’s last appearance in AEW for the time being.
Overall, a solid episode of Elevation with a stronger than normal ROH influence even though Wight and Henry didn’t realize it. Excalibur or Tony Schiavone would have been helpful this episode. With AEW being in Baltimore this week at ROH’s home arena, I would not be surprised, and I am even hoping to see more ROH influence on next week’s Elevation. I will be at those tapings and will have spoilers here on Dot Net.
Episode 61 clocked in at 41 minutes and 47 seconds. My matches of the night were Titus vs. Takeshita and the women’s tag team match. I have a feeling Takeshita will be in a lot of my matches of the night as long as he appears on Elevation.
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