AEW Dark: Elevation Review - March 20, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Skye Blue def. TFA

You can count on a Skye Blue match opening either Elevation or Dark more often than not. She'll benefit from more reps because she remains somewhat green, but she's an excellent underdog and has clearly connected with the audience. She's gotten many matches on AEW TV as of late and will be in action again on Dynamite this Wednesday when she faces Toni Storm, so this was designed to give her a victory before then.

Jake Hager def. Adam Knight

I don't get the point of putting Hager in matches if he rarely wrestles on Dynamite and Rampage. I'm not complaining about his lack of in-ring time, but it does make you wonder why they bother with him on Elevation. The best thing I can say about this is that it didn't overstay its welcome. Here's hoping these wins aren't leading to him getting involved in anything significant in the near future.

Emi Sakura def. Zoe Sager

Sakura is at her best when she's working with the newer local talent. She's been showing more personality since turning heel and has gotten to rack up a bunch of victories on the Dark shows. Her matches aren't anything out of the ordinary otherwise, and who knows when she'll be back on Dynamite or Rampage, but at least she's consistently making the most of the time she's given. Sager held her own as well, so 

Brandon Cutler def. Jason Geiger

It seems like a majority of the AEW audience is into Cutler's shtick and that's nice I guess, but I still don't understand the appeal and find most of his comedy to be extremely unfunny. Interestingly, he wasn't as over here in Canada as he has been elsewhere. Thankfully, this crap is on Elevation where it belongs as opposed to on the main shows, but I'd be content if Cutler wrestled as infrequently as possible if this is what all of his matches are going to be. I have no idea why he remains with The Elite on AEW TV considering he adds nothing to their act now that they're babyfaces.

The Firm ("All Ego" Ethan Page, Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy) def. Massive Damage, Mo Jabari and Sebastian Wolfe

Crowds continue to eat up the stuff these three are doing. Hardy is clearly manipulating Page into thinking that they're friends and it hasn't hurt his popularity at all. Page was booed despite being from Canada, which was funny. I'm ready for what's next in the storyline and I'm hoping we get it when Stokley Hathaway faces Hook on Wednesday's Dynamite. I don't want them to be treading water for months to the point where people lose interest, which tends to be the case with most storylines/feuds in AEW.

Top Flight def. Michael Allen Richard Clark and Shaun Moore

I thought Michael Allen and Richard Clark were two different people until I realized all four names belonged to Clark. He and Moore scored more offense than I thought they would, so while it probably didn't need to be as competitive as it was, it was a nice outing while it lasted. Top Flight are always a treat to watch and I appreciate that they've been getting a bit more exposure on AEW TV and in Ring of Honor recently.

ROH Women's World Champion Athena def. Taylor Rising in an ROH Women's World Championship Proving Ground Match

Another week, another Athena squash. Every match of hers starts the same where she'll punch her opponent right away. She'll then get intense while on offense and beat them up afterward. It was cool early on, but we see it so frequently that it's gotten old. She is quite literally on every episode of Elevation and/or Dark along with ROH TV. That's overkill. She needs more credible competition, and I get the feeling we'll finally get her against Yuka Sakazaki for the title at Supercard of Honor.

Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes def. Levi Knight and Jessie V

Please don't tell me that Lee moved on from one partner in Swerve Strickland to another in Rhodes. I know they both have their established issues with Strickland, but there's no reason for them to continue teaming after they already beat Strickland and Parker Boudreaux a few weeks back on Rampage. Lee should be pushed in singles competition and I'm all for Rhodes doing his thing on his own as well. This was a solid showcase for them as a team, but it didn't need to happen. It's unfortunate that the Lee vs. Strickland storyline has cooled off completely.

The Dark Order (John Silver and Alex Reynolds) def. Tony Nese and Ari Daivari

Nese and Daivai are still teaming on occasion despite both guys having other tag partners. They work well together, but that doesn't make me care about them any more than I already did. Meanwhile, Dark Order have are in the midst of a renewed push of sorts with Stu Grayson returning to reunite with them, but we'll see how long the push lasts. The crowd was quieter for this than I thought they would be and I can't say I blame them. This should have been a more energetic sprint, but what we got instead was a flat main event.

Overall Show

Elevation usually features around seven matches and lasts around 45 minutes, so this was a little longer at just under an hour with nine matches. All in all, it was a serviceable show, though nothing in particular stood out and there were a few people that did not need to be featured. The Canadian crowd was shockingly tame for most of the episode as well. We've been getting the same stuff on Elevation for a while now, so it'd be nice if they switched it up a bit and made these shows less of a chore to watch.

SEE MORE: Elevation Reviews