AEW Dark Elevation recap (Oct. 25, 2021): Paul Wight has another three-on-one fight!

Episode 34 of AEW Dark: Elevation is in the books! If you missed the live broadcast click here for the Cageside Seats stream. Let’s go over what went down on Elevation this week. The announce team was Mark Henry, Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone.

Ryo Mizunami & Leyla Hirsch vs. Diamante & Xtina Kay

Diamante and Kay came out first, making their tag team debut for this episode. Mizunami and Hirsch also had no record as a team. Mizunami and Diamante started the match off. Diamante went for a headlock and a hair pull, but both times Mizunami fought her way out. Mizunami dropped her with a chop and Kay tagged in, and she immediately shouted “No! I want her!” Hirsch accepted the tag and the two tied up. Hirsch knocked Kay down with a shoulder tackle and got a roll up for two. Kay finally got on offense by stomping on a foot and throwing her into the heel corner, where Diamante tagged in and started mocking Mizunami. Diamante put Hirsch down repeatedly with short arm clotheslines and a back elbow. Hirsch got her knees up on a splash and hit a German suplex on Diamante so she could tag Mizunami in. More chops from Mizunami, stacking up both women in the corner as the crowd roared. Kay was thrown out, Diamante ate a leg drop, she kicked out at two. Hirsch tagged back in. Mizunami hit a leg trip driver and threw Hirsch on top of Diamante, who kicked out again. Hirsch went top rope but Kay cut her off and Diamante hit a kick while she was hanging upside down for a near fall. Mizunami broke up a pinfall as the heels were double teaming Hirsch. Mizunami hit a spear and Hirsch hit Kay with a running knee strike to get the pin and pick up their first team win. A very fun competitive match!

FTR (w/ Tully Blanchard) vs. Mike Reed & Toa Liona

FTW brought a record of 24-3 to this match along with their AAA Tag Team Titles. Reed & Liona were waiting in the ring with no prior record in AEW’s tag team division. Paul Wight was especially impressed by the size and stature of Lionheart Liona, although it was his partner Reed who started the match. He soon paid for that by getting beaten up and dropped face first with a Gordbuster. Reedescaped FTR and the big man Liona came in, and they promptly flipped him off and mocked him with an “UCE” chant. Hardwood tried to interfere from the outside and got the life squeezed out of him. Blanchard distracted him and Liona got clipped in the era, which allowed FTR to take over. Double team neck snap into the ropes as Wheeler tagged in for a near fall. He immediately tagged Harwood back in, and they failed to get a double team suplex. Liona took them both out with a crossbody. Reed pounded on the turnbuckle begging for a tag and he got it. That was a huge mistake. He immediately got hit with a Big Rig and pinned. Basically this was a tryout for Liona.

Emi Sakura (w/ Lulu Pencil) vs. Reka Tehaka

Sakura brought a record of 7-2 to the ring along with her second Lulu Pencil. Tehaka brought a record of 0-10 to the match. She went for a handshake and Sakura slapped it away. The two immediately started shoving, punching and chopping each other. Sakura whipped her across the ring, laughed loudly, but got reversed on a head whip as Tehaka showed off her strength. Sakura quickly took control again with a chop, a bulldog, but the bow and arrow got blocked. Sakura stomped on her back and kept pulling on the hair, causing the referee to admonish her to let go multiple times. Tehaka countered out of double underhooks to a back body drop. Side kick by Tehaka for two. Another exchange of chops. Tehaka tried a couple of headbutts to daze Sakura, but she hit a neckbreaker and started chanting “we will rock you.” Pencil gave a thumbs up as Sakura went to the ropes to drop all of her body weight on Tehaka and pick up the pin. Tehaka will get her first AEW win someday but today was not that day.

Preston “10” Vance (w/ -1 & The Dark Order) vs. QT Marshall (w/ The Factory)

Marshall’s singles record coming in for 2021 was 23-7. Vance brought a much more impressive singles record of 29-4. -1 wanted to get in the ring but Dark Order held him back on the entrance ramp. Vance got a “ten ten ten” chant going and Marshall bailed out of the ring, causing Wight to brand him a “turkey button” that “pops out when things get too hot.” Vance knocked him silly with a right hand when he got back in. High back body drop left Marshall flat, but when he got back up he floated Vance to the apron where Aaron Solo interfered to give Marshall the advantage. The camera zoomed in to show us a shiner Marshall got under his left eye from one of Vance’s shots. The ref took a close look and cleared him to continue. Wight speculated that he might have a fractured orbital bone. Double down and Marshall got up first, but Vance put him down with a series of lariats and drilled him with a pump kick. Marshall blocked the next one with a back elbow so Vance slammed him down hard instead. Marshall bailed out to the floor, where Nick Comoroto took off his ring jacket to show off his hairy chest. The Dark Order ran down to take out Marshall’s flunkies, but Marshall nearly scored a roll up in the process. Vance blocked a Diamond Cutter into a backslide for two and put on the Full Nelson for the submission!

Paul Wight vs. Arjun Singh, Cole Karter & Carlie Bravo

Wight left his spot at the commentary position for the Elevation main event. His record to date in AEW was 2-0, and very soon to be 3-0. Singh, Karter and Bravo were waiting for him, and for the record this was billed as their “trios debut.” I don’t know why you’d bother to note that in a handicap squash match, but they did anyway. Wight hushed the crowd and unloaded with his “frying pan hands” chops. The geeks of the week kept trying and failing to double or triple team him. Wight hit a flying shoulder block, a one handed choke slam, a knockout punch, and made the easiest pin possible. Mark Henry: “That’s the second time I’ve seen him beat three men. Maybe they should give him four or five!”

What to watch/skip

Tonight’s edition of “what to watch/skip” is brought to you by Showkishi. The women were the stars of this episode — the tag team match in particular, though it’s probably about time to do something with Tehaka too. Give her a win over somebody like Anna Jay or Skye Blue just to establish her a little bit. I think “10” is also ready for something like the TNT Title. He’s got the size, he’s got the look, he just needs to be given some big wins on Dynamite. The crowd is already behind him as it is. I’ll be shocked if AEW doesn’t give serious consideration to signing Toa Liona and putting him in a faction until he’s ready to break out as a soloist. The Hardy Family Office would probably be a good fit.

Cageside commentary crew! Elevation is calling and you should pick up that phone and answer it in the comments section below. See you tomorrow night for another AEW Dark!