AEW Dark: Elevation Review - December 12, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Emi Sakura def. Danni Bee

The crowd was surprisingly into this match, even though it didn't last long. I don't know why that is, but Sakura is skilled even though I don't care much for her as a character. This was essentially a showcase for Sakura, who was on offense the entire time and won within a minute or two. This was straightforward and exactly what it needed to be, giving Sakura a singles win before she likely loses her next match to someone on the roster.

Jericho Appreciation Society ("Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker) def. Warren Johnson and Zack Mason

I've forgot to mention this previously, but I'm glad Menard is back in the ring wrestling regularly again. I know he got hurt all the way back at Blood and Guts in June, but he and Parker really haven't had a lot of tag matches since then. I'd say he'll be missed on Elevation commentary, but he was on commentary for this episode otherwise. Menard and Parker hit maybe two or three moves and the match was over almost immediately. Short and sweet.

Willow Nightingale def. Vertvixen

Between Dynamite, Rampage, the Dark shows and ROH Final Battle, Nightingale has been all over the place lately and you love to see it. She's always a treat to watch work and she deserves the spotlight. This was a standard squash for her to keep her momentum rolling. As I said on Saturday, Nightingale should absolutely be the one to dethrone Athena for the ROH Women's World Championship at some point.

Best Friends def. Zack Clayton and Zane Valero

I'm sorry to say that I don't think giving Clayton a televised entrance is going to make him feel like any more of a threat to a team such as Best Friends. He's racked up a few wins on his own as of late, but as soon as he emerged with a partner I've never heard of before, it was obvious they weren't winning. Hell, even Clayton ditched Valero at the end. This was decent for what it was but nothing out of the ordinary.

Ari Daivari and Varsity Athletes def. Brandon Cutler and Chaos Project

Anyone who has read enough of my Elevation reviews is aware how little I care for all six of these guys, so putting them all in the same ring was my worst nightmare. In all seriousness, the crowd had more fun with it than I did and was into the Cutler and Chaos Project shenanigans, so there was that. I largely find their stuff unamusing and unbearable, but oh well. This was a serviceable main event, but I thought Cutler and Chaos Project were heels the last time I checked, so I didn't care to see either trio win.

Overall Show

Elevation was significantly shorter this week at just under a half hour, likely because the taping included the matches that aired during that special Saturday afternoon edition of Elevation over the weekend. You'll get no complaints out of me, as the shorter shows are refreshing and easier to get through. That said, this was a very forgettable episode. The crowd was lively, but all the matches were brief and the longest one (the main event) didn't interest me at all.

SEE MORE: Elevation Reviews