9 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW Dark: Elevation

When AEW Dark: Elevation wasn't WWE RAW: Glorified, it was really quite productive...

by Michael Sidgwick
AEW Elevation
AEW

Amid an already bloated pro wrestling schedule, AEW with Dark: Elevation had to achieve one thing: the show had to convince viewers that it was an essential viewing experience and not the second Dark show it literally promoted itself as.

Dark is fun, but inessential. An irreverent and endearing exercise in stat-padding, the show is nonetheless baggy and repetitive. Dark is elevated beyond what it actually is - a growing streaming service-friendly content library masquerading as a push-facilitator and a benevolent gesture - by the fact that it never feels like a cynical strategy. The gloriously abstract commentary provided by Taz and Excalibur is crucial to the vibe.

This is a show on which Taz will provide necessary relief from the functional obligation of handing a certain act a win by singing and meandering on bizarre, glorious tangents. The in-ring action is mostly comprised of predictable, elongated squashes, and is promoted for strategy as much as the fan experience. These two objectives can sometimes collide quite thrillingly - Ricky Starks was in stunning form throughout 2020, treating Dark as a legit platform and not a supplementary YouTube revenue stream - but there's only so many six-minute vehicles one can watch before the monotony sets in.

Did Elevation do more than that...?

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Contributor
Contributor

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!