Since the company’s creation, the ace of AEW’s women’s division has been Hikaru Shida. She seeks to regain the title this Sunday at All Out to further cement her place atop the company.
Shida set a world-class standard for the division during her 372-day title run. A major obstacle in her rise to prominence was that her reign took place from May of 2020 until the end of May of 2021, coinciding with the height of the pandemic. Instead of performing in front of passionate, packed crowds, Shida defended her title in empty arenas or for limited crowds. That was especially difficult considering her personality and work were largely new to fans in North America, yet the charismatic Shida still crafted a memorable stretch. She raised the standard of wrestling in the company, then worked an outstanding program against Serena Deeb after dropping the belt.
Following a lengthy title reign from Dr. Britt Baker, and then a shorter one from Thunder Rosa, Sunday at All Out marks Shida’s best chance to jumpstart her second reign as AEW women’s champion. Rosa cannot defend the title due to mounting injuries, so an interim title is on the line in a four-way match that also includes Baker, Toni Storm, and Jamie Hayter.
