AEW ELEVATION: June 21, 2021
By Andy PG on June 21, 2021
The PG Era Rant for AEW Elevation Episode 15 (“This Space Available for Money”), June 21, 2021.
TONIGHT! Sea Stars’ Delmi Exo hopes to last longer than two minutes against the Native Beast, Nyla Rose! After last week’s post-match attack, it’s Matt Sydal looking to get even by facing TH2’s Jack Evans! And the future challenger for the AEW Title Jungle Boy Perry steps into the ring against Cezar Bononi!
PLUS – The Acclaimed, Jade Cargill, Spears and Wardlow, Penta and Kingston, Varsity Blonds, Will Hobbs, Kris Statlander, Matt Hardy, and FTR!
But first, Rampage debuts August 13.
Tony Schiavone is with Matt Sydal, talking about how last week Mike Sydal was attacked by TH2, and now he gets revenge tonight by taking on Jack Evans. He stands up for his brother. The brothers may be calm and cool, but they have claws and will fight back. Sydal sees through Evans and Hardy, and that’s our main event!
From the AEW Arena.
Opening match: FTR (Dash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (#4 team, 17-1) vs. the West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson) (0-4). A long-time indie tag team against FTR? Bring it!
Wheeler and Isaacs start. Wheeler gets a double wrist and tries to drag Isaacs to Harwood, which brings Nelson in and we get a standoff. Harwood is in now against Isaacs, and he gets a headlock. We go International~!, with Harwood sliding under Isaacs and they exchange armdrags. Nelson is brought in, and they toss Harwood into the corner. An Isaacs clothesline leads to an empty cover from Nelson. Harwood with a right cross to Nelson and he brings in Wheeler. Wheeler runs into a Nelson dropkick, and Isaacs returns for a hangman’s neckbreaker into a huge tandem sequence from the Crew. Isaacs gets one off of it, but they celebreated too much.
Harwood gets a blind tag and FTR lands a double front suplex on Isaacs. Harwood with an uppercut and chops in the corner, then a short lariat. He steps on Isaacs’ hand and stomps him down, then hooks an abdominal stretch. And of course he gets Wheeler to help him cheat. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t. Wheeler in with a sliding dropkick on Isaacs and he taunts Nelson in the corner. Wheeler boxes Isaacs, but Isaacs gets the better of that fight and escapes the corner only to be caught before the hot tag. He slips out the back of Wheeler and gets a release German for the double-down.
Hot tag Nelson, and he spears Harwood and gets a flying forearm on Wheeler. Back suplex on both guys in turn, but Harwood catches the boot on a charge and gets a dragon screw. Brainbuster follows, then Wheeler’s in to stomp the knee off the top. Wheeler disposes of Isaacs just to be safe, and Harwood comes in with the Trailer Hitch to win at 5:22. The Crew looked decent in defeat, but part of that is FTR is not built for squashes. *1/2
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone and A Two-Time Royal Rumble Runner-Up. Live on Saturday, it’s happening: Casino winner Jungle Boy Perry gets his title shot against Kenny Omega!
Nyla Rose (w/Vickie Guerrero) (#1 women, 13-2) vs. Delmi Exo (first singles match). Justin Roberts barely bothers to do his intro because he knows what’s happening. Does Justin Roberts believe Vickie is a nice person? He reluctantly says yes before Vickie tells him she hopes he goes far in life. And stays there. What’s the payoff to this?
Lockup, and Nyla just tosses Exo facefirst. Exo doesn’t like that and shoves her, so Nyla kicks her and gets a Samoan drop. Beast Bomb ends it at 37.6 seconds. Remind me NEVER to get on Nyla Rose’s bad side. NR
Rampage. It’s coming. Game On.
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) (#2 team, 11-3) vs. Baron Black and Tamilian Vineesh (no chyron). “Baron Black, I take your little crown / we’re the one team you don’t dare attack”. So he runs after Caster and gets smashed by Bowens. “Acclaimed: the #1 pick like Trevor Lawrence. I think that’s corporate synergy!” Then Bowens smacks Vineesh for trying his own hot start. Roberts: “Their opponents, on the mat right now…”
Bownes tosses Vineesh into the corner and keeps up the attack with chops. Hammer Throw and Vineesh is basically out. Caster in, and the Acclaimed do a double leg-sweep and sequential elbow drops. Caster stomps away, then imitates Eddie Guerrero. Caster with a corner spear on Vineesh, then a back suplex. The crowd does a You Can’t Rap chant as Vineesh gets a jawjacker on Caster. Hot tag Black (Bowens all but let him), and he runs through both guys finishing with a Manhattan Drop and backfist como on Bowens, then an atomic drop and Backstabber combo on Caster.
THE STRAPS ARE DOWN as Black gives Bowens a discus lariat in the corner, followed by an Exploder for one. Caster grabs Black’s foot in desperation, which gives Bowens enough time to cut off the charge and take over, leading to a brainbuster. Vineesh tags himself in and gets floored with a discus right. S-4 (Magic Killer) leads to the Mic Drop for the pin at 3:39. This felt like when Ronnie Garvin or Paul Roma was part of a Superstars enhancement team back in the 80s – Black got his offense in, but he had no chance of winning because he didn’t have a partner. 3/4*
Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison, w/Julia Hart) (#1 team, 13-4) vs. Bums R Us (Ray Beez and Milo Beasley) (debut). Oh man, we have an 80s NWA type act against the indiest idea I’ve ever seen. Beasley is keeping spare cash in his paper cup in his sweats. Also, “Ray Beez”, you know, like “rabies”?
There’s a Bum rush to start the match (easy joke), and they double-team Griff Garrison, then do a double boot choke in the corner. Beez tags in, and he lifts Beasley up for a Finlay Roll / cannonball combo in the corner (they call it the Dumpster Dive). It gets one. Beez goes up, but Pillman follows him and suplexes him off. Big boot from Garrison, and Beasley comes in to get BACK body dropped. Pillman in for a dropkick Hart Attack for the win at 1:48. Good to see them get a lightning win. NR
Kris Statlander (w/The Best Friends) (#5 women, 7-0) vs. Renee Michelle (0-4). Let’s see if Statlander is better than last time – her last couple of efforts have been somewhat sloppy. The good news is if it comes to that, they can just have her lose and drop out of the Top 5. Sidebar: Trent’s shorts. I don’t know what to make of that.
Lockup, and Kris gets a headlock takedown. Michelle stacks Kris for one to avoid a boop. Kris switches to a wristlock, Michelle reverses it, and Kris with a judo takedown. She ducks a spin kick and gets an abdominal stretch into before rolling her around and around, then stopping with a cradle for one. Michelle is dizzy, so she gets booped. She is NOT amused and nails a spinning sole kick, then evades Kris before dropkicking the knee and getting a legdrop for one. She slides to avoid a hammer throw, then gets a prone kick to Kris before running into a powerslam. (Orange Cassidy approves.)
Running uppercut in the corner leads to a running knee strike, then a deadlift German suplex for two. Kris was sure that would be three, for some reason. Kris runs into a rolling elbow, but comes back with an STO. Big Bang Theory (much cleaner than before) wins at 3:18. Letting Kris sell early in her matches to get into the groove feels like a better idea. * And now, we GOT to give the people what they want!
Taz has the mic and says that on Saturday night, Adam Page will meet his fate in Will Hobbs. Hobbs tells Hangman to put the whiskey down and asks if Page really thinks he can win. Hobbs tells Hangman to saddle up and leave the Ponderosa because he’s in for a beating. That’s just town business.
Matt Hardy (with Blade, Bunny, Kassidy, Evans, Angelico, and Quen) (10-3) vs. Jora Johl (“debut”). Yes, Johl has appeared here before, under his Beyond name of Robo the Punjabi Lion. When Butcher’s back, the HFO will have seven male bodies and one female – equal to the Dark Order. Make it happen.
Lockup, and Johl backs Matt into the corner, only to get reversed. Matt gives a clean break, but Blade grabs the leg and Matt takes over. He wraps Johl’s arm around the top rope and pounds on it. Armlock and twist, which leads to a chicken wing. He floors Johl and rides him down, then pulls Johl into the middle of the ring. Johl makes the ropes on second try, so Matt dumps Johl to the outside, where Johl is surrounded. But they let him return. Hardy continues the arm work with an armbreaker drop for two.
Back to the hammerlock, but Johl elbows out and boxes Matt. Matt with a clubberin, but Johl knocks him down with a shoulderblock and dropkick, then the Falcon Arrow for two. Johl goes up top, but his arm betrays him and Matt catches him up there. Superplex connects, then he mocks Christian’s “see the crowd” salute. Diving DDT follows, and the Twist of Fate ends it at 4:15. Why is Matt getting pushed as a wrestler? 1/2*
And Matt is given a mic and a chair, which he sits down on. Johl wisely rolls away as Matt asks for a moment of silence. Hardy says Jora has true potential. Johl, from India, is chasing the American Dream, but his papers have almost expired and he may have to leave the country. But, see, Matt Hardy can pull a few strings and keep Johl around. But it’ll cost Johl – he’ll have to start from the bottom doing menial labor for the rest of the Family Office. Johl can be a king with Matt’s help. Think about it. See, this is actually intriguing because Matt Hardy doesn’t have to wrestle.
Pinnacle (Shawn Spears (27-14) and Wardlow (14-5)) vs. Ryzin and Kal Herro. This is the first time teaming for both teams. No sign of Tully Blanchard, just as there was none with FTR, which is interesting. Ryzin (a demonic priest) and Herro (an 80s rocker) are the most mismatched team I’ve seen in a while.
Wardlow and Ryzin start. Ryzin throws air punches, maybe to mock Wardlow’s loss to Hager, so Wardlow gets a waistlock and throws him facefirst on the mat. Ryzin gets his own waistlock, Wardlow reverses, so Ryzin gets a back elbow and leaps at Wardlow. He slides out the back of a slam attempt, but Wardlow tosses him across the ring by the throat. Spears and Herro enter now, Spears gets arm control, then stops Herro from reversing and YANKS OFF HIS FANNY PACK. Oh, that was MEAN.
Herro does a half-dozen kip-ups to fool Spears before finally reversing and handing Spears off to Ryzin. Spears with a trip of Ryzin and he stomps him, then brings Herro in and pounds away on him even though there was no tag. Even commentary wonders what happened to make Spears mad. Wardlow tags in and calms Spears down, then gives Herro a Simmons spinebuster before a corner spears to Ryzin. Corner falling knee by Wardlow and Ryzin is OUT at 3:31. Something went screwy in that match. 1/2*
Powerhouse Hobbs (#5 men, 8-1) vs. Darien Bengston (debut). Hobbs gets Hangman Page on Saturday, as we saw earlier today. Hobbs comes out alone. Wight talks about how Taz has made Powerhouse Hobbs a meaner man.
Bengston backs up at the bell, so Hobbs allows him a free shot. He no-sells the calf kicks and powers Bengston down by the throat. He tosses Bengston into the post under the ropes, then gives him a round the post bow and arrow. Back in, he slams Bengston to set up Town Business for the win at 1:28. NR
Jade Cargill (w/Smart Mark Sterling) (7-0) vs. Robyn Renegade (0-4). I get a feeling this will continue the parade of quickies. Sterling is specifically introduced as her lawyer and not her manager. But before we begin, Sterling with a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: Cargill is the spokeswoman of the Black News Channel. (If you’re wondering, that’s a television network based in Tallahassee, run by JC Watts and with Shad Kahn as a primary investor.) But hey, Cargill will still take offers if they want Jade on their side.
Trash talking by both to start, then Renegade runs… straight into a pop-up Samoan Drop. Glam Slam follows for the pin at 38.3 seconds. We’re not wasting time tonight. NR
Jora Johl talks about having wrestled Matt Hardy and having his dream come true. Matt Hardy was his hero and idol in the business… but he’s changed. But Hardy DID offer him his dream of being a wrestler in America as part of the HFO. Johl says he’ll consider it, even though he thinks he shouldn’t do it.
Eddie Kingston (11-5) and Penta El Cero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes) (10-6) (1-0 together) vs. Vary Morales and Fuego Del Sol (0-1). One thing AEW does well is adjust to injuries. Moxley is on paternity leave and Fenix is hurt, so pair the spares. Fuego really wants Penta pre-match.
However, Kingston starts instead against Fuego. Kingston with a headlock, then a wristlock into a hiptoss. Fuego backs Kingston into the corner, but Kingston ducks a right and chops away. Fuego goes up and over and lands a corner spear to Kingston, but Kingston catches a kick only to get hit with an enzuigiri. Fuego runs into an STO, so Morales comes in off the top with a missile dropkick. Penta tags in, and he alley-oops Morales onto the top turnbuckle headfirst. SUPERKICK follows, then THE GLOVE IS OFF. This leads to the Silencio chop on Morales.
Penta ducks Morales, who flips out of a German attempt only to run into another SUPERKICK. He recovers with a springboard rana as Fuego tags in to dropkick Kingston off the apron. Fuego with a corkscrew plancha on Kingston, and Morales off the top with a rana (sort of) on Penta. Fuego wants a quebrada, but Kingston yanks him off the apron and throws him into the guardrail. He then catches Morales flying in with an Exploder on the floor, and back in, Fuego teases the TORNADO DDT OF DOOM only for Kingston to shove him off. Lariat by Kingston sets up a low SUPERKICK by Penta, and it’s Sacrifice time, which gets the pin at 3:48. Fuego and Morales got a nice flurry in, but Morales needs to work on his long jump if he’s gonna do that rana. 3/4*
Jungle Boy Perry (w/Jurassic Express) (Future AEW Title challenger, #1 men, 14-6) vs. Cezar Bononi (w/Wingmen) (4-6). You think Justin Roberts would be used to being cut off so that Bononi can drag Peter Avalon out on his Love Sled. Schiavone discusses how Kenny Omega talked tough but left in a golf cart on Dynamite.
Shotgun dropkick by Perry on the bell and he throws forearms, then ducks a chop and gets a few of his own. He ducks an overhead chop and kicks away, wearing Bononi down enough to try a lucha armdrag. Bononi blocks it, but Perry sticks and moves on Bononi until Avalon grabs the leg and Bononi knocks Perry off the apron. Avalon and Stunt have to be held back from fighting, which allows Bononi to back suplex Perry on the apron. Back in, Bononi stomps him and adds a kneelift. Perry lands on his feet on a hiptoss attempt but runs into a Steinerline for two.
Bononi with some CLUBBERIN, THEY BE CLUBBERIN TONY and a bottom rope choke. Avalon taunts Perry, then Bononi drags Perry back to the center of the ring and we HIT THE CHINLOCK. Bononi even turns Perry to face Stunt and show how Perry can’t reach the ropes. He throws Perry down by the hair to cut off a comeback, then gets his throw slam. Running back elbow follows, but a follow-up charge eats boot and Perry fires back. He can’t whip Bononi, so he instead ducks a clothesline and lands a dropkick. Bononi bails, so Perry dives onto him with a tope suicida. Back in, Perry catches Bononi in the gut and gets a step-up DDT for two.
Perry kicks Bononi’s legs out of his legs, but Bononi catches him with a cradle throwdown for two. Olympic Slam try, but Perry slides out the back, ducks a boot, and gets a casadora… except Bononi catches him into a reverse suplex for two. Perry goes deadweight when Bononi tries to pick him up, but gets a rebound lariat out of instinct. Snare Trap is applied, but Nemeth’s on the apron. Everybody fights on the outside, so Perry gets a SUPERKICK and sliding elbow to win at 6:39. Stunt gives Perry the Oscar post-match. Bononi looked real good here in the big/little formula. **
Jack Evans (w/Angelico and Matt Hardy) (17-29) vs. Matt Sydal (w/Mike Sydal) (8-3). This came about from last week’s show. Evans tries, but he just can’t be as cool as Angelico. With both tag partners at ringside, I can totally see a future tag match – maybe when Elevation goes back on the road? But first, this show is sponsored by State Farm.
Shoving match to start and they go nose to nose. Evans with a knee to the gut, but Sydal spins through to a front facelock. Evans reverses, so Sydal backdrops Evans, who lands on his feet and gets a headlock. We go International~!, ending with Evans catching Sydal mid-leapfrog with a dropkick. Muta elbow misses, and Sydal with a step-up rana and flying sole kick. Sydal chops Evans in the corner, then gets a running back elbow and low snapmare for two. Bow and arrow follows, then he stomps on Evans’ back on the mat before landing a standing twist moonsault to Evans’ back for two.
Evans is ticked off and squares up with Sydal, but loses a kick battle. Angelico trips Sydal, allowing Evans a 540 kick to send Sydal to the bottom corner. Evans picks him up and slams him, then lands his own standing 360 twist moonsault for two. Evans talks trash to the camera, so Sydal gets him caught with an armdrag and schoolboy for two. Evans floors Sydal with an elbow and pounds on him on the mat before tossing Sydal. Evans has the referee, but no cheating comes of it. Evans off the apron with an RVD flying kick to Sydal’s head, then he backs Mike away and throws Matt into the post.
In and out to reset the count, then he tosses Sydal in. Evans follows and stomps on the hand before slugging away and landing a knee strike. Knee strikes in the clutch leads to a Russian legsweep for two. Evans taunts the crowd (“I’m beating down your hero”) before choking Sydal against the bottom rope. Angelico adds a choke of his own behind the ref’s back, but Evans tries a dropkick and hits Angelico by mistake. Now Sydal kicks Evans with roundhouses, but Evans goes to the eyes only to run into a spinning leg lariat. Standard leg lariat follows, then a Falcon Arrow for two. Running knees to a seated Evans in the corner leads to a ground cobra clutch. (Commentary sells it like a resthold, which is bad.)
Evans flips out of the Lightning Spiral, then gets a Northern Lights suplex into a Falcon Arrow of his own for two. Evans goes up top, but he rolls through on a 450 attempt only to run into a wacky cradle by Sydal for two. They exchange roundhouse kicks before Evans gets a bridge O’Connor Roll for two. Rising knee strike by Evans, then a standing enzuigiri. Lightning Spiral follows for the pin at 9:02. Good match dragged down a bit by unenthusiastic commentary. C’mon, guys, this is your feature bout! **1/4 The Sydals dare TH2 to do something, but nothing happens before we go off the air.
Well, the feature bouts delivered and the rest were just there. They had a bit of a look for Baron Black and Nelson/Isaacs, which is real nice. The real story here is that Jora Johl has a very important decision to make, with Matt Hardy building an army to try to get rid of Christian Cage. With Butcher and Blade, Private Party, and now TH2 in his employ, I wonder if Johl is a red herring. It is interesting that they gave him a new name… I get a feeling he’s being heavily considered for a contract. Not all was good or neutral – Schiavone and Wight seemed tired by the main event and Morales blew his big spot to the outside – but it’s a B-level show. You take what you can get.
STATS
BELL-TO-BELL – 44:06 over twelve matches (average time 3:41)
MATCH OF THE NIGHT – Sydal vs Evans
FIVE STARS:
- Matt Sydal
- Jungle Boy Perry
- Jack Evans
- Jora Johl
- Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson
See you tomorrow!
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