‘AEW Dark: Elevation – Episode 68’ Review
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW Dark: Elevation which sees the show get back to a longer card, featuring seven matches this week. We’ve got Excalibur, Anthony Ogogo and Mark Henry on commentary and Serena Deeb and Mercedes Martinez re-teaming for more women’s tag action! Let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Serena Deeb and Mercedes Martinez def. Heather Reckless and Tootie Lynn
My Thoughts: Serena Deeb and Mercedes Martinez are re-teaming once again for more tempestuous women’s tag team wrestling. The duo work together on a knife-edge and it has brought an interesting air of tension to their matches so far – and this one’s no different. Like their last pairing, this was an example of an AEW quasi-squash match, with Deeb and Martinez giving Heather Reckless and Tootie Lynn a modicum of space to TRY and get some offence in!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #2: Andrade El Idolo def. Frankie Kazarian
My Thoughts: THIS is what you get when you put two great talents together and give them a chance, and the time, to do their thing. I think this might be my favourite Andrade match in a while. This was a technical display that, like commentary said, should be watched by fans and AEW talent alike.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir def. Heidi Howitzer and Max the Impaler
My Thoughts: Two of the stand-out enhancement talents from last week’s show are back in AEW teaming together to take on two of the hardest women in the company! It’s great to see both Heidi Howitzer and Max the Impaler back on AEW programming, here’s hoping they become more regular talents as both fill spots that, I think, AEW needs to fill. Plus the women’s division needs more numbers!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee def. Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett
My Thoughts: Squash-tastic! This was more about the tension between Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee following the former’s actions in the Casino Battle Royale. Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett got about one move in each, so this wasn’t even a quasi-squash match!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #5: Anna Jay def. Rebel
My Thoughts: Rebel, wrestling on TV once again? You love to see it. Glad she’s back in action, even if this was a very short squash match.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #6: Tony Nese def. Warhorse
My Thoughts: Warhorse makes it two weeks in a row on AEW programming! We’re in quasi-squash territory here, with Nese giving Warhorse the time and space to showcase himself to the AEW audience – who clearly already love him given the reaction!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #7: Ruby Soho def. Miranda Gordy
My Thoughts: Ever get the feeling that the past two week’s Elevations were tapped simultaneously? We got ANOTHER enhancement talent from last week’s show, Miranda Gordy, appearing on this show. Her previous appearance was in a tag match but here she gets to go solo against Ruby Soho and does so in a fantastically heel way! This was more a fight than wrestling match as Gordy tried to beat the crap out of Soho for most of this one, with Soho pulling out a quick Destination Unknown out of nowhere to finally get the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #8: Matt Sydal def. QT Marshall
My Thoughts: This was possibly one of the slowest matches that Matt Sydal has had in AEW, as Marshall wrestled at his pace and Sydal had to slow down to fit. Otherwise this was a solid match, even if we have had another week with QT Marshall/The factory in the main event. Give someone else a chance maybe?
