AEW Dark: Elevation Episode 8 5/2/2021

AEW Dark: Elevation Episode 8 5/2/2021

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/05/aew-dark-elevation-episode-7-4262021.html

Miro vs Will Allday

Miro throws off Will to start. Will tries to fight back with shots but is knocked down with just one and hits a dropkick. Will tries to splash him in the corner but is caught and takes a belly to belly. Will gets thrown into the buckles hard and takes some knees. Miro has visible grey hair and misses a corner splash.

Will topes Miro on the outside but is pushed back on it and takes a weird landing on his back. Will puts Miro into the post and comes off the top in the ring into a superkick. Miro then wins with the camel clutch in a match that went longer than it needed to. 

Abadon vs Ryo Mizunami

This match should not be happening. Abadon shouldn't take bumps or look weak and Ryo shouldn't be losing here.

Ryo runs her over early and then Abadon scares her out. Ryo does her awful machine gun chops and Abadon bites her arm. Abadon bangs Ryo's head off the mat multiple times. Ryo is sat on the mat and Abadon crossbodies her from that position. Ryo hits some combo forearms and drops her with a lariat, then lariats her against the ropes and she falls over again.

Ryo leg lariats her from behind then lariats her down again later. She goes to the corner and gets a big lariat back from Abadon. Ryo hits a high uranage on her then spears her. She misses a leg drop from the top. Abadon then hits the cemetary driver/gory special neckbreaker for the win.

Abadon took way too much offense here, doing tons of bumping when characters like hers should never be bumping. Her gear is also too revealing for the type of character she is portraying. 

Jon Moxley vs Andrew Palace

Mox hits some shoulders early and does snow angles on the ramp after one. Mox pounds on AP a bit and AP hits a hard backdrop on Mox's head. Mox comes back through with a pile driver and a choke for the win.

10 vs D3

10 drops D3 with a forearm early. D3 then is caught with a rope-assisted wheelbarrow german suplex. D3 then takes a delayed vertical suplex and some clotheslines. D3 is caught with a spinebuster and is put in the full nelson for the quick 10 squash win.

Orange Cassidy vs VSK

VSK thankfully tries to stop OC's pockets stuff early. Somehow OC pulls down VSK's wrists to walk on his back which wasn't believeable. VSK goes for something like an F5 but is brought down with a DDT. VSK blocks an orange punch attempt but takes a beach break right after and loses in a quick squash.

FTR vs The Hughes Brothers

The HB's seem like they have new red and black gear. Cash rides one of the HB's early and rubs his face in the mat. Terell takes a double headbutt. One of the brother tries to climb on the other's back but screws up and does a lame headbutt from it. The other brother then gets a guh punch combo by Dax in the corner.

Terrence blocks a Cash suplex and gives him one of his own then both tag out. Terrell hits some lariats and backdrops Dax, then powerslams Cash. One of the brothers takes a spike piledriver and FTR wins it. The Hughes Brothers still have some work to do but Terrence has some signs of potential.

There's a Madi Wrenkowski match that I'll be skipping thanks to her male opponent. Please get Madi out of this feud, thank you.

Nick Comorto vs Baron Black

Nick hits some big forearms early and Black does this unique slide on the mat after getting his head banged off the buckles. Nick then throws Black.

Black gets a couple of shots in and takes a back elbow. Black spin chops Nick and takes a knee to the gut after. Nick then hits a very hard powerbomb in a decent squash. Black deserves better though.

Red Velvet vs Reka Tehaka

Reka is from America Samoa. She mocks Red by doing her taunt early. Red hits some single leg dropkicks and punch combos her in the gut. Reka hangs her on the top rope and pump kicks her down. Reka hits a samoan drop with no meat behind it at all.

Reka misses a charge in the corner and takes some running lariats. Red double knees her against the ropes and standing moonsaults her. Reka hits a cool headbutt but Red comes back with a spin kick to the face and wins it. It was fine for what it was.

Private Party vs Duke Davis and Ganon Jones

They said Due and Jones are 6'5 and are from Pittsburgh and they do look quite tall. Kassidy slaps Duke and gets punched back. PP takes cheap shots at their opponents and Kassidy dropkicks Duke through the ropes. Quen then flip dives onto him.

PP double teams Duke. Jones gets in and fights off both then does a corkscrew swanton onto both opponents. Quen does a springboard sunset flip on Jones and wins it. Hardy held Duke's foot to stop him from interrupting the count, though it wasn't clear. It's probably just a matter of time until Duke and Jones get signed.

Willow Nightingale vs Thunder Rosa

Rosa trips her and puts her into something like an STF before Willow gets out. Rosa takes over and chops her hard in the corner. Willow hits a big face kick then cartwheels into a superkick on Rosa.

Rosa lariats her in the corner and goes through the ropes then pendulum knees her. She then dropkicks her hard as she lays against the bottom rope. Rosa neckbreakers her for 2 and Willow comes back with a one handed olympic slam. Rosa grabs her from the top and does a seated tombstone for the win. Willow didn't get a lot in here.

Dillon McQueen vs QT Marshall

Dillon McQueer is more like it. Dillon frolicks to the ring. QT slaps him hard and is getting face pops out of me for that. Dillon fights back with forearms then is running lariated. QT back elbows him then hits some short punches to the face. Dillon's nose gets busted open and he comes back with more forearms. He lariats QT and falls over and Solow trips him. QT then cutters him after and pulls him up at the 2 count. QT then hits a cross rhodes for the win. If McQueen had a normal gimmick, he might be all right. QT then piledrivers him on the steps after.

Colten and Austin Gunn vs Chaos Project

Austin and Luther tell each other to shut up to start. Colten hip tosses Serp early then he does his slam dunk splash in the corner. He then does his strutting neckbreaker and Serp goes to hug Luther.

Luther takes over on Austin for a bit and uses Serp as a weapon onto Austin. Luther splashes Serp into Austin. Luther slams Austin and Serp teases coming off the top with something, but drops down then drops a knee in a dumb spot.

Serp has Austin for a DDT then Luther runs over and puts Serp down to finish the ddt. Colten finally gets the hot tag and hits some nice splashes on both opponents. He hits Luther with a nice dropkick. Austin does a high slingshot reverse blockbuster and Colten hits a colt 45 to win. The Colt 45 is a double underhook suplex into a neckbreaker. Colten looked good here but I really have no idea why this went on so long.

5 and Colt Cabana vs The Blade and Matt Hardy

Bryce the ref says only 2 can be at ringside here when he typically might let 10 people at ringside if they want. Colt is thrown out early. 5 hits a lariat on Blade and pounds on him. 5 does corner punches on Blade then throws Blade into a Colt elbow.

Matt tries a cheap shot on Colt, but Blade then hits his own cheapshot and Colt takes on all of Hardy's crew outside. Blade works on Colt for a bit and Hardy joins in on that. Colt hits a butt bump from the buckles on Blade and tags out to 5.

5 gets the hot tag and splashes Blade across the ropes. 5 does a standing spanish fly on Blade and Hardy hits a side effect on him for 2. Hardy takes a spin kick from 5. PP pulls out 5 to the outside as Bunny distracts the ref. Colt dives on PP from the ramp and Uno fights one of the PP members to the back. 5 is pushed off the top by Blade then is put in Hardy's leech hold for the win.

This went too long and wasn't anything too special.

Overall thoughts: It's Elevation. It's mostly a squash match show and rarely is anything special, and this was no exception.