7 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Revolution 2021

Ups...

7. Maki Itoh & Britt Baker Warm It Up

Maki Itoh Britt Baker
AEW

Further proof of AEW's growing faith in its women's division was the decision to stick a tag team match on last night's Buy In pre-show. That spot is the promotion's last real shot at convincing unsure viewers to part with their money and pay for the show. AEW trusted Britt Baker, Thunder Rosa, Riho, and Maki Itoh to do that, which should be noted.

Itoh's appearance as a replacement for the "injured" Rebel (who had a doctor's note from Baker herself) was a fun surprise for the pre-show. Her Fired Idol shtick sounded like it was over as hell in the building and her character was all over the match, as she feigned crying at Rosa's stiff shots, worked towards Kokeshi headbutts, and struggled to contain her excitement at the occasion. Maki's personality is miles wide and AEW should absolutely make the most of her whenever they can.

This was a fun, well-paced bout that had a couple of spotty moments, but nowhere near enough to hamper the flow. It concluded with Reba (who, surprise surprise, isn't really injured) whacking Thunder Rosa with the crutch to keep the Baker feud going, with Britt scoring the pin. Another singles match between the two beckons.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.