Maki Itoh and Riho will main event the first AEW Dark: Elevation! It will be the second main event of the week for AEW’s women’s division. It joins the previously announced main event of the next edition of Dynamite, where Britt Baker will face off against Thunder Rosa in a lights out match.
AEW owner Tony Khan made the announcement on Twitter, whilst also revealing other key matchups for the show’s debut this Monday. Joining Maki Itoh vs. Riho will be:
-Jungle Boy vs. Danny Limelight
-Dante Martin vs. ‘Platinum’ Max Caster
-Tay Conti vs. Ashley Vox
-Brandon Cutler vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Khan mentioned that there will also be ‘much more action’ joining the already announced five match card. Fans can tune in on Monday the 15th of March to see the highly anticipated debut of AEW Dark: Elevation.
Next week marks significant progress for the AEW women’s division, as they will get both their first and second main event matches since the birth of the company. After criticism from fans for a lack of focus on the division, AEW appear to be responding.
Maki Itoh and Riho have faced off in singles competition before. Fans of TJPW will likely have seen their previous outing. Itoh, at the time, was only two years into her wrestling career. Though she gave a valiant effort, Riho was ultimately victorious. With five years now under her belt, will the ‘cutest in the world’ be able to defeat the child prodigy?
If you are still unfamiliar with Maki Itoh and would like to learn more about the rising star, ITR recently produced a feature chronicling her career. For a complete rundown of the most recent edition of Dynamite, where Riho and Itoh faced off in a 6 woman tag team match, click here.