AEW Dark: Elevation - Big main event and other matches announced for debut episode

The debut episode of AEW Dark: Elevation will air this coming Monday, March 15th, and the company has now announced the main event of the show.

Tony Khan took to Twitter to reveal that Maki Itoh will take on Riho in the episode's closing match.

"The @AEW Dark: Elevation debut Monday on YouTube is a stacked card & should be a fantastic show. @riho_gtmv v. @maki_itoh is our 1st ever Elevation main event! After Elevation + a strong Dark card Tuesday, don't miss the highly anticipated St. Patrick's Day Slam on #AEWDynamite!" said Tony Khan.

The @AEW Dark: Elevation debut Monday on YouTube is a stacked card & should be a fantastic show. @riho_gtmv v. @maki_itoh is our 1st ever Elevation main event! After Elevation + a strong Dark card Tuesday, don’t miss the highly anticipated St. Patrick’s Day Slam on #AEWDynamite!

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) March 11, 2021

The AEW President announced four more singles matches for the much-hyped debut of the company's latest offering.

"In addition to the huge main event @Riho_gtmv v. @maki_itoh for the debut of Dark: Elevation, the card includes great matchups like Jungle Boy v. Danny Limelight, Dante Martin v. Max @CasterShow , @TayConti_ v. @ashley__vox , Brandon Cutler v. Powerhouse Hobbs, + much more action!" said Tony Khan on Twitter.

In addition to the huge main event @Riho_gtmv v. @maki_itoh for the debut of Dark: Elevation, the card includes great matchups like Jungle Boy v. Danny Limelight, Dante Martin v. Max @CasterShow, @TayConti_ v. @ashley__vox, Brandon Cutler v. Powerhouse Hobbs, + much more action!

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) March 11, 2021

The updated match card for the first episode of AEW Dark: Elevation

After the announcement from Tony Khan, here is how the updated match card for AEW Dark: Elevation looks like.

* Main Event: Maki Itoh vs. Riho

* Jungle Boy vs. Danny Limelight

* Dante Martin vs. Max Caster

* Tay Conti vs. Ashely Vox

* Brandon Cutler vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone will take care of the show's commentary, and it will be the former WWE Champion's first AEW assignment since jumping ship to Tony Khan's company.

AEW Dark: Elevation will begin on the company's YouTube channel from 7 pm ET onwards. Unlike the original Dark, Elevation is expected to be a one-hour show.

AEW Dark's first show will continue to air on Tuesdays, and Taz and Excalibur's chemistry in the commentary booth will thankfully remain untouched. The original AEW Dark quite often has massive match cards, and the shows usually go beyond the two-hour mark.

Elevation is being advertised as a more refined and compact version of Dark, and the show will have established talent take on promising up-and-coming wrestlers.

Are you excited to watch AEW Dark: Elevation? Will it be on your regular watchlist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.