By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 70)
Taped June 29, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan at Little Caesars Arena
Streamed July 4, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Tony Schiavone welcomed us to this week’s Fourth of July episode of Elevation. He was joined on commentary by Mark Henry. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
Bailin’s Breakdown: I hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day!!!
1. Anna Jay (w/-1) vs. Megan Meyers. After some early strikes by Jay to Myers, Jay dropped Meyers with a Flatliner. Jay picked Meyers up but was met with a kick to the head. Jay recovered quickly with back elbows. Jay then hit a series of kicks on Myers before locking in the Queen Slayer for the submission victory.
Anna Jay defeated Megan Meyers by submission in 3:20.
Bailin’s Breakdown: This was the third consecutive week with a showcase match for Jay, each one being slightly longer than the previous week’s match.
An ad for AEW Grand Slam aired.
2. Isaiah Broner and GPA vs. Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta. GPA and Beretta started the match. After Beretta hit GPA with a shoulder tackle, GPA made the tag to Broner. Broner was able to knock down Beretta with a shoulder tackle of his own. Taylor then made the blind tag and he and Beretta hit Broner with a double shoulder tackle and followed up with a double vertical suplex. Beretta bounced off the ropes and was hit with a kick from GPA. Beretta knocked GPA down but then turned around into a Sky High from Broner for a near fall.
Broner tagged in GPA. Beretta recovered and went for a tornado DDT that GPA avoided. Beretta grabbed GPA into a Saito suplex instead and made the tag to Taylor. Taylor locked up with GPA but GPA got a thumb in Taylor’s eye. Beretta came in and he and Taylor hit a Soul Food/Half and half combo. Beretta and Taylor were going to hug mid ring but Broner got up on the apron and clotheslined Beretta. Taylor knocked Beretta off the apron but ran into a jawbreaker and stunner combo from GPA. GPA charged towards Taylor in the corner but got hit with a high knee. Taylor then lifted up GPA and hit the Awful Waffle for the pinfall.
Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta defeated Isaiah Broner and GPA by pinfall in 3:50.
After the match Beretta and Taylor gave the people what they wanted and hugged.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A solid showcase to get Best Friends back on track with a win.
An ad for this week’s Dynamite aired.
3. Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh (w/Sonjay Dutt) vs. James Alexander and Ren Jones. Lethal and Jones started the match with Jones yelling at Lethal this was his home and kicked Lethal in the midsection. Jones then locked a headlock on Lethal. Lethal pushed off and held on to Jones’ arm and arm dragged him and the cartwheeled into a dropkick. Jones then made the tag to Alexander. Alexander kicked Lethal and then Lethal went to make the tag.
Jones and Alexander backed off and Lethal hesitated before smiling and tagging in Singh. Jones and Alexander both went after Singh to no effect. Singh suplexed Alexander then started to dribble Jones on the mat like a basketball. Because Singh was on his knees Alexander started to attack Singh with punches. Singh got up and sent Alexander into the ropes and came off with a crossbody block. Lethal dove through the ropes and hit Jones outside the ring. Singh then lifted up Alexander and then spun him down to the mat. Lethal yelled to Singh to pin him and Singh out his foot on Alexander for the pinfall.
Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh defeated James Alexander and Ren Jones by pinfall in 2:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A strong showcase for Singh and Lethal but more so Singh. Mark Henry said he had never seen anything like the move Singh did to Alexander, even though Jon Silver’s Spin Doctor and Lance Archer’s Hellacoaster are pretty much the same moves.
4. Anthony Ogogo vs. Pat Monix. Ogogo dominated the bulk of the match using his power and strikes on Monix. Ogogo finished off Monix with the elevated punch for the KO victory.
Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland defeated GPA and Vic Capri by KO in 2:40.
After the match Ogogo put the Union Jack flag over Monix’s prone body.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A dominant showcase for Ogogo.
5. Hikaru Shida and Yuka Sakazaki vs. Heather Reckless and Laynie Luck. Luck and Reckless attacked before the bell. Once the bell rang Shida quickly recovered and kicked Luck. Luck backed into the corner and Shida went on the middle rope with mounted punches. The referee got distracted by Sakazaki so Reckless came in and attacked Shida from behind. Luck and Reckless. Luck and Reckless sent Shida into another corner and double teamed her. Luck then suplexed Shida out of the corner for a near fall. Shida missed Luck with a spin kick but got her with an Ax kick and both women tagged in their partners.
Sakazaki with a forward roll with Reckless into a kick. Moments later Sakazaki came off the top rope with a missile dropkick to Reckless and tagged in Shida who came off the middle of the top rope with double knees on Reckless. Shida set up for the Falcon arrow but Luck came in and grabbed Shida’s hair. Sakazaki came back in and the match broke down with Shida and Sakazaki gaining the advantage. With Luck removed from the ring Shida hit the Falcon Arrow on Reckless for the pinfall.
Hikaru Shida and Yuka Sakazaki defeated Heather Reckless and Laynie Luck in 3:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Good to see Shida and Sakazaki back.
6. Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds and 10 (w/-1) vs. Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto and QT Marshall. The Factory attacked the Dark Order from behind prior to the bell ringing. The Dark Order turned the tide and sent the Factory into each other with Irish whips and then body slammed them and posed. Solo baited Uno towards him and kicked him, 10 clotheslined Solo over the top rope, Marshall pulled 10 out of the ring and threw him into the ring steps and Comoroto bodyslammed Reynolds on the floor. Back in the ring The Factory isolated Uno and triple teamed him.
Uno eventually started to fight back but was hit with an enzuigiri from Marshall and powerbombed for a near fall. Marshall was going to suplex Uno but -1 started to yell at Marshall from outside the ring. Uno reversed the suplex and tagged in 10. 10 cleared the ring including the 10 second elevated suplex on Solo. 10 briefly had the full nelson on Solo before Marshall broke it up.
The Factory got a nearfall on 10 after a triple team move that saw Marshall do a springboard flip into a back elbow, followed by a kick from Solo and a spear from Comoroto before Reynolds broke it up. The match broke down again with 10 sending Marshall over the top rope then backdropping Reynolds over the top and onto Marshall and Comoroto. Back in the ring 10 lifted Solo into a wheelbarrow and was dropped on the top rope throat first by Uno. 10 then hit Solo with a discus lariat for the pinfall.
Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds and 10 defeated Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto and QT Marshall by pinfall in 8:00
Bailin’s Breakdown: As is usually the case, another good back and forth match between these two teams. And as is usually the case, it felt like the match could have gone either way. It was the longest match and most competitive and thus my match of the night. Granted, there wasn’t much to choose from, which is understandable due it being a holiday episode. Episode 70 clocked in at 36 minutes and 1 second.
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