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We will be previewing all matches from the pay per view this week.
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AEW Women’s World Championship
Willow Nightingale versus Mariah May (c)
Approximately a month ago I preached patience when it comes to the AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May. Then I saw that the match between Britt Baker and Willow Nightingale was turned into a four way including Jamie Hayter and my patience kinda wore thin in the moment.
“Maybe Jamie Hayter slips into this match and just beats Mariah May for the title. I would be okay with this.”
Since All In, Mariah has lacked purpose or direction since becoming champion. While I appreciate the story they are building between her and Mina Shirakawa, and expect it to end in a title match, I also think that’s just an extension of the Toni Storm story. Mariah needs more.
She has been defending the title at a good frequency with title matches against Yuka Sakazaki and Nyla Rose. She also won eliminators against Lady Frost and Queen Aminata. But she really hasn’t found a new dance partner for a feud.
In the PPV Preview for All Out I actually predicted this match! I also celebrated the Stokely and Statlander union which seems to have randomly ended. I still don’t understand what’s going on with that at all. If they book Kris Statlander versus Mercedes Moné I’ll discuss that more then.
Willow lost her match with Kris but has since rebounded with wins against Taya Valkyrie, Trish Adora, and the four way #1 contenders four way match at Dynamite last night. Even better was her pouncing Mariah May post match to cut a promo.
There’s a part of me that again wishes AEW just uses this time to build up Willow as a rival to Mariah. Even if Mariah wins, you could still have Willow chase her and make a real rivalry out of it. It would be disappointing if May just wins and moves on to carrying the Toni storyline while Toni is gone. That’s what makes people lose their patience with her title reign. She doesn’t feel like the Women’s World Champion but simply the Toni Storm Storyline Champion. Gotta have Mina come in. Gotta wait for Toni to return. Nothing happens until then.
There’s another part of me who thinks you could have Willow win the AEW Women’s World Championship and make Mariah chase her, because that’s been the best of Mariah May. Mariah having something to achieve is what has her at her most creative, vindictive, and violent. Even if Willow only holds it to Full Gear that’s a way to rise the stakes of this.
Willow and May could absolutely develop into rivals if AEW gives this more than a week. Even if my mind is racing on how Jamie Hayter needs her shot eventually, I would love to see this be the focus at the top of the women’s division.
That said, I worry that AEW believes Toni Storm as the babyface former champion returning will be the biggest babyface star they got for the women and the goal is to build towards that. Even if that is the final goal? They need a top babyface until she returns, and I think Willow fits that bill well.