Wrestling

AEW Dark Elevation recap: The Juice is loose!

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AEW

Episode 103 of AEW Dark: Elevation is in the books. If you missed the live broadcast click here for the Cageside Seats stream. Paul Wight and Matt Menard called the action tonight. Here we go!

Juice Robinson vs. Fuego Del Sol

Fuego was taking his first singles match of 2023 on this episode. That feels strange since it’s almost March. Robinson brought a record of 2-0 on Elevation to date. Menard was very excited about seeing “Rock Hard” on this episode. He dared Fuego to go chest to chest with him, then lost a shoving match back ad forth and got rolled up for a near fall. A sunset flip and another roll up both got a two count from Aubrey Edwards. Fuego tried to finish it with a tornado DDT early and Robinson cut him off. Menard: “I mean what is he thinking against a veteran like that?”

Robinson hit punches to the head while Fuego was grounded, then threw him into the ropes and pancaked him on the rebound. Robinson tried to untie the mask and Edwards was having none of it. This fired up Fuego for the comeback and an enzuigiri sent Robinson reeling. Wight: “Strike now Fuego! Strike now!” Menard: “Fuego’s got a shot here Paul!” Robinson rolled out to recover and Fuego gave chase, doing a springboard moonsault to the floor to knock him down. He threw Robinson back in and hit a flying knee. He went for a tornado DDT again and got cut off and dropped body first across the ropes. Back senton by Juice for a two count. He went back to untying the mask and yelled that he hates lucha libre. Cannonball into the corner. He nearly got rolled up during an exchange of punches, then ripped the mask off and hit a DDT for the cover. The crowd booed loudly and Menard quipped “The Juice is loose!” Wight: “Maybe next time Fuego will tie a double knot in that mask.”

Athena vs. Evelyn Carter (ROH Women’s Title Eliminator Bout)

Athena brought a record of 14-0 on Elevation to this match. Carter was waiting for her in the ring to make her AEW debut. Athena’s title was not on the line here, but Carter would earn a future world title shot with a win. Now we all know well and good that’s not going to happen. Athena gave her a cheap shot and threw her into the ring post right away. Running knee, stomps, and a baseball slide dropkick off the apron to the floor. Carter sold her back and struggled to get up. Athena came out to hit her with a right and Cater tried to give as good as she got, but she got overwhelmed and thrown over the barricade. Athena: “This is my ring! This is my show!”

Mike Posey tried to get the action back in the ring but Athena broke the count and went right back to give Carter a dropkick while she was hung over the barricade. Menard: “Man she’s really being put through the ringer here.” Athena threw her back in and Carter tried a couple of roll ups to no avail, then got put in a crossface for the submission. It wasn’t a 100% one-sided match, but it was 90-95%. Licking the title belt after she wins is creepy, but in a good way. Smashing Carter’s face into it after the bell was the exclamation point on the match.

The Firm (Lee Moriarty & Big Bill) w/ Stokely Hathaway vs. Zack Zilla & Warren Johnson

This was The Firm’s tag team debut on Elevation. Johnson and Zilla were making their 2023 debut as their opponents, which means it’s not their first time on AEW, and as such they also got to do a little more in the ring than you’d expect — at least until Bill decided to kill them all by himself. He even danced before and brushed some dirt off his shoulders while doing it. Hathaway was all smiles watching. He tagged in Moriarty for what Wight called “muay thai strikes.” I don’t think they’d win any muay thai fight but he’s entitled to his opinion. Zilla and Johnson got a little more shine until Moriarty tagged Bill and hit a suicide dive to the outside. Back in the ring their dazed and confused foe was hoisted high in the air by both men and driven down with authority for the pin. Bill grabbed his chin and talked a little smack after the bout was over before celebrating.

Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Willow Nightingale, Madison Rayne & Leva Bates (w/ Skye Blue)

Rose, Shafir and Sakura brought a 2023 record of 1-0. The faces came out to Nightingale’s music and she ran laps around the ring to pump up the crowd. I’m excited to see her too but multi-person matches on Elevation are +very+ hit or miss.

Rose beat up Bates, tagged in Sakura, and Bates tagged in Rayne. Hair pulling, turnbuckle shot, tag to Shafir. Kicks and a judo throw. Shafir attacked everyone in the face corner and tagged Rose back in. Rose stretched Rayne out over her right knee and then sat right on her face with a leg drop. Menard: “Just cover her. It’s over!” She did not. She tagged in Sakura. Sakura hit a crossbody and tagged Shafir. That’s how it goes in these multi-person matches. Bang bang bang. Vickie tried to interfere on the outside and Skye ran over to make the save. Rayne elbowed her way free from Shafir to tag Nightingale. Spinebuster for two and everybody hit the ring. Bates got tagged in and the heels missed it, but to be fair I almost did too. They tried and failed to pin Nightingale, but Rose hit a Beast Bomb to pin Bates, so in the end it didn’t make any difference. This was a slightly better than usual cluster truck of a six woman bout, but it made me look forward to the squash match to come next.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Sal Muscat

Hobbs brought a 2023 record of 4-0 to the ring. Muscat was waiting for him with a record of 0-1. The nicest thing I can say about Muscat’s appearance is “dime store Logan Paul.” He offered Hobbs a handshake and immediately got taken advantage of, and I would not have settled for anything less. Hobbs pulled him up by the hair, missed a clothesline, got hit with an enzuigiri, then plowed into Muscat as he was by the ropes and hit a massive spinebuster. The Laredo crowd chanted “one more time” but Hobbs put Muscat on his shoulders instead and gave the crowd and Muscat a F-U for the pin. I guess we should call it something else when Hobbs does it.

Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Evil Uno, Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta vs. Matt Hardy, Ethan Page, Isiah Kassidy, The Butcher & The Blade

Page and Hardy interrupted the Hardy entrance music just to let Butcher & Blade come out first. The group was listed as “making their 10-man debut” as if we’re keeping records that matter for such a division. The Dark Order came out first for their side, then the Best Friends got their own entrance, and they too were “making their 10-man debut.” I now take back everything I said about the six woman match earlier. That was not a cluster. +This+ match is a total cluster.

Page and Uno was easily the best part of this affair. I’m not saying they knew each other well from the Canadian independent circuit, but I’m pretty convinced they’ve done this match before somewhere — this time they had to do it in the middle of an overbooked mess. We got a Sole Food, Dark Order running a train, a Side Effect, Zay hitting a Swanton, Uno with a big boot, Page getting hit with a Twist of Fate after he failed to hit Uno with it, and Uno being dragged outside so Butcher & Blade could Drag the Lake. Double suicide dive from Reynolds and Silver in response. Zay hit a dive of his own and said “You like that? I like that too.” Zay and Hardy bonked heads, Beretta hit a superkick, and somehow that knocked him down too. Zay went for a tag and Page jumped off the apron to attend to Matt Hardy. Zay and Beretta exchanged roll ups. Best Friends did the double team Strong Zero for the pin. Absolute complete chaos.

Lucha Bros (w/ Alex Abrahantes) vs. Tony Nese & Ari Daivari (w/ “Smart” Mark Sterling)

Nese & Daivari brought a 2023 record of 1-2. Sterling: “In Texas it is illegal to emit noxious orders in elevators. That’s very sad for you fat slobs because it means you have to take the stairs. Callate!” He went on a long rant about the Lucha Bros losing all of their titles and then threatened to take their masks too. The Lucha Bros were making their 2023 tag team debut here, and again that’s weird because it’s mid-February, but it’s definitely injury related in this case. Tony Schiavone replaced Paul Wight on commentary for the main event.

Nese flexed a bicep in Penta’s face. Penta made a show of taking off his right glove and throwing it to Abrahantes, then gave Nese the Zero Miedo hand sign before he got shoved and kicked. Daivari got tagged in but the double team failed as Fenix ran in for the save and a double baseball slide to the outside. They got in Sterling’s face against the barricade and distraction allowed the heels to take over. Penta was hung in the tree of woe as Nese laid on his back and did some ab work. Nese mocked the Zero Miedo and ate an enzuigiri. Daivari tagged in. The heels cut off the ring to work Penta over and Fenix got knocked off the apron before his brother could crawl to make the tag. That means Penta had to hit a series of slingblades before he could finally get there, and Schiavone erupted with joy. Double superkick in the middle and a cutter by Fenix for a two count on Daivari. Penta tagged back in and Sterling got on the apron to distract him and cause him to bonk heads with Fenix. Penta and Fenix hit thrust kicks on everyone. Sterling ran in and Abrahantes ran in to cut him off. Double team Fear Factor on Nese and Penta made the pin to pick up their first (but far from last) win of 2023!

What to watch/skip

This week’s “what to watch/skip” is brought to you by “Know the Ledge” from Eric B. & Rakim — after all it’s all about “crazy juice.” At times the booking order mystifies me. I realize in Laredo you play to the house by putting the Lucha Bros on last, but for the TV/YouTube viewers you can shuffle the deck, and Juice Robinson vs. Fuego Del Sol was the most competitive match of the show. It’s my “must watch” for this episode. Watch the main event and the Powerhouse Hobbs squash too. Skip the ten man. Everything else was bueno.

Cageside commentary crew! Share your thoughts in the comments section below, as well as your pro wrestling talk in general. Who was your favorite “enhancement talent” this week? I want to know. See you tomorrow night too for AEW Dark!

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