AEW Dark: Elevation Results (01/16) - Eight Man Tag Team Match, Triple Threat Match, ROH Women's World Championship Eliminator Match
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "AEW Dark: Elevation" on January 16, 2023, coming to you from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles!
Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Ethan Page and Brandon Cutler will be competing in an eight-man tag team match against Ryan Nemeth and "Pretty" Peter Avalon of The Wingmen, and Spanish Announce Project's Luther and Serpentico. Page has kept Kassidy and Hardy firmly under his thumb over the past few weeks after the pair were unable to get themselves out of their contracts with The Firm, and while Hardy has seemingly come around to the circumstances, Kassidy has made his frustrations regarding the whole situation clear.
A huge Triple Threat match is set for tonight, as Blackpool Combat Club's Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta will be going head-to-head with The Butcher and The Blade, and Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin). Dark Order will be in action as they face The Trustbusters leader Ari Daivari, "The Reality" Zack Clayton, and Nick Ruiz while LFI ("Perro Peligroso" Preston Vance and Rush) will be taking on Diego Valens and Misterioso.
Former Impact star Willie Mack is set to make his AEW debut tonight, as he goes one-on-one with one third of the reigning ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions, Brian Cage. Jericho Appreciation Society's Daniel Garcia looks to continue to rack up wins as he squares off with Kevin Blackwood. Additionally, ROH Women's World Champion Athena will be squaring off with former WWE star Zeda Zhang in an Eliminator Match. If Zhang wins, then she will earn herself a future shot at Athena's title. Elsewhere in the women's division, Japanese veteran Emi Sakura will be joining forces with Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir to take on Vipress, Johnnie Robbie, and Zyra.
We are live! Paul Wight and "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard greet audiences at home as Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir, Vickie Guerrero, and Emi Sakura head to the ring. Vipress, Johnnie Robbie and Zyra are already waiting inside.
Emi Sakura, Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Vipress, Johnnie Robbie and Zyra
Rose and Robbie begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Shafir wants to be tagged in, but Rose opts to tag in Sakura. Sakura delivers a chop and a running crossbody, then tags in Rose. Shafir tags herself in as Robbie tags in Vipress. Rose levels her with a Gorilla Press before Shafir delivers a series of kicks. Sakura and Zyra tag in, but Rose catches her with a Spear, allowing Sakura to pin her for the win.
Winners: Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir and Emi Sakura
Daniel Garcia heads to the ring, with Kevin Blackwood already waiting inside.
Daniel Garcia vs. Kevin Blackwood
The bell rings and the two lock up. They exchange submissions before Blackwood delivers a series of kicks. Garcia knocks Blackwood out of the ring, but Blackwood manages to get back in the ring. Garcia delivers a back elbow, then follows it up with a sliding dropkick and a chop. He rains down right hands, then bites Blackwood. Blackwood ascends to the top and delivers a missile dropkick, then hits a lariat and an overhead throw. He hits a double stomp, then goes for a pin but Garcia kicks out. Garcia fires back with a modified DDT for the win.
Winner: Daniel Garcia
We head backstage to Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy. Ethan Page walks in with Brandon Cutler and informs them that Cutler will be their tag team partner in an effort to get Kassidy to have more fun. Kassidy is having none of it and walks off.
Zack Clayton, Ari Daivari, and Nick Ruiz head to the ring, followed by Dark Order.
Dark Order vs. Ari Daivari, Zack Clayton and Nick Ruiz
Daivari and Uno begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. The both shove one another before Uno gets the upper hand and manages to deliver a Manhattan Drop and a shoulder tackle. Ruiz tags in and Uno delivers a chop. He shoves him into the top turnbuckle, then tags in Reynolds. Clayton tags in and delivers a vertical suplex, followed by a knee drop. Clayton delivers a slam, then tags in Daivari. Daivari hits a Frog Splash from off the top, then knocks Uno off the apron. Reynolds delivers a right hand, then tags in Silver. Clayton tags in and Silver catches him with an uppercut. He follows it up with a pair of kicks and a back cracker, then goes for a pin but Daivari breaks the fall. Ruiz tags in and Dark Order delivers the Pendulum Bomb for the win.
Winner: Dark Order
We head backstage to Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita. Callis tells Takeshita he should've won his match on "Dynamite" this past Wednesday, but he understands he has a lot currently going on given his busy schedule. He says if you lose enough, then nothing is left. He says he and Kenny Omega can help him out, then gives him his number.
LFI heads to the ring, with Diego Valens and Misterioso already waiting inside.
LFI (w/ Jose The Assistant) vs. Diego Valens and Misterioso
Vance and Valens begin the action. The bell rings and Valens looks to deliver a series of chops. Vance no-sells it and delivers a spinebuster, them mocks fans with the "ten" symbol. Misterioso tags in and delivers a series of forearms. Vance fires back with a vicious lariat, then tosses him into the corner and tags in Rush. Rush delivers Bull's Horns for the win.
Winners: LFI
After the match, LFI unmasks Misterioso before Vance delivers a lariat and Rush attacks him with a cable from under the ring.
The Wingmen and Spanish Announce Project head to the ring, followed by Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Ethan Page and Brandon Cutler.
Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Ethan Page and Brandon Cutler vs. The Wingmen and Spanish Announce Project
Avalon and Cutler begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Avalon delivers a shoulder tackle, but Cutler fires back with a clothesline and tags in Hardy. Hardy ascends to the middle rope and delivers an elbow drop, then tags in Kassidy. Kassidy and Hardy deliver a double back elbow before Cutler tags back in and delivers a series of right hands. Luther and Nemeth attack Cutler while the referee is distracted. Nemeth then tags in and sends Cutler crashing into the mat, then tags Avalon back in. Avalon delivers a right hand to Cutler's back, but Cutler fires back with the Airplane Spin.
Serpentico and Page tag in. Page immediately tags in Kassidy, and Kassidy delivers a high crossbody, followed by a DDT off the middle rope. He goes for a pin, but Luther breaks the fall. Hardy tags in and delivers the Side Effect, then tags in Kassidy. Kassidy hits the Swanton Bomb, then looks for the pin. Page tags himself in and pins Serpentico himself for the win.
Winners: Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Ethan Page and Brandon Cutler
Willie Mack heads to the ring, followed by Brian Cage and Prince Nana.
Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana) vs. Willie Mack
The bell rings and Mack delivers a running knee. Cage plants Mack with a sit-out side slam, then delivers a series of stomps and a step-up knee. Mack delivers a suplex, then hits a running back elbow and a big boot. He hits a senton, then goes for a pin but Cage kicks out. Mack delivers a back elbow, but Cage fires back with a superkick and gets Mack up on his shoulders. He plants him face first, but Mack manages to deliver a standing moonsault. He goes for a pin, but Cage kicks out. Cage delivers a Tornado DDT, but Mack hits him with a roundhouse kick. Cage turns him inside out with a lariat, but Mack hits a Stunner and ascends to the top rope. He looks for a double stomp, but Cage moves out of the way and hits a powerbomb. He then delivers a twisting neckbreaker for the win.
Winner: Brian Cage
Athena heads to the ring, with Zeda Zhang already waiting inside.
Athena (c) vs. Zeda Zhang in an ROH Women's World Championship Eliminator Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. Zhang tosses Athena to the mat, but Athena fires back with a kick to her face and rains down right hands. Athena delivers a big boot, then delivers a series of stomps. Zhang delivers a back elbow, but Athena fires back with several roundhouse kicks to her spine and the crossface for the win.
Winner: Athena
After the match, Athena sends Zhang into the barricade, then tosses her back in the ring and hits Wrath of the Goddess.
We head backstage to Lexy Nair and Prince Nana. Nana says he's excited for the future of The Embassy, but Dark Order walks in and asks him to join them. Nana asks why he would join them and Reynolds confronts him about a scam email he sent. Nana finds a reason to walk away.
The Butcher, The Blade, and The Bunny head to the ring, followed by Top Flight and Blackpool Combat Club.
Blackpool Combat Club vs. Top Flight vs. The Butcher and The Blade (w/ The Bunny)
The bell rings and BCC begins brawling with Butcher and Blade. Top Flight takes the two teams out with tope suicida before Darius tosses Yuta into the ring. He delivers a forearm, then tags in Dante. Dante beats Yuta down, then tags in Darius. Butcher tags himself in and Yuta delivers a series of forearms and chops. Butcher whips him into the corner, then goes flying. Butcher catches him and tags in Blade. Blade delivers a lariat, then tags Butcher back in. Yuta fires off several right hands, chops, and elbows, then delivers an enziguri. He follows it up with a German suplex, then tags in Castagnoli. Blade tags in and Castagnoli delivers a kick and a series of running uppercuts. Bunny distracts the referee, and while Butcher and Blade try to take advantage to deliver Drag The Lake, Castagnoli delivers The Swing to Butcher. Dante tags in and takes everyone down on the outside. He ascends to the top and delivers the Nose Dive for the win.
Winners: Top Flight