7/19 AEW DARK ELEVATION TV REPORT: Lance Archer in action, Best Friends vs. Chaos Project, Jungle Boy vs. Angelico, more

AEW DARK: ELEVATION TV REPORT
JULY 19, 2021
RECORDED AT H-E-B CENTER, CEDAR PARK, TX
AIRED ON YOUTUBE.COM
REPORT BY PATRICK MOYNAHAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight.

Ring announcer: Justin Roberts

– Eddie Kingston and Penta were backstage with Alex Abrahantes talking about tonight’s match against The Wingmen. Penta spoke, and was then translated by Abrahantes.

– Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight welcomed us to tonight’s show. They were joined by Jake “The Snake” Roberts at the start of the show.

(1) LANCE ARCHER vs. ZACHARIAH

Archer attacked Zachariah from behind as he was making his way to the ring. Archer hit a huge slam suplex on Zachariah then picked him up for a chokeslam. Archer, pumped up by the crowd, dragged Zachariah to the corner and hit the Black Out for the easy win.

WINNER: Lance Archer in 1:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A total squash, and a good way to pump up the crowd to start tonight’s show.)

(2) CHUCK TAYLOR & ORANGE CASSIDY (w/Wheeler Yuta & Kris Statlander) vs. CHAOS PROJECT (Luther & Serpentico)

Yuta and Statlander accompanied Cassidy and Taylor to the ramp but then headed to the back. Serpentico kicked things off against Taylor, who took the early advantage. Luther tagged in, as did Cassidy, which got a nice pop from the crowd. Luther stopped Cassidy from putting his hands in his pockets, then tried putting his own hands in Cassidy’s pockets. Cassidy fought him back as the crowd cheered them on. Cassidy finally broke Luther’s hold and successfully put his hands in his pockets.

Taylor and Serpentico each tagged back in. Taylor held Serpentico up and Cassidy pushed him down to the mat. Luther tagged back in and took Taylor down, then used Serpentico as an offensive weapon. Luther threw Serpentico into the stomach of Taylor. Serpentico looked exhausted from all the abuse by Luther. Taylor finally made his way over to the corner and tagged in Cassidy.

Cassidy nailed Luther with the vicious shin kicks, which got a huge reaction. Cassidy followed it up with a spinning DDT for a close two count, which got another huge pop. Taylor tagged in and was met with a clothesline by Luther. Taylor fought off each member of Chaos Project until Luther caught Serpentico and used him as a battering ram. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch on Luther, who fell right onto Serpentico. Taylor and Cassidy sat on Chaos Project for the double pin for the win.

WINNERS: Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy in 6:30

(Moynahan’s Take: An okay tag match that was bolstered (a lot) by the hot crowd, who were into everything Cassidy did.)

– After the match, The Bunny and The Blade walked down the ramp. Blade took out his brass knuckles as a preview to his match with Cassidy on Dynamite.

– An ad for AEW Elite General Manager aired.

(3) HIKARU SHIDA vs. DULCE TORMENTA

Tormenta made her AEW debut here. The two went back-and-forth early on. Tormenta went to the top, missed a cross body but was able to hook Shida’s arm for an arm drag. Shida came right back and kicked Tormenta, then hit double knees across her stomach for a two. Tormenta locked Shida in a submission pin attempt for a very close two count. Tormenta missed a follow-up move which allowed Shida hit a running knee. Shida hoisted Tormenta up and planted her face first. Tormenta kicked out at two. Shida called for her spinning knee finish and hit it for the win.

WINNER: Hikaru Shida in 3:00

(Moynahan’s Take: This one felt like it couldn’t get out of first gear. Both women looked a bit slow and tentative.)

– Mark Sterling was backstage with Jade Cargill. Sterling announced they were there with someone from Hollywood with the title of Head of Film and TV. He went into a spiel about the potential they see in Cargill and all three seemed very positive and happy about where things were headed.

(Moynahan’s take: This storyline is extremely boring and feels like it’s going nowhere quickly. I’d much rather see Cargill in the ring, racking up wins.)

(4) POWERHOUSE HOBBS (w/Hook) vs. LUCAS CHASE

Hobbs knocked Chase down hard to the mat, then picked him up and hit a spinebuster for the win.

WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs in 0:30

(Moynahan’s Take: Make it back-to-back squashes for Hobbs, who continues to look like a monster.)

(5) FRANKIE KAZARIAN vs. BARON BLACK

It was announced that Kazarian will be facing Doc Gallows on this week’s Dynamite. Kazarian synched in a headlock and kept Black to the mat until Black charged Kazarian into the corner. Black landed an uppercut, a chop, then a spinning clothesline. Black hit an atomic drop and a backstabber on Kazarian.

Kazarian rolled Black up for a two count, then hit him with a flying forearm. Black missed a second spinning clothesline attempt, and Kazarian took the advantage with a clothesline of his own. Kazarian locked in the chicken wing for the win.

WINNER: Frankie Kazarian in 3:00

– After the match, Brandon Cutler hit the ring but tripped on the way in. He tried to make nice with Kazarian but was met with a stiff clothesline. Kazarian grabbed Cutler’s spray, ripped off his mask, then sprayed him directly into the eyes. Gallows hit the ring and nailed Kazarian with a pump kick.

(Moynahan’s Take: A good short match. The post-match was fun, but I was most excited to hear about the match announcement between Kazarian and Gallows for this week’s Dynamite.)

– Powerhouse Hobbs was backstage. He mentioned the new FTW champion, Ricky Starks, then called out Brian Cage. He said “stay home, don’t come back. If you do, the same thing is going to happen again.”

(6) JUNGLE BOY (w/Luchasaurus) vs. ANGELICO (w/Private Party)

As has become commonplace lately, the crowd was huge into Jungle Boy’s entrance. As Angelico and Jungle locked up, the crowd started chanting for Luchasaurus. Angelico and Jungle Boy traded moves and takedowns in the early going until Jungle Boy landed a big dropkick for a loud reaction.

Angelico threw Jungle Boy to the apron then kicked him in the knee, which drove Jungle Boy to the floor. Angelico landed a few shots, then went back inside to distract the ref for Private Party to attack Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus scared them off. Angelico came back outside and was met with a few chops until he rammed Jungle Boy’s head into the post. Jungle Boy finally made his way into the ring and got a quick two count after a roll up.

Angelico regained the offensive advantage, then mocked the crowd. Angelico focused on Jungle Boy’s knee/leg area and locked in the Navarro Death hold. Jungle Boy was able to break the hold after he reached the ropes. Jungle Boy fought his way back as the crowd chanted his name. Jungle Boy hit a suplex and got a close two count. Angelico locked Jungle Boy up and got a very close two count.

Angelico missed a charge in and was caught in the ropes. Jungle Boy hit a dropkick then locked in the Snare Trap for the tap out.

WINNER: Jungle Boy in 8:00

(Moynahan’s Take: The crowd was in a frenzy for everything Jungle Boy did, from start to finish. Thank you, fans, for being back.)

– An ad for AEW All Out aired.

(7) RED VELVET vs. JULIA HART (w/Varsity Blonds)

The two traded arm holds and reversals which ended in dual splits, then dual dropkicks. The two shook hands but then got into business. Velvet nailed Hart in the face, but Hart came back with a chin buster. Hart hit a cartwheel clothesline, then a running bulldog. Hart followed up with a standing moonsault for a one count. Velvet nailed Hart in the face and hit her with a series of clotheslines. Velvet baited Hart to the ropes and ducked to drive Hart to the floor. Velvet hit a tope suicida through the ropes onto Pillman Jr.

Inside, Hart hit a spinning dive onto Velvet for a two count. Velvet shot right back with a forearm and a spinning axe kick takedown for the win.

WINNER: 5:00

(Moynahan’s Take: A solid match between these two. You can tell Hart is still green, as she seemed tentative and slow in spots, but overall has come a long way. Velvet’s finisher came out of nowhere and looked impressive.)

(8) GUNN CLUB (Billy & Colten) vs. BROCK ANDERSON & LEE JOHNSON

Colten and Johnson started things off and had some fun with one another as they traded takedowns. The two traded arm drags and showed one another a sign of respect. Anderson tagged in and locked up with Colten. Anderson got the better end of things, which led to Billy tagging himself in. Billy nailed Anderson with a right hand, then tagged Colten back in. Colten showed a bit more aggression this time around.

Billy made the quick tag back in and hit Anderson with a back breaker. Anderson nailed Billy with a boot, then an elbow, then tagged Johnson in. Colten tagged in as well, but Johnson took him down. Johnson then took Billy out with a kick to the face and a missile dropkick off the top. Johnson rolled up Colten, but Colten reversed and got the pin with a handful of tights.

WINNERS: Gunn Club in 5:00

(Moynahan’s Take: Colten picked up his 23rd win here, with no losses to date, which was played up by the announcers. Johnson wasn’t happy about the tight pulling, which Billy and Colten denied after the match.)

(9) LUCHASAURUS (w/Jungle Boy) vs. FUEGO DEL SOL

Both men came out to big crowd reactions. The much larger Luchasaurus man handled Del Sol early on. Luchasaurus caught Del Sol then powered him up over his shoulders. Del Sol fought out of it and kicked Luchasaurus in the leg, which ticked him off. Del Sol went for the tornado DDT but was swatted away. Luchasaurus hit a chokeslam into a knee to the face for the win.

WINNER: Luchasaurus in 2:00

(Moynahan’s Take: The crowd was huge into Del Sol here, but Luchasaurus was too much to overcome. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus hugged Del Sol after the match.)

– A clip from last week’s Dynamite aired, which showed QT Marshall dumping the liquid on Tony Schiavone’s head. Wight and Schiavone were annoyed about reliving the event.

(10) DANTE MARTIN vs. SHAWN DEAN

Martin used his speed early on to evade Dean, then came off the top rope with a springboard cross body. Dean charged his shoulder into Martin, then threw him into the air. Dean followed it up with a running senton for a two count. Martin nailed Dean with a right hand. Martin evaded Dean again and slammed Dean’s head into the turnbuckle.

Dean fought back and hit a Liger bomb for a two count. With Martin in the corner, Dean charged in. Martin evaded yet again and perched Dean on the top rope. Martin followed it up with a package slam for a two count. Martin hit a flip-over stunner for the win.

WINNER: Dante Martin in 3:30

(Moynahan’s Take: This was a fun back-and-forth between these two. It’s fun to watch the young Dante Martin, and I can’t wait for his brother to come back so they’re back in the tag team thick of things.)

(11) TAY CONTI & SERENA DEEB vs. VERTVIXEN & JAZMIN ALLURE

Conti riled up the crowd as the match kicked off. Deeb locked up with Vertvixen, then tagged Conti in. Conti went for an early pin attempt but could only manage two. Conti nailed Vertvixen with a boot to the face, then went for two more pin attempts for two counts. Conti locked in a triangle sleeper but broke it and hit a few Judo takedowns. Vertvixen drove Conti to her corner, but Conti nailed Allure on the apron. Vertvixen finally made the tag into Allure as the two hit Conti with a series of kicks. Allure accidentally hit Vertvixen which allowed Conti to tag Deeb.

Deeb took it to Allure with a series of uppercuts, then hit Vertvixen on the apron. Deeb took out Allure’s leg, then locked in the Serenity lock as she hit a vertical suplex on Vertvixen. Deeb locked in the Serenity lock on Allure again for the win.

WINNERS: Tay Conti & Serena Deeb in 3:30

(Moynahan’s Take: Deeb and Conti make a great team. I’d love to see more from these two, as long as it ends in a series of matches against one another.)

(12) PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO (w/Alex Alhambra) & EDDIE KINGSTON VS. JD DRAKE & CEZAR BONONI

Drake and Bononi made their way to the ring. Bononi said Nemeth and Avalon didn’t make it to the arena as he yelled at the crowd. Drake took the mic and said that although they are not at full strength, and can’t make their opponents look pretty, they’d make them look ugly instead.

Penta and Kingston got a huge reaction as a “zero miedo,” then an “Eddie” chant broke out. Penta and Drake started things off as Penta slowly took off his glove. Penta kept throwing it out to Abrahantes who dropped it twice, but finally caught it on the third attempt. Penta was in full control over Drake until he tagged Kingston in.

Drake cowered away from Kingston and tagged in Bononi. Kingston chopped away at the much larger Bononi who hit Kingston with a side slam. Drake tagged in and picked up where Bononi left off as the crowd chanted “Eddie Kingston.” Bononi came back and hammered away on Kingston with a few forearms to the back. Bononi and Drake made frequent tags, cutting off the ring in the meantime.

Kingston tried firing back with a series of chops to Drake, but Drake cut him off. Kingston finally took Drake down with a leg trip clothesline and finally made the hot tag to Penta. Penta took out both opponents with sling blades. Penta followed it up with a DDT on Drake then a thrust kick to the face of Bononi. Kingston tagged back in and the two took Bononi down. Penta kicked Bononi in the face as Kingston hit a dropkick on Drake. Penta was tagged back and as Kingston held up Drake’s legs, came off the top with a double stomp to his midsection.

Bononi was taken out on the outside by Kingston. In the ring, Penta went to hit Drake with the Fear Factor, but Drake got out of it in time. Drake went to the top but missed a moonsault attempt. Penta hit him with a thrust kick as Kingston nailed him with a back fist. Penta locked in the arm breaker then covered for the win.

WINNERS: Penta El Zero Miedo & Eddie Kingston 8:30

– After the match, Kingston and Penta took the mic. Penta spoke to the crowd in Spanish, then said “I love you guys, thank you so much.” Abrahantes took the mic and translated for Penta, who said it felt great to be back in Austin, Texas. They can’t wait to be back for another Dynamite, and they love Austin. It was Kingston’s turn. He told Penta he will try to be good this time after “getting into trouble” the last time he spoke to the crowd after a show. Kingston said it felt so good to see everyone. He thanked the crowd and said that AEW was forever since it took a chance on him and a lot of others on the roster. The crowd chanted “AEW.” Kingston closed by saying “if you ain’t with AEW then you ain’t shit.”

(Moynahan’s Take: The crowd never let up in this one, willing for Kingston and Penta basically the entire way. A great main event that is worth checking out.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: A great show, which was made even better with the strong crowd reactions throughout the night. Kingston and Jungle Boy were over in a huge way tonight, as were Penta and Cassidy. My only gripe was seeing too many great women on this show when they should be on Dynamite each week. Let’s hope that gets fixed soon.

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NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S AEW DARK ELEVATION REPORT: 7/12 AEW DARK ELEVATION TV REPORT: Darby Allin vs. Angelico, Thunder Rosa vs. Dreamgirl Ellie, Johnson vs. Jungle Boy, more