9 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW Dark: Elevation

6. Much-Needed Reps For The Lower Reaches Of The Women's Division

Red Velvet
AEW

The thing about Dark - and now Dark: Elevation - is that it doesn't really exist for the enjoyment of the viewing experience. It is a filmed house show with few of the amusing non-canon japes that make a house show worth attending. It functions to develop talent gradually for the ultimate benefit of the company. The odd good match is a byproduct; not the purpose.

That said, the show has at least recognised which talents require development, and booked several of them in showcases of reasonable (and theoretically productive) length.

The AEW fanbase hasn't been given enough of an idea who Big Swole is. At times, she doesn't really warrant the name; the back-and-forth modern hybrid match layouts imposed upon her don't have much personality to them. Her match with Skyler Moore was different, situating her as a powerhouse who won't take any posing heel sh*t. It was uplifting just to see her back following her recent troubles with Crohn's disease.

Abadon remains a rough prospect, but she was more selective in her no-sell spots. It's much cooler when she doesn't budge for a stiff kick than a gentle forearm, as was the case here.

Red Velvet's creativity and fire once again positioned her as the break-out women's worker of the Dark set.

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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!