11 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Fyter Fest 2021 Night 1

2. Yuka Sakazaki Shines

Yuka Sakazaki
AEW

In a match not without its sloppy moments, Yuka Sakazaki enchanted a set of fans that never forgot about her. AEW has cultivated an ultra-loyal hardcore base.

Do you really think this would be the case if the product sucked sh*t for two years?

Much as this was a showcase for Yuka - who built on that appreciative pop with her charming, deceptive rope work, quality aerials and distinct, adorable showmanship - Penelope Ford deserves a mention. She also deserves a much higher spot, or at least the reps to allow her to get there. Her expression when Yuka entered the ring was tremendous. She radiated petty jealousy when the camera was barely on her. AEW hasn't done nearly enough with her talents.

Yuka won with her Magical Girl Splash, presumably with the Britt Baker sequel planned, in a decent effort elevated by her jump-off-the-screen personality.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!