AEW
Welcome to your 4th of July edition of AEW Dark: Elevation taped last Wednesday in Detroit, Michigan, with Tony Schiavone and Mark Henry on the call.
I would say expect some fireworks, but that would be too much of a dad joke.
Anna Jay (w/ Negative 1) defeated Megan Myers
This was Myers’ second appearance in AEW. Schiavone clued us in that she has quite a dance background and is also a fan of horror movies. She definitely has a unique look and approach that would support both of those statements.
This wasn’t good. Jay managed to miss/botch two straight corner moves and got the Queenslayer submission to end a short match. We’re two years into her AEW run and while she’s young at just 23, I’m not seeing the progression. I think part of that is she’s only worked 55 matches in those two years. She needs more ring time and four minute matches on Dark/Dark: Elevation aren’t going to cut it.
Best Friends defeated Isaiah Broner & GPA
This was the first match for Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta together since March as the latter reunited with Rocky Romero in Roppongi Vice as of late.
Broner and GPA showed some fight, but Taylor got the win after hitting a spinning piledriver. After failing to give the people what they want, they did just that after the match. This is actually their ninth straight win as a tag team, a streak dating back to October 2020.
Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh defeated Ren Jones & James Alexander
This was Singh’s second match. Both Jones and Alexander begged Lethal not to tag him in which got a laugh from the crowd. As expected, he didn’t do a lot but dominated with everything he did do. He laid out Alexander with a helicopter spin. We now await the official confirmation for Lethal vs. ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe at this month’s Death Before Dishonor.
Anthony Ogogo defeated Pat Monix
The Ogogo push from last year’s Double or Nothing feels like it was 10 years ago at this point. This was Monix’s AEW debut and the crowd came to life getting behind him as they didn’t care for Ogogo’s heel tactics. The end came as it always does: a pop-up punch to the face for the knockout stoppage. This is another guy who just needs to keep working wherever and whenever he can.
Hikaru Shida & Yuka Sakazaki defeated Heather Reckless & Laynie Luck
This marked Shida’s return and first match since she went to Japan and was removed from the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament due to “injury.”
Dark veterans Reckless and Luck jumped Shida and Sakazaki before the bell, but they didn’t have it for long. Action broke down and Shida/Sakazaki hit several stereo moves like a bodyslam and vertical suplex and running forearm strikes. Shida picked up the win after hitting a falcon arrow.
Feels like the longest-reigning AEW Women’s Champion should get a little more respect than this for her reintroduction, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a solid plan for her.
Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds & 10) (w/ Negative 1) defeated The Factory (QT Marshall, Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto)
Stu Grayson and Alan Angels’ Twitter handles are still in the Dark Order namebar.
I feel like I’ve seen this match about 50 times in different variations, but it’s actually just six. Still, neither faction is going anywhere hence why they are stuck on the Monday and Tuesday shows.
Henry said it cost him $128 to fill his truck’s gas tank. Celebrities really are just like us.
10 got the hot tag and cleaned house, hitting a delayed vertical suplex on Solo. Marshall broke up a full nelson attempt and action continued with all three Factory members taking out 10. Dark Order eventually rallied with 10 using an assisted wheelbarrow stun gun to set up a discus lariat for the win for the rapidly dwindling Dark Order.
Other than Lethal and Singh, no one on the show has a program going on the main shows. Neither Dark or Dark: Elevation feels relevant or buzzworthy so it’s a tough explanation as to what the need is to watch.
