By Rich Bailin, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@RichBailin)
AEW Dark: Elevation (Episode 94)
Taped December 14, 2022 in Garland, Texas at Curtis Culwell Center
Streamed December 19, 2022 on the AEW YouTube Page
We went right into the action this week as Marina Shafir made her way to the ring, as Elevation began. Paul Wight and Matt Menard were on commentary. Dasha Gonzales was the ring announcer.
1. Marina Shafir vs. Jazmin Allure. Shafir came to the ring alone, no Vickie Guerrero or Nyla Rose. Shafir threw Allure to the floor after locking up and then began working on Allure’s arm. Allure tried to fight back with a couple of forearms and kicks but Shafir kicked her to the ground. Shafir began to work on Allure’s arm again and locked in an arm bar making Allure tap out.
Marina Shafir defeated Jazmin Allure by submission in 1:30.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A by the numbers showcase for Shafir.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy. Hardy asked why they were there and Nair said she was supposed to get an update on Marq Quen’s injury. Hardy said Quen was doing better but they haven’t seen him in half an hour. Stokely Hathaway came out and said he scheduled the interview and brought in Ethan Page. Hathaway said Page was going to take Quen’s place. Hardy questioned again why he was there and Page said to wrestle. Page said he would take a step back from being a boss and will be a friend and a partner and the three of them will be winners. Page is a tag team legend winning title everywhere. Page then said he would show Hardy and Kassidy how to win.
2. Lady Bird Monroe and Gigi Rey vs. Emi Sakura and The Bunny (w/Penelope Ford). Monroe and Sakura started the match. Sakura skipped the opening lock up so Monroe attacked and caught Sakura with a dropkick. Sakura recovered quickly and chopped Monroe. Rey and Monroe tried to fight back but Sakura and The Bunny were too much for them to handle. Finish came with Bunny having Monroe set up for Down the Rabbit Hole and Sakura holding Rey for a neckbreaker. They simultaneously hit the move and Bunny got the pinfall.
Emi Sakura and The Bunny defeated Lady Bird Monroe and Gigi Rey by pinfall in 2:45
Bailin’s Breakdown: A showcase tag nothing more. Does Sakura have to be on every episode of Elevation? Her matches have been getting repetitive as of late.
An ad for this week’s Holiday Bash episode of Dynamite aired.
3. Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Konosuke Takeshita, Dante Martin, and Darius Martin vs. Sonny Kiss, Slim J, Jeeves Kay, Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, and Ryan Nemeth. Everyone received an entrance. Page interrupted Hardy and Kassidy’s entrance and said no one should cheer unless they are cheering for Ethan Page featuring Hardy Party. Takeshita may have gotten the loudest reaction out of all of them.
Right as the bell rang, Avalon and Nemeth attacked Top Flight from behind. Everyone tagged in an out for a move or two before tagging back out. Kassidy tried to tag in Page but Page on the mic said that he was the boss and don’t tag him in unless he says too. Kiss used that to gain the advantage on Kassidy by throwing him to the mat. The heels started to isolate Kassidy in their corner. Kassidy eventually made the tag to Hardy and Hardy was about to set up Avalon for the Twist of Fate.
Page on the mic again said not too allowing Nemeth to kick Hardy in the head. The heels then isolated Hardy. Hardy recovered with a neckbreaker to Slim J and made the tag top Dante. Top Flight and Takeshita then dove over the top rope onto the heels. Takeshita took care of Bononi in the ring and then tagged in Hardy who tagged in Kassidy. After Hardy hit Avalon with a side effect, Kassidy came off the rope with a Swanton. Before he could make the cover Page asked to be tagged in. Kassidy reluctantly did so and then Page hit the Twist of Fate on Avalon and pinned him.
Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Konosuke Takeshita, Dante Martin, and Darius Martin defeated Sonny Kiss, Slim J, Jeeves Kay, Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, and Ryan Nemeth by pinfall in 7:45.
After the match, Page took the mic again and said his losing streak could be deleted. Page then said if either Hardy or Kassidy didn’t like it, he would Delete their paychecks next week. Hardy has to be held back by Kassidy.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A fine match for what it was. What I didn’t like was that this match was advertised on Twitter before it was even “set up” on the show by the backstage interview with Lexy Nair. This would have been one instance where I wouldn’t have advertised the match in advance and let it build throughout the show and make it the main event.
An ad for AEW Fight Forever aired
4. Hagane Shinno and Steven Andrews vs. Eddie Kingston and Ortiz. Both teams received televised entrances. Ortiz and Andrews started the match. Andrews after some flipping around arm dragged Ortiz who looked shocked. Both men made the tag. Kingston and Shinno traded chops and kicks. Shinno followed up with a tijares and a dropkick. Kingston recovered and hit a knee to Shinno’s midsection and made the tag to Ortiz. Ortiz and Kingston double suplexed Shinno but only got a one count.
Shinno and Kingston then traded slaps then Shinno hit Kingston with an enzuigiri and tagged in Andrews. Kingston chopped Andrews which dropped him to the mat. Shinno broke up a pin attempt then dove onto Kingston outside the ring. Andrews tried to come back but was hit with a backbreaker from Ortiz and sent into a DDT from Kingston. Ortiz then rolled up Andrews and got the pinfall.
Eddie Kingston and Ortiz defeated Hagane Shinno and Steven Andrews by pinfall in 3:50.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A nice back and forth match where the winner was never in doubt. Shinno keeps on getting a lot of offense in his matches.
5. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena vs Vertvixen for the ROH Women’s World Championship.Athena abided by the Code of Honor. When the bell rang Athena immediately shotgun drop kicked Vertvixen outside the ring. Athena followed and drove Vertvixen into a ringside barrier. Athena threw Vertvixen back into the ring to continue the attacks. Vertvixen flipped out of a snapmare attempt and clotheslined Athena, Vertvixen lifted Athena onto her shoulders but Athena escaped.
Vertvixen came back and tripped Athena and hit a low flatliner and then kipped up. Vertvixen went for a dropkick but missed. Athena then hit Vertvixen with a forearm strike and began mounting punches. Athena then German suplexed Vertvixen out of the corner and then hit a pop up powerbomb followed by a superkick. Athena then locked in a crossface and Vertvixen tapped.
Athena retained the ROH Women’s World Championship by pinfall in 2:45.
After the match Athena continued her attack ramming Vertvixen’s head into the ROH Women’s Championship, Athena followed up with a DDT on the belt and then posed before exiting the ring.
Bailin’s Breakdown: I’m not sure why this was a title match. Vertvixen did get in a little offense, but this was mainly all Athena.
6. ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry. Yuta and Henry started the match. Yuta and Henry went hold for hold with neither gaining an advantage. After some back and forth both men tagged in their partners. Drake and Castagnoli stared each other down and then Drake and Castagnoli traded chops and uppercuts. Castagnoli tagged in Yuta and Yuta hit Drake with an assisted DDT.
Yuta tried to do something in the ropes but Drake raked Yuta’s eyes and then distracted the referee so that Henry could clothesline Yuta on the apron. The Workhorsemen then isolated Yuta ion their corner. Yuta blocked a suplex attempt from Henry and reversed it into a bodyslam. Yuta tried to make a tag but was held back by Henry. Yuta hit Henry with a German suplex and tried to tag Castagnoli again but Drake knocked Castagnoli off the apron.
Drake and Henry hit a double team combo on Yuta for a near fall. Drake and Henry set up for another double team but Yuta flipped out and sent Drake into Henry and made the tag to Castagnoli. Castagnoli hit Drake with rapid fire European uppercuts and followed up with a dropkick. A few moments later Castagnoli started to spin Drake and Drake tapped out.
Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta defeated JD Drake and Anthony Henry by submission in 7:55.
Bailin’s Breakdown: A very good back and forth match and tonight’s match of the night. Episode 94 clocked in at 47 minutes and 36 seconds.
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