Romero scoops main event win, Ren Narita impresses against Isaacs
The main event of Monday night’s AEW Dark Elevation YouTube show saw Rocky Romero victorious in an impressive outing against ‘Blue Collar Badass’ JD Drake.
Drake showed a clear size advantage at the opening bell, as Rocky couldn’t knock the big man down with a tackle attempt, but did so after a flurry of kicks. A tijeras put Drake in the corner though, and made him victim to the Forever Clotheslines, before a tope suicida. Out on the floor, a knee off the apron followed for Rocky, but a pop up elbow gave Drake key separation from his opponent.
Back inside, Drake connected with a neckbreaker to Rocky, and after a fling to the outside, his entourage of ‘Wingmen’ applied more pressure to Romero. An uranage slam and a heavy headbutt from Drake in ring had Rocky staggered, but a Vader Bomb from the big man missed, and a swinging DDT was the result.
Making the most of his opening, Romero snapped the arm of Drake and fired in kicks, but was cut off by a lariat. Romero went back to the arm however, and came off the top rope with a dropkick to Drake before a Shrianui for two. Rocky couldn’t get the Diablo armbar, though, instead tasting a shotgun knee from Drake for two; a cannonball followed, but Drake missed a follow up moonsault, and Romero locked in La Magistral for the flash pinfall.
After the match, the Wingmen jumped Rocky, but long time Roppongi Vice partner Trent Baretta made the save. As the Roppongi Vice theme played, Rocky was in celebratory mood as Elevation went off the air.
Also on Elevation, Ren Narita faced off against recent strong debutant Royce Isaacs. Isaacs used his size advantage to control Narita on the mat before taking down Narita with a shoulder tackle. The LA Dojo representative reversed a shot into the corner however, and followed with a half hatch for two. As Narita looked to follow with an O’Connor Roll, however, Isaacs ducked down, leaving Narita to crash into the ring rope, Isaacs following up with a lariat.
Narita fired back against his larger opponent with solid forearm shots, but a spinning wheel kick proved premature, and saw him caught and dropped to the mat. Isaacs caught Narita with a Texas Cloverleaf out of the corner, and landed heavy right hands when the young man made the ropes, but Narita this time responded with the spinning wheel kick. Narita through right elbows and wanted the Narita Special, but Isaacs used headbutts to escape, and hit a Jackhammer for two.
Isaacs went for the kill on Narita, but was countered into a rear naked choke and impressive Greco Roman suplex for two. Rolling through, the Narita Special scored for a three count victory.
