SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW DARK: ELEVATION TV REPORT
MAY 17, 2021
RECORDED AT DAILY’S PLACE, JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
AIRED ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight.
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
(1) JUNGLE BOY (w/Marko Stunt) vs. ADRIAN ALANIS
Adrian Alanis made his AEW debut here. Jungle Boy took Alanis down with a side headlock takeover in the early going. Alanis missed a charge into the corner, allowing Jungle Boy to spring off the ropes and take him down with an arm drag, then a drop kick. Jungle Boy threw Alanis to the outside, then hit a tope to the outside. Back inside, Jungle Boy laid in a stiff chop, but Alanis fired back and dragged Jungle Boy down by his hair. Alanis hit a float over suplex. Jungle Boy nailed Alanis with a European uppercut and a lariat combo. Alanis got his foot up in time to rock Jungle Boy back, but Jungle Boy threw him right into the turnbuckle. Jungle Boy locked in the Snare Trap for the tap out.
WINNER: Jungle Boy in 4:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Jungle Boy picks up another victory. Rinse and repeat for Jungle Boy!)
– Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight welcomed us to the tenth episode of AEW Dark: Elevation and ran down this week’s show.
(2) DUSTIN RHODES vs. AARON SOLOW (w/The Factory)
Dustin and Solow went right after one another from the jump. The two fought to the outside, and Dustin threw Solow hard into the metal barrier, then over it. Dustin held Solow against the barrier and laid in a few stiff chops. Dustin kept the pressure on, threw Solow into the ring, then quickly faced off with Nick Comoroto who was also ringside. Comoroto pulled Dustin from the top rope resulting in Aubrey throwing The Factory members to the back. Solow, able to take advantage of his partners’ distraction, kept the offense on Dustin. Solow threw Dustin hard into the turnbuckle. Dustin and Solow knocked hard into one another after charging into the corner a second time. The two faced off in the center of the ring, trading shots. Dustin hit his patented powerslam for a two count. Dustin called for the bulldog, but Solow pushed him off and hit a thrust kick. Dustin came back and hit the Destroyer for another close two count. Solow hit a suplex then climbed to the top and hit a double foot stomp, but he could only get a two count. Solow picked up Dustin’s cowbell, but Aubrey told him to drop it. As he was about to drop it, Dustin hit a bulldog, but picked Solow up after a one count. Dustin picked up the bull rope but dropped it after thinking twice. Dustin hit an inverted suplex for the win.
WINNER: Dustin Rhodes in 11:30
– After the match, Comoroto hit the ring and took Dustin out with the cowbell. The Factory looked on from the stage as Lee Johnson came to the aid of the fallen Dustin.
(Moynahan’s Take: Wow, this was really great, especially for Elevation. The Nightmare Factory and The Factory feud rages on.)
(3) JON MOXLEY & EDDIE KINGSTON vs. DANNY LIMELIGHT & ROYCE ISAACS
No “Wild Thing,” as Moxley and Kingston came to the ring to Moxley’s previous entrance music. Kingston and Limelight kicked things off. Limelight initially got the upper hand, but Kingston took him down, then hit a powerbomb. Kingston threw Limelight into his own corner, allowing Isaacs to tag in. Moxley tagged in as well. Isaacs hooked Moxley in a waist lock, then hit a drop kick to his knee. Moxley fired back on Isaacs, then tagged Kingston back in, who hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Isaacs hit Kingston with a back suplex, then tagged in Limelight. Limelight came off the top with a spinning DDT on Kingston for a close two count. Limelight went to the top again, but Kingston caught him. Moxley tagged back in but caught a thrust kick to the stomach. Moxley tagged in Kingston, and the two hit their Violent Crown double-team move, then Moxley hit the Paradigm shift, for the win.
WINNERS: Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston in 8:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Another solid match. Kingston and Moxley continue to have some of the best on-screen chemistry in all of wrestling.)
– Jake Roberts and Lance Archer were backstage. Roberts started the promo, but Archer cut him off, saying he wants Miro and the TNT title. Archer said they were doing things his way from now on.
(4) LANCE ARCHER (w/Jake “The Snake” Roberts) vs. BEAR BRONSON
Roberts joined commentary during this match. Archer stood in the corner and goaded Bronson to lay in a shot. He obliged, but Archer was fired up in the process. Archer nailed Bronson with his own shot, then the two went back-and-forth trading chops, punches, and forearms. Archer took Bronson down with a clothesline from behind. Bronson got back to his feet but was again knocked down after another stiff forearm by Archer. Archer missed a charge into the corner but came back and hit Bronson with a suplex. Bronson hit Archer with a German suplex. Bronson got Archer in the corner and hit him with a running cannonball. Archer missed a clothesline and flew over the top rope. Bronson followed up with a tope suicida but seemed to take more of it than Archer. Bronson and Archer went back inside, and Bronson hit a senton for a close two count. The two big men went back-and-forth again until Archer hit a shoulder tackle, then a splash off the middle ropes for a two count. Archer hit his own senton splash, but Bronson rolled him up for a close two. Archer hit a chokeslam, then the Blackout for the win.
WINNER: Lance Archer in 10:00
(Moynahan’s Take: This was really good early on, then just kept going, and going. A bit too long for my tastes, especially with two big men going at it.)
– Paul Wight was backstage with Ryan Nemeth, talking with him about his career since joining AEW. Nemeth said he felt valued in the company. Nemeth talked about his nickname, the “Hollywood Hunk.” They showed a few clips from his appearances in various TV shows and films. Wight asked Nemeth how he joined up with Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, and JD Drake. Nemeth said he was playing a role with the group, and said it was up to everyone else to determine what that role really is. Nemeth says he wants to be the face of AEW, and that he has to start somewhere.
(5) LEYLA HIRSCH vs. NATALIA MARKOVA
Markova made her AEW debut here. Hirsch took her right down to the mat early on and kept Markova there for some time. Markova fought her way up to a standing position, but Hirsch hit Markova with a German suplex. Markova rolled to the outside to level set. Markova tried pulling Hirsch to the outside, but Hirsch pushed her hard into the barrier. Hirsch went to the outside and rammed Markova into the corner of the ring apron. Back inside, Markova kneed Hirsch in the stomach but Hirsch suplexed her again. Hirsch hit a running knee strike then locked in a cross arm breaker for the tap out.
WINNER: Leyla Hirsch in 4:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Hirsch made this one look easy and is now on an eight-match winning streak. A good showing for Hirsch overall.)
– A commercial for Outside the Ring with Lexy Nair aired.
(6) SCORPIO SKY & ETHAN PAGE vs. JAYLEN BRANDYN & TRAEVON JORDAN
Page and Jordan started things off. The two locked up, with Jordan getting the advantage due to his size. That advantage didn’t last as Page knocked Jordan down to the mat. Brandyn tagged in and went for a quick cover on Page, but Page kicked out emphatically. Page knocked Brandyn down with a shoulder tackle, then tagged in Sky. Brandyn looked outmatched against both Sky and Page, having trouble finding his own corner at one point. Page hit a brain buster suplex on Brandyn, then mocked him for trying to tag in Jordan. Jordan tagged in and took out both Page and Sky. Jordan hit a side slam on Page but couldn’t follow up with the pin attempt. Sky clipped the leg of Jordan, then locked in his heel lock for the tap out. After the tap out, Page hit the Ego’s Edge on Brandyn.
WINNERS: Page & Sky in 4:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Another good win for Page and Sky. I’m not sure what AEW is waiting for, but they really need to actually wrestle on Dynamite.)
– The H.F.O. were backstage. Matt Hardy says everyone gets better once they join the H.F.O. and added how much The Bunny has progressed since joining. The Bunny then called out KiLynn King, her opponent tonight.
(7) THE BUNNY (w/H.F.O.) vs. KILYNN KING
Bunny missed a charge in from the bell, which allowed King to follow up with a scoop slam. Bunny missed another charge into the corner, but pulled King’s hair on the follow through, which knocked her to the outside. Outside, Bunny threw King hard into the metal railing. Back inside, Bunny laid in right hands as she mounted King on the mat. Bunny followed it up by stomping on King’s hand for good measure. King caught Bunny in a fall away slam but was unable to follow up. The two took time getting back to their feet. King nailed Bunny with a clothesline, then a kick to the face. King caught Bunny with a spinebuster for a two count. Bunny knocked King back hard with a right uppercut and was able to cover for the win.
WINNER: The Bunny in 5:30
– Big Swole hit the ring to clear out H.F.O and protect King from a beatdown in the process.
(Moynahan’s Take: After the match, the camera zoomed in on a foreign object that The Bunny used to beat King. This was fine, just a bit too long for my taste.)
(8) THE ACCLAIMED (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) vs. KEVIN BENNETT & KEVIN BLACKWOOD
Caster showed some aggression early on against the blue-haired Blackwood. Blackwood laid in a few kicks to Caster’s knees, then tagged in Bennett. Bennett hit an impressive tilt-a-whirl type slingshot off the ropes, ending in a splash onto Caster. Bowens tagged in and fired away at Bennett, then nailed Blackwood on the apron with an elbow. The Acclaimed worked Bennett in their corner and made quick tags to one another in the process. Bennett nailed Caster with a kick to the side of the head, then tagged in Blackwood. Blackwood hit a German release suplex on Bowens, but Bennett made a blind tag. It didn’t work out well. Caster hit the Mic Drop on Bennett for the win.
WINNERS: The Acclaimed in 5:30
(Moynahan’s Take: An okay match. Caster and Bowens showed some more fire in my opinion, but neither Bennett nor Blackwood impressed me much here.)
– Page and Sky were backstage, basically taking credit for Darby Allin’s TNT title loss on last week’s Dynamite. They said Miro earned his win, and they were only trying to keep Sting away from ringside.
(9) QT MARSHALL (w/Nick Comoroto) vs. BARON BLACK
Black looked good early on, using his speed to advantage. Marshall came back with a few right hands, but Black came right back. Marshall hit Black with a chokeslam, then mocked Wight on commentary, which did not go over too well with Wight. Marshall hit Black with a dropkick, but Black was able to kick out of the follow up pin attempt. Black fired back with chest chops and an uppercut but got caught in a backbreaker by Marshall. Black blocked a series of punch attempts by Marshall, then hit Marshall with an atomic drop/backstabber combo. Black nailed Marshall with a discus punch. Marshall came off the ropes with a flying headbutt. Black locked in a cross face. Marshall was able to get out of it, then hit a Diamond Cutter for the win.
WINNER: QT Marshall in 7:30
(Moynahan’s Take: I enjoyed this one, as Black looked good in defeat, and gave Marshall one heck of a fight in the process.)
(10) JOEY JANELA vs. DANIEL GARCIA
Garcia made his AEW debut here. Janela got Garcia to the mat, then locked in a leg lock submission. The two traded reversals until Janela hit a German suplex. Garcia rolled out of a suplex attempt, then laid in some stiff chest chops. Garcia hit his own German suplex, then covered for a two count. Janela started laying in his own chops, egging the crowd on in the process. Janela hit Garcia with a clothesline, but Garcia just stood there taking them in. Garcia hit a running knee, then locked in an STF. Janela crawled to the rope for the break. The two traded shots in the middle of the ring, stiff ones. Janela won the battle with a discus punch, then a thrust kick. Janela hit a brain buster suplex and covered for a two count. Garcia hit a missile dropkick but Janela drove him back into the corner. Garcia was perched on the top rope, and Janela hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Janela hit a DVD for the win.
WINNER: Joey Janela in 8:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Garcia impressed me in the short ring time. Schiavone actually noted that he at one-time broke his legs in a car accident. I’ve never been a Joey Janela fan, so I don’t have much more to add here.)
– The Factory was backstage, basically dumping on America. Anthony Ogogo cut a very good promo here, directing it toward Cody about their upcoming match at Double or Nothing.
(11) PRIVATE PARTY (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy w/H.F.O) vs. ALEX REYNOLDS & ALAN “5” ANGELS (w/Dark Order)
Dark Order and H.F.O. were barred from ringside. All four men fought on the outside in the early going. Once settled, Angels had Quen on the defense inside the ring. Reynolds tagged in and nailed Quen with a knee lift to the midsection. Kassidy tagged in and nailed Reynolds with vicious kicks to the stomach. Reynolds came back with a dropkick. On the outside, Kassidy hit Reynolds from behind, then hit him with a suplex on the mat. Private Party kept Reynolds in their corner. Reynolds finally made the tag to Angels but the ref was distracted by Private Party and missed it. Angels did finally get the tag, and took out both members of Private Party, hitting them with a double hurricanrana. Angels hit a springboard moonsault on Quen for a two count. Reynolds tagged back in and hit Quen with a small package suplex for another two. Matt Hardy hit the ring and hit Reynolds with a Twist of Fate, which allowed Quen to cover for the win.
WINNERS: Private Party in 9:00
– After the match, H.F.O. were about to beat down Angels and Reynolds but the rest of the Dark Order hit the ring in time.
(Moynahan’s Take: An okay tag team match. This seems to be a recurring issue for me tonight, but this also felt a bit too long.)
– Kris Statlander was backstage with Alex Marvez but was interrupted by Britt Baker and Reba/Rebel. Shida cut them off and ran them off.
(12) JD DRAKE & RYAN NEMETH (w/Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi) vs. ROMAN ROZELL & DEREK PISATURO
Rozell kicked things off for his team against Nemeth. Nemeth went in for a handshake but kicked Rozell instead. Drake, decked out in his club shirt and cowboy boots, tagged in. Nemeth and Drake cut off the ring and kept Rozell from even attempting a tag. Rozell finally made it to his corner to tag in Pisaturo, who has an MMA background. Drake nailed Pisaturo with a running kick to the face. Nemeth hit a reverse neck breaker, and Drake came off the top with a moonsault for the win.
WINNERS: Drake & Nemeth in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: I like this very odd tag team combination of Nemeth and Drake. It makes completely no sense on paper, but kind of works.)
– The Forbes photo shoot with the Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida scuffle aired.
(13) TAY CONTI vs. KIAH DREAM
Conti bent Dream’s back across her knee and chopped her in the chest. Conti followed up with a thrust kick to the face, then one to her chest. Dream hit a running flatliner for a one count. Conti nailed Dream with an uppercut, then hit repeated blows. Conti followed up by taking Dream down with a series of Judo throws. Conti nailed Dream with a pump kick to the side of the head as Dream was draped across the middle rope. Conti follow up with a running kick to the face. Conti hit the DD-Tay for the win.
WINNER: Tay Conti in 4:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Tay Conti looked fierce here. She continues to look great every single time she is on screen, with so much aggression and believability. Love it.)
– H.F.O. was backstage talking about their antics earlier tonight against Dark Order. Hardy said H.F.O. would continue to dominate the Dark Order.
(14) PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. ROBO
Penta nailed Robo with a spin kick/chop combo. Robo came back with a dropkick, which knocked Penta down and rattled him a bit. Penta sucked Robo into the corner and nailed him with a kick. Penta hit him again with a kick to Robo’s head. Penta quieted the crowd, then laid in another loud chop. Robo was caught with yet another kick to the face by Penta, then another. Robo finally landed his own pump kick, but was hit with a backstabber. Penta hit a nasty looking cross arm breaker, then hit the Fear Factor piledriver for the win.
WINNER: Penta El Zero Miedo in 5:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Robo has a great look, but Penta shined in this one and picked up another victory in the process.)
(15) THUNDER ROSA vs. ROBYN RENEGAGE
Rosa and Renegage traded moves and reversals in the early going. Rosa took Renegage over with a snap mare, then hit a seated dropkick. Rosa kept the offense on for much of the match. Rosa nailed Renegage with a missile dropkick in the corner, then hit a double underhook suplex for a two count. Renegage countered with a sling blade takedown for a two count, but Rosa reversed a follow up and hit Renegage with a flatliner. Rosa locked in Peruvian Necktie choke for the win.
WINNER: Thunder Rosa in 5:00
(Moynahan’s Take: Rosa made this look easy, with Renegage getting in little to no offense.)
– Nemeth, Drake, Avalon, and Bononi were backstage celebrating their win tonight.
(15) BRIAN CAGE (w/Hook) vs. MIKE SYDAL
Cage manhandled Sydal early by throwing him across the ring. Sydal ducked a clothesline and nailed Cage with an enziguri. Cage caught Sydal and launched him right onto the apron. Cage drove Sydal onto the side of the apron on the outside. Cage continued the onslaught back inside the ring by throwing Sydal face-first onto the mat. Cage curled Sydal like a pair of weights, then threw him behind his back. Cage picked Sydal up in a deadlift, then tossed him yet again across the ring; Schiavone and Wight called it a deadlift snatch suplex. Sydal nailed Cage from the back with a missile dropkick, then hit him with a split-legged thrust kick. Cage rolled to the outside, and Sydal came off the top with a moonsault to the floor. Cage suplexed Sydal from the apron into the ring. Cage tried the Drill Claw but Sydal rolled him up for a close two count. Cage tied Sydal up into his new move, the Weapon X, for the win.
WINNER: Brian Cage in 6:30
(Moynahan’s Take: Cage continues his winning streak, driving it up to seven straight matches.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Maybe it was just me, but this week’s show was just too long. Between the number of matches, the length of most, and the multitude of backstage segments, the show just kept going. From start to finish, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend watching the entire show. With all of this said, there were certainly good things to call out tonight. To start, match of the night honors goes to Dustin and Solow for their fiery match early in the night. I’d also recommend taking a look at the Tay Conti match.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ELEVATION REPORT: 5/10 AEW DARK ELEVATION TV REPORT: Jon Moxley vs. Danny Limelight, Kingston vs. VSK, Jade Cargill in action, more
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.