By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 71)
Taped July 6, 2022 in Rochester, New York at Blue Cross Arena
Streamed July 11, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Tony Schiavone welcomed us to Elevation and was joined on commentary by Caprice Coleman. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
1. Emi Sakura vs Paris Van Dale. Van Dale went for a handshake that Sakura denied and instead grabbed Van Dale by the hair and threw her across the ring. Sakura then tied up Van Dale so that she could sit on Van Dale’s back and pretend to drink. Sakura toyed with Van Dale then told Van Dale to hit her. At first Sakura was unfazed, but then Van Dale started to put more power behind her strikes and push Sakura back.
Van Dale caught Sakura with a face buster followed by a bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Van Dale went for a vertical suplex but Sakura blocked it and bit Van Dale’s wrist and then hit a spinning neckbreaker. Van Dale backed herself into the corner which allowed Sakura to hit the “Rock You” chops and cross body block. Sakura followed up with the Queen’s Gambit backbreaker for the pinfall.
Emi Sakura defeated Paris Van Dale by pinfall in 3:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A rare singles match for Sakura on Elevation, and the first match she has had in weeks on this program. Standard Sakura match with her getting all her stuff in.
Schiavone spoke up tomorrow’s episode of Dark, which will include Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita in an AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match from Tokyo Joshi Pro, and Pac defending the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against Shota Umino from RevPro…
Bailin’s Breakdown: I like these matches airing on Dark and am slightly jealous that at least one of them is not on Elevation. I kid, but both matches should be really good.
2. Dante Martin vs. JD Drake. Both men received televised entrances. Martin used his speed early to keep Drake off balance. Drake retreated outside the ring and Martin leapt over the top to get to him. Drake ducked and then popped Martin off the ropes and hit him with a forearm. Drake went back into the ring content with getting a possible count out victory but Martin made it back into the ring at seven.
Back in the ring Drake continued his assault on Martin using his size and power to keep the offensive and slow the match down. Drake went for a Vader bomb but took too much time and Martin rolled out of the way. Martin hit Drake with a gamengire and then climbed to the top rope. Drake met Martin up there and tried to superplex Martin. Martin hit Drake with his knee which knocked Drake to the mat and then Martin came off with a cross body.
Martin avoided a few strikes from Drake but got hit with a boot to the face for a near fall. Drake then lifted Martin and hit a lariat for another near fall. Drake threw Martin into the ropes but Martin came off with a shotgun dropkick. Drake then missed a cannonball in the corner. Martin then bounced off the ropes with the Nose Dive for the pinfall victory.
Dante Martin defeated JD Drake by pinfall in 7:10.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good power vs. high flying match up. There was no doubt Martin would win but Drake had the majority of the offense.
An ad for AEW Grand Slam 2 aired.
3. Julia Hart vs JC. Hart just stared at JC as the match began and then walked slowly towards her. Hart scared JC and JC fell down. Hart and JC finally locked up and Hart backed JC into the corner. Neither would break and Hart started to choke JC. The referee tried to hold Hart back and Hart shoved him away which allowed JC to hit Hart with a forearm. JC caught Hart with a back elbow and Hart responded with a thrust kick. Hart then sat on top of JC and started to choke her again then starting to punch JC repeatedly. Hart locked JC in a modified Rings of Saturn and JC had no choice but to tap out.
Julia Hart defeated JC by submission in 2:05.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A dominant win for Hart, as nothing JC tried to do affected her. Hart has definitely improved in this role.
4. Ethan Page vs. Colin Delaney. Delaney received a good reaction from his hometown crowd. Page came out alone this week. Delaney connected with a couple of arm drags which angered Page. After a knee to the midsection Page poked Delaney in the eye and then ran him over with a shoulder tackle. Page continued to work over Delaney with punches and kicks. Page followed up with a stalling vertical suplex.
Delaney baited Page to come after him in the corner and Delaney moved away. Delaney chopped Page then poked him in both eyes before coming off the ropes with a cutter for a near fall. Delaney went to lift Page up but Page pushed Delaney back into the corner. Page punched Delaney then lifted him onto the top rope. Page then threw Delaney down to the mat by his arms then lifted Delaney back up for the Ego’s Edge and the victory.
Ethan Page defeated Colin Delaney by pinfall in 5:15.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Page gave a lot of offense to Delaney this week but again no question who was winning.
5. Anna Jay vs. Shawna Reed. Anthony Ogogo joined the commentary team. After a brief lockup Reed hit Jay in the midsection with a knee and threw her down by the hair. Jay ran after Reed but Reed hid under the ropes so Jay backed off. Reed attempted a clothesline that Jay ducked and Jay pulled Reed down by the hair. Jay and Reed traded forearms before Jay took over. Jay then hit Reed with a series of kicks. Reed tried a stunner but Jay pushed her off. When Reed turned around, Jay flipped her in position for the Queen Slayer and Reed tapped out.
Anna Jay defeated Shawna Reed by submission in 1:50.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Quick and to the point. Jay goes into her match Wednesday night with Serena Deeb with a win streak.
6. Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta vs. Aaron Solo and QT Marshall (w/Nick Comoroto). Solo and Taylor started the match. After some back and forth both men tagged out. Marshall got the early advantage on Beretta with a headlock then raked his boot over Beretta’s face. Beretta got up and face planted Marshall and then raked his boot over Marshall’s face.
Beretta and Taylor kept the advantage and tagged in and out. Solo broke up a pin attempt and Marshall and Solo tried to send Taylor into Beretta. Best Friends did a do-si-do. Beretta suplexed Marshall and Taylor suplexed Solo on top of Marshall. Taylor and Beretta tried to hug but Solo pulled Taylor out of the ring. Comoroto hopped up on the apron and Beretta went after him. The distraction allowed Marshall to hit Beretta from behind. Marshall kicked Beretta out of the ring and distracted the referee. Comoroto face planted Beretta on the ring apron.
The Factory isolated Beretta for an extended period. Beretta tried to fight back and almost made the tag but Solo came and pulled Taylor off the apron. Solo and Marshall then hit a double team neck breaker and then mocked Best Friends by hugging mid ring. Marshall and Solo attempted a double team suplex but Beretta kneed Marshall in the head and then kicked Solo and used the momentum to hit a tornado DDT on Marshall and make the tag to Taylor. Taylor cleared the ring and then targeted Solo. Beretta and Taylor hit Solo with the Soul Food/Half and half combo for a near fall that Marshall broke up.
Marshall tagged into the match and caught Beretta with a handspring spin kick and set up for the Diamond cutter. Beretta avoided it and rolled up Marshall for a two count. Beretta knocked Solo off the apron and leaped up to the second rope. When Beretta came off the ropes, he was hit with the Diamond Cutter for a near fall that Taylor had to break up. Taylor got sent outside the ring and Comoroto threw Taylor into the ring post.
Solo waited for Beretta to get up and hit him with an enzuigiri. Marshall then connected with a piledriver and went for the cover but Beretta kicked out. Marshall tagged Solo back in and Solo went to the top rope. Taylor pushed Solo off the ropes and then punched Marshall. Comoroto grabbed Taylor again but Taylor was able to push Comoroto into the ring post. Marshall missed a dive on Taylor and Taylor climbed onto the top rope as Beretta had Solo set up for Storm Zero and the pinfall.
Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta defeated Aaron Solo and QT Marshall by pinfall in 9:45.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A strong main event to end this week’s Elevation. As is usually the case, there was little chance The Factory would win. Those chances of winning go up if Ogogo is at ringside and not on commentary. Lots of very close near falls.
Overall, a good episode this week, though nothing that you need to go out of your way to see if you didn’t see the show. The match of the night has to go to the main event, though the Drake vs. Martin match is not far behind. Episode 71 clocked in at 43 minutes and 28 seconds.
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