18th Jan2023

‘AEW Dark: Elevation – Episode 98’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Welcome back to another review of AEW Dark: Elevation, which features a sub-1 hour show this week, with only 8 matches on the card, which pleases me a LOT! We’ve got Paul Wight and Matt Menard on commentary, so let’s get into the review.

Match #1: Emi Sakura, Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose def. Johnnie Robbie, Vipress and Zyra

My Thoughts: This match saw a return to the Shafir/Rose/Vickie squabbles that we’ve seen previously – they’re obviously building to the split between the trio but at the same time I’ve enjoyed the teaming of Nyla Rose’s intensity with Vickie Guerrero’s brash attitude and I’ll miss it when the split does happen. As for this match? It felt more like an angle than a match but still, an AEW quasi-squash is still an AEW quasi-squash!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #2: Daniel Garcia def. Kevin Blackwood

My Thoughts: I expected this to be a quick squash for Garcia but instead we got a decent little match, with Garcia getting to flex his skills, whilst Blackwood managed to stand out even in defeat.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #3: Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver) def. Nick Ruiz, Zack Clayton and Ari Daivari

My Thoughts: I’m guessing the Trustbusters are no more then? Daivari seems to be tagging with anyone and everyone these days so it certainly looks like it. Good. It was a shit gimmick. I’m just disappointed that the Dark Order didn’t just demolish their opponents in this one – they need to be rebuilt into a beast-mode faction now the numbers have been trimmed, just to get them back into a decent spot on the roster.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #4: La Faccion Ingobernable (Rush and Preston Vance) def. Misterioso and Diego Valens

My Thoughts: Now THIS is how the Dark Order should’ve been booked in their match. Rush and Preston Vance make for an immensely badass team and honestly, I’m enjoying Rush as the leader of La Faccion Ingobernable rather than Andrade!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #5: Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy and Brandon Cutler def. Peter Avalon, Nick Nemeth and SAP (Luther and Serpentico)

My Thoughts: This was a fun match, as all the recent Page/Kassidy/Hardy matches have been. As a bonus we get to see them kick the arses of Nemeth and SAP. Which brought a smile to my face. Kassidy, as he did in their last match, seems to be shining outside of the Private Party gimmick too.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #6: Brian Cage def. Willie Mack

My Thoughts: Goddamn this was a good, nay GREAT, match between the two big men. In fact this was something of a perfect pairing given that both guys are huge but also nimble – plus we got to relive the duos Lucha Underground days! Anyone notice we’ve gotten a few LU reduxes in AEW recently? It’s also as if Tony Khan is giving the audience what they want?!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #7: Athena def. Zeda Zhang

My Thoughts: Isn’t it about time AEW moved on from these Athena squash matches? They’ve gone on longer than Masha Slamovich’s squash run in Impact and that felt like forever! Athena needs to start moving up, and through, the women’s roster dong these same matches and not just face enhancement talent.

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #8: Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) def. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta & The Butcher and The Blade

My Thoughts: This was a great main event and I’m LOVING how TOp Flight are being booked right now – they’re facing decent competition and come out of every match, win or lose like champs. They’re building momentum to what, I hope, will be a tag title shot by the end of 2023. Seriously, I think seeing Top Flight beat The Acclaimed is the ONLY way fans will accept the scissor-happy tag team being dethroned. And it needs to be in a banger of a match too – like the one’s The Acclaimed had against Swerve in our Glory.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3/5

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