9 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW Dark: Elevation

by Michael Sidgwick

1. A Good Main Event On A Show That Needed It

Maki Itoh
AEW

The Ups and Downs format doesn't necessarily capture how much a massive downer of a moment can ruin a show. The Ups here are more worthy than life-affirming, and the Downs are legitimately distressing glimpses into an awful future with no quality control. Hopefully, this was a last-minute decision to get Kenny Omega on the show and wasn't something they thought was actually good.

This actually was good, and it acted as (thin) evidence that Maki Itoh is more than a marvellous gimmick. This was as tight and competent as it was amusing. Riho is a fantastic worker who fused Itoh's usual schtick into a fine and creative match let down at times by Itoh's weak strikes - but elevated at others by Riho's committed and convincing bumping. Generally, when Riho had to fly into the sell, as she did as a result of a bulldog, this was good. She can sell the f*cked-up neck of a DDT very well too, regardless of how middling the execution is.

But only Itoh's mischievous charisma salvaged those moments in which Riho had to crumple at the impact of virtually nothing at all. But Itoh, time and again, gets away with it by locating the camera and simply being super-charismatic and off-kilter charming in front of it.

Dark: Glorified isn't the name of the show, but it might as well be. One day, all of this will converge to create quite incredible documentary material as the slow rise of various emerging talent is traced.

But to quote Jon Moxley, today is not that day.

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Contributor
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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!