Episode 85 of AEW Dark: Elevation is in the books! If you missed the live broadcast click here for the Cageside Seats stream. The announce team of Ian Riccaboni, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and Paul Wight called tonight’s show. Let’s get right into it!
Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford vs. Jeremy Prophet & Jessika Neri
Mixed tag team action from Toronto kicks off the show! Sabian & Ford are 2-0 as a team. Their opponents Prophet & Neri are teaming for the first time in AEW. Riccaboni put over that Prophet was a “prized student” of Jacques Rougeau. Sabian jumped in while Ford was wrestling so Prophet joined him for a test of strength. Sabian took him down and played conductor for the crowd. Prophet tried to backflip out over a hammerlock and failed, then ate a foot to the face. He reversed a whip to the corner but Sabian landed on the apron and held him in a choke while Ford hit a backspring elbow. Sabian played conductor in Toronto again and then put Prophet on his shoulders, but got reversed into a small package. Prophet also reversed a DDT attempt and tagged Neri. Riccaboni told us she was a high school teacher. Wight: “Ian does his research. He’s like Excalibur.” Sabian came back in for a shotgun dropkick and an anarchist suplex, but Neri broke it up. Wight: “Teachers break up fights!” Ford hit double knees and Sabian hit a second suplex to pick up their third win.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Matt Blackmon
Kazarian got a nice ovation from the Toronto crowd and brought a record of 12-4 in 2022 to this contest. His “already in the ring” opponent Blackmon was making his AEW debut here. A “S-C-U” chant broke out before Kazarian laid in some hard chops. Blackmon hit an eye poke and a drop kick then laid on some ground and pound. He threw a kick to the back and posed like he had already won, so Kazarian immediately laid into him with more chops. Scoop slam, springboard leg drop, double knees to the back, crossface chicken wing. This was as paint by the numbers as a Kaz match can get… but I’m not mad at it.
Athena vs. Jody Threat
Athena brought a record of 7-2 to this match along with her custom wings. Threat was waiting for her with no prior AEW record and jumped her before the opening bell. She went for a cover but only got a one count. Wight noted Threat was the hometown hero and that was backed up by a loud “Let’s go Jo-dy” chant. Sit out slam by Threat for a two count. Threat knocked her backward with a forearm to the face then took her over with a suplex for another near fall. More strikes in the corner. Irish whip. Threat missed a spear as Athena got out of the way. ‘Rana, forearms, kicks and ground and pound from Athena. The crowd roundly booed her for it. She picked her up in a delayed vertical and then just dropped her over the ropes straight to the floor. Running shotgun dropkick sent Threat into the barricade. Wight: “It doesn’t matter about getting booed. Athena is a competitor! If you’re going to be successful in this business you can’t be afraid to step on a few toes.” Back in the ring Threat surprised her with a roll up for a near fall. Athena hit the O Face, a drive by kick, and picked her up to hit inverted double knees for the pin. A fun and intense match!
The Butcher and The Blade vs. Voros Twins
The Voros Twins got their own entrance music and walk down the ramp as opposed to having to be “already in the ring” for their AEW debut. Butcher & Blade brought a record of 27-15 to the ring along with The Bunny, wearing a maple leaf jacket, bra and trunks for her return to Canada. She also lent a hand from the outside by choking one of the Twins through the ropes, which got a “Bun-ny” chant started. The announcers kept talking about the Twins being viral on social media, but I’ve never heard of them. Either way the two of them together wouldn’t way as much as The Butcher. They tossed one outside and Dragged the Lake with the other for the pin. Menard: “See ya bozos!!”
Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh (with Sonjay Dutt) vs. Dylan Davis & Junior Benito
Lethal and Singh brought a 3-0 record as a team to this contest. To the surprise of no one Davis & Benito were making their debut as a team in AEW. Dutt: “Toronto, Canada, hold on I’ve got something to say! I need to address the rumors that we might not be on the same page. Jay Lethal is the happiest he’s ever been! The three of us are a well oiled machine. I’m sorry guys but Satnam Singh, 7 foot 4, one in a million and…” and even though I pay for Premium I suddenly had to watch two political commercials when I tried to rewind it. I think he said “They’re going to kill you buddy.” Singh picked up both men for a double suplex and growled. Singh picked up Davis and spun him through the air like the blades of a helicopter and then stood on his chest for the pin. Lethal didn’t even have to tag in or do anything. He didn’t seem especially thrilled about that fact either.
Emi Sakura & Serena Deeb vs. Madison Rayne & Skye Blue
Sakura and Deeb were 21-11 and 27-8 respectively. Rayne and Blue were 2-2 and 9-10 respectively. Rayne offered Sakura a handshake and she offered a kick to the gut in return. Rayne responded with what Wight called “a nice low crossbody.” Nice wasn’t the word I’d use to describe it. Deeb tagged in and the crowd chanted for her. She pointed at Blue and Rayne was happy to oblige by tagging in her partner. Deeb took her down and talked across her back. Blue rolled her up for a one count in return. Rayne tagged back in and they double teamed Deeb for a bit, then Rayne returned the favor by walking across Deeb’s back. Menard berated “Dropkick” Mike Posey for letting all this double team action go on. “I thought this was a handicap match!” Sakura tripped Blue and Deeb hit a lariat before laying in grounded strikes. She was thrown to the heel corner and Sakura tagged in for tea time. “We will rock you” stomps, chops and crossbody. Deeb came back in. Swinging neck breaker for two. Sakura tagged in. Blue escaped a back breaker and hit a superkick for Rayne to tag in. Blue wiped out Sakura on the floor. Rayne hit a cutter for two. Sakura knocked Blue back first into the apron. Deeb put Rayne in the Serenity Lock for the tap. The right team won here. I don’t understand why everything Rayne does looks so awkward.
Gunn Club vs. Bollywood Boyz
The Bollywood Boyz were the second debuting team to get their own entrance on Elevation! Hailing from Vancouver they got a nice pro-Canadian pop from the Toronto fans. For those who don’t know they were previously known as Sunil and Samir Singh in WWE. The Gunns wore FTR shirts to the ring, brought a record of 12-3, and also brought cardboard belts that proclaimed them to be tag team champions. The “Ass Boys” chants started before their entrance music even ended.
The Bollywood Boyz tried to mock their opponents with a dance and got jumped from behind for the heat. Aubrey Edwards had about as much control over the double teaming as Mike Posey did previously. “Tighten it up!” Speaking of tightening it up, Colton Gunn sank in a tight rear chinlock while the crowd booed. Austin tagged in but a hot tag for the Boyz led to an inverted atomic drop for everyone and a near fall. Riccaboni: “They’re from out West. They’re barely Canadian.” Colton hit a Fameasser for two and then pulled up his opponent before making the pin. Then they hit the Big Rig just to mock FTR and made the pin. Oh well! Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Harv and Gurv.
What to watch/skip
What’s today’s knowledge of self? Stick to Ya Gunz! M.O.P. and the legendary Kool G. Rap are this week’s sponsors of “what to watch/skip” for Elevation. Please skip the women’s tag team match because Emi Sakura and Serena Deeb needed much better opponents than they got. I’m trying to decide if you should skip the main event too but you could watch it just to hear Toronto’s crowd reaction. I would have put the Boyz over after that one but it’s Tony Khan’s world not mine. Everything else was “okay” but Athena vs. Jody Threat was far and away the star of this episode.
Cageside commentary crew! Share your thoughts in the comments section below and find me on Twitter for even more wrestling talk. See you tomorrow night for AEW Dark!
