4/19 AEW DARK ELEVATION REPORT: Kenny Omega in the main event, Adam Page vs. Spencer Slade, Bake vs. Price, more

AEW DARK: ELEVATION TV REPORT
APRIL 19, 2021
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AT DAILY’S PLACE
AIRED ON YOUTUBE
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone

Ring announcer: Justin Roberts

(1) HANGMAN ADAM PAGE vs. SPENCER SLADE

Page started off fast by throwing Slade into the turnbuckle head-fist. Paul Wight mentioned how Slade was born deaf. Page landed a stiff clothesline on Slade, then followed up with a series of clotheslines in three of the four corners. Page finished Slade off for the win.

WINNER: Adam Page in 2:30

(Moynahan’s Take: Page landed a pretty good number of clotheslines in this one, finishing Slade off without issue. A good, quick opener.)

– Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight welcomed us to the sixth episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, then previewed tonight’s show.

(2) DR. BRITT BAKER, D.M.D vs. TESHA PRICE

Baker and Price traded headlocks early on, with Baker coming out on top with a head scissors on the mat. Baker landed a stiff right hand, which knocked Price to the ropes. Price came back with a thrust kick to Baker’s face. Baker threw Price face-first into the middle turnbuckle, then rolled to the outside and pulled Price’s shoulder against the post. Baker landed a few knee lifts to the face of the defenseless Price. Price got a quick two-count after rolling up Baker from behind. Baker hit Price with a DDT. Baker followed up by dropping Price on the back of her head, then synched in the Lock Jaw for the tap out win.

WINNER: Britt Baker in 6:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A nice win by Britt Baker here, as she continues to rack up victories and climb the women’s rankings.)

(3) JURASSIC EXPRESS (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) vs. MIDAS BLACK & JAY LYON

Lyon and Black took early control by double teaming Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus tagged in and nailed Lyon with a big boot to the face. Black tagged in but fared no better. Jurassic Express double teamed Black, who tagged out to Lyon. Luchasaurus hit Lyon with a spinning kick. Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy each slammed their opponents on top of one another, then Jungle Boy covered for the win.

WINNERS: Jurassic Express in 2:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A good, decisive victory by Jurassic Express, who remain undefeated in 2021.)

(4) THE HYBRID2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) vs. VARY MORALES & ANDRE MONTOYA

As Evans played to the crowd a bit with some breakdancing, Morales nailed him with a kick to the stomach. Evans came off the top rope with a spinning kick to the head of Morales. Angelico tagged in and toyed a bit with Morales. Angelico had Morales in the corner and nailed him with shots to the head. Morales fought back with a missile dropkick, then made the hot tag to Montoya. Montoya took out both members of TH2. Montoya got a close three count until Evans broke up the attempt. Evans was sent over the top rope by Morales but pulled Morales off the apron and came off with a corkscrew dive. In the ring, Angelico locked in the Navarro Death Roll for the win.

WINNERS: TH2 in 5:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A fine match, nothing good nor great, but a solid win by TH2 nonetheless.)

– Paul Wight was backstage with The Acclaimed, who discussed their journey to AEW. They were in full heel mode here, talking about how great they are. Bowens also spoke about him being openly gay and saying how grateful he was to be here in AEW. Bowens talked about his torn meniscus and his current recovery, saying he will be back before we think.

(5) MIKE MAGNUM & STONE ROCKWELL vs. BRIAN CAGE & RICKY STARKS

Rockwell and Magnum made their AEW tag team debut here. Cage hit Magnum with a dropkick early, then tagged in Starks who came off the ropes with a sledgehammer. Starks knocked Rockwell off the apron, which allowed Magnum to slam Starks down to the mat. Rockwell tagged in and kept hammering away at Starks. Starks made a blind tag to Cage, who nailed Rockwell with a few kicks. Starks tagged back in. Cage and Starks started disagreeing. Cage hit Rockwell with a powerbomb. He was about to hit the Drill Claw but tagged in Starks instead. Starks hit the Roshambo for the win.

WINNERS: Brian Cage & Starks in 3:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Aside from the brief disagreement between Starks and Cage, they were seemingly on the same page. I did appreciate the continued movement toward the inevitable breakup, however.)

(6) ABADON vs. SKYE BLUE

Abadon took Blue down to the mat, then proceeded to lay in a few rights hands to her back. Abadon kept Blue on the mat, choking her while she kept her draped across the knee. Blue evaded a charge in, then hit Abadon with a pump kick. Abadon wasn’t fazed, however, and hit a release German suplex on Blue. Blue attempted a comeback, hitting a dropkick to the Abadon’s knees. Abadon came right back, hooking Blue in the Cemetery Driver for the win.

WINNER: Abadon in 3:30

(Moynahan’s Take: This was basically a squash by Abadon, although Blue did get more offense in than I initially expected.)

(7) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. PRINCE KAI

Prince Kai handed Justin Roberts a note, which was basically a custom ring introduction. Cassidy waited patiently behind him until the bell rang, then hit a Beach Break for the win.

WINNER: Orange Cassidy in 0:30

(Moynahan’s Take: No one broke a sweat in this one, as Cassidy hit one move right after the bell, then called it a night.)

(8) PRIVATE PARTY (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. COLT CABANA & ALEX REYNOLDS (w/The Dark Order)

All four men started in the ring, jaw-jacking at one another. Private Party jumped Reynolds. Kassidy was on the outside and pushed the Dark Order members, who reciprocated. This led to the ref throwing the Dark Order members to the back. Cabana and Reynolds took control inside the ring. Reynolds hit a dive between the ropes onto Quen. Hardy pushed Reynolds into the barricade. Back inside, Quen draped Reynold’s neck across the bottom rope, then hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Reynolds nailed Kassidy with a knee lift to his chin, then made the hot tag to Cabana. Cabana took out Quen with a head scissors takeover. Cabana caught Quen on his shoulders but Quen rolled out and hit a kick to Cabana’s head. Quen came off the top with a 450 splash for a close fall. Reynolds tagged in and nailed Quen with a float over DDT. Kassidy came in from the outside and rolled up Cabana for a quick three count.

WINNERS: Private Party in 9:30

(Moynahan’s Take: This was a very good tag team match, with both teams working well. Private Party continues to impress each week, and their pairing with Matt Hardy has proved successful thus far in my view.)

(9) THUNDER ROSA vs. SHAWNA REED

Rosa and Reed worked the mat early on, trading reversals until Rosa got the upper hand in the end. Rosa nailed Reed with a dropkick to the chin for a one count. Rosa laid in a few chops to the chest of Reed, but Reed pushed her off and hit Rosa with rapid-fire kicks to the stomach. Rosa took back the offensive control, hitting Reed with a running clothesline, then following up with a dropkick in the corner. Reed kicked out of a pin attempt after a double underhook. Reed fought back, and locked in an arm bar, which Rosa countered for a close pin attempt. The two traded shots in the middle of the ring until Rosa landed her finisher for the win.

WINNER: Thunder Rosa in 4:30

(Moynahan’s Take: As per usual, Thunder Rosa worked aggressively here against the inexperienced Reed. Reed did get in a good deal of offense all things considered, but this was primarily a Thunder Rosa showcase.)

(10) BEST FRIENDS (Chuck Taylor & Trent w/Orange Cassidy) vs. KIT SACKETT & HAYDEN BACKLUND

Trent started things off against Sackett, nailing him with a clothesline that almost took Sackett’s head off. Backlund tagged in but Best Friends hit him with the Soul Food double team move. Best Friends hit dual pile drivers on Backlund for the win.

WINNERS: Best Friends in 2:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Another quick match tonight. Best Friends looked good here with the short time given. No Kris Statlander tonight, sadly.)

(11) LEYLA HIRSCH & RYO MIZUNAMI vs. NYLA ROSE & MADI WRENKOWSKI (w/Vickie Guerrero)

Vickie Guerrero came out first and yelled at Justin Roberts to leave the ring. She then proceeded to introduce Nyla Rose and Maddie Wrenkowski. Hirsch and Wrenkowski locked up to kick things off. Hirsch made a quick tag to Mizunami, leading to Wrenkowski quickly running to her own corner to tag in Rose. Mizunami and Rose squared off, trading blows in the middle of the ring. Rose hit a shoulder tackle on Mizunami, then hit a scoop slam and a leg drop. Wrenkowski made a blind tag, which ticked Rose off a bit. Mizunami started psyching herself up after a few shots from Wrenkowski. Mizunami backed Wrenkowski into the corner, then hit her patented series of chops. Hirsch tagged in, and assisted Mizunami by double teaming Wrenkowski. Rose ran in to break up a close pin attempt. Wrenkowski missed a pump kick which allowed Hirsch to lock in an arm bar for a quick tap out.

WINNERS: Leyla Hirsch and Ryo Mizunami in 5:30

(Moynahan’s Take: A good victory for Hirsch and Mizunami, and I came away really enjoying this one, especially for the unique partnerships between both teams.)

(12) AUSTIN GUNN (w/Colten Gunn) vs. AARON SOLOW (w/QT Marshall & Nick Comoroto)

Comoroto picked up the stairs and placed them on the ramp, allowing QT to sit and watch the match. Inside the ring, Gunn took it right to Solow. Gunn threw Solow to the outside then flew out onto him. Back inside, Gunn was distracted by Comoroto, which allowed Solow to hit him from behind. Solow hit a suplex, then covered for a two count. Solow took Gunn down with a big elbow right across his chin, then got on top of him and landed a series of right hands. Gunn hit an uppercut on Solow in the corner, then tripped his leg out and hit a flip-over face takedown. Comoroto distracted Gunn again, which allowed Solow to hit a spinning kick to Gunn’s face. Outside, Comoroto took out Colten, but Colten came back by moving out of the way of Comoroto’s charge. In the ring, Gunn hit the Quick Draw for the win.

WINNER: Austin Gunn in 5:00

(Moynahan’s Take: I’m not sure if I should be, but I found myself a little bit surprised by the outcome of this one. Overall, this was a very good victory by Austin Gunn, which also happened to be his first AEW singles match.)

(13) SCORPIO SKY & ETHAN PAGE vs. DEAN ALEXANDER & CARLIE BRAVO

Sky took down Bravo, then mocked him a bit. Sky missed a few clotheslines but was able to knock Bravo down on the third attempt. Page and Alexander each tagged in. Alexander went for a suplex, but Page reversed it into one of his own. Bravo and Alexander showed some good teamwork, taking out both Sky and Page, who was standing on the apron. Bravo was dragged to the outside by Page, allowing Sky to lock in the heel hook on Alexander inside the ring for the win.

WINNERS: Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky in 3:30

– After the match, Page hit the Ego’s Edge on Bravo.

(Moynahan’s Take: Sky and Page continue to work well as a team, notching another win this week.)

– Dasha was backstage with Austin Gunn, who said family means everything where he comes from. Gunn said QT has torn the whole Nightmare Family apart. Billy walked in as Austin walked away. QT then appeared, asked Dasha to leave, and said Billy’s sons were like his own. Billy didn’t like that, saying QT had gone too far. QT nailed Billy with a right hand, knocking him to the ground, then walked away.

(14) KENNY OMEGA & MT NAKAZAWA & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. DANNY LIMELIGHT & MATT SYDAL & MIKE SYDAL

Nakazawa kicked things off against Limelight. Nakazawa and Omega each had headsets on, speaking to one another from only feet away. Omega tagged in, keeping the headset on. Omega quickly tagged out to Takeshita, who seemed a little confused as to what Omega was up to. Takeshita took Limelight down with a shoulder tackle, then pancaked him to the mat. Omega tagged back in and hit a double ax handle onto Limelight’s arm. Omega and Nakazawa made quick tags, cutting off the ring cut off in the process. They also seemed to ignore tagging Takeshita in as well. Limelight threw Nakazawa to the outside, then came over the top rope onto Nakazawa and Omega. Mike Sydal tagged in and hit Nakazawa with an enziguri, then a standing moonsault for a close two count. Mike and Matt came off the top together, hitting Nakazawa with double knee drops. Nakazawa hit Matt Sydal with a crucifix slam, then tagged in Omega. Omega hit a backbreaker for a two count. Omega gave Takeshita grief after he failed to raise his boot in time when slamming Matt Sydal’s face into the corner. Matt Sydal hit Omega with a spinning kick, then tagged in Limelight. Takeshita tagged in as well, and Limelight took him down with a head scissors take over. Limelight came off the top with a blockbuster for a close count on Takeshita. The Sydal brothers were taken to the outside, leaving Limelight alone in the ring. Takeshita hit a sit down powerbomb, but Limelight kicked out. Omega, Nakazawa, and Takeshita each hit a series of moves on Limelight, who would not give in. Omega hit a spinning elbow on Limelight but failed to hit the One-winged Angel as a follow up. Limelight came off the top with a spinning DDT on Omega and got a very close pinfall in the process. Mike Sydal tagged in, but Omega caught him with a snap dragon suplex. Takeshita tagged in and hit a running boot to Mike Sydal, then hit a brainbuster suplex for another close count. Mike Sydal nailed Takeshita with a stiff kick to the side of his face. Nakazawa pulled Mike Sydal off the top rope, but Matt Sydal pulled Nakazawa to the mat. With Mike Sydal draped on the top rope, Takeshita came off of the other corner with a huge springboard dropkick. Takeshita hit Mike Sydal with a German suplex for the win.

WINNERS: Kenny Omega & MT Nakazawa & Konosuke Takeshita in 13:30

(Moynahan’s Take: Phew, that one moved fast at the end. This match was pretty darn great – easily the best of the night. Love what I have seen from Takeshita these last two weeks, and of course the rest of the participants are always solid (okay, maybe not Nakazawa). Limelight also shined in this one. Please go out of your way and watch this match if nothing else tonight.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: An overall solid edition of Dark: Elevation. While most of the match quality was your standard fare, the main event was clearly the match of the night. Any time you have Kenny Omega on the card, that tends to be the case. I also noticed the match flow and overall show seemed to move much quicker this week. I guess that tends to happen when you don’t hold roughly 20 matches on one show.

---

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ELEVATION REPORT: 4/12 AEW DARK ELEVATION REPORT: Sky & Page vs. Kiss & Janela, Thunder Rosa vs. Diamante, Cassidy vs. Skyler, more