By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 72)
Taped July 13, 2022 in Savannah, Georgia at Enmarket Arena
Streamed July 18, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
Excalibur welcomed us to Elevation and was joined on commentary by Mark Henry and Caprice Coleman. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
1. Bobby Fish vs. Blake Li. Fish started the match by locking in an early sleeper hold. Fish released the hold then kicked Li in the leg to bring Li down. Fish then stepped out onto the ring apron and came in up and over with a senton on Li. Fish continued with more strikes then bodyslammed Li on the ropes and then locked in the sleeper again. Li escaped but Fish wouldn’t let Li gain any momentum. Moments later Fish locked in a kneebar ankle lock and Li tapped out.
Bobby Fish defeated Blake Li by submission in 3:00.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A showcase match for Fish.
2. Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Skye Blue and Brittany. Both teams received televised entrances. Brittany and Rose started the match. Brittany ducked under Rose’s first strike attempt. Rose then turned her back from Brittany and offered Brittany a free shot. As Brittany came in, Rose clotheslined her. Rose and Shafir tagged in and out while isolating Brittany. Rose acted like she was going to let Brittany tag but instead went after Blue.
Blue ducked and then Rose turned around to clothesline Brittany but Brittany rolled under and made the tag to Blue. Before coming into the ring Blue dropped Rose throat first on the top rope. Blue kicked Rose multiple times in the leg and then climbed the top rope. Blue came off the top rope with a cross body block and attempted a pinfall.
Rose kicked out at two, then clotheslined Blue before making the tag to Shafir. Shafir and Blue went back and forth. Blue caught Shafir with a pair of kicks and both women tagged in their partners. Rose ran over Brittany as she came into the ring and then bodyslammed her. Rose then landed the Beast Bomb on Brittany and knocked Blue off the apron before tagging in Shafir. Shafir tied up Brittany in Greedy and Brittany tapped out.
Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose defeated Skye Blue and Brittany by submission in 4:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A good showcase for Rose and Shafir, as they build up wins as a team. The team of Blue and Brittany only had offense when Blue was in the ring.
An ad for AEW Grand Slam 2 aired.
3. Julia Hart vs. Amber Nova. Hart stared down Nova before locking up causing Nova to be a bit uneasy. Hart immediately kneed Nova in the midsection and kicked her repeatedly in the corner. Hart backed off and then screamed before charging towards Nova. Nova got her boot and followed up with forearm smashes. Hart unfazed threw Nova down by the hair. Hart then did her cartwheel into a clothesline to Nova who was in the corner. Hart then threw Nova back to the mat again and locked in her finisher for the submission victory.
Julia Hart defeated Amber Nova by submission in 1:40.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Another dominant win for Hart. She is getting more comfortable in this role each week it seems. Hopefully Hart gets a name for her finisher sooner than later.
4. Ethan Page (w/Dan Lambert) vs. Leon Ruffin. Ruffin put Page in a side headlock to start the match. Page picked Ruffin up and threw him across the ring. Page grabbed Ruffin again to throw him to the other corner but Ruffin escaped and hot shotted Page on the top rope. Ruffin then hit Page with a single leg dropkick. Ruffin ran towards Page but was dropped by a shoulder tackle. Page continued to slowly work over Ruffin with a series of power moves and strikes, pausing after each to yell to the fans. Ruffin slowly began to recover and started to hit Page with running elbow strikes keeping Page off balance.
Ruffin then hopped up on the ropes and came off with a cover and rolled up Page for a very near fall. Ruffin went to the corner to avoid Page again but Page caught him and set up for the Ego’s Edge. Ruffin rolled out and then rolled up Page again for another near fall. Page got Ruffin up with a press into a power slam and Page went for the cover. Ruffin kicked out. Page punched Ruffin and went to set him up for the Ego’s Edge again. Ruffin escaped and locked Page in a sleeper while also hitting Page in the head with elbows. Ruffin hopped up on the middle rope and came off but was met with a boot from Page. Page then hit Ego’s Edge and pinned him.
Ethan Page defeated Leon Ruff by pinfall in 5:45.
Bailin’s Breakdown: This was a fun match and while there was no real chance of Ruffin winning, they at least kept it interesting. Page usually does well in these types of matches and this match was no exception. It may wind up being nothing, but after the match Lambert questioned how Ruffin got so much offense while Page shrugged it off.
An ad aired that focused on FTR vs The Briscoes in a best of three falls match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at ROH Death Before Dishonor.
5. Evil Uno and 10 vs. Terrence Hughes and Terrell Hughes. Terrell and Uno started the match. Uno had the early advantage and made a quick tag to 10. 10 whipped Uno into Terrell then Uno sent Terrell into a belly-to-belly suplex and made the tag to Terrance. 10 ducked a clothesline then lifted Terrance up for his 10 second vertical suplex. 10 tagged in Uno who did the same but for one second. After some back and forth, Terrell punched Uno from outside the ring while Uno was in the ropes.
Terrance then started to punch Uno on the mat. Uno got sent to the corner and Terrance made the tag to Terrell. Both Terrence and Terrell hit Uno with running knee strikes. Uno was briefly isolated but was able to fight back from an attempted double team from the Hughes brothers and made the tag to 10. 10 planted Terrell with a release belly-to-back suplex. 10 then dropped Terrance with a spinebuster. Terrell charged in but was sent over the top rope, Terrell landed on his feet on the apron but was DDT’d by Uno. Inside the ring 10 hit Terrance with a discus lariat and pinned him.
Evil Uno and 10 defeated Terrence and Terrell Hughes by pinfall in 4:50.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A showcase win for Dark Order, but also good experience for the Hughes brothers.
6. The Butcher, The Blade, and Angelico vs. Jameson Ryan, Brandon Bullock, and Bryce Cannon.Angelico came out separately from The Butcher and The Blade and also had new music. Butcher, Blade and Angelico dominated the match. In the end The Butcher and The Blade hit Bullock with Drag the Lake finisher but Angelico was the legal man so he tied up Bullock in the Navarro Death Roll and Bullock tapped out.
The Butcher, The Blade, and Angelico defeated Jameson Ryan, Brandon Bullock, and Bryce Cannon by submission in 2:10.
Bailin’s Breakdown: Dominant win for the former Hardy Family Office members. A lot of the focus on commentary was on Angelico, coupled with his new music. Maybe he is in line for a renewed focus. but it is most likely wishful thinking. I’ve always felt that Angelico could handled more than he has been given.
7. Tony Nese vs. John Walters. Nese tied up Walters in a Tree of Woe early and hit him with sit up kicks. Walters recovered and hit Nese with a flurry of chops and forearms. After a couple of deep armdrags, Walters dropkicked Nese. Walters went after Nese but got hit with a throat thrust. Nese guillotined Walters off the top rope and then came back into the ring with a shotgun dropkick, Nese then hit his running double knees to Walters in the corner and pinned him.
Tony Nese defeated John Walters by pinfall in 2:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: I honestly expected more out of this match considering it was the main event and Walters is a former and one of the longer reigning Pure champions in ROH history. I expected this match to be my match of the night, but instead that goes to Ethan Page vs Leon Ruffin. It’s funny that Julia Hart and Ethan Page wrestled in the third and fourth matches this week and last week. They also lasted about the same time each week and both matches ended the same. The only real difference was their opponents. Episode 72 was 40 minutes and 29 seconds.
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