Although the booking AEW’s women’s division hasn’t been perfect, and whilst the storylines haven’t had too much depth, there is no denying that the women in AEW put on consistently strong in-ring matches, and this bodes true for the AEW Women’s World Championship scene, for the most part.
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The first 10 Women’s World Title matches in AEW offered an array of different matchups, some of which were much better than others, with some being underwhelming or even downright bad. The first 10 matches were spread out over a year, making the defenses feel special and well-earned, which helped to establish the prestige of the title.
10 Riho Vs Kris Statlander, AEW Dynamite: Anniversary, 8th January 2020
This was a complete disaster of a match. The in-ring action between Riho and Statlander was fine, with both being strong workers, but the booking of the match was what let it down in a big way.
The Nightmare Collective made their presence known in this match, which was incredibly unpopular due to how poor the gimmick was. The debuting Luther helped to distract Statlander, which led to Riho, who was supposed to be a babyface, getting a tainted victory. The ending was a mess, and it hurt everyone involved.
9 Nyla Rose Vs Kris Statlander, AEW Revolution, 29th February 2020
Unfortunately for Rose and Statlander, there was a lot going against them for this match. The pair were made to follow what may still be the best match in AEW history, coming after the historic Hangman Page & Kenny Omega vs Young Bucks Tag Title encounter.
This unwinnable spot wasn’t helped by the fact that Statlander came into this match with a fever, with it being clear that she wasn’t 100%. The pair didn’t gel at several points, and despite the crown being fairly into it, the execution was very off for most of the runtime.
8 Riho Vs Britt Baker, AEW Dynamite, 16th October 2019
Riho’s first defense came against fellow babyface Britt Baker. Back in 2019, Baker was far from the performer that she is today, with that being evident by a slow and sloppy start to the contest.
The pair managed to turn things around in the latter stages of the match, with the right outcome seeing Riho retain her belt. Baker has improved a lot since this point, with this not being a memorable bout at all.
7 Riho Vs Hikaru Shida Vs Nyla Rose Vs Britt Baker, AEW Dynamite: Homecoming, 1st January 2020
In hindsight, the line-up to this match is hugely significant, with those involved making up the first four AEW Women’s World Champions. The match itself was enjoyable, with the four-way stipulation allowing for non-stop action.
Once again, Baker looked a bit green, with her still on her way to improving, and Rose looked uncomfortable at times. The lack of a true narrative, aside from Rose’s dominance, left it feeling a bit empty, but it still had some fun moments.
6 Riho Vs Emi Sakura, AEW Full Gear, 9th November 2019
This was a classic teacher vs student match, with the veteran Sakura doing a lot of the heavy lifting, elevating Riho even more during her reign. Unfortunately, AEW didn’t build this match well, with it ultimately lacking heat due to the women's division not being dedicated much time.
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The action between the ropes was mostly strong, but not spectacular. A slight referee botch at the end didn’t detract from the finish, with it overall being fine.
5 Riho Vs Nyla Rose, AEW Dynamite, 2nd October 2019
The first ever Women’s World Champion was crowned on the very first episode of Dynamite, between two women who had earned their way to the match. From the off, Riho and Nyla Rose showcased strong chemistry with one another, putting on a great match to determine the inaugural titleholder.
Riho’s heart and courage as the underdog babyface was felt throughout, with her victory providing a great moment. Some moves weren’t executed too smoothly, but they got more comfortable as the match went on.
4 Nyla Rose Vs Hikaru Shida, AEW Double Or Nothing, 23rd May 2020
The No Disqualification stipulation allowed the two women to take this match up a notch in terms of hard-hitting action, and it delivered in a big way. Although not everything was perfect, the imperfections added to the intensity of the contest at times.
Shida pulling out the victory was slightly unexpected, but it was a welcome decision due to her natural popularity and great wrestling ability.
3 Hikaru Shida Vs Penelope Ford, AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest, 1st July 2020
When looking back at this match, it is crazy to see how little Penelope Ford has been used in AEW, as this proved just how good she can be inside the ropes, with this being one of the most solid women’s matches in AEW thus far.
The action was fluid, smooth, and hard-hitting, with every spot being hit to near perfection. Even though Shida hadn’t been champion for too long, there were some convincing near falls, played up by how strong Ford looked during this match.
2 Hikaru Shida Vs Thunder Rosa, AEW All Out, 5th September 2020
This contest came straight after the infamous Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara debacle. When considering that Shida and Rosa had to wrestle in the worst match placement of the night, what they accomplished is so much more impressive.
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Shida and Rosa managed to re-engage the crowd after the life had been sucked from the building, by putting together a hugely entertaining and technical match, with both wrestlers coming out of it looking strong. Perhaps on a different night, this may have been even better too.
1 Riho Vs Nyla Rose, AEW Dynamite, 12th February 2020
The initial match between Riho and Rose was good, but this one was a whole other level above. Building on their chemistry from last time, the two women put on a brilliant matchup, which was by far the best women’s match to date in AEW.
Riho’s unwillingness to give in made her look strong, even in defeat, with Rose playing the role as the monster heel wonderfully, winning the title in a result which should have arguably taken place the first time they met.
