Popular Talent Returns At AEW Dark: Elevation Taping

A popular talent returned during All Elite Wrestling's Dark: Elevation taping on Wednesday night. 

In the main event of the taping, Emi Sakura teamed with the returning Maki Itoh to defeat Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue. Sakura picked up the win for her team, pinning Blue after a Stormbreaker. 

This was Itoh's first appearance in All Elite Wrestling since the May 18 edition of Dynamite when she lost a first-round match in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament to Britt Baker. Itoh established herself as a popular talent in AEW one year earlier after debuting in the promotion as part of the Japan bracket in the AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament.

Itoh was quickly eliminated, but she made her US debut in AEW at Revolution 2021 and competed in a couple more matches before returning to Japan. 

Itoh's AEW return comes after she sang at Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green's vow renewal over the weekend in Game Changer Wrestling. She also defeated Dark Sheik on August 14.