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Advertised as 'the most loaded card ever,' this week's AEW Dark: Elevation episode had a Wednesday Night Dynamite feel to it with some of the biggest names in the company being featured on the show.
A total of 15 matches were booked for a lively crowd in Miami, and as expected, we've got a lot to unpack today. So let's not waste any time and get right to the results and analysis of the latest AEW Dark: Elevation episode.
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Thunder Rosa vs. Dreamgirl Ellie on AEW Dark: Elevation
Thunder Rosa kicked off the show with a solid pop as her opponent Dreamgirl Ellie prepared near ringside for her first AEW match in 2021.
The former NWA Women's Champion grabbed Ellie's leg and dominated the match on the mat. Rosa delivered a series of thunderous chops before executing two deep arm drags.
Rosa kept it simple with a scoop slam, followed by a sit-out senton for a two-count. Dreamgirl evaded a clothesline to land a few strikes, but Rosa kept going back to her chops.
She rocked Ellie with a mid-air dropkick that got another loud chant for the Hispanic star. Rosa then slowed the pace down with an intricate hold before transitioning to a cross-arm breaker.
Ellie scrambled with her and forced a break with a pinfall attempt. Dreamgirl kept chipping away at Rosa with a few southpaw forearm strikes before getting laid out with a double underhook suplex.
Ellie continued to score a few pinfalls, but Rosa was just on another level as she set the stage for the Peruvian Calavera choke, leading to another impressive AEW win.
Result: Thunder Rosa def. Dreamgirl Ellie on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B-
Matt Hardy (w/ H.F.O.) vs. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark: Elevation
Based on the reaction he got, Fuego Del Sol might very well be the most popular star in all of AEW! Alabama's greatest Luchador ever picked up his first AEW win last week, and he was looking to have a possible win streak. Matt Hardy came out with a microphone in his hand and proceeded to insult Del Sol.
The veteran did a fine job of drawing great heel heat from a very hot crowd. Matt also had a message for Christian Cage in his pre-match promo.
A fired-up Del Sol took the fight to Matt Hardy with a barrage of running back elbow shots in the corner. Fuego got a two-count with a springboard moonsault press.
Matt escaped a tricky situation by reversing the Tornado DDT and dumping Del Sol outside the ring. Big Money Matt took control of the proceedings as the defeaning 'Fuego' chants drowned the arena.
Matt Hardy continued his excellent form with two shoulder tackles and a twisting headlock. Del Sol broke away with a chin buster but still ended up absorbing Matt Hardy's Side Effect move.
Matt placed Del Sol on the top turnbuckle before softening him up with a punch. Feugo blocked a top-rope suplex with a few strikes and a headbutt. Del Sol repositioned himself and executed a modified hurricanrana takedown for a near fall.
Fans were firmly behind Del Sol as Matt Hardy hit the Twist of Fate out of nowhere. The Leech followed, forcing Del Sol to tap.
The former WWE star refused to break the hold as he let Del Sol pass out despite the referee's intervention.
Result: Matt Hardy def. Fuego Del Sol on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B
Riho vs. Amber Nova on AEW Dark: Elevation
Riho's infectious smile was the main topic of discussion for Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone as we kicked off the third match of the show.
Amber Nova used her reach advantage to get to a side headlock position. Riho, though, used her quickness to land a dropkick. Nova baited Riho in the corner with a sucker punch of sorts.
Nova was no rookie as she has been wrestling for five years, and it showed from her assured performance as a heel. Amber played to the crowd and managed to get a two-count with a bridged Northern Lights suplex.
Nova locked in a modified armbar that forced Riho to drag herself towards the ropes. W was impressed with Nova's inventiveness and even teased stealing the armbar variation.
Riho finally began her comeback with a drop toehold, followed by an area code shot (619) for a two-count. The former AEW Women's Champion delivered a fabulous crossbody from the top for another near fall.
She went up top again but missed the double stomp as Nova rolled out, got back up, and rocked her Japanese opponent with a big boot.
Riho delivered a Northern Lights suplex with the bridge, and it seemed like Nova forgot to get her shoulders up. The referee stopped the count even though Amber did not kick out. Fans booed as the commentary team attempted to cover up the botch.
Riho put Amber Nova away with a double foot stomp from the top.
Result: Riho def. Amber Nova on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: C
Barring that mind-boggling pinfall gaffe, Nova had a strong showing tonight.
Dustin Rhodes and Lee Johnson were involved in a backstage segment ahead of Big Shotty's scheduled match against Jungle Boy.
Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ Hook) vs. Baron Black on AEW Dark: Elevation
What does Baron Black have to do to get a win in AEW? The criminally underrated wrestler, who has over 11 years of experience, was back again this week for what seemed like another squash loss.
Black had his straps down from the match's onset, but Powerhouse Hobbs savagely trucked him over with a short-arm clothesline.
The Team Taz member pummelled Black with splashes in the corner, but the latter answered with two chops. An unfazed Hobbs barely broke a sweat as he nailed Baron with a perfect spinebuster for the win.
Result: Powerhouse Hobbs def. Baron Black on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: C
Baron Black's wait for his first AEW win continues.
KiLynn King vs. Yuka Sakazaki on AEW Dark: Elevation
The finalist of the AEW Women's title tourney's Japanese bracket, Yuka Sakazaki, got a positive reaction from the crowd upon her return.
KiLynn weathered the early storm and got into a shoulder tackle battle with her opponent. King got the better of the exchange before delivering two arm drags.
Yuka reversed a wheelbarrow suplex by sending King to the ringside area. Sakazaki leaped off the turnbuckle and flattened King outside with a senton.
Yuka missed her next top-rope move and got stuck on the apron. King viciously drove her opponent's neck onto the apron's edge, and the bump looked legitimately dangerous. The referee checked up on Yuka, and she thankfully seemed alright. Her head and back area slammed against the hardest part of the ring; she sold it like an actual bump.
King used her size to get a two-count with a running back elbow strike and a low-angle uppercut. Sakazaki punched her way back into the match and bought some time with what looked like a botched overhead throw.
King's hip landed on Yuka's head, but the Japanese star didn't sell the effects of the impact. She went up top and delivered a spinning elbow strike. Yuka landed a missile dropkick, but King stayed in the match and executed a pump handle side slam.
KiLynn kept up the pressure with a step-in lariat for another near fall. Yuka took advantage of King's frustrations with the hammerlock pick-up and a flat belly bump. Yuka swung King around on her shoulders and set her up for the Magical Girl splash.
Result: Yuka Sakazaki def. KiLynn King on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B
The Acclaimed & Chaos Project vs. Gunn Club & Varsity Blonds (w/ Julia Hart) on AEW Dark: Elevation
The Acclaimed got the best pop amongst all the teams in the next AEW match, and they are supposed to be heels! That should tell you all about Max Caster and Anthony Bowens' bright future.
Caster used a classic heel tactic by taking a shot at the Miami Heat, and the cheers from the Miami crowd instantly turned to boos. The variety of personalities and talents in this match was genuinely fascinating.
Pillman and Bowens got the match rolling with an exchange of chin locks and snap mare takeovers. Flying Brian brought the thunder with a knife-edged chop before tagging Garrison.
The babyfaces made quick tags as the Gunn Club members entered the match. Billy Gunn got a massive pop, and Bowens used the veteran's delayed approach to tag Serpentico.
Papa Gunn dropped Serpentico with a side slam. Colten came in and got scoop slammed onto Serpentico, a page out of the Chaos Project rulebook.
Variety Blonds replicated the double-team scoop slam move as Serpentico was in a world of trouble. Bowens created a distraction which helped Serpentico to deliver a dropkick.
Platinum Max found the perfect time to get the tag as he deployed a methodical pace to the matchup. The Acclaimed executed a backstabber/neckbreaker combo for a two-count.
Bowens continued the onslaught on Pillman, who covered up to protect himself from the ground and pound.
The Original Death Dealer was next to get a piece of the action, and he predictably used Serpentico as a weapon by slamming his partner onto Brian.
Serpentico wasted some time showboating, and paid for it by finding no one home with a corner strike. Pillman created some space before making the tag to Colten Gunn.
The rangy athlete took out all the heels with lariats. He worked in tandem with Garrison to deliver splashes in the corner.
A tilt-a-whirl side slam got Colten a two-count as Luther had to break up the pin. Billy Gunn landed a clean right before sliding out of the ring for Brian Pillman's springboard clothesline to get the job done on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Result: Gunn Club & Varisy Blonds def. The Acclaimed & Chaos Project on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: A
Caster took to the mic and teased, dropping a freestyle on the Varisty Blonds after the match. The Acclaimed stated that they wanted the AEW Tag Team titles, and the only team standing in their way was the No. #2 ranked Blonds.
The Acclaimed challenged them to a match for the contenders' spot. Garrison and Prillman then attacked The Acclaimed after a series of incoming insults.
The AEW heels unsurprisingly scrammed to the back, but not before throwing a jacket right in Julia Hart's face.
Brian Cage vs. Dark Order's Alan "5" Angels on AEW Dark: Elevation
The Dark Order member outsmarted the FTW Champion with his agility to start the AEW Dark: Elevation match. Angels used the dropkick to tremendous effect as he knocked Brian Cage out of the ring.
The Machine caught Alan in mid-air and effortlessly tossed him back inside. Cage followed it with a deadlift suplex and a few precise strikes.
Angels got back with his speed and evasive movements before completing the sequence with a lariat. Alan hit his very own 'This Is Gonna S***' move against the ropes and proceeded to the top for a beautiful moonsault.
Cage tipped the scales in his favor by first delivering a fluid spinebuster, followed by a brutal backbreaker to the knee. The FTW Champion picked Angels up with ease and finished the match with the Drill Claw.
Result: Brian Cage def. Dark Order's Alan "5" Angels on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: C
Jungle Boy spoke about being the first AEW wrestler to cross 50 wins in a backstage segment. He also had a message for his scheduled opponent for the evening, Lee Johnson.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Kelsey Heather (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark: Elevation
Leyla's powerful wrestling base proved difficult for Kelsey Heather to deal with as the AEW debutant desperately clutched onto the ropes.
Heather missed her pump kick and got laid out with a German suplex. A running knee strike and the inevitable armbar got AEW's most "Legit" performer a victory!
Result: Leyla Hirsch def. Kelsey Heather (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: D
Scorpio Sky (w/ Ethan Page) vs. Shawn Dean on AEW Dark: Elevation
Scorpio Sky took Shawn Dean to the mat with a leg trip to begin the match. The Captain executed some eye-catching offense, but Sky was a sly customer as he suckered Dean into an explosive facebuster.
Shawn attempted to fight back from his knees before swinging through for two big lariats. He pumped up the crowd with a clean DDT and a high running dropkick in the corner.
Ethan Page freaked out as Dean got two incredibly close pinfalls. Shawn Dean tried for a backslide, but Scorpio Sky got his opponent in the fireman's carry position for the TKO finisher.
Result: Scorpio Sky def. Shawn Dean on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B
Next, Mark Sterling dropped a "bombshell" announcement regarding his star client, Jade Cargill.
Jade is heading to Hollywood, and she had a typically boastful promo for all the 'peasants' of AEW in the press conference-style backstage segment.
Tay Conti vs. Labrava (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark: Elevation
Tay Conti got a top star's reception, and Paul Wight also put her over as one of the faces of AEW.
The former WWE star wasted no time and got down to her strong judo basics with some effective throws. She pump-kicked Labrava in the chin, and the AEW debutant tried to abandon the match.
Conti dragged her opponent back into the ring and used the ropes for a choke. Labrava took control of the match with many elbows in the corner. Conti, however, moved out and landed some stiff elbows followed by twin clotheslines.
Tay sunk her feet into Labrava's face with two perfect pump kicks. The Brazilian star got the win by putting Labrava to sleep with the TayKO.
Result: Tay Conti def. Labrava (AEW Debut) on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B
Jungle Boy (w/ Luchasaurus) vs. Lee Johnson (w/ Dustin Rhodes) on AEW Dark: Elevation
On paper, this match looked like a sure-shot AEW Dark classic and also a potential future AEW world title rivalry based on the hype surrounding both men.
Johnson and Jungle Boy circled the ring, shook hands, and kicked off the highly-anticipated contest with an even battle of arm drags and kip-ups.
They canceled each other out before Jungle Boy delivered a high dropkick. He lost his early momentum after Johnson executed a neckbreaker.
They continued to have a back-and-forth match, as Jungle Boy took it to the next level with a hurricanrana to the outside. Johnson and Jungle Boy beat the ten count and continued to punish each other in the ring.
Johnson trapped Jungle Boy in the fireman's carry position before delivering the airplane spin. They both got dizzy, and Jungle Boy hit a clutch DDT.
Johnson somehow regained consciousness and responded with a massive blue thunder powerbomb for a near fall. Back on the feet, Jungle Boy found a new gear with a german suplex. He placed Johnson on the top buckle in a tree of woe position.
Jungle Boy came running through for a basement dropkick. Big Shotty reversed a pump handle pickup into a cradle pinfall.
Lee rocked his opponent with a modified Death Valley Driver and a straight kick to the face. Jungle Boy then kicked out of the pin, hitting a brainbuster and his death valley driver for yet another near fall.
The Jurassic Express member missed a running lariat before indulging in an extensive sequence of pinfalls. He held on to get the three-count.
Result: Jungle Boy def. Lee Johnson (w/ Dustin Rhodes) on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: A
Jungle Boy gave Johnson the respect after an evenly-contested AEW match. These two will cross paths again in the future, and we're confident that the stakes will be much higher.
Red Velvet vs. Leila Grey on AEW Dark: Elevation
Red Velvet started the match strong with a single-leg lariat and a split thrust kick on the apron.
Leila Grey had a brief phase of dominance with a few dropkick combinations. Red Velvet saw an opening and cracked Grey in the back with a running double knee strike.
A standing moonsault press wasn't enough for Velvet to win, and she had to connect with her Chef's Kiss finisher.
Result: Red Velvet def. Leila Grey on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: D
Indian star Jora Johl cut a promo in Hindi and accepted Matt Hardy's offer to be a part of the Hardy Family Office.
He spoke about his desire to be a role model for the Indian people and explained that joining forces with Matt Hardy was the only way to achieve his dreams in the United States.
Private Party & Jora Johl vs. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta on AEW Dark: Elevation
Before the AEW match started, Jora cemented his heel turn by unveiling a Milwaukee Bucks jersey during his entrance with Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy. The Indian star, however, looked reluctant as he wore the shirt as per Matt Hardy's orders.
Taylor's scoop slam got an awkward scream out of Kassidy, and Wheeler Yuta entered and continued the excellent work for his team.
Private Party worked together to send Yuta outside before Quen wiped him out with a front flip dive.
Kassidy and Quen used all the underhanded tactics to keep Wheeler Yuta in their corner. Wheeler connected with two kicks and a double dropkick from the top to buy some time for the hot tag.
Jora Johl finally got the tag, and he pulled the jersey off. Yuta also got Orange Cassidy into the match, who engaged in a standing switch tussle with Jora.
Cassidy picked up momentum and took Private Party out with a tope suicida. Chuck laid out Jora with an STO before Yuta came down with a frog splash.
Kassidy saved the match for his team by breaking the pin. Private Party hit the Silly String move on Yuta, which forced Taylor to save the match for the babyfaces.
Taylor took Kassidy out with a plancha on the outside. Cassidy was tasked with dealing with Quen and did so with a perfect Orange punch. In the meantime, Yuta isolated a vulnerable Jora Johl to get a roll-up win.
Result: Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta def. Private Party & Jora Johl on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B+
Jora Johl's tryout match didn't go as planned, but the storyline is most likely building up to a major surprise.
Julia Hart (w/ Varsity Blonds) vs. Hikaru Shida on AEW Dark: Elevation
Both women got the co-main event of the show underway with a hammerlock.
The former AEW Women's Champion connected with a stiff dropkick and a running knee strike while Hart was on the apron. Shida landed another knee strike in the ring as she urged Hart to raise the level of her game.
Julia Hart delivered two clotheslines and a running back elbow strike. Hikaru kicked out of Julia's splitting leg drop and evaded the running Bulldog.
Hart showed her resiliency by fighting out of a pinfall and blocking the subsequent suplex. Shida caught a leg kick and dropped Hart with a tailbone buster.
The Japanese star finished the match by applying a tight straight-jacket muffler lock.
Result: Hikaru Shida def. Julia Hart on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B
AEW Dark: Elevation Main Event - Darby Allin (w/ Sting) vs. Angelico (w/ Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy)
The crowd popped the hardest for Sting and Darby Allin as the duo came out for one of the biggest matches in AEW Dark: Elevation's short history.
Angelico and Darby Allin started the main event with an aggressive collar and elbow tie-up.
The former TNT Champion was just too quick for Angelico as he moved around like an absolute ninja in the ring! The TH2 member, though, used his veteran in-ring experience to hurt Darby Allin's left knee.
Angelico had found a body part to exploit, and he began executing a solid game plan. Allin fought back with a wristlock, but Angelico forced a rope break.
Angelico paint brushed Allin's face with a big boot followed by a simple body drop. Darby Allin continued to get a lot of punishment on his left leg but still managed to block a suplex on the top.
He scored a two-count with a sunset flip and kept Angelico on the mat with two more pinning combinations. Darby delivered a massive stunner before proceeding to the top for the Coffin Drop.
Result: Darby Allin def. Angelico on AEW Dark: Elevation
Grade: B-
The post-match angle saw Christian Cage rush to the ring to help Allin and Sting in a brawl with the Hardy Family Office. Christian took care of Matt Hardy while Sting executed Stinger splashes on the remaining H.F.O. members.
Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky joined the party but refrained from getting physical with Sting and Allin.
The show didn't end until Sting took the microphone and had a message for a fantastic Miami crowd. Sting declared, "AEW wins again," before passing the mic over to Darby Allin. The former TNT titleholder had one final address to Ethan Page before their Coffin match at AEW Fyter Fest.
Check out the latest AEW Dark: Elevation episode above and share your reviews and thoughts in the comments section.
