AEW Dark Elevation recap (June 27, 2022): Swerve In Our Glory

Episode 69 of AEW Dark: Elevation is in the books! If you missed the live broadcast click here for the Cageside Seats stream. The announce team of Excalibur, Anthony Ogogo and Mark Henry was in the broadcast booth this week. Are you exhausted after Forbidden Door last night? I hope not because we’ve got much more AEW in store!

Anna Jay vs. Heather Reckless

Anna Jay brought a record of 20-2 to the opening contest. Reckless was waiting for her in the ring with a record of 0-2. Mark Henry praised Jay for not resting on her laurels and always striving to improve. Reckless was taken down with a back elbow and a forearm to the face. She did a roll to the corner, stopped for a a head kick, brought Reckless to the center of the ring and sank in the Queen Slayer. Typing this took longer than the match.

Team Taz (Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricky Starks) vs. Joey Jett & Jordan Kross

Hobbs and Starks were accompanied by Taz with records of 49-20 and 48-11 respectively. Their opponents Jett and Kross were waiting in the ring and teaming together for the first time in AEW. Hobbs laid in chops in the corner and dragged the carcass over to his teammate. Starks ran a whole lap around the ring before tagging in while Hobbs applied one more sledgehammer to the chest. Ogogo: “Extreme explosive is Starks.” Henry: “We say quick as a hiccup where I’m from.” Starks took Kross down with a dropkick and then knocked Jett off the apron. Kross tried to exchange strikes and got slapped right in the face. Hobbs knocked Jett down when he tried to make the save and Starks connected with the Roshambo for the pin, showing off his FTW Title to the crowd afterward.

Ruby Soho vs. Missa Kate

Soho brought a 34-5 record to Milwaukee. Her opponent Kate was sitting on the bottom turnbuckle waiting for her, bringing an AEW record of 0-2. Henry: “Does she have pajamas on?” They were definitely not the typical wrestling pants. Kate made the most of them by using her long legs to attack Soho, mocking the crowd with a “Ru-by” chant, and dragging her face across the ropes. Meanwhile Ogogo insulted Henry by saying Texas was “the armpit of America.” Soho took over around this point and went up to the top rope, but Kate got out of the way before she came down and hit a pump kick for a near fall. Kate went for a spinning head kick but was blocked, and Soho hit Destination Unknown for the pin.

Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) vs. GPA & Vic Capri

Strickland’s music and entrance were first, but then his (somewhat reluctant) partner arrived. Records of 9-4 and 12-3 respectively. They seem to be getting back on the same page this week as they exchanged a fist bump at the top of the ramp, and Strickland even appeared to be offering Lee respect before they stepped into the ring. GPA and Capri were both waiting for them and teaming together for the first time in All Elite Wrestling.

Lee played conductor and led the crowd in a soccer chant before getting the match underway with GPA. He tried a go behind and an arm wringer and Lee seemed insulted. GPA tried a couple of shoulder tackles that Lee no sold and Lee took over. He hoisted GPA with one arm and dropped him like a sack of organic farm fresh purple potatoes. GPA hit three jawbreakers and went for a crossbody, which immediately turned into a huge power slam. Capri tried to tag in and hit a clothesline and he bounced off Lee like a ping pong ball. Lee planted him into the canvas, splashed him in the corner, and threw him from one corner of the ring to the other while Strickland looked on. The crowd chanted “one more time” so Lee obliged the fans. Henry: “He tossed him like a salad!” Not the metaphor I would have chosen. GPA tried to run in and ate a Spirit Bomb. Strickland tagged in for a dropkick and leapt over Lee to hit it. “Who’s house? Swerve’s house!” Capri ate a head kick for the pin.

The ref raised their hands, and the two exchanged a look before Butcher, Bunny and Blade came out to the ramp. This changed the mood quick as both Lee and Strickland were on the same page facing this threat, but before anything came of it we went to the next match.

Ethan Page vs. Serpentico

Serpentico came out with a record of 13-82 and a win streak of one. That streak was about to be snapped. Page brought a record of 27-9 and coach Dan Lambert to the ring. Serpentico went outside the ring to argue with Lambert, not keeping his eyes on the prize, and Page took advantage with ground and pound when Serpentico came back in. He blew a kiss to the camera, hit Ego’s Edge, and the streak was over. Page laughed, Lambert smiled, and the corpse of Serpentico was kicked out of the way.

John Silver vs. KM

Silver came out to a nice pop with a record of 52-30 to date. KM brought a 2022 singles record of 0-1. Henry quipped that KM was one of Paul Wight’s favorites. Excalibur: “Paul Wight’s not here, he’s on the mend, but we wish him all the best.” That’s right — I believe Wight has been gone because he had another hip replacement. I wish him the best too. KM charged and ate a kick to the face, both men traded strikes, then Silver tripped him into the ropes and hit a boot to the back of the head before a dead lift German. He picked KM up for a very impressive Spin Doctor given KM’s size and promptly pinned him. Henry: “What a powerful man that is right there!”

House of Black (Brody King & Buddy Matthews) vs. Brubaker & CJ Esparza

Julia Hart accompanied the House of Black to the ring. King’s record was 9-1 while Matthews brought a record of 6-1. Brubaker and Esparza were waiting for them bathed in the blue light of Black’s entrance. Henry: “(Hart) used to be so sweet and wholesome now she’s completely dark and black.” So much the better for it too. Esparza and Brubaker were making their AEW debut. Excalibur: “I don’t like their chances.” Nor do I sir. Nor do I. Brubaker was used as a battering ram to hit his own partner, then House of Black double teamed him for the finish courtesy of King’s Fire Thunder Driver. Henry: “Is he alive?” He probably wishes he wasn’t. Ogogo: “Tag division better wake up. These boys are here!”

Gunn Club (Austin & Colten Gunn) & Max Caster vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds and Preston “10” Vance)

And these Ass Boys are right here with Max Caster. First though The Dark Order entered and were reportedly teaming for the first time in the trios division. Silver looked on from the ramp fresh off his win earlier in the night. Caster: “Yo. Listen. Listen. Yo. Yo. Acclaimed and the Gunns we voted the best wrestlers, we do not commit voter fraud like your Senators. We’re coming with the fire tonight — I’ll have you looking like Joe Biden riding a bike. How many times did we beat you? Eight thousand. Y’all a bigger disappointment than the Drake album. The Dark Order’s making me laugh boy, you will never beat Acclaimed and The Ass Boys.” Gunn Club got the intro wrong so Bowens corrected them by yelling “MILWAUKEE! The Acclaimed have arrived.” Uno was the man in peril until he fought off all three and hit the neck breaker on Caster, then shook off a Gunn to tag in Vance. Vance cleaned house and gave Colten the spine on the pine complete with a crotch chop for his dad. Colten was put in a delayed vertical before Reynolds was tagged in and given an assist over the ropes to wipe the Gunns out. Reynolds delivered a lung blower but Caster broke up the pin and got thrown out for his trouble. Austin tried a roll up and failed even with a distraction from Billy. Reynolds and Billy bonked into each other and this time Austin got the pin with a foot on the ropes. The Acclaimed celebrated with them. Henry: “I’m at a loss for words.”

What to watch/skip

Tonight’s “what to watch/skip” for Elevation is brought to you by “I Am.” I know they have teased dissension between Lee and Strickland that will ultimately lead to the latter going heel, but until that happens they are my favorite tag team to +not+ have tag team titles. Normally I don’t like when partners feud with each other, but much like Mercedes Martinez and Serena Deeb, their constant one-upping and “can you top that” antics are over with me. It was easily the most fun match on Elevation, although the best worked was the main event. John Silver wins for “most impressive single feat” tossing around a man twice his size, and the rest of the show was squashes albeit enjoyable ones. A good episode overall.

Cageside commentary crew! Share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you love pro wrestling find me on Twitter too. See you tomorrow night for AEW Dark!