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No desk introductions for AEW Dark: Elevation. We are starting in the ring as Danny Limelight heads out. His opponent is Jungle Boy, who Paul Wight says has been the AEW workhorse. Luchasaurus and Marko are staying ringside. First match with Wight on commentary, and you can tell he’s done his homework on the athletes and has good analysis so far. Marko Stunt is wearing Crocs. Jungle Boy wins with the Snare Trap.
We go to the desk as Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight welcome us to the show. Paul Wight is all smiles, and weirdly looks small behind the desk.
Miro and Kip Sabian are taking on Vary Morales and Baron Black. Schiavone makes it very clear that Morales and Black have never won in AEW. Sabian starts the match and quickly gains control. Tag to Miro, who is pissed. Miro runs to the other corner and attacks Baron Black, and he’s done for the match. Tag Kip back in, and a Time Turner on Morales for the win.
Alex Marvez is in the back with QT Marshall, who doesn’t want to be asked about the Nightmare Family. But he’s looking forward to having fun in his “big” match with Marko Stunt. Get it? Because Marko is very small.
Back to the ring with Big Swole. Skyler Moore is already in the ring with an 0-11 record. That’s not great. We’re reminded that Swole lost her top spot in the women’s rankings after being inactive due to a Crohn’s flare-up.
And I get a Youtube ad for a Crohn’s medication. That feels like a rib from the internet gods.
Swole wins with Dirty Dancing. They show Vickie Guerrero in the crowd, scouting.
It’s time for QT Marshall vs Marko Stunt. Marko Stunt has to be one of the few full-time roster members with a losing record. QT Marshall told Nick Comoroto to go back to the locker room. QT is still having issues with his waistband. But QT’s just toying with Marko, until Marko connects with a couple knees. QT goes for the Diamond Cutter, but Marko wiggles out and gets some offense in. I’ll give him the credit, QT hit a nice innovative counter into the Diamond Cutter for the win. The Pretty Picture (Peter Avalon, Cesar Bononi, and Ryan Nemeth) attack Stunt, and QT walks off, but Luchasaurus makes the save. They mention Bononi vs. Luchasaurus
We get the personality profile on Lee Johnson. They show Johnson’s promo after his first win, and Johnson doesn’t thank QT when he thanks his other trainers. So that might be the seeds of this QT attitude change.
Tay Conti is coming to the ring with -1, and her opponent already in the ring is the “Reel Catch” Ashley Vox. Schiavone shows off his research and refers to Vox as a Shimmer Tag Champion. Conti is using her judo experience, but Vox gets some advantage as the fight goes to the floor. Conti connects with some kicks back in the ring and a hammerlock DDT gives Conti the pinfall win.
Schiavone says the Sydal Brothers have been successful so far in AEW. That 1-3 record graphic implies otherwise. Already in the ring is Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs, whom Paul Wight calls the West Coast Wrecking Crew. Both teams wearing matching gear, so thumbs up there, but both teams still kinda match the other team, so thumbs slightly down on similar color schemes. Paul Wight hasn’t learned that Rick Knox doesn’t enforce tag team rules yet, but he will. Schiavone is calling Isaacs and Nelson kids, which is not ideal. Double Lightning Spiral gives the Sydal Brothers the win.
Hobbs gets to say BS unbleeped in his promo. Chuck Taylor has to be a little annoyed. Marvez says that Brandon Cutler has won 9 of his last 11, but Hobbs doesn’t care about that.
The Real Mean Girl Dani Jordan is taking on Red Velvet. Schiavone points out that Red Velvet is one of the successes of Dark, starting 0-9 but winning 11 of the next 14. Jordan takes control, but shows off her Burn Book, leaving an opening for Velvet. Velvet hits Just Desserts for the win.
In the back, Marvez is interviewing the Sydal Brothers, but Kenny Omega interrupts with Michael Nakazawa and Don Callis in tow. Omega calls the official Top 5 rankings cockamamie, and has his own Top 5, which is all Michael Nakazawa. Sydal offers to beat Nakazawa to get a shot at Kenny Omega. Omega says, that’s fine, but it has to happen tonight.
Dante Martin is taking on Max Caster, since their respective partners, Darius Martin and Anthony Bowens, are both on the injured list. Dante tries for a springboard move, but Caster catches his foot, leading to a nasty looking landing for Martin hitting the turnbuckle on the way down. Dante fights out of a superplex, but gets crotched when Caster recovers. Caster grabs the boombox, but Paul Turner takes it away. Caster uses the distraction to kick Dante low and hit the flying elbow to get the win.
Abadon is out next. Ray Lyn is in the ring already and not totally thrilled with her opponent. Cemetry Drive gets the win for Abadon.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs Brandon Cutler is up next. Hobbs wins with Town Bizness.
Diamante is taking on Leila Grey. Diamante wins with Code Red.
Carlie Bravo, Dean Alexander, Brick Aldridge, and David Ali are this week’s makeshift team. Bravo, Alexander, and Aldridge are wearing Nightmare Factory jackets, and Ali is not. So that’s awkward for Ali. Butcher and the Blade come out with the Bunny. Private Party comes out with Matt Hardy. Schiavone mentions that even though Hardy signed to represent Butcher and Blade, he’s deferring his pay until the second quarter so that Adam Page doesn’t get it. Smart explanation of the story. Quick win for Matt Hardy’s business empire who will face the team of Jurassic Express and Bear Country on Dynamite.
Michael Nakazawa is out, announced “from the desk of Kenny Omega” and as MT Nakazawa, clearly parodying QT Marshall for the early days of AEW and BTE. He’s wearing khakis and a headset, carrying a laptop and an apple. Matt Sydal is out to wrestle again tonight. After some apple-based offense from Nakazawa, Sydal pants Nakazawa and hits a big kick to get the pin. Omega hits the ring and attacks Sydal with Nakazawa’s laptop. Omega grabs the mic and says, “forget Dynamite, we’re doing this match now.” One Winged Angel and a fake pinfall. Tony Khan comes out and says this is crap. Sydal will get his real chance on next week’s Dynamite.
Main event time as Maki Itoh sings her song before Riho comes to the ring. Riho starts with the advantage, until Itoh uses some underhanded shenanigans before connecting with a headbutt to Riho’s midsection. Itoh works on Riho’s abs and lower back with multiple attempts at crab submissions. Riho is aware enough to roll out of the way of the diving headbutt and hit the double knees to get the pinfall win.
Notes: I have zero clue if there’s supposed to be a different feel to Elevation compared to plain old Dark other than the commentary team. I appreciate Schiavone and Wight’s debut as a team. Schiavone proves he’s more than his self-deprecating joke of only saying “That’s right, JR, that’s right, Excalibur” on Dynamite. He did his homework with the wrestler’s bios, providing training backgrounds, experience, and win-loss trends. Wight did a really good job on his first full show, providing that wrestler’s perspective, highlighting the strategy of attacking certain body parts and such. I don’t know if it’s Youtube’s fault or AEW’s fault, but the ad placement throughout the episode was super intrusive and not in logical points, like in between matches. Once again, they shot out of order… or a few people decided to change clothes and move to the other side of the audience in between multiple matches. I think Kilynn King’s face paint changed too.
Apparently, there’s still Dark on Tuesday, but as I write this, I haven’t seen any matches announced.
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