'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last night's AEW Dark: Elevation was inarguably one of the best episodes of the series' short yet eventful history. Elevation had a voracious capacity crowd that maintained their decibel levels throughout the 13-match event.
AEW, as expected, followed up the stacked Elevation show with an even more robust Dark card. This week's AEW Dark had 15 matches featuring a good balance of established and new faces.
As always, Excalibur and Taz welcomed all the viewers to the show before throwing it down to Justin Roberts.
Wardlow vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Mr. Mayhem kicked off the episode with a typically dominant performance against Baron Black.
Black already had his straps down before the match, which meant he wasn't messing around and realized he was the clear underdog. Wardlow overpowered Baron Black in the early goings, followed by a fluid mat return.
Wardlow executed a gut-wrench slam before cracking Black on the chin with a savage European uppercut. Baron stunned Wardlow with a barrage of chops sprinkled with a few uppercuts.
Wardlow, however, was a mountain that just wouldn't go down. Baron attempted to trap the Pinnacle member in a standing cobra clutch.
Wardlow shrugged Black off before knocking his lights out with a stiff lariat. Wardlow then placed Baron Black on the top turnbuckle before landing his finishing knee strike for the KO win.
Result: Wardlow def. Baron Black on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Lee Johnson vs. Vary Morales on AEW Dark
Lee Johnson looked pumped up as he engaged in a collar and elbow lock for a few seconds. Big Shotty Lee got the better of Vary on the mat with some solid arm control.
The transitions happened quickly as Morales worked his way up to a vertical base before going back in for a lock-up. Morales delivered a springboard hurricanerana, but Johnson used his agility to front-flip onto his feet.
Morales lured Johnson into a handshake before exploiting the opening with a superkick to his opponent's open guard. Morales continued the excellent work with a shotgun dropkick to the face for a two-count.
Vary then went for the Three Amigos, and he finished the sequence with the Falcon Arrow. Lee Johnson kicked out of the pin before the ref got his arm down for the second count.
Morales didn't allow Johnson to get back into the match with a headlock in the middle of the ring. Johnson, though, reversed a suplex into an inside cradle pin for a near fall.
Johnson started to gather steam with two clotheslines, followed by a back elbow and a hanging neckbreaker. The Nightmare Factory graduate executed a fancy kip-up but missed a running corner strike.
Morales dumped Johnson near the ring before leaping off the top with an insane crossbody to the outside. Vary went for another top-rope move inside the ring, but Johnson moved out of the way.
Johnson planted Vary face-first into the mat, which was a set-up for his Ushigoroshi finisher.
Result: Lee Johnson def. Vary Morales on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Unlike his previous matches, Vary Morales was given some much-needed time to showcase his move set tonight, and the wrestler put on an impressive performance despite the loss.
Abadon vs. Hyan (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Abadon crawled her away into the ring, much to the sheer horror of her opponent. Hyan experienced a tentative start to her AEW debut match as she just focused on staying away from Abadon.
AEW's 'Dead Girl' finally got her hands on Hyan, who continued with her evasive tactics. The AEW debutant landed a few strikes that only further irked Abadon.
Abadon delivered a backbreaker on Hyan in the corner before wrapping things up her scissored DDT finisher.
Result: Abadon def. Hyan on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Marko Stunt on AEW Dark
AEW's booking team showed no mercy on Marko Stunt as Powerhouse Hobbs was the last man he would have wanted to face on Dark.
Nonetheless, Marko was a fighter who faced challenges head-on. Hobbs walked out with a smirk on his face, followed by a predictably energetic entrance from Marko Stunt.
Hobbs stalked his prey in the early goings of the match as Marko just ran for his life. Stunt used his speed effectively well enough to deliver two dropkicks.
Marko Stunt attempted the sliced bread, but Hobbs stopped him in his tracks and transitioned for his 'Town Business' (powerslam) finisher for the win.
Result: Powerhouse Hobbs def. Marko Stunt on AEW Dark
Grade: D
Lance Archer (w/ Jake "The Snake" Roberts) vs. Kenny Bengal (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
Lance Archer marched towards the ring and was aching to get his hands on Kenny Bengal. Jake Roberts, in the meantime, joined the commentary booth.
Kenny Bengal wanted nothing to do with Lance Archer as the AEW debutant abandoned the match and walked towards the backstage area.
Archer, however, wasn't leaving without dealing some damage. The Murderhawk Monster chased Bengal up the ramp and dragged him back. He tossed Kenny into the ring, and the referee finally called for the bell.
Archer decked Bengal with a monstrous right-hand punch, followed by a snap suplex. Lance unleashed all his frustration on a helpless Kenny with four massive chops.
Bengal somehow escaped the Blackout and connected with a step-up enziguri, and the offense made Archer turn it up a notch.
Archer flattened Bengal with a vicious chokeslam, but he wasn't done just yet. "Everybody dies," Archer declared before taking his opponent on a painful ride on the Hellacoaster (ripcord spinning urinagi).
Result: Lance Archer def. Kenny Bengal on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Squash matches haven't historically been entertaining, but Lance Archer has developed the ability to produce compelling moments despite mostly being in one-sided bouts on Dark.
Tay Conti vs. Charlette Renegade on AEW Dark
Tay Conti's strong Judo base was the highlight of the match right from the opening bell. The Brazilian star ate a few shots in the guts, followed by a big clothesline in the corner.
Charlette Renegade had her moments as he strung together a combination of strikes. Conti evaded a running attack, and it was Tay's turn now to throw some heavy hands.
Tay executed the three-drop Seoi Nages before sending Renegade into the corner with a hammer throw. Conti landed a pump kick, followed by a face wash kick in the corner.
The end was near for Robyn Renegade's younger sister as Conti hit the DDTay for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: Tay Conti def. Charlette Renegade on AEW Dark
Grade: C
QT Marshall & Aaron Solow (w/ Nick Comoroto) vs. Chad Lennex & Zachariah (w/ Dustin Rhodes) on AEW Dark
Dustin Rhodes accompanied his Nightmare Factory students to the ring ahead of their AEW Dark match against The Factory.
Solow and Zachariah got things rolling with a wrist lock exchange. Aaron used his experience to score a side headlock takedown.
Zachariah delivered a huge dropkick before tagging Chad Lennex into the match. Solow punched Lennex and took him to his corner before tagging QT Marshall.
QT's shiny white boots were really confusing, and it might have distracted Lennex, who got laid out with a backbreaker-flatliner combo. QT tagged Solow in, and the heels continued to wear Lennex down.
He absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment and was isolated in the Factory side of the ring. Aaron got some decent heat from the crowd after a leaping knee drop.
Lennex just needed a couple of seconds to make the hot tag, and he eventually did after kicking QT in the midsection.
Zachariah came in hot with a backbreaker on QT, followed by a hurricanerana on Solow. Zachariah's attempt to replicate the move on QT failed as the Factory leader rocked him with a Liger Bomb.
QT and Solow delivered a neckbreaker-backdrop combo on Lennex. Marshall then set Lennex up near the turnbuckle with the Cutter. Solow completed the sequence and the match with a double stomp from the top.
Result: QT Marshall & Aaron Solow def. Chad Lennex & Zachariah on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
JD Drake (w/ The Wingmen) vs. Frankie Kazarian on AEW Dark
Both men started with an aggressive collar and elbow tie-up. Frankie Kazarian broke the back hold to take Drake's wrist.
The technical back-and-forth action was a treat to watch, and the wrestlers got a deserved applause. Drake was done with working on the mat as he stunned Frankie with two huge chops.
Kaz switched it up with a flurry of punches and a big dropkick. Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi's attempts to influence the match resulted in the referee sending The Wingmen back.
Drake's friends weren't around, but he was still in firm control of the match. JD punished Kazarian with an atomic drop, followed by a powerslam and a diving headbutt. That was slick from JD.
A 'Let's Go Frankie' chant started going around the arena, but Drake was still in the driver's seat. The Elite Hunter began to find his feet with two running clotheslines and a powerslam. Frankie bounced off the ropes and came down with a leg drop on JD. Kazarian then delivered another leg drop, but this time, it was to the back of the head.
JD began to set the stage for the finish with a claymore kick and a cannonball in the corner. Drake proceeded to the top and waited for Frankie to get up.
Drake missed the middle-rope leg lariat as Frankie moved out of the way. The former SCU member grabbed a defenseless JD from the back to lock in the cross-face Chickenwing.
Result: Frankie Kazarian def. JD Drake on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Arjun Singh (AEW Debut) vs. Angelico (w/ Matt Hardy) on AEW Dark
Angelico traded holds with Arjun Singh, and as noted by Taz, Singh played into the TH2 member's game plan.
Angelico's technical skills were on a different level as he easily outsmarted the AEW debutant on the mat. The Indian star shifted a gear or two as he dropped Angelico with three consecutive uppercuts.
Arjun Singh got the better of Angelico once again with a clothesline and a scoop slam, which earned him a two-count. Arjun did the Namaste gesture, but Angelico smartly grabbed Singh's leg and yanked him face-first into the middle turnbuckle.
Angelico was done playing around as he locked in the Navarro Death Roll for the submission victory on AEW Dark.
Result: Angelico def. Arjun Singh on AEW Dark
Grade: B
Update on Matt Hardy's offer to Jora Johl
If you don't remember, Jora Johl, fka Robo, was offered a chance to join Matt Hardy's faction a few weeks ago on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Johl was at ringside tonight, and Matt Hardy spoke to the Indian star after Arjun Singh's loss. Johl has still not made his decision yet, but he seems to be edging closer to being an H.F.O. with each passing day.
We were treated to another awkward backstage segment featuring Alex Marvez and Joey Janela.
Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Holidead (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark
AEW debutant Holidead looked to be quite an intriguing character with her facepaint and unhinged mannerisms.
Holidead was also tall, and she matched the Native Beast in terms of size. Rose, however, still had the power advantage as she dropped Holidead with a back elbow and a lariat.
Holidead missed her strikes, and her inaccuracy proved costly as Nyla Rose executed a Samoan Drop and The Beast Bomb for a routine win on AEW Dark.
Result: Nyla Rose def. Holidead on AEW Dark
Grade: B-
The Blade (w/ The Bunny & TH2) vs. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
The usual collar and elbow tie-up kicked off the match, followed by a series of hammer throws and headlocks. Blade's mean streak came to the fore as he talked trash after dropping Sonny Kiss with a shoulder tackle.
He relentlessly drove his knees into the side of Sonny's head in the corner. "The Concrete Rose" flipped a switch and took the fight to Blade with a Lou Thesz press and the follow-up leg lariat.
The Rapid Kissmissal was next from Sonny's arsenal of moves. Kiss then sent Blade outside with a rolling forearm shimmer.
Kiss cleverly knocked Blade off his feet with a baseball slide through the ropes. Sonny wasn't done as the star took out TH2 and Blade with a diving crossbody over the ropes.
Sonny went for the win back in the ring, but Blade responded with a hotshot onto the top rope. Kiss suffered a rough landing and was forced to roll to the ringside area, where Bunny initiated an attack with TH2's help.
Blade kept the referee occupied as his teammates did all the dirty work. The match resumed with Blade methodically picking apart Kiss with a neckbreaker.
Kiss began the comeback with a Matrix-inspired evasion of an incoming clothesline. However, Blade shut Kiss down yet again with a swinging neckbreaker.
Sonny Kiss created another opening to get back into the match, and this time, Kiss didn't disappoint. Sonny hit the ropes and rocked Blade with a corkscrew elbow strike, followed by a dropsault.
Kiss sat down with a jawbreaker and a leaping clothesline before scoring a near fall with a splitting leg drop. Blade got a few seconds to recover with a back elbow and knee lift. Kiss reacted with a Cazadora roll-up pinfall for a two-count.
The babyface's momentum came to a screeching halt with a perfect power slam from Blade.
AEW's mercenary finally got a three-count over Kiss with a Gutwrench Powerbomb, aka The Doctor Bomb.
Result: The Blade def. Sonny Kiss on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
TH2, Blade, and The Bunny carried out a post-match assault on Sonny Kiss, and Joey Janela was once again nowhere to be seen.
Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy rushed to the ring to make the save. Joey Janela hilariously also showed up to the party, but it was too late as the Best Friends had already scared the heels away.
Julia Hart (w/ Varsity Blonds) vs. Ashley D'Amboise on AEW Dark
The crowd loved Julia Hart as they chanted for the cheerleader. Ashley D'Amboise started strong with a shoulder tackle, but Hart got back with a hip toss and a dropkick.
Julia Hart made D'Amboise miss all her running attacks before putting together a sequence of clotheslines. Hart ran in for two back elbows in the corner, followed by the split-legged running Bulldog.
Hart piled on the pressure with a standing moonsault press for a near fall. Back on her feet, she nearly took Ashley's head off with a superkick. Julia secured the win with a splitting leg drop.
Result: Julia Hart def. Ashley D'Amboise on AEW Dark
Grade: C
Private Party & Jack Evans vs. Dark Order's Evil Uno, Stu Grayson & Colt Cabana on AEW Dark
The explosive rivalry between H.F.O. and The Dark Order continued on the latest edition of AEW Dark, and we got to witness another chaotic tag team match.
Colt Cabana and Jack Evans canceled each other out in a fast-paced exchange. "Boom Boom" knocked Evans off his feet and tagged Uno. Grayson also entered the ring, and Dark Order worked in tandem to take out all their opponents.
Evans wobbled Grayson with an excellent spin kick to the head. Marq Quen came diving in with a crossbody. Uno and Cabana provided a great assist to Grayson as Stu sent Private Party outside the ring with twin arm drags.
Back in the ring, Dark Order intercepted a diving Jack Evans, and Grayson seamlessly transitioned to a power slam. Matt Hardy called for a brief timeout and spoke with his boys.
Matt Hardy pulled out one of his cheap tricks to confuse Grayson, who Kassidy blindsided.
Private Party and Jack Evans kept Grayson in their corner for a good couple of minutes before the Dark Order member created some space with a bell-to-belly suplex.
Private Party stopped Grayson from making the tag with a dropkick-Poison Rana combo. Grayson kept his team in the match with a last-ditch kickout of a pinfall.
Despite taking the most punishment in the match, Grayson still had the vision to block a running Jack Evans attack. Stu eventually tagged Uno, who singlehandedly dealt with Private Party with a combination of clotheslines, forearm shimmers, and an incredible step-up hurricanerana to end it all.
Uno was like a man possessed as he got a near fall on Jack Evans with a neckbreaker from the shoulders. Colt and Uno executed a Manhattan drop-dropkick combo to set Evans up for Grayson's Frog Splash from the top.
Quen pulled Grayson's leg at the right time to stop the pinfall. The bad guys tried to steal one over the babyfaces with a rope-assisted pin on Grayson.
Stu used all his power to kick out and instantly got up to his feet, albeit groggy. Cabana came in and sent Evans spinning through the air with a powerful lariat.
Quen took Cabana out with a dropkick but was himself laid out with an Evil Uno big boot. Kassidy came over the top to stun Uno with an enziguri.
Private Party called for the Gin and Juice finisher on Cabana, but they failed as Colt hoisted Evans up in the air for the Chicago Skyline, followed by a Superman splash and the winning pinfall. What a match.
Result: Dark Order's Evil Uno, Stu Grayson & Colt Cabana def. Private Party & Jack Evans on AEW Dark
Grade: A
JDX (AEW Debut) vs. Capt. Shawn Dean on AEW Dark
Shawn Dean was greeted with a solid reception upon his return to in-ring action in AEW.
Dean and JDX put on a back-and-forth match for a few seconds before Shawn targeted his opponent's arms. JDX showed great agility to escape holds, but he couldn't capitalize on the openings. The feel-out process ended in a stalemate.
JDX almost pulled off an upset with a combo that included a Manhattan drop, a pump kick, and a leaping flatliner.
Dean blocked a few rights and fired off three punches from the southpaw position. The Captain was feeling it as he executed a neckbreaker and a high-angle dropkick into the corner.
Before securing a rare submission win, Shawn Dean got JDX down with a scoop slam and delivered his version of The People's Elbow.
Result: Capt. Shawn Dean def. JDX on AEW Dark
Grade: B+
Sage Scott & Jake St. Patrick vs. The Wingmen on AEW Dark
Ryan Nemeth and Jake St. Patrick started the match with an excellent mat return. The Hollywood Hunk tagged Cezar Bononi, and the big man barely moved after eating a dropkick.
Cezar sent Patrick across the ring with a mighty toss before getting Nemeth back into the match. The Hunk danced and mocked his opponents.
Patrick replied with a jawbreaker, which gave him time to tag Sage Scott. The stocky powerhouse hit two clotheslines but got his leg swept by Nemeth.
Patrick had his partner's back as he rocked Nemeth with a superkick. Scott tried to sneak in a pinfall attempt, but Cezar casually broke it with his massive right boot.
Cezar cleared the ring as Nemeth executed his neckbreaker finisher for the win on AEW Dark.
Result: The Wingmen def. Sage Scott & Jake St. Patrick on AEW Dark
Grade: C
AEW shuffled the original match card tonight as The Dark Order's clash against H.F.O. was the taped main event. While the match order seemed slightly skewed, the 15-match event was still a successful outing for AEW.
You can check out the full episode above.
